My Struggle & Journey (advice needed)

[Shredex 0]

Have you or anyone tried watching a motivational video (probably of skydivers being awesome) on a portable device before jumping to help build confidence?

Videos like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6il9-zdQL4Q

I like that one cause of the lyrics in the chorus, "One day". Cause I know one day... that will be me :]

[abaij 0]

Oh man, I can really identify with what you're going through. I know I can't give you advice, but let me tell you what it was like for me. Although not as extreme, I had the same kinds of anxiety and fear. Dry mouth, couldn't breath. Cut yourself some slack, remember that our bodies have a natural response to very unnatural situations. Understanding that, here are a few things I did that at least helped ME get out the door. And for me at least - ONCE OUT THE DOOR the fear is gone. All that sensory overload and I'm immediately in the moment, all the physical sensations, the noise, focusing on the dive flow. There seems to be no room for fear with all of that stimuli going on. I agree with an earlier post - first talk with your instructors about your fear response. They may have ideas on how to cope with it. My instructors did breathing exercises with me on the ride to altitude, especially after the green light came on and we were close to exiting. We actually knelt in the door and took a couple deep breaths (without delaying the separation too much

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[abaij 0]

Oh and one other thing. Don't overthink it. I too read everything I could get my hands on, practically memorized the SIM. You know what? Keep it simple. SIMPLE. Listen to what your instructor is telling you for THIS dive. Hear just that and focus on just that. It's enough. Stop playing mind games. In skydiving, one of the major obstacles to overcome is our own minds. It's a mental sport. Don't overthink it. Doing that almost put me into a bowling league

[Namowal 0]

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I suspect the repeated exposure to the scary door (and people falling out of it!) desensitized my brain to some extent.

Haha, that yawning bright door is terrifying at first, swallowing the passengers one by one with a great roar each time. The jump master, with inexplicable calmness, checking they've been fully digested before signalling for the next sacrifice to move into position.

I'd love to see these over the aircraft doorways, but it's probably a safety violation. Plus the cool crowd wouldn't be amused... ...but I'd be!

p.s. The breathing, visualization and meditation exercises suggested by others were helpful for me. They didn't make the fear go away (at first), but they put a damper on it.

My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

[dontlikemustard 0]

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I suspect the repeated exposure to the scary door (and people falling out of it!) desensitized my brain to some extent.

Haha, that yawning bright door is terrifying at first, swallowing the passengers one by one with a great roar each time. The jump master, with inexplicable calmness, checking they've been fully digested before signalling for the next sacrifice to move into position.

I'd love to see these over the aircraft doorways, but it's probably a safety violation. Plus the cool crowd wouldn't be amused... ...but I'd be!

p.s. The breathing, visualization and meditation exercises suggested by others were helpful for me. They didn't make the fear go away (at first), but they put a damper on it.

dude i would love to put that on my helmet hahaha

[johnmatrix 21]

I didn't realise that's what it was from until I googled it just before posting - it was just in my head, figured it was from Point Break or something.

[Ion01 1]

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I suspect the repeated exposure to the scary door (and people falling out of it!) desensitized my brain to some extent.

Haha, that yawning bright door is terrifying at first, swallowing the passengers one by one with a great roar each time. The jump master, