bigbearfng 9 #26 July 10, 2013 I've seen more than one person who realized and acknowleged that it is a risk sport-unlike those that say it's more dangerous on the drive to the dz. They honestly assessed their family/financial situations and made the decision that they could not continue-sometimes after a minor landing injury. Some will come back later. I respect their decisions and would never look down at them for it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeio540 0 #27 July 10, 2013 BluhdowYou have to give up a lot to be at the DZ every weekend. Some people just aren't willing to give up most/all of their free time to only one activity. Very true. It's a 2 hour drive to my DZ with tolls and traffic (Even on the weekends). I enjoy the people there and have a great time whether I jump or not. BUT, chores need to be done, bills need to get paid, stuff around the house needs to be fixed. Sometimes free time just disappears. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ufk22 32 #28 July 10, 2013 Sorry, there are no "signs" that occur with any consistency. The only way to know who will stick with the sport is to see who's around 10 years from now. Some you think will jump forever disappear, some you think will be gone in 6 months never leave. This is a really important lesson for anyone with instructional ratings. If you think YOU know who is worth spending time on, you are wrong!This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 135 #30 July 10, 2013 Ron QuoteThe more people try it, the better the chance of having more people commit to the sport. This is a 'little' more serious.... Why do you care if more people 'commit' and who gets to decide what 'commit' means?I never commited to anything. I got sucked into it.scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joellercoaster 6 #31 July 10, 2013 piisfish I never commited to anything. I got sucked into it. This! I joke that doing my tandem years ago ruined my life -- "I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan "You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Avikus 0 #32 July 10, 2013 Ron This is a 'little' more serious.... Why do you care if more people 'commit' and who gets to decide what 'commit' means? I don't really care if someone commit or not. I just see it as another person to hang out with. So the more that "commit" the more people we can jump with. And commit in my mind is being current tru the year. I don't necessarily mean being there every weekend.Avikus - Packer and Jumper - Hate landing with the plane! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 259 #33 July 10, 2013 QuoteThe only way to know who will stick with the sport is to see who's around 10 years from now. Yup. Until you've been around for 10 or more years, you are a tourist - a short term skydiver. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #34 July 10, 2013 skybytch Quote The only way to know who will stick with the sport is to see who's around 10 years from now. Yup. Until you've been around for 10 or more years, you are a tourist - a short term skydiver. This. Even as someone who's still a tourist, I've seen a bunch of people who, at 2 years or 3 years in thought they were lifers who were off chasing the next shiny object before too long. Which is fine. But funny when they're judging the guy who's "less committed." "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 7 #35 July 10, 2013 QuoteYup. Until you've been around for 10 or more years, you are a tourist - a short term skydiver. And does that matter? The fact I have been jumping 20 years - Does that somehow make me more of a person than someone with only 5 years? How about 15? Yes, yes... I most likely will know more, but that does not mean I did more. Natasha Montgomery jumped for less than 10 years and won a world championship. I do find it amusing to hear all the people who claim they will jump 'forever'..... Then to look around a year later and they are nowhere to be seen. But to somehow think any of that really matters..... Just can't see that."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
devildog 0 #36 July 10, 2013 BluhdowYou have to give up a lot to be at the DZ every weekend. Some people just aren't willing to give up most/all of their free time to only one activity. I was, and now I'm at the DZ every weekend. I gave up a lot of partying, clubs, Vegas trips, etc. because I think my time/money/energy is better spent on skydiving. Not everyone agrees, so not everyone stays. This is pretty much it IMHO. The taking pictures bit is off. Unless of course, I really am a short term diver. Know a couple of others with ten times as many jumps that love taking (and posting) pictures as well that I guess are short termers as well :)You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #37 July 10, 2013 We never know when we will see our sky friends again, no matter how many jumps they have. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 259 #38 July 10, 2013 Quote And does that matter? About as much as the original question. My 20+ years in sport ain't shit compared to some other folks I know - to them, I'm a tourist. