How good were you as a newbie

[wmw999 2,120]

OK, we keep having people come in who are pretty sure they are above average in one way or another. Those of you who are reasonably experienced (i.e. at least a couple hundred jumps or more), what were you really like as a newbie? Now that you have some retrospect to look back on, and some basis of comparison?

Were you still as good as you thought?

Canopies were to get you to the ground when I was a newbie, but I was probably on the low average side for freefall skills. Managed all of them, but I pretty much always overthought everything, and probably still do.

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)

[Shredex 0]

First jump I was flying head down on a vertical 100way with 6 gopros on my helmet flying a velo 75 and swooped it into a hot tub on the interior of a yacht where I was greeted with a case of beer

[Squeak 17]

I was mediocre, I never had to repeat any levels but I would say that I didnt actually shine at anything either. Just competent. I think this actually worked AGAINST me, students who followed and had issues, and needed to repeat levels seemed to be better all around flyers. They were forced to practice more and got better than merely competent.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[CarpeDiem3 0]

Where's the option for "just average"?

The older I get the better I was.

[headoverheels 291]

By the time you started, I was somewhat better.

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

Let's see, during my first year:

In the plane... I couldn't spot if my life depended on it.

Exit... There wasn't a kind of exit I didn't funnel.

Freefall... Can anyone say FALL RATE?

Deployment... I terrified my coach when I went unstable at pull time. Then I developed the knack for tracking too low.

Canopy Flight... I was great as long as you didn't care about me standing up my landings or landing anywhere near the target. Somewhere between 50-100 jumps I looked through my log book and discovered that I had stood up fewer than 25% of my landings. My accuracy was such a struggle that I didn't earn my A-license until about 35 jumps, my B-license until about 100 jumps, and my C-license until about 400 jumps.

To add insut to injury... I wore spectacles which are best described as "birth control glasses". Hmmmm come to think of it, I wear different specs now... but they are BCGs too!

My sole saving grace was that I kept coming back and jumping! Slowly my skills evolved from awful to merely mediocre!

Thanks to all who were helpful or encouraging to me. Without you I would have never made it. Particular thanks to Roland who was an incredibly patient player coach on my rookie RW team. To the un-named SOB who was unnecessarily unkind to me when I was a student.... kiss my ass.

To the newbie klutzes reading this: Keep getting out the door, get all the training you can, seek out the good "old dogs" at the DZ for help, avoid the rare toxic jumpers, pay your beer fines, be safe, and have fun!

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[CSpenceFLY 1]

You left out AWESOME!!!

[JerryBaumchen 1,047]

Hi Wendy,

Even though it was a couple of lifetimes ago, I voted:

Generally below average, but didn't suck

These two best describe what I was:

I pretty much always overthought everything,

My sole saving grace was that I kept coming back and jumping!



JerryBaumchen

[Lazarus_762 0]

I was a terrible student, wound up way too tight, with huge expectations of myself, and ready to throw myself under a bus when I failed (which I did, many many times)...I'm still a n00b, still green as grass, but I've relaxed alot, learned a bunch (including when to keep my pie hole shut and *listen*), and I'm enjoying the hell outta this stuff now. I've barely scratched the surface here, and I'll be learning cool new stuff til....forever, but I am moving from terrible n00b, towards pretty darn good n00b. Maybe in 10 years or so, I'll actually have a clue!

Airtwardo:"There is a bit of difference between a rigger with a nipper and a guy with 138 jumps and a swiss army knife...usually!"

[faulknerwn 36]

I couldn't vote cuz I was half and half :). I had all my accuracies for my d license before I got off of student status, but it took me 48 jumps to get off of student status! Laugh. So canopy stuff - great - freefall stuff - miserable !!!!

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Dunno, when do I stop being a newbie? I actually looked like I knew what I was doing in the wind tunnel, kinda, last time I was in there.

Took me 12 AFF jumps to get through AFF, but I never failed any once I lost my fear of the door and just relaxed.

My fall speed is still very inconsistent, though I now seem to be able to fall and a normal or near-normal rate, at least sometimes. When I went down to 1 instructor for AFF, only a couple of the instructors would jump with me because the rest of them were worried that if I failed to act, they wouldn't be able to save me.

I never did fail to act, and one of my instructors said I was "the most altitude-aware, fastest falling student I've ever had." We all learned some things on my jumps, though.

I can get to the ground but I think my approaches still suck. I just kind of get in line and follow everyone else down. My landings are also pretty atrocious, and this is AFTER the canopy course. At the same time, I don't actually feel like I'm going to hurt myself on landing. They're not pretty, but they always seem to work.

I do have what I think is a VERY nice barrel roll, though. I don't know where I picked it up, but it's tight. I think it's from previous swimming experience. About the only thing that translates well (Big movements and kicking don't buy you much in the air.)

I never thought I was all that much, I just wanted to get my ass in the air and I did that. I enjoy the control in the air that I'm learning, and each jump presents a new and different challenge. I seem to learn something new each time I jump, and hopefully am not forgetting too much in between.

I do think I could get my B license now, as soon as I get some water training, and I want to do some B license things (Balloon jumps, night jumps and eventually jumping in Hawaii) so I need to do that sooner or later. It'll be spring before any of those options roll around again, so I'm not in a huge hurry.

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

[Joellercoaster 6]

This is an awesome question

Because it makes you realise how much perspective matters. Not just the perspective of relative skill levels, but perspective about what matters.

So here's the thing. I was a fantastic AFF student. My graduation dive included a perfect two and a half pike somersault out the door. I look at that video and think, yup, that guy will go far. Everybody told me I was amazing, and I believed them. Even now, freefall wise, I'm doing pretty well.

