Why don't people skydive?

[nigel99 143]

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Money!
Everybody I asked, they can't do it because money.
Especially the rentals, buy the rig it's a lot of money.

That's a lame excuse. I prefer people to be honest and simply say it doesn't interest them. We all have priorities and if jumping is one, it is amazing how people make a way.

I've seen plenty of skydivers in beat up cars that their peers wouldn't be caught dead in. Then there is the guy who whose to 'poor' to skydive, but drives a new sports car.

We've all got different interests, it's just a sport not a freaking religion or lifestyle.

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

[airtwardo 6]

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Money!
Everybody I asked, they can't do it because money.
Especially the rentals, buy the rig it's a lot of money.

That's a lame excuse. I prefer people to be honest and simply say it doesn't interest them. We all have priorities and if jumping is one, it is amazing how people make a way.

I've seen plenty of skydivers in beat up cars that their peers wouldn't be caught dead in. Then there is the guy who whose to 'poor' to skydive, but drives a new sports car.

We've all got different interests, it's just a sport not a freaking religion or lifestyle.

Yup!
I started Skydiving when I was an 18 year old gas pump jockey! (Yeah youngsters, people use to actually pump gas for you!)

I jumped all through college, had ratty gear & used my I to defray the costs...did ya know McDonald's throws out the food that's in the bin too long? A Skydiver in college does, and waits by the dumpster!

If you want it you can make it happen...must admit though, it's nice to finally have enough $ to both Skydive AND have a sports car!!

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

[DannHuff 0]

Not wanting to take unnecessary risk.

[DanG 1]

I don't skydive anymore because of politics, spending too much time standing over hospital beds, and just not digging it anymore.

In short, the DZ was no longer my happy place, so I found a new happy place.

- Dan G

[oldwomanc6 38]

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I don't skydive anymore because of politics, spending too much time standing over hospital beds, and just not digging it anymore.

In short, the DZ was no longer my happy place, so I found a new happy place.

I think the question of why experienced skydivers no longer jump is a much different question than why a person never will jump. There may be some overlap of reasons/excuses, but probably not a lot. I bet fear (which seems to be a huge reason for a wuffo) is wayyyyyy down the list for an experienced jumper.

IMO, fear is the reason, even when the wuffo gives a hundred of other excuses. Most excuses won't stand up to scrutiny when the surface is scratched (and it is generally not worth doing this). No one likes to be reminded that they aren't more than they are. Even skydivers.

I have much more respect for a person when they just admit it scares them. There's nothing wrong with that. Most people will never do anything out of the ordinary in their entire life. Nothing shameful in that. However, it is why they are called "ordinary folks".

BTW, I'm not just talking about skydiving. There are plenty of things that are out of the ordinary, and the vast majority of the population won't do a single one of them. Most will go on to live a perfectly content life--good on them!

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[oldwomanc6 38]

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I figured with all these threads that question why people skydive, I want to know....Why don't people skydive?

I will not say fear. I will say instinct.

It is a 100% completely unnatural act. Virtually everything about it is specifically hardwired into your DNA to avoid. It literally takes an unnatural amount of thought to overcome the instinct and step outside the door.

Even then, even after consideration, training, mental preparation, some people still revert to their natural instincts, give up mid-flight and curl into a fetal position. Were it not for tandem masters or AFF instructors they would be nothing more than what their natural instincts told them they would be all along; a stain on the ground.

Good points! But is it fair to say that instinct, in this case, will typically invoke an emotional response: fear?

I'm not sure that it is possible to separate the two in many/most cases for a new jumper. For an experienced jumper, with enough training and repetition (EPs, for example) it is possible to replace the normal fear response of instinct with an artificial response: what it is that needs to be done to save oneself all done w/o much conscious thought. And of course repetition of the jumping itself will replace the fear and allow thought processes to be used as well.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[skybytch 259]

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I bet fear (which seems to be a huge reason for a wuffo) is wayyyyyy down the list for an experienced jumper.

Fear is a huge reason for some experienced jumpers. If I can't trust my fellow jumpers to not kill me, that's fear. And when it only takes watching one or two loads landing to see someone trying to kill someone else...

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

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I figured with all these threads that question why people skydive, I want to know....Why don't people skydive?

I will not say fear. I will say instinct.

It is a 100% completely unnatural act. Virtually everything about it is specifically hardwired into your DNA to avoid. It literally takes an unnatural amount of thought to overcome the instinct and step outside the door.

Even then, even after consideration, training, mental preparation, some people still revert to their natural instincts, give up mid-flight and curl into a fetal position. Were it not for tandem masters or AFF instructors they would be nothing more than what their natural instincts told them they would be all along; a stain on the ground.

I know a TI who is very good at "reading" students. He understands who he has to encourage, who he can joke with, who he has to be "clean" with, who he can mess with a little.

He has a line he uses on a select few...

