why skydive?

[yuensolippy 0]

hi guys,

my name's yuen. i'm doing a persuasive speech for my business communications class, and i came up with the topic: why you should skydive at least once in your life. it'd be GREAT if you all could tell me some of your reasons. thanks in advance!!

oh, one more thing; if you had a fear of skydiving but did it anyway, i'd love to hear about how you overcame your fear.

yuen

[skyflygirl1 0]

I was in the ATC (air training corps) when I was a teenager and had the opportunity to do a S/L jump. I didn't, firstly because I thought it was crazy and secondly because I didn't have the money.

I was always really fascinated by it though and wanted to go along to just watch (wasn't allowed! boo hoo)

Then years later I started dating a skydiver and again couldn't wait to go watch him. It was fantastic, even just the sitting about on the dz was good for me.
I started getting a little obsessed with watching his dvd's and footage he'd recorded. The relationship ended and from that point I was certain I couldn't let go of the fascination that had grown to mild obsession so I started planning for a tandem. It turns out my tandem happened a lot quicker then I'd hoped for, he got the vibe I wanted to do it and suprised me with it one day, should have guessed when he told me to bring lace up trainers!!

Did the tandem and loved the freefall, knew I would though, it did scare me to look out of the door at 13 grand but I wasn't nervous like I thought I'd be, quite the opposite actually, I'd decidied to turn anxiousness into excitement and it worked!
Now I've had a bit of time since doing it in the summer and I'm feeling the same way about doing my Aff, planning it for next spring/summer and hoping to get another tandem in before then. Should manage it too, off to Empuriabrava at xmas!

Also helped having some time in a wind tunnel which to me is just like another hobby but helps out with the skydiving too.

Hope that helped a bit, sure everyone will have very different stories and all will be interesting

Fear is Temporary, Regret is Forever!

www.myspace.com/byasa

[voltage 0]

Overcoming the fear was a big motivation for me to go skydiving actually.

I did my first skydive about 6 years ago (FJC, AFF 1 only), and it scared the shit out of me. I loved the feeling of freedom and acomplishment that went along with a successful stand-up landing on my first jump but I wouldn't want to jump again at that time.

But it stayed with me since then, and when the money and oppurtunity was there I decided to go for it last year. I was scared even more because I knew what to expect but was also determined to face it. I managed well up to my level 4 jump where I had a reserve ride.

I took 2 weeks off the training after the reserve ride, but it did not change my decision. After that I started to use some mental training. There is a book I can highly recommend to first time jumpers:

Mental Training For Skydiving and Life (John J. DeRosalia)

The book shed some light on why it is not the best thing to visualize all the bad endings that can happen in a skydive but rather visualize your skills, how you want your dive to be, etc.

Unfortunately, I had chosen the wrong place to take my skydive training (beware of Skydive Thailand!!!) and was not able to continue because their plane broke down and I did not get any of my money back.

So it took me some month, but then I started an jump course here in Germany again and this time just went right through the course. Maybe because my determination was way higher than my fear so I also was able to turn it to excitement on every dive.

You ask why skydive? Because you CAN.

edit to add: I also went to a wind tunnel while training and it helped for skills and confidence, both.

[countzero 7]

as far as jumping "at least once in your life". it's the ultimate thrill and adrenaline rush. also it's very rewarding experience.

diamonds are a dawgs best friend

[Scoop 0]

I really think its an activity that you shouldn't do unless you have a desire to do it anyway. It's a high risk activity and you need your head about you, so doing a SL jump or similar just because you've 'got to do it' or for other similar reasons like to beat a fear of heights its irresponsible. I would have to disagree with your attitude of 'got to do at least once', even tandem students freak out and do crazy shit sometimes.

[selbbub78 0]

It's an experience of a lifetime. I don't believe the sport is made for everyone, but I've never heard of anyone regretting ever doing it. I know people that say "i never want to do that again, but i'm so glad I've done it!". I feel that skydiving is almost like looking outside the norm of society. Many people think skydivers are crazy and insane, but until you feel the door open, and you look out in amazement and awe as you start to fall, you don't know what you're seriously in for. It's doing something different that one normally doesn't do. Why skydive? Why not skydive.

CReW Skies,
bubbles

"Women fake orgasms - men fake whole relationships" – Sharon Stone
"The world is my dropzone" (wise crewdog quote)
"The light dims, until full darkness pierces into the world."-KDM

[buzi 0]

Hey there, IMO you should go do a jump, then you will understand why we do it. I do think everyone who isn't compeletly scared s*&tless of hieghts or the thought of skydiving has entered their head should jump. There is nothing like it in the world !!!!!!!!!!

[Remster 24]

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why you should skydive at least once in your life

You shouldnt.

Its an awsome sport, experience, rush, but, its not for everyone.

Remster

[kenneth21441 0]

Why not....??

