Definition of "Good" or "Bad" skydiver

[lordgreco 0]

Hi,
i was just wondering.

how do you define a good skydiver, the one you should listen to and learn from, and who is the bad skydiver, the one you should avoid...

Skydiving .-)

Empties your mind, Fills your soul.

[obelixtim 100]

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and who is the bad skydiver, the one you should avoid...

Empty vessels make the most noise.....

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

[airtwardo 6]

Context is everything, and there are varying levels of each in all of us.

That said, if someone has been in it for twenty years and notched a couple thousand jump might wanna give a listen...nobody's that LUCKY, gotta have some good in there too.

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

[Shredex 0]

I passed my AFF with ease without ever doing or tandem or ever riding in a plane before...Idk if that counts as being good/natural...

Or maybe I just smelt so horrible, that my instructor just passed me as quickly as possible just so they wouldn't have to deal with me anymore.

[NWFlyer 2]

Pay attention to who the people are that get a lot of questions from people. They're usually good resources.

As airtwardo says, pay attention to the folks who've managed to stay alive in the sport for a bunch of years and a bunch of jumps. They're usually doing something right.

As a general rule, be very careful about the "100-jump wonders." There's a point in the sport (we've all been there) when we've been around for a year or two, gotten our first pie in the face, and think we know everything and can't wait to share it with everyone. Truth is we don't know shit, and probably ought not to be listened to ... much.

On a windy day, look around to see who's jumping and who's sitting out in the landing area watching other people land. Talk to the ones in the landing area and ask them why. Sometimes it'll be because they're a student and/or jumping rental gear and are on a wind hold. But they might also be some of the most experienced people on the dropzone, who are watching others get "experience."

Shredex mentioned feeling like a "natural." See 100-jump wonder above. Often (but not always) it's the low-time jumpers who have picked things up easily who are the most dangerous to listen to, because they get things quickly and gain confidence before they have context. It's the ones who have struggled a bit and made mistakes earlier who often end up being the ones who stay safe and make good advisers down the road.

Some of the better instructors & coaches I've seen are the ones for whom skydiving didn't come easily. They've had to work hard to figure things out themselves, and they're good at explaining to others how to figure it out. If it comes naturally to you, it's harder to explain how, because you just do it without thinking that much.

That guy (or gal, but it's usually a guy) that people call "that guy" or the DGIT (Dead Guy in Training), who all the more experienced jumpers are constantly telling to slow down before they kill themselves ... that's not the guy to take advice from. The people who are telling him to slow down might be good to talk to, though.

"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

[diablopilot 2]

Listen to the guy that sometimes gives you the answer you DIDN'T want to hear.

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

[jackwallace 3]

Never take landing instructions from a guy in a wheelchair.

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.
scr 316

[dreaming13000 1]

You know sometimes we all get in a hurry . On my last downsize in canopy (and probably the last ) I talked to many many different people I've met in this sport. The first person said " go for it" so I looked for a second person.... Ect... These are skydivers from every walk of life with whom I do have some differing opinions with , but after much research on this site and thourough questioning with approx. 20 different 500+ jump number skydivers, I downsized, did 10+ hop n pops, and know I've got a canopy that I can learn without tragedy.... As for who to get advice from? pay attention at your dz, research on this sites, get opinions from many different "experienced" jumpers on the same topic.... I think it's sparky who said " you'll never know enough in this sport not to die" but really that applies to life In general .

I've done some jumps with some "experienced" jumpers where they did some very stooopid things and I just won't jump with them again, and I can tell you I won't be asking them for advice...

"A man only gets in life what he is believing for, nothing more and nothing less" Kenneth Hagen

[theplummeter 14]

Good skydiver:

Plans and jumps plans and equipment within their skill level, makes safe choices when things don't go according to plan, fun to be around, creative, and can handle constructive criticism and grow from it.

Bad skydiver:

Everything else

[The_Don 0]

[reply


I've done some jumps with some "experienced" jumpers where they did some very stooopid things and I just won't jump with them again, and I can tell you I won't be asking them for advice...

Smart girl.

I am NOT being loud.
I'm being enthusiastic!

[Shredex 0]

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Shredex mentioned feeling like a "natural." See 100-jump wonder above. Often (but not always) it's the low-time jumpers who have picked things up easily who are the most dangerous to listen to, because they get things quickly and gain confidence before they have context. It's the ones who have struggled a bit and made mistakes earlier who often end up being the ones who stay safe and make good advisers down the road.

I agree with ya on that lol. I learned about consequences after owning a sportbike for a few years...

[JohnMitchell 14]

It's dangerous to be on either far end of the ability distribution curve. Too low, you're incompetent and dangerous. Too high, and you're complacently dangerous. Average ain't always bad.

My definition of a good skydiver? Someone who is consistent in their jumping. No big thrills or close calls, just smooth skydives, one after another.

Makes me laugh to think of a coworker's comment when I spoke of what a good skydiver one of my friends was. He said "You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?"

[tmccann 1]

I listen to all, but each is a data point until I see the trend. Sometimes "good" skydivers have bad advice, and "bad" have good advice. We're new to this, and if someone has infallible advice, I haven't met him yet - their advice can be good generally, but the advisee might have some issue the giver didn't appreciate.

So, keep buying beer, listen to all the stories and advice while you're drinking around the fire, and look for trends. Failing that, go with the conservative advice; the sky will still be there tomorrow.

[shorehambeach 9]

NWFlyer.
Great post :)

[Joellercoaster 6]

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"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?"

Yoink.

--
"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?

[nigel99 143]

Quite often the good skydivers are 'humble' and not out there tooting their own horn.

To quote the bible 'you can tell a tree by its fruit'. What type of people are learning from someone and extolling them as an expert? The cowboys or the conservatives?

* but maybe you should disregard me, as I take advice and guidance from squeak!

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[cocheese 0]

Watch them land. If they finish the flare before landing, they are probably not a bad skydiver. If they land fast /hard with an unfinished flare, they're not very good no matter how many jumps they have.

[airtwardo 6]

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Watch them land. If they finish the flare before landing, they are probably not a bad skydiver. If they land fast /hard with an unfinished flare, they're not very good no matter how many jumps they have.

Yeah, check out the knees & butt patches on the jumpsuit before ya give too much credence to their landing advise!

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

[mjosparky 3]

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I passed my AFF with ease without ever doing or tandem or ever riding in a plane before...Idk if that counts as being good/natural...

Or maybe I just smelt so horrible, that my instructor just passed me as quickly as possible just so they wouldn't have to deal with me anymore.

After reading some of your posts I think it will be interesting to see how long you last.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Shredex 0]

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Yeah, check out the knees & butt patches on the jumpsuit before ya give too much credence to their landing advise!

That has me thinking. They should have removable velcro cudora butt and knee pads for your jumpsuit.

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After reading some of your posts I think it will be interesting to see how long you last.

Sparky

Hopefully long enough to have reached my goal.

[mjosparky 3]

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Yeah, check out the knees & butt patches on the jumpsuit before ya give too much credence to their landing advise!

That has me thinking. They should have removable velcro cudora butt and knee pads for your jumpsuit.

Quote

After reading some of your posts I think it will be interesting to see how long you last.

Sparky

Hopefully long enough to have reached my goal.

And what would your goals be?

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Krip 2]

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I passed my AFF with ease without ever doing or tandem or ever riding in a plane before...Idk if that counts as being good/natural...

Or maybe I just smelt so horrible, that my instructor just passed me as quickly as possible just so they wouldn't have to deal with me anymore.

After reading some of your posts I think it will be interesting to see how long you last.

Sparky

Hi sparky

Probably not as long as his skydiving tats

R.

[billvon 2,391]

>I passed my AFF with ease without ever doing or tandem or ever riding in
>a plane before...Idk if that counts as being good/natural...

No, in my experience about half of all AFF students get through AFF without much trouble, and without tandems or experience in small aircraft.

[obelixtim 100]

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Hopefully long enough to have reached my goal.

Nothing wrong with having ambition and/or goals to work toward, and some people are prolly a bit more talented than others. When I was a student my then girlfriend was really good in the air, which I struggled with initially. But then she was a talented springboard diver, and had a good awareness of what her body was doing in the air.

I caught up to her, it just took a bit longer for me.

Just be aware, all the old farts with tons of experience you see posting on here, will have hit their far share of speedbumps along the way to becoming what they are. You will too.

Its how you handle the speedbumps rather than the easy stuff that is the key.....

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

[OglalaDiver 0]

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Never take landing instructions from a guy in a wheelchair.

Unless the guy in the wheelchair happens to be Warren Cleary

PHinz up!!! We are the people our parents warned us about!!