"Remember, two instincts that are present from birth are a fear of heights and a fear of loud noises. We're now at 10,000 feet. I'm about to open the door and it will get really windy and noisy... We're going to have fun!"

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[oldwomanc6 38]

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I bet fear (which seems to be a huge reason for a wuffo) is wayyyyyy down the list for an experienced jumper.

Fear is a huge reason for some experienced jumpers. If I can't trust my fellow jumpers to not kill me, that's fear. And when it only takes watching one or two loads landing to see someone trying to kill someone else...

I didn't mean to imply that fear isn't the reason some jumpers quit, just that it isn't the reason MOST jumpers quit. I should have phrased that sentence differently. Maybe "If you would poll 100 skydivers as to why they quit, of the reasons listed, fear would be a much less cited reason, than if you polled 100 wuffos as to why they don't/wont jump".

At least that has been my observation watching jumpers come and go.

Perhaps the fear of an experienced jumper is also different than the fear of a wuffo, as well. The jumper's fear may be the reevaluation of risk vs. reward, and the non-jumper's fear is more on the instinctual level, and some people aren't wired to ever overcome it? It's probably more complicated than that on any given individual. Food for thought, anyway.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[shah269 0]

Man it's spendy!

Your first jump?
$200 / MIN! Yeah that's PER FREAKING MIN!

You want to really increase your testicular mass and get an A license which means you can jump by yourself and not as some handsome mans little spoon?
$2k = 10 jumps = 10 min so that's....$200/min

Oh you want your own gear?
New? If you have to ask you should consider bowling!
Second hand? $3k
Oh you want that computer that may save your life if you screw up? $1k
Sexy jump suit? $300.
Sexy altimeter $200
Helmet $200

Price per lift ticket? $25
Altitude reached? 13k ft
Free fall time for your 1min under your own gear...$4700/MIN

Why do I do it? Aaahhh well I started doing it when I was married and my x wife was driving me nuts. I had a choice, cheat on her or take my bike at a very high speed into a solid object resembling a brick wall but thought skydiving was safer....one titanium shinbone later......it's the most peaceful think I do all week.

Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

[Namowal 0]

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Lack of awareness that 'normal' people can go learn to skydive (my reason before I was a jumper)

This was me too. I'd been under the impression that skydivers were the "watch me ride this bicycle off roof and into the pool" types. And one of my officemates is still convinced we have some kind of brain defect where we don't understand (or fear) risk...

My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

[Mr_Polite 0]

[nigel99 143]

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That's a lame excuse. I prefer people to be honest and simply say it doesn't interest them. We all have priorities and if jumping is one, it is amazing how people make a way.

I've seen plenty of skydivers in beat up cars that their peers wouldn't be caught dead in. Then there is the guy who whose to 'poor' to skydive, but drives a new sports car.

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It is not a lame excuse to use money as a reason. Some people want a nice house and car. They also want to save money for things like retirement, kids education, vacations, ect..

People can always work at the dz, be it a packer, instructor, grunt, whatever. But that can get old when you work 40+ hours at a normal job and then have to go work again just to jump. It just isn't worth it to everyone.

That's exactly my point. If you'd prefer a nice house to jumping, money isn't what is stopping you jumping - the nice house is your priority.

There is this modern concept that you're some sort of second class skydiver if you can't or won't do 10 skydives a weekend.

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

[Mr_Polite 0]

[nigel99 143]

Shah you're approaching it from the wrong viewpoint. I started jumping at 16 with my own money. It took about 18 months to get off student status as I could only afford 1 or 2 static line jumps a month. For a 'fancy' jumpsuit I bought a bright yellow pair of overalls from the local store. Gear, I bought the old wonderhog and unit that nobody else in the club was stupid enough to jump.

The point is you don't 'need' a $300 jumpsuit, fancy alti or 3k gear. If it really comes down to it and you like jumping you don't 'need' to do full altitude jumps either.

I do regret the death of static line though. For all its faults, it does allow access to the sport with easier cashflow than AFF.

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

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

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Shah you're approaching it from the wrong viewpoint. I started jumping at 16 with my own money. It took about 18 months to get off student status as I could only afford 1 or 2 static line jumps a month. For a 'fancy' jumpsuit I bought a bright yellow pair of overalls from the local store. Gear, I bought the old wonderhog and unit that nobody else in the club was stupid enough to jump.

The point is you don't 'need' a $300 jumpsuit, fancy alti or 3k gear. If it really comes down to it and you like jumping you don't 'need' to do full altitude jumps either.

I do regret the death of static line though. For all its faults, it does allow access to the sport with easier cashflow than AFF.

Static line isn't dead. There was a class of 10 or so last Saturday at the DZ I now jump at. They had a blast. One dude had 34 S/L jumps, starting in 1965 he said.
It was a lot of fun to be there helping gear them up and bringing them back to the hangar (I'm not an instructor, just a helper).

