Conducting Skydiving Research

[Deisel 35]

In trying to better understand the growth of our sport, or lack thereof, it has occurred to me that doing a little research may be in order. I'm trying to gain a better understanding of why our tandem student retention rate is so low (currently about 4% according to USPA data).

Anecdotally, tandem skydiving is as popular as ever. But I don't see a significant increase in continuing students based on the most recent data publish by USPA. So how does one determine the links here?

While trying to properly frame a research project I'm struggling to determine the best way to approach this. As an individual I don't have access to anyone's customer database to conduct an email survey, so that's out. Right now, I'm thinking that I could strategically place my two sons in the parking lot of the local tandem factory with clipboards in hand, and query the new jumpers as they depart. But what would be the best questions to ask?

And I'm open to any additional data collection suggestions that anyone would care to recommend. Any input from anyone with actual scientific research experience would be greatly appreciated.

D

The brave may not live forever, but the timid never live at all.

[demoknite 0]

I dont want to be the "do a search" guy but this one has been done many times. You wont get much scientific data, but it's mostly marketed as a ride these days. Ive been on loads with people who didnt even realize you could skydive "by yourself". Damn near every student hits the ground and says "I cant wait to do it again." Most never do for many reasons.

[oldwomanc6 38]

Sad to say, tandem jumping has evolved into a "carnival ride."

DZs have sprung up to support just that thing. Many don't even support much, if any, continuation of learning.

This trend is not good for the sport as we have historically known it, and if it continues along the same trend, soon there won't be any avenue of training even TMs.

OK--maybe a bit of exaggeration, but it is a scary path to think about going down.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[Deisel 35]

Trust me, I've done plenty of searching. I'm not looking to answer the 'why do you jump' question. That one has been asked to death. I'm trying to focus on increasing the retention rate. And no, there isn't much data available on this that ive been able to find. And yes, I've checked the academic databases.

What I want to know is what questions you would ask a first time tandem passenger. What are the right questions to ask? Finding the right answers has a lot to do with the questions.

The brave may not live forever, but the timid never live at all.

[dzswoop717 5]

I don't think any specific question can secure a potintial student after a carnival ride tandem jump. A tandem student who is given a thourough briefing, freefall tasks, Canopy control options and a debrief of thier performance, followed by a brief explination of how they can become a licensed skydiver will increase return rates. This process has been lost and is the only way to increase return rate!!!!! Tandem factories will never produce SKYDIVERS.

[chuckakers 370]

oldwomanc6

Sad to say, tandem jumping has evolved into a "carnival ride."

DZs have sprung up to support just that thing. Many don't even support much, if any, continuation of learning.

This trend is not good for the sport as we have historically known it, and if it continues along the same trend, soon there won't be any avenue of training even TMs.

OK--maybe a bit of exaggeration, but it is a scary path to think about going down.

Not sure what you mean by "evolved into a carnival ride". Tandems BEGAN as a carnival ride yet many DZ's now use them successfully as part of their student progression and retention programs. Seems to me that if there has been an evolution it has been at least partially in the other direction.

I ran a hardcore AFF and up-jumper DZ in the late 90's (4 tandem rigs, 20 student rigs) and shunned tandems as anything more than a way to get people in the air and sell them on AFF and late night drunken, naked DZ antics. It worked well in keeping the hardcore future jumpers around, but I'm sure we ran off many of the less "skydiver" types - which BTW I didn't mind.

That said, I am retired now and a load organizer at one of the most successful drop zones in the country and get to observe a very effective tandem progression program every weekend. Every first jump student goes through training on altitude awareness, self deployment, and the basics of canopy control and landing before the first jump. If the student chooses to arch, smile and buy the t-shirt so be it, but the effort to expose them to our real world is there. They are also offered their second jump for 99 bucks if purchased before they leave. It works. While the retention rate of first timers is probably typical of any tandem progression DZ, the pure numbers of first jump students from savvy marketing combined with a well-honed "bring 'em back" strategy results in a better than average second jump population.

There's an old saying - "if you want more skydivers, just recruit more first time jumpers." That's as true today as it ever was. Face it - the vast majority of first time jumpers will always be one time jumpers and I don't think that's such a bad thing. Most people aren't cut out for the realities of the potential for tragedy that we are.

Most people understand that gravity always works, the ground is always hard, and no one has missed the planet yet.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[frogerina 0]

So I guess I'm one of your 4%...someone given a tandem as a gift, who expected it to be a one-day event, who found herself two weeks later in a first jump course. If your sons and their clipboards had found me, clutching my video of my tandem in the parking lot, I probably would have given the standard "It was great! I'd love to do that again! Naw...I could never learn to do that all by myself." But I got home, watched that video, researched the DZ's website, where I learned that AFF existed (I did my first tandem on a sleepy weekday afternoon, so there were not AFF students about.) I remembered absolutely loving watching a demo into a football game, and the experience of the tandem.

Since then my instructors and I have shared the plane with tandems. I usually end up back on the ground waiting for my instructor for a debrief or to see if I can get on another load while the recent tandem students are waiting for their shiny videos. Because I'm still trying to figure out exactly how I fell down this particular rabbit hole, I often ask them what they thought, if they're coming back, etc.

Everybody I've talked to (in my very unscientific and small sample ) has loved their tandem experience. One or two have said they might consider coming back and learning (after all, if this middle-aged lady can hop out of a plane w/her own parachute, it must be a learnable skill). A couple of people have asked to see my progression card. Since the DZ offers AFF classes daily, I don't know if these folks are indeed coming out, as there are a lot of teaching slots.