Kenneth Potter
FAA Senior Parachute Rigger
Tactical Delivery Instructor (Jeddah, KSA)
FFL Gunsmith

[Andy_Copland 0]

Because i can

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[shropshire 0]

<> - Yeah, right

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[shropshire 0]

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For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating.
For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Andy_Copland 0]

I can fly!!!! Fuck you Tony!!!!

No shit there i was...

Saw Tony below me and thought "i'll scare the fucker" So i was at least 3k above him when i went headdown and betwen his legs as he was belly to earth. As i passed through i went on my back and gave him the finger finally swooping for the crowd and landing at the beer fridge to collect the spoils.

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[AFFI 0]

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Saw Tony below me and thought "i'll scare the fucker" So i was at least 3k above him when i went headdown and betwen his legs as he was belly to earth. As i passed through i went on my back and gave him the finger finally swooping for the crowd and landing at the beer fridge to collect the spoils.

Wow.

Impressive...

[Andy_Copland 0]

Thats not all. I was naked too

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[rapter 0]

Man's small, why fall? skies call, that's all.

Only the good die young, so I have found immortality,

[Jaden 0]

I’ve always wanted to fly but I jumped to face my fear. It’s scary at first but once you’re out the door it’s almost orgasmic. Your mind is clear and focused only on flight, everything else fades away. It’s total freedom and self reliance. After a good trip, you're confidence is up and energy's surgin through your body... It's a blast.

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why you should skydive at least once in your life

It’s not for everyone but it’s a hell of a rush and the view’s amazing.

[AFFI 0]

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Thats not all. I was naked too

Are you being "That Guy"?

[Andy_Copland 0]

If "That guy" is someone having a laugh then yes im being that guy.

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[za_skydiver 0]

i remember the thread

Some dream of flying, i live the dream...

[brettski74 0]

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but I've never heard of anyone regretting ever doing it.

I have - but only once. She really didn't want to do it, was nervous on the ground and once she landed, she said she hated it, and the look on her face seemed to agree. I've heard stories of other people who were pressured into a tandem and were in tears. I can't say that that sounded like a positive experience for the person involved, either - or the tandem master for that matter.

That said, I love skydiving. You could say that I'm addicted. There is nothing else like it, but as others have said, it's not for everyone. If you're not sure, maybe visit your local dropzone for a bit and just hang out, watch and talk to people. Most whuffos I've met that hang out at dropzones eventually go for a jump and love it. If you visit a dropzone and still don't feel the need to do it, then it's very probably not for you.

Edit: Fixed broken formatting.

[brettski74 0]

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so doing a SL jump or similar just because you've 'got to do it' or for other similar reasons like to beat a fear of heights its irresponsible.

"Got to do it" in the sense that I want it so bad that I must do it - that's great.

"Got to do it" in the sense that I'm worried my friends will think I'm a pussy if I don't. That's not so good. If you want to get yourself into the other "got to do it" frame of mind, hang around with skydivers for a bit, watch us, get to know us and if you're truly interested in giving it a go, your curiosity will eventually win out. If not, then it's probably not the sport for you.

The fear of heights thing - yeah, bad idea, not just because you're not here for the skydiving, but I think it's misguided, anyway. A few times, I've heard people (usually whuffos) suggest that skydiving is a good way to get over a fear of heights. I'm scared of heights - at least, I shit bricks when I am standing at the edge of a cliff looking 20m straight down, even if I'm wearing a rappelling harness. I've tried rock climbing, abseiling and skydiving and had no problem, but looking straight down a cliff still makes me shit bricks. It's just a different experience.

Curious - rock climbing automagically creates a link to a rock climbing website, even if I try to make it a link to something else. I wonder what other keywords do this?

[Akey 0]

So that you realise how much fun it is, spend loads of money on it, wind up in debt and learn that you have to try clincal trails once because it is sooo good for humanity?

[AFFI 0]

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Thats not all. I was naked too

So you were nekkid and between a guys legs?

[MotherGoose 0]

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but I've never heard of anyone regretting ever doing it.

I have - but only once. She really didn't want to do it, was nervous on the ground and once she landed, she said she hated it, and the look on her face seemed to agree. I've heard stories of other people who were pressured into a tandem and were in tears. I can't say that that sounded like a positive experience for the person involved, either - or the tandem master for that matter.

That said, I love skydiving. You could say that I'm addicted. There is nothing else like it, but as others have said, it's not for everyone. If you're not sure, maybe visit your local dropzone for a bit and just hang out, watch and talk to people. Most whuffos I've met that hang out at dropzones eventually go for a jump and love it. If you visit a dropzone and still don't feel the need to do it, then it's very probably not for you.

Edit: Fixed broken formatting.

Just to add to that, there have been a few S/L students and a couple of tandems that I can recall that were not impressed with the whole experience because they were injured on their first jump. Thats usually a good way to put a damper on the fun.

You think you understand the situation, but what you don't understand, is that the situation just changed.