My experience so far. Pretty long post ahead.

[Karen89 0]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but if it isn't, please let me know!
I have 15 jumps total. I had 2 tandems, one AFF, and 12 IAD jumps. I did the two tandems last summer. After the first tandem, I was kind of throw upy sick, and didn't really get that thrill that most people talk about. It was more like "what the hell just happened to me?" type of feeling. But I kept thinking about it...so I decided for my birthday, I wanted another tandem skydive.

After that, and a few months of no work, I decided I wanted to jump solo. I got a job, and in November, I made my first IAD skydive. I'm hard to get really excited, but I will admit, I was nervous, but felt completely like I belong in the sky after that jump. I made another jump a week later, due to winds and weather. I slipped off the strut for that jump and didn't arch....kind of hard to think of arching when you slip. But canopy still opened fine.

It became too cold too fast to be able to jump. In March, I traveled down to Florida and made an AFF skydive at Skydive City. Exit was good, arched pretty well, but forgot all hand signals..major fail and quite embarrassing, but I still pulled at the right altitude and made it back safely to earth. I had waited about 6-7 hours to jump, and was pretty worn out after. I had to leave the next day early in the morning because some family was picking me up on the way.

I had a lot more money left over from vacation then I thought I would and about 3 weeks ago, decided to head back to my local DZ and continue with the IAD jumping.After 2 jumps there, my instructor decided he wanted me to do some practice pulls with the newspaper. I had a lot of jumps where I reach back and then my legs start to kick. I had two jumps, that weren't caught on camera, that I arched pretty darn good! They decided if I did one more good arch, then I would be ready for my first 5 second free fall!

I was so excited, going to the dz yesterday. It rained for awhile, and then the sky looked beautiful and winds were only 8 mph. On the way up, I was thinking way too much. I always look down at my cutaway handle, reach back and grab the newspaper, and tell myself when I step out "Arch, reach, throw, arch again." But this time when I let go, I reached back and didn't feel the newspaper and that's where my mind kind of blanked and I dearched. The newspaper somehow came up and hit me in the face when my canopy opened and I'm there just looking at it disappointed. It's never happened to me where I haven't been able to pull it out myself....

The winds picked up pretty bad. I'm only 125 lbs, and the student canopy keeps me up in the air for awhile. On the way back down, I saw myself just being blown backwards, instead of forward. Not a good feeling. There's a corn field right in front of the pea pit, but I wasn't even going to land in the cornfield. My landing options were: Runway, stump, tiny bump with dirty and rocks, or a little grassy area. Luckily I steered myself to land in the grassy area.

I am just really bummed I was only one jump away from free fall and I messed it up. Last night while driving home, I got a flat tire and I definitely cried a bit over my jump. It's really frustrating when you see other students that are on their free fall now, except they have 3-4 less jumps then you do. I've been thinking all day to myself...is this sport even for me? Maybe I just really suck at it. Maybe I should stop wasting my money and go buy some clothes that actually fit me (lost 30 lbs awhile ago) and spend my money on something else.

But then I think back and all these memories rush into my head of being in the sky. I can't stop because of those memories. Sometimes the sky looks so beautiful, it breaks my heart. I need more of those memories. I can't give up. I don't care if I don't get to do my first free fall until 10-20 jumps from now. Whatever. I'm still learning other important things like steering myself to a safe landing, packing parachutes, and I had 2 stand up landings when before I was kind of butt sliding. I know, butt sliding= bad. So I'm glad I can stand up now.

The thought of never jumping again is terrifying. This sport has changed my life. I've met so many awesome people through this. I wouldn't trade it for any amount of money in this world. I'm going to keep challenging myself and eventually, I will get there.

http://www.youtube.com/user/forgetseptember/videos

Here's all of my jumps but 3 of them. The last one I made yesterday I still need to upload. The 2 good arches I made, were not caught on camera, except one was sort of caught, but was from a jumper inside of the plane and you can't see my arch.

[airtwardo 6]

http://www.youtube.com/user/forgetseptember/videos


You're hooked

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Karen89 0]

Thanks for fixing that for me! :)

[jdkalou 0]

Karen, your post made me smile. Why? Because I'm NOT ALONE!!!!!!!!! Our experiences are not that different. Don't quit unless your heart is not in it. I also have a lot more jumps than where I should be at in my progression. I started an IAD course late last year and had a total of 7 jumps and still hadn't pulled my own. Winter set me back with a layoff of almost 6 months. When the DZ opened back up this spring I started from ground zero again. I am currently on E13 (Go unstable??????????? Really??????????).
I have been blessed with a great group of instructors, coaches, and just all around great people to spend a day with every weekend. I am not going to quit. I have never quit anything in my life and I am not going to start now. I don't care if it takes 100 jumps to get the "A." I'm going to get there.
I hope you stay with it. It's nice to know your not alone

[DcloudZ 0]

Karen89

I'm hard to get really excited

Don't worry, you just haven't met a real man yet...