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[oldwomanc6 38]

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Shah you're approaching it from the wrong viewpoint. I started jumping at 16 with my own money. It took about 18 months to get off student status as I could only afford 1 or 2 static line jumps a month. For a 'fancy' jumpsuit I bought a bright yellow pair of overalls from the local store. Gear, I bought the old wonderhog and unit that nobody else in the club was stupid enough to jump.

The point is you don't 'need' a $300 jumpsuit, fancy alti or 3k gear. If it really comes down to it and you like jumping you don't 'need' to do full altitude jumps either.

I do regret the death of static line though. For all its faults, it does allow access to the sport with easier cashflow than AFF.

Sad to say, you're missing the point. Some jump because it is worth it, in and of itself. Some jump (or do any other thing in life) because of how it makes them appear to others (cool, sexy beyond amazement, etc...). This attitude is rather sad. They derive their self worth from other's opinions of them, not how they enjoy their own life.

Some people aren't interested in learning how to overcome what ever obstacles they perceive to be in front of them, they just want people to tell them they are amazing.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[shah269 0]

Nigel,
I know a good number of new jumpers and well yeah for a good second hand kit you are looking at a good $3k it's just the going rate. And since the need for student gear is so high and so few actually buy new ones.....they tend to hold their value rather well.

So lets look the other way with the $2k for AFF and then let's say $4k gets you a decent second hand gear? For a total of $6k before you make your very first jump.

In this economy it is VERY expensive. Please don't get me wrong I love the sport! But per minute sadly if this economic trend...this sport may become a trust fund kids game and that's one thing that I sure as shit don't want to see.

Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

[JohnMitchell 14]

People who don't skydive are that way because they can't handle it.

It's too much adrenaline overload, too much stimulation in their lives. They can't live that much in the moment, to risk all for some fleeting pleasure beyond all others. They need their quiet, mundane existences, safe on the ground. That's just the way they are and there's no changing them. I certainly don't try. I just quietly feel sorry for them.

I'm100% honest in what I'm saying above.

[nigel99 143]

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Shah you're approaching it from the wrong viewpoint. I started jumping at 16 with my own money. It took about 18 months to get off student status as I could only afford 1 or 2 static line jumps a month. For a 'fancy' jumpsuit I bought a bright yellow pair of overalls from the local store. Gear, I bought the old wonderhog and unit that nobody else in the club was stupid enough to jump.

The point is you don't 'need' a $300 jumpsuit, fancy alti or 3k gear. If it really comes down to it and you like jumping you don't 'need' to do full altitude jumps either.

I do regret the death of static line though. For all its faults, it does allow access to the sport with easier cashflow than AFF.

Sad to say, you're missing the point. Some jump because it is worth it, in and of itself. Some jump (or do any other thing in life) because of how it makes them appear to others (cool, sexy beyond amazement, etc...). This attitude is rather sad. They derive their self worth from other's opinions of them, not how they enjoy their own life.

Some people aren't interested in learning how to overcome what ever obstacles they perceive to be in front of them, they just want people to tell them they are amazing.

Too true, unfortunately.

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

[nigel99 143]

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So lets look the other way with the $2k for AFF and then let's say $4k gets you a decent second hand gear? For a total of $6k before you make your very first jump.

Have you really ever jumped? Because that is a whuffo statement if I ever saw one.

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

[Squeak 17]

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In this economy it is VERY expensive. Please don't get me wrong I love the sport! But per minute sadly if this economic trend...this sport may become a trust fund kids game and that's one thing that I sure as shit don't want to see.

says the guy who was spending shit loads of money on a flash car to impress others.

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?

[fastphil 0]

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People who don't skydive are that way because they can't handle it.

It's too much adrenaline overload, too much stimulation in their lives. They can't live that much in the moment, to risk all for some fleeting pleasure beyond all others. They need their quiet, mundane existences, safe on the ground. That's just the way they are and there's no changing them. I certainly don't try. I just quietly feel sorry for them.

I'm100% honest in what I'm saying above.

Skydiving is hardly the only form of an adrenaline rush, and most people probably don't even understand what skydiving offers. However, the people you refer to are actually sheep...

[skybytch 259]

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You want to really increase your testicular mass and get an A license which means you can jump by yourself and not as some handsome mans little spoon?

If an A license increases testicle size in men, what does a D license do to a woman? Do our tits get bigger? Our vaginas get tighter?

And what about those poor guys who end up strapped to some non-penis wearer for their tandumb ride? Did their testicles shrink?

[skybytch 259]

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Maybe "If you would poll 100 skydivers as to why they quit, of the reasons listed, fear would be a much less cited reason, than if you polled 100 wuffos as to why they don't/wont jump".

I'd put money on fear being the motivator behind the exit from the sport for most former jumpers. Difference is - most experienced jumpers would never TELL you they are scared of it, while whuffos have no problem expressing their fear.