Help getting from NJ to Gardiner, NY

[Terruko 0]

I'm not sure if this goes here, if it doesn't I'm sorry. Well, I'm from NJ (08831) and I was going to start my AFF course in a DZ 30 minutes away from here (Skydive Jersey Shore) but I've been wanting to go to Skydive The Ranch since I got into skydiving but it's too far and I don't drive yet. So I've decided to take the bus/train whatever I find that can take me there as long as it's not too expensive. Has anyone ever done something like this? I mean I'll probably get lost my first time since I'm not much of a traveler myself, can anyone give me some tips as to how I can achieve this?

Thanks.

[rtroup 1]

If you're on FaceBook try posting here about how you could get there.

https://www.facebook.com/skydivetheranch?fref=ts

Come for safety (march 30) and you can meet and talk to our instructors. You can also post in the safety day event about help getting there.

https://www.facebook.com/events/457067327699521/

(insert philosophical quote here)

[mahirob 0]

Terruko,

I responded to your last post. I too want to get my AFF and was looking at Jersey Shore or Cross Keys Freefall Adventure (since they have larger planes).

I could give you a lift depending the days you want to go.

[Terruko 0]

I don't know man, where do you live? I've heard Cross Keys is a good place to skydive I don't know about their AFF course though do you know how much it is?

[mahirob 0]

It was more expensive than Jersey Shore. I'm 30minutes west of you 08540. Here is what they sent me:

Here is a suggested progression to complete the AFP program and earn an A license:



Day One: Tandem 1 & 2

Day Two: Ground School, Tandem 3, AFP 1

Day Three: AFP 2-4

Day Four: AFP 5, 6

Day Five: AFP 7, High solo, Low solo

Day Six: 2 Relaxed dives, 1 Coach jump

Day Seven: 2 Coach jumps, 1 relaxed dive

Day Eight: 2 Coach jumps, 2 relaxed dives

Day Nine: 2 Relaxed Dives, A License checkout dive

--
Here are the prices. (Looking back I may stick with Jerseyshore as these prices are significantly higher. I have to look into who has the better program because if the training is better I don't mind paying the premium. If anyone has a tips on these places it would be very much obliged to hear opinions.

The following jumps include Gear Rental:
First Jump:
Regular Price (cash or credit) on-site $219
Seasonal Special (cash or credit) on-site $205
Web Special $195

Freefall School Advanced Training (Tandems #2 & 3, 7 AFPjumps, and Ground School):

Credit Price on-site $1885
Web special $1685

High Solo:
$71.00 Credit

Low Solo:
$63.00 Credit

The following jumps DO NOT include Gear Rental:
Coach Jumps purchased individually:
5 @ 86.00 (credit) $430.00
5 Coach Jump Package: $395.00

Relaxed Dives:
$24.50 Credit

Checkout Dive for License:
$78.00 Credit

Gear Rental
$32.00 per jump
$64.00 per day

Additional fees for Certification:
United States Parachute Association Membership (90 days)- $20.00

United States Parachute Association License (A)- $30.00

Parachute Packing Class- approximately $20 per hour

[Terruko 0]

Unless I'm getting things mixed up here $1,685 isn't that bad considering it's a little over 2k at Skydive The Ranch. I wouldn't mind paying 2k as long as the classes are really good. How much is it at Jersey Shore, and how old are you?

[mahirob 0]

I thinks its $1685 + gear + hi low. I can double check. If it's $1685 that's about on par with JerseyShore. They were saying $1500-1800 pending experience. I'm 27.

[Terruko 0]

When are you planning to start the AFF course? It would be cool to have a training buddy haha, I'm still not sure though, I'm going to start calling places maybe this saturday to see where I'll go, Jersey Shore seems like a nice place.

[mahirob 0]

It depends. I was going to try do to start this weekend if I went to the place in South Jersey, but the weather doesn't seem like its going to hold up. I may just wait for March when Jerseyshore opens up and go there. I know the group and they are nice. Still debating, which is the best program.

[Mach1dmb 0]

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Come for safety (march 30) and you can meet and talk to our instructors. You can also post in the safety day event about help getting there.

https://www.facebook.com/events/457067327699521/

Is there a thread on here about their Safety Day? I don't have facebook anymore, was trying to find more info on that.

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I thinks its $1685 + gear + hi low. I can double check. If it's $1685 that's about on par with JerseyShore. They were saying $1500-1800 pending experience. I'm 27.

Well I will tell you, I got my license at the Ranch, cost me $2600 without failing any levels and already having 2 prior tandems (so 23 jumps to be exact).

[rtroup 1]

Is that price to get you past aff or take you all the way to your A license? And you have to prepay?