My daughter recently did a tandem, partly, I think, to see what the fuss was about. She had a great instructor and an excellent experience. As a baby bird skydiver, I did a tandem as well, as my 9th jump (so you know this lady really doesn't know much of what she's talking about...). I had different instructors each time. My first tandem instructor gave me the knowledge I needed to be safe and aware on our skydive, but I was definitely a passenger (and really wanted to be so, on that first visit to the sky!). This most recent tandem, I got to be a lot more involved and active, and was thrilled to get some excellent canopy piloting training.

I asked dear daughter if she was hooked after that jump. She said it was a blast, and she would definitely do another tandem "in a year or so" but has no interest in continuing on in learning progression. Then again, she's a college kid -- she has enough homework and no money!

But questions that come to mind, from the perspective of a tandem-turned-student and a tandem-that-was-fun-but-done...

1. So...what made you come up to XYZ DZ today?
2. Did you enjoy your tandem skydive?
3. What was the coolest part?
4. What's the best thing you learned?
5. Did you know that you can learn to skydive on your own?
(Insert mini explanation of training here...)
6. Is that something you'd consider? Why or why not?
7. What do you think of when you hear the word "skydiver?"
...Etc.

Or, you could do some Likert scale questions (those are the "on a scale of 1-5, how likely are you to____________", with 1 being "never," 5 being "definitely," 3 "neutral...

Again, take the ramblings of a beginner student for what they're worth...but it is a fascinating question for me as well. Have you considered checking w/the DZ in question to see if they'd be willing to do some post-tandem marketing -- including a "gee, thanks for coming for a tandem...did you know we offer Skydiver School...this is what it is..." along with your survey. Returning the survey (or following a survey money link?) could enter them in a drawing for either another tandem or $X off a first jump course...could increase your return rate.) Might serve several purposes -- you get survey data, the former tandem students learn that ongoing training is an option, and the DZ potentially gains more students (and all their money...).

[skinnay 0]

I think psychologically its easy to get people to jump again right after they did it. But I remember my next few jumps being the most difficult to build up courage for.

To come back to jump requires a real commitment, not many people are willing to test out a new hobby that can cost them their life. Having an incidents section that says:

Fatality
Fatality
Fatality
Fatality
Critical Injury
Fatality
Fatality
Fatality
Critical Injury
Fatality
etc..

..doesn't help either. I say let people come back if they want. Why do we even need to grow the sport?

[Backintothesky 0]

Like people have said, the general public view skydiving as a thrill ride.

They don't view it as a sport because they think all you can do with skydiving is fall straight down-they have no idea about bodyflight.

It's really vexing to see DZs that just offer tandems because 1. It perpetuates this mindset and 2. If every DZ did that our sport would be over in a generation.

Now look at the understanding the general public have of proxy flying thanks to people like Jeb Corliss. It's ironic that people understand BASE more than skydiving these days. We need skydivers as popular as that.

And I fucking hate it when people ask "omg you can jump by yourself". I wanna slap them and the entire staff at whatever DZ they went to in the face. The DZ should have educated them and they should have opened their eyes at the up jumpers on the DZ and the fucking cameraman in free fall with them.

Although actual students going through progression can ask some stupid questions. I remember going through RAPS progression and I was on 5 second delays. I was the only free fall student on the load, the rest were static line. One of the dope rope students asked me where my SL was and I told them I was on free fall. We go up and jump. As I'm the last to exit, I land last. And as I land this same student looks all excited and says "omg you had a malfunction". I say no and ask him why he thinks that. He replies "cos your canopy has a pilot chute"!

[nigel99 143]

I think you could get good data for a study by having a questionnaire for tandem passengers, along with a follow up call a month and then maybe 6 months later.

Personally I think the demographics of tandem passengers and 'sport' jumpers are simply different. My experience is that the vast majority of tandems are a bucket list item or to mark a milestone, very few are interested in making a sport of it. Many tandems would do a repeat tandem for another milestone event (so 30th, 40th birthday etc).

I've heard many people describe skydiving as an 'addiction' and I don't like it. I do it for sport and skill development, I think the addicts get bored and move on. But I see many tandems who view us sports jumpers as addicts, not sportsmen.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[DrDom 0]

OK, instead of just hashing aroud the issue; i'll say this: If you want to do the research, get to a BIG DZ (or few DZs) and hang out with the folks signing up for tandem. Ask them if it would be OK to ask them about their experiences afterward and follow with a phone call. Tell them you are following people through the excitement of the tandem.

When you talk to them afterward ask:
1) How was EVERYTHING (people, plane, dive, vibe, etc)
2) Were you made aware of AFF training and understand what it is?
3) What is your opinion of learning to do this on your own?

Follow it up in a couple weeks/months with the same questions.


As for how to grow the sport (and i DO think it has room to grow) you need to strike when the metal is hot. You need to talk to people right after their jump when they are riding the high. Get them some AFF information. Discount their course if they did a tandem with you. Have a post-jump debrief! Make sure your instructors talk to them.

When we left my tandem I recall them talking about the AFF course and offering a discount. My FJC is next week. My constitutent I went with didnt know there was an AFF, didnt love his instructor for the tandem, and thought of it as a ride. He didnt sign up. Neither did the two women we ran into on our load also doing tandems.

Most people see it as a ride. It is. We should be happy about that because those 96%ers are making a LOT of revenue for the sport. A lot of DZ's are staying afloat because of tandems. 4% is a low retention, but maybe that is just a factor of it being so accessible?

That, and maybe not everyone is ready to skydive. Lots of people just arent able to task that much responsibility. With an experienced jumper, its possible... on their own... maybe only 4% of all people are able?

You are not the contents of your wallet.