Getting into Skydiving

[popnbrown 0]

Just as a general update, I'm actually going to go through a physical to see if I can skydive, I'm not the most "fit" guy there is. I have asthma and am overweight.

I've also spoken to a local DZ and their big concern was with overweight. They think they can still accommodate me, but I've decided to hold off. I've been hitting the gym/getting fit over the summer and should be reaching my goals in that terms in a month and a half.

So when I do, I think I'll reward my self with getting an A license, and I'll most likely just jump at the location out in Illinois. I'll probably be jumping there for the rest of the year and maybe in the future as well, so I figure I might as well get immersed into that DZ.

Somewhat sad and somewhat happy news, but thank you to everyone's replies.

[3mpire 0]

best answer to this question yet. this should be a sticky.

[nigel99 144]

Quote

Just as a general update, I'm actually going to go through a physical to see if I can skydive, I'm not the most "fit" guy there is. I have asthma and am overweight.

I've also spoken to a local DZ and their big concern was with overweight. They think they can still accommodate me, but I've decided to hold off. I've been hitting the gym/getting fit over the summer and should be reaching my goals in that terms in a month and a half.

So when I do, I think I'll reward my self with getting an A license, and I'll most likely just jump at the location out in Illinois. I'll probably be jumping there for the rest of the year and maybe in the future as well, so I figure I might as well get immersed into that DZ.

Somewhat sad and somewhat happy news, but thank you to everyone's replies.

Good luck. Speak to someone knowledgeable about your asthma if you haven't already. I only recently discovered the magic of ventolin, couple of puffs before I jump and it totally clears me up.

I think you're making the right decision, overweight and jumping don't go well together, the risk of a landing injury is higher.

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

[popnbrown 0]

A few follow up questions.

I'm thinking of making a tandem jump in the next week or so, would I be able to count this for my 25 for an A license? If so, do I need to get a logbook to note it down in, or can I just use the certificate that I jumped as proof?

[Southern_Man 0]

A tandem does count for your 25 jumps. You do need some documentation. sometimes a certificate is good enough, some drop zones will also issue little, temporary paper logbooks (good for about 10 jumps?) if you tell them that you are going into AFF.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[MikeTJumps 4]

There are quite a few books available to educate you as to the sport and the training programs. You can get a copy from your local library or you can buy one on many of the retail outlets or dropzone bookstores. I encourage you to read one of them before you go out to a dropzone.

Mike Turoff
Instructor Examiner, USPA
Co-author of Parachuting, The Skydiver's Handbook