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #39 July 10, 2013 NWFlyer I've seen a bunch of people who, at 2 years or 3 years in thought they were lifers who were off chasing the next shiny object before too long. Back in the round chute/static line days, you figured maybe 5% would ever make a second jump. I knew one instructor who figured on a 10% injury rate. More would sprain ankles than jump again. Most the folks in the class were there to cheat death once and go home to tell the tale. And that was cool. I made my first jump not even knowing you could make a second jump. Now with the way better gear, better training and more efforts to retain students, you still have the majority of AFF students as make-one-and-done. It's still people doing it once, maybe just for the experience, maybe for the bragging rights. And it's still okay. This sport just isn't for everyone. It never will be. Quote Which is fine. But funny when they're judging the guy who's "less committed." I wonder if they can get all those 3-ring tats inked over into something that goes with their new "best sport in the world"? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3mpire 0 #40 July 10, 2013 Quote I wonder if they can get all those 3-ring tats inked over into something that goes with their new "best sport in the world"? draw a circle around it and presto: bowling ball. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mx19 0 #41 July 10, 2013 At 60 Jumps a year average, id say you were a long term tourist... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elisha 1 #42 July 10, 2013 Remster Great. More focking canadians drinking our beer. I think that's perfectly fine...as long as they bring some Unibroue in return. That stuff is awesome. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rick 67 #43 July 10, 2013 between myself and the 2 that I did my first jump course with (my wife's ex-uncle and his brother) only I am still jumping the brother made I think 7 or 8 jumps was always tense and could not relax enough to "get" it he gave up the ex-uncle made 20 or 25 jumps never really seemed excited about it after the first jump and he just wandered offYou can't be drunk all day if you don't start early! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
B_Charles 0 #44 July 10, 2013 As one of the "people" that this thread is talking about maybe I can shed some light on the issue, at least from my personal situation. Quick backstory: Always been obsessed with the idea of jumping and wanted to do it since a teenager. Never got around to it due to deployments, marriage, kids, finances, etc. Wasn't until I got out of the military in 2010 that I was able to jump. I got out in Jan of 2010 and one of the first things was I knew I was going to jump finally that summer. In June I finally went and did two IAD jumps. Man was it everything I expected and more, had I had the money I would have jumped even more that day. So here I'am 3 years later and still have only done those two jumps. Why? a lot of reasons.. the main being finances. I've been a full time married student with two kids these past 3 years. I also have had other expensive hobbies such as car racing, keeping exotic animals, etc. that ate up funds. All this time though I have never stopped lurking forums, watching videos of jumps almost daily and re-reading my skydiver's handbook continuously. I've recently gave up car racing to be able to pursue jumping regularly. I have a younger brother that is about to ship off to basic. I'am taking him and paying for his first tandem and IAD this weekend or next and going to start jumping again myself and pre-pay for a good number of jumps. Hopefully from here on out there will be no more obstructions or delays. So sometimes some of us disappear because we have to, yea to some my reasons may sound stupid. You may think "Pshh I would have found a way to jump, screw those excuses" but to me it was just not possible in my situation. Hopefully now I'll be on my way to not being a "short term" jumper. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ShcShc11 0 #45 July 11, 2013 aeio540 ***You have to give up a lot to be at the DZ every weekend. Some people just aren't willing to give up most/all of their free time to only one activity. Very true. It's a 2 hour drive to my DZ with tolls and traffic (Even on the weekends). I enjoy the people there and have a great time whether I jump or not. BUT, chores need to be done, bills need to get paid, stuff around the house needs to be fixed. Sometimes free time just disappears. The $$ in your wallet disappears too Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 259 #46 July 11, 2013 QuoteAt 60 Jumps a year average, id say you were a long term tourist... Not everyone has the available money and time to do 500 a year. Especially over 20+ years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bodhisattva420 0 #47 July 11, 2013 I would probably say that with 3500 jumps in 5 years mx19 probably didn't start jumping until he had a midlife crisis and still pays a packer to this day ;) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bodhisattva420 0 #48 July 11, 2013 And on a side note: The first man to land a wingsuit had 800 skydives before he made his epic leap... I wonder how much "mad skill" mx19 had when he ONLY had 800 jumps? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ELLIOTT 0 #49 July 11, 2013 You can be a skydiver in a week these days. Without the sweat and tears of yesteryears . Easy come easy go. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Krip 2 #50 July 11, 2013 mx19 At 60 Jumps a year average, id say you were a long term tourist... Dude I can't tell if your serious or just joking with a jump buddy.Either way that was some funny shit based on you profile.ROne Jump Wonder Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