Jokes aside, good on you to not give up! Keep with it and you won't regret it.

When you look back on your life 50 years from now you're not going to remember that time you went shopping for new clothes but you'll damn sure remember all the times you jumped out of an airplane.

Keep us updated on your progression

"Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way." -Alan Watts

[JackC1 0]

Don't be too hard on yourself. Dummy pull jumps are some of the hardest you'll ever have to do, really. I did plenty of them as do many others.

The one thing you kind of need to concentrate on during IAD jumps is the arch. Arching leads to stability and stability leads to safety. Finding the handle is then a case of repetition and a just little bit of luck. For some reason, it also seems to help if you're relaxed about it, being too determined or thinking about it too much doesn't seem to help (at least in my case it didn't).

Well done on the landing though. It takes a cool head, a good bit of forethought and some skill to pick out and land on a small target when you realise you aren't going to land where you initially intended. The earlier you realise your situation and can pick those choice "outs" the better off you are. Sounds like you did well there.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

It's not the destination, it's the journey. You're looking way up there and missing all this cool stuff right here. You've already committed to jumping out of airplanes for fun. You now and forever more will have more takeoffs in a plane than landings in one. You have already done more than most humans can even imagine. The sky is your playground. So get there when you get there and enjoy the ride in the mean time. A few years from now you'll look back on your current videos and be, like, "Heh."

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[Karen89 0]

Thanks for the support you all! It's seriously great for me. It makes me realize that this isn't a mistake. To never give up on this.
:)

You guys are amazing!

[devildog 0]

DcloudZ

When you look back on your life 50 years from now you're not going to remember that time you went shopping for new clothes but you'll damn sure remember all the times you jumped out of an airplane.

+1

You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

[HHypoxic 0]

You should copy everything you’re posting here into your log books. Sometime in the
future when you’re waiting around between loads to go up for the World Record 1000-way
it’ll be fun to look back at how you felt in the beginning!

[img]http://www.theworldteam.com/img/worldrecord400way.jpg[/img]

[unkulunkulu 0]

Quote

I am just really bummed I was only one jump away from free fall and I messed it up. Last night while driving home, I got a flat tire and I definitely cried a bit over my jump. It's really frustrating when you see other students that are on their free fall now, except they have 3-4 less jumps then you do. I've been thinking all day to myself...is this sport even for me? Maybe I just really suck at it.

It's just what we do: suck on our first jumps! 3-4 jumps won't make much difference in a blink of an eye! I had to repeat 3 different levels of AFF, but was very satisfied with my further progression. I don't know the details of IAD progression, but it seems that exit is just at most half of the task, the rest being controlling and landing your canopy, which you succeeded. During my first year in the sport I already had some time to witness people overcome their problems in skydiving and enjoying it and this is great.

[Trafficdiver 8]

Obviously the girl standing it up in the peas must be someone else who got on your video page somehow, cause she did awesome.

[faulknerwn 36]

http://crwdog.servebeer.com/CRWdog/HowCRW.html

Read my student logbook - you are doing way better than I was at the time

[Lukasz_Se 2]

I struggled through AFF, had similar thoughts to yours about this sport not being for me...well guess what, 76 jumps later Im still here having time of my life

[dthames 0]

Karen,

It is real simple. You should quit when you no longer want to jump.

I was very much ready to quit after 12 jumps and laid off for 11 weeks or so during the winter. I came back with a new determination and a plan. I would do 2 SL jumps per good weekend. If I progressed, great. If I did not progress, that was fine. I had just spent some money and had some fun.

Dan

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[Karen89 0]

Is it weird that I was totally rooting for you and saying "Come on!" and "YES!" the whole time while reading your progress? :P

[TsunamiGilligan 0]

I had to repeat several jumps. I did a static line progression, and I felt like I'd never get past my 20 second delays learning basic turns. My biggest problem was that I couldn't master the most basic rule of skydiving... RELAX. I know it sounds tired and cliche, but it really is the key.

I would potato chip all over the sky because I was trying to muscle my way in to an arch. I was over thinking everything, and that made relaxing much more difficult. I put stress on myself thinking about the cost of each student jump, again making it difficult to relax.

I finally stepped back and told myself hey, this is an expensive sport I've elected to pursue. There is no point sweating about money. If it's supposed to be fun, then just go out there, have fun and enjoy it. Skills will come with time and experience, and it takes some of us more time than others.