It was at about a hundred jumps when I spotted a whole load into a water park.

(downsized)

Two hundred, jumping with a hangover through cloud and finding myself under canopy and no idea in the world where I was.

(downsized)

Maybe four hundred when I was still kicking out twists on my shiny new elliptical canopy right through my hard deck.

(downsized!)

Five hundred, I nearly killed myself and my team's camera man cutting him up on final.

The older I get, the better I wasn't.

--
"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?

[gregpso 1]

About average or a bit below in jumping lobut sucked out loud at forming relationships and fitting in at the DZ !! (I wish I had kept my mouth shout !) (my fault) agree with above jumper The older I get,the more I sucked or suck !! .

I am sure SQUEAK will agree with my self assessment.

I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

[obelixtim 100]

Prolly average, although all us newbies were at that stage, once off the dope rope everyone was pretty much left on their own to figure it all out. No one really talked to students in those days so learning was just trial and error, lots of trials and lots of errors. The drop out rate was pretty high. I guess we got away with some pretty scary shit, looking back on it now.

I guess the advantage was in the fact that we learnt quickly to look after ourselves, and our survival skills were pretty sharp.

I guess I was reasonable, because I didn't break myself.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[Amyr 0]

I would have to say a natural in all aspects except for packing, Exits, freefall, canopy control, and landings. Might even go so far as to say protege. Now i have mastered? well still working on that

I can dress my self!

[AviationTD 0]

Let's see:

I am a newbie with only few jumps away from earning "A" license. After the first AFF jump, words spread around that I was going to be a solid skydiver.

AFF Program: Even though I passed all AFF levels on first try, I tumbled at exits. I still am, but I became an expert at recovery. For some reasons, I kept forgetting to arch at exits.

Free Fall: I did not quite shine at freefall, but it is competent enough. I still make few “housekeeping” mistakes.

Canopy Ride: Let’s say I made enough mistakes that could result in serious injuries. These mistakes include potential low turn, flying over building so close that I tasted the mechanical turbulences, and flaring so high that could guarantee broken bones. Since these dumb mistakes, I improved so drastically that I consistently landed within 20 feet from the target spots. My stand-up landing is becoming more consistently.
Conclusion: where does that put me according to your poll? I am going to let you decide. I sure do not feel like I am a solid skydiver, but I definitely am improving on each jump. As long as I am learning on each jump, I will be one-step closer to becoming a safe skydiver.

[airdvr 197]

Does 'flailing around the sky trying to figure out how to get over there' suffice?

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[wmw999 2,120]

I deliberately left "just average" out, because it's always the most-used. Forced-choice

I was the loudest counter in the class; they heard me on the ground. I have no memory of anything between jumping off the step and having an open canopy (blue and yellow lo-po), but they tell me I arched, and everyone commented they could hear me on the ground.

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)

[dthames 0]

I know Wendy was polling experienced jumpers but I want to chime in because one year ago today I did my first jump. It is a good time to reflect.

I had to work hard to learn basic stability, being stiff and older. So that was just above Sucks.

Flying the pattern and landing the parachute has always been sort of a natural thing, but I am far from a great canopy pilot. I get safely onto the ground and watch out for others.

As others have said about themselves, I have been good to come back and try again.

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

[Amyr 0]

You always seem to set up a poll at the right time! Reading these gives me hope!

[EOCS 0]

At 175 jumps im not sure if i qualify as experienced enough to answer this but i can say for sure that you dont even know what you dont know in the begining. That said i believe i was above average. I did do 6 min of tunnel time before the jump but have a decent background of sports, gymnastics, motocross ect and i think these really help with quick thinking and body control. I never had the problem with stand up landings, since jump one ive landed not on my feet about 5-10 times for various reasons. didnt repeat any aff levels and never really tried to swim in the air. somehow the moving against air resistance just made sense. I have always strived to be as humble as i can and not let any comments go to my head which i think also helped. People are more willing to teach someone who is willing to learn. And i was sure to take things slow and recognize that just because you can do something does not mean you should and to still take it slow and follow the processes.

So as far as the student status is concerned i think i was above average off the bat but now that ive gotten to the point where its not just learning the basics i would say i learn things at about an average pace. Although i seem to be more willing to commit to try things then most others.

[splat123 0]

Failed level one AFF
"Exit-weak count
Body position-must straighten legs + get knees up. Lazy legs, knee down.
No practice touches, had to be prompted. DO IT AGAIN ! "

Had half a dozen static line jumps before so canopy control ok.

[airdvr 197]

Quote

I deliberately left "just average" out, because it's always the most-used. Forced-choice

I was the loudest counter in the class; they heard me on the ground. I have no memory of anything between jumping off the step and having an open canopy (blue and yellow lo-po), but they tell me I arched, and everyone commented they could hear me on the ground.

Wendy P.

At least you were counting and not going fetal.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[jimjumper 25]

As a student I would pull just to find out what direction I was falling! I took 32 jumps to get off student status and since I was jumping a round (at 235 pounds!) for the first 50-100 jumps a stand-up landing was something I watched other people do. I thought RW was being able to keep the other person in sight. But I had so much fun I just couldn't quit.

[jackwallace 3]

I sucked, sucked, sucked. Spinning, tumbling through the sky. Parachutes opening between my legs, snaking past me on ever side and angle. Hitch hiking back from landing so far out. BUT I never stopped smiling or gave up. Six months, I did my first demo. Year later, running the DZ, teaching other fools and at the Nationals with my D. That's 45 years ago. Now days they'd probably give me the bowling speech.

U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler.
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