choosing a DZ

[LVjayhawk15 0]

So im trying to figure out how to choose a DZ...
They are (literally) next door to eachother, and being in Vegas a lot of the reviews you find are for tandems so im not sure how/if they relate to AFF?

I did a tandem with one of them and it was fun, but I wasnt in love with the staff...then when I called the OTHER dz the staff on the phone was great, nice, helpful and informative. The cost is several hundred dollars difference....
Any tips/tricks to doing some research on them?

Any members near LV want to PM me and maybe give me some insight?

Thoughts appreciated!

I bust mine so I can kick yours.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Go hang out and talk to the jumpers there. One of my work buddies is a skydiver with a lot more experience than I have, and he was able to provide me with information on the benefits and drawbacks of my home DZ. You'll probably want to find out about the condition of the rental gear, how attentive they are to the maintenance of their aircraft, and how distracted or rushed their instructors are. It might be a good idea to ask if it's a safe dropzone for students to jump at. For example, my coworker has suggested that I avoid going to another nearby dropzone until I have my own rig.

Every dropzone is going to have its benefits and drawbacks, so it's really just a matter of finding the right balance that works for you. That answer might change as you gain experience, too. Your needs change as your skills evolve.

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

[TrickyMike 1]

Yep. I don't know the first thing about choosing a dropzone as I'll be in the same boat myself in a few months. BUT I learned pretty quickly that the best thing you can do when shopping for an apartment is sit your ass on the stoop and talk to everyone that comes in or out the front door.

[stratostar 5]

Well if I had to advise you, I would say go to the one with the good phone skills and check it out. And try to not go spend money at skydive las vegas, they don't welcome experienced skydivers there.... No reason to support tandem factories who don't like out of town skydivers.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[jimmytavino 16]

+ 1

sometimes a dropzone chooses US...based on proximity to where we live/work..

and sometimes If we are Lucky, AND are willing to make an effort ( drive time, fuel etc ) AND if there are a number of DZs nearby, we can choose for ourselves...

.. to LVjayhawk15..... yes.. visit , observe , resist announcing " I'm here to Sign UP "... so that you can get an impartial impression of the place...( some places might " fawn over you " if they simply see you as $$$$ signs.... )

Try to get a feel for IF they HAVE a good AFF program... talk with those who you can identify as the current group of AFF students... Are they Smiling!!??? are they Happy?? are they SAFE??? a good way to evaluate the Teachers.... is to look at their students!!
Be patient check out whatever dropzones MIGHT be sensible for you.... and then once you can make a few comparisons, arm yourself with the price list(s) and learn the basic policies of each place. You may need to devote a couple of weekends to this " pre decision exploring" .. but it will be worth it later on...
it's great that you enjoyed your first jump. be patient now and make sure you choose wisely..Then... have fun and learn ALOT!!!!!jimmy

[surfbum5411 0]

From what I understand, people in Vegas jump at Mesquite, plain and simple. Skydive Vegas is just a tandem factory and I've heard nothing but bad things from experienced jumpers.

[IanHarrop 37]

good stuff to read here http://www.dropzone.com/safety/Learn_to_Skydive/index.shtml

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[DSE 3]

Mesquite is a very good DZ; Brad runs a nice place. Not a lot of outs, but they also have good instructors there.
Elsinore and Perris are a short distance away too. We have a lot of jumpers come spend a week or so at Skydive Elsinore, getting skills in a large landing area before going back up to the much smaller area in Mesquite.

[LVjayhawk15 0]

The other two that are close to me are 'sincity skydiving' and 'vegas extreme skydiving'. They are in Jean, NV which is basically an hour from the house...a touch closer than Mesquite.

I bust mine so I can kick yours.

[LVjayhawk15 0]

Im really sorry in advance if this breaks 'code'...but when you see something like this, what do you all think, about the DZ? I understand the dangers/risks/etc (ive raced cars my whole life, i got that part)...but how do you look at the DZ after that? Does/should it change anything?
Just curious...

http://www.lvrj.com/news/two-skydivers-die-in-tragic-accident-in-mesquite-131432148.html

I bust mine so I can kick yours.

[D22369 0]

It doesnt break any 'code'

your trusting your life to two parachutes each and every jump, the odds that both will malfunction on the same jump are very low however that risk is always present and there isnt anything you can do about it other than pack as carefully as possible and maintain good body postion through the deployment - the reserve is packed my an FAA certified rigger since it is your last shot.

first chute is for fun, second is to save your life but both can fail.

If the dz itself is doing something dodgy that would change my mind about jumping there, but someone going in due to something they did or just 'shit happens' wont change anything for me.


what it should do for everyone is make them think about what they are doing, is it worth the risk - nobody is too good to die in this sport

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[dthames 0]

regarding accidents....
If you carefully watch the skydiving accident reports (get the real facts) you will notice that many are caused by a problem that is then compounded by improper action on the part of the jumper. Even with good training, people can mess up with bad things happen. But at the same time I like what the risk video that our DZO has for all first timers. “…..when everything works right, you can still die skydiving.” That is something all of us have to understand.

As a student I was visiting a large DZ. A jumper had a malfunction, didn’t address it properly at the correct altitude, cut away low, and died. The jumper had hundreds of jumps. That type of accident could happen at any DZ. I mean it should not be considered a bad mark on the DZ unless it was a result of bad training for such an emergency.

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

[LVjayhawk15 0]

I gotcha, all makes sense and all good points and thoughts. I appreciate the advice from everyone, so friendly....I love this community!

I bust mine so I can kick yours.

[shorehambeach 9]

Can just add my 2 cents slightly off the OP.

My wife and I did a tandem at Skydive Las Vegas last year and thats the reason I became a skydiver.

Yes they ae a tandem factory but the whole experience, start to finish, made me want to take up the sport.

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

Can just add my 2 cents slightly off the OP.

My wife and I did a tandem at Skydive Las Vegas last year and thats the reason I became a skydiver.

Yes they ae a tandem factory but the whole experience, start to finish, made me want to take up the sport.

I was going to make the same point. The criticism of pure tandem factories is reasonable; but it is also true that they do act as gateways that bring some new skydivers into the sport. Also, I think it's a good thing that the more people out there who've done even only 1 or 2 tandems in their lifetimes, the less "whuffo hostility" (and/or stupidity) toward skydiving there will be out in the general community.

[surfbum5411 0]

I mentioned that Vegas locals had nothing but bad things to say about Skydive Vegas because they have a bad attitude towards experienced skydivers... I never said it was a bad place to do a first jump.

[Andy9o8 0]

Agreed, and the bad attitude toward experienced jumpers, if that's indeed the case, would certainly suck. I'm just saying that tandem-only mills, generally speaking, do have a certain place that might contribute to the skydiving community at large.