I got my A license on jump 33. So it took me 8 jumps more than some folks. It was just 8 jumps. Did I really want the frustration and cost of 8 extra student jumps keep me away from the sport? I'm glad I stuck with it.

[wmw999 2,116]

The person who makes it through with no repeats is an anomal, particularly practice pulls on static line or IAD. It took me extra jumps, and for me the DRCP's weren't enjoyable -- but the first freefall more than made up for it.

It's only skydiving; it's for your enjoyment, and if you don't do the same things as everyone else, on the same schedule as everyone else, that just makes you an individual.

You'll find something new on each jump -- even if it's a new mistake . I have plenty of those, too.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Karen89 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogm5aeQp6N0

Edit: I made a clicky!

So on Tuesday, I made this post about to give up skydiving. I decided to go back on Saturday (Thursday, we had a huge storm and then by 7 it was beautiful out) and did two jumps. I think the second jump made me feel really confident. Though I felt my legs kicking during the second jump, which is good, cause I'm finally aware of my legs! But bad news because I kicked and needed one more good practice pull.

So today I went back and I felt totally relaxed in the plane. I felt confident I could arch. And I did!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIb83XxKOZA

My instructor was so happy and they got me back in the plane within the next hour to do my 5 second free fall...was more like a 2 second free fall. It was so weird not having my instructor right there beside me telling me to "get set." I looked over as I began to hang and saw 4 huge smiling faces looking back at me and I had to look away quickly so I wouldn't start laughing.

I made it to the 5 second free fall! Well, it was only two seconds, but I'm on to the 10 second next time! It's gonna be a long 10 seconds!!

If you are a student and frustrated, I suggest just keep doing the jumps! Don't give in and you will make it!Give it your all and keep learning every single jump, even if you didn't pass the jump, there is many things you can learn, in the air and on the ground!

[dthames 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogm5aeQp6N0

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[pchapman 261]

Karen89

If you are a student and frustrated, I suggest just keep doing the jumps! Don't give in and you will make it!

See how far you've come?
Now YOU are the one giving out advice on dropzone.com to newbies!
(Which is perfectly OK when done right -- advice from one novice to another can sometimes resonate better with the recipient, than advice from a jumper who went through their newbie struggles long ago.)

[Avikus 0]

Karen, you just made my day! I did the IAD program too ... when that Cessna door open and the instructor looks at you and loud "GO!" ... all I wanted to do what to give him a big 1 finger salute and stay in the plane... but I... We did it! We suck it up and got outside that plane. Hold on to the strut and let go...

I did 6 jump on my first day... I wanted to stop at 5 (first opening after the paper toss) but they needed people to fill the plane... I should have listen to my guts.

So the 6th jump was the 5 second delay. Tired and beat I went up in the plane ... was nervous (more from fatigue than anything else) and when it was my turn I climb out, look at the instructor and let go... that 5 second turned into flips and a view of earth, sky, earth, sky and me freaking out and pulling. Luckily I open at a perfect moment a was under canopy in a good fashion.

That jump made me ask myself that same question that you ask yourself. Is this for me. I told myself no for a full week. Then I just said F it and got back to it... and am I glad I did! I couldn't even imagine missing all the experience I got since. All the friends I made... the trips to Zhill during the holidays. Wow! What a waste it would have been!

And since then, I got the same mentality. Either with RW stuff, sit flying. If at first I don't succeed, work on it. It will only make you more proud of your accomplishment if you know you had trouble at one point.

Avikus - Packer and Jumper - Hate landing with the plane!

[Karen89 0]

Avikus

That jump made me ask myself that same question that you ask yourself. Is this for me. I told myself no for a full week. Then I just said F it and got back to it... and am I glad I did! I couldn't even imagine missing all the experience I got since. All the friends I made... the trips to Zhill during the holidays. Wow! What a waste it would have been!

I'm so glad you stuck with it!:) It always makes me happy to see a jumper here with more then 100 jumps tell me that at one point they felt like giving up too, but didn't.

I was really back and forth with quitting after the other Tuesday. But then I realized I loved it too much. I know I'll have other hills to climb over. Or maybe I won't. Who knows. That's why I can't quit. I just have to find out on my own and I'm so excited. 10 second delay tomorrow! Ahhh! I'm gonna tinkle myself a bit! :s

[Karen89 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa0S7z4UEFw

Surprise! :)

[grue 1]

Karen89

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa0S7z4UEFw

Surprise! :)

Oh the memmmoorrrries!

I was a static line baby at a cessna dropzone, I haven't seen that point of view in so long

When I did my first "5 second delay" I'm pretty sure it was about a 0.00000000000000004 second delay in all actuality

…damn, I really want to go jump a Cessna now.

cavete terrae.