(insert philosophical quote here)

[rtroup 1]

The ranch program takes you all the way to you A license which is 25 total jumps. Looking at the email you received you are prepaying for 19 jumps. You'd still have to pay for at least 6 more jumps to get your A license. Take the cost of that into consideration when comparing.

(insert philosophical quote here)

[rtroup 1]

Just so you guys understand, graduating AFF or AFP or whatever certain DZs call it is totally different than getting your A license. Your eventual goal is to get your A license. Can't do anything with out an A license. So when getting prices from DZs for the AFF program make sure you ask how much will it cost to get to my A license not how much is AFF.

Also i would be weary of prepaying for AFF. You would be pretty unhappy about showing up at the DZ and not being able to jump because they had enough tandems to fill the plane for the entire day. And now you're locked into this dz cause you prepaid.

(insert philosophical quote here)

[Terruko 0]

But can't we finish the AFF and do the jumps whenever we want?

[rtroup 1]

After AFF you are considered a novice until you have your A license. You need 25 total jumps to get an A license. When you are on novice status most dropzones make you jump within their school program. Have to rent and use their gear and you have to make sure you don't go 30 days without jumping or you will most likely be made to do a currency. Novice status also limits who you are allowed to jump with and you have to follow very strict weather guidelines. When you have an A license you can jump you're own gear or rent non student sport gear and your currency goes up to 60 or 90 days. (forget which) You need your A license if you want to start jumping with other people and basically be your own boss.

The Ranch pricing brings you all the way to your A license with no hidden or extra costs. It includes all 25 jumps you need. All the jump prices include gear rental, instructor, coach, packing fees....And you do not have to prepay. Please be weary of prepaying for AFF. So when comparing prices between dropzones make sure you know everything you're going to have to pay for. So figure out after you graduate aff how many more jumps you will need to make a total of 25 jumps and add that cost to the total of what you are paying for aff. The ranch it works out to be about 2600 including uspa membership fees.

(insert philosophical quote here)

[Andy9o8 0]

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without failing any levels

Students do not "fail" AFF levels; they sometimes repeat them in order to master the skill set before moving on to the next skill set. Just like learning to drive, sometimes a student needs to practice a level more than once before moving on to the next level. Each level of AFF (prior to your "graduation" jump) is simply training, it is not a test.

[Terruko 0]

$2600 for everything it's not bad actually, sucks not being able to go there.

[diablopilot 2]

From Grand Central you can get a train up to Newburgh/Beacon.... from there taxi or beg a ride...

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[rtroup 1]

and also a bus that goes to new paltz from pen station. Cheap cab ride from there and could probably find someone to drive you back to new paltz.

(insert philosophical quote here)

[Brandon350 0]

I earned my licence at Cross Keys. I love the DZ. The instructors are excellent and very safety conscious. They have an Otter, a King Air and a Cessna and operate year round so you can jump pretty much every day as long as there are three other willing people to get the Cessna up, or 10 to get the otter up! During the summer, it's not uncommon to get ~30 loads up per day, and in the winter, we get 5 or more up. It's definitely worth looking in to!

[mahirob 0]

Cross keys was to get all the way to A and pay for membership/cert it was around $3050 without failure. Jerseyshore was a 1/3 or more less ($1500-$1900).
I talked to people from Skydive Pennridge in Perkasie, Pennsylvania and they said $2000, but I think that was to A. I was trying to get a hold of them via phone, but could only speak to them email.

[mahirob 0]

I like how Ranch sounds, its just that it's a 2hr drive. It's quite a commitment to go up. I have to debate this one. I have jumped 3 times before, but they were over a year ago, would they count at all towards my license?

[mahirob 0]

I'm debating keys although there prices are a lot higher than the rest of the places I've checked with. Thanks for the info!

[neflier 0]

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I like how Ranch sounds, its just that it's a 2hr drive. It's quite a commitment to go up. I have to debate this one. I have jumped 3 times before, but they were over a year ago, would they count at all towards my license?

I started last year at The Ranch. The A was within a few dollars of $3k, with no repeats. If you're starting AFF, then talk to the school about your prior jumps to see what credit they're willing to give. I had done 1 tandem back in college, 20 years ago. My instructor said that if I could show that I did the jump, then it would count towards my 25. It was so long ago that I didn't want to go there.

I hear you about the commitment of getting to the DZ. It takes me about 80 minutes to get to The Ranch. You're only an extra half hour. Plan on it being a full day and it's not so bad. There's a lot of waiting as a student.

There's another DZ closer to me, but The Ranch is my home. I can't say enough good things about them.

Shawanga!!

Life is too short to drink cheap beer.

[Andy9o8 0]

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without failure.

Sighh. Please read my post #16, then read it again, then again until you have it memorized.

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Skydive Pennridge in Perkasie, Pennsylvania

That's a Skyride DZ. I urge you to thoroughly research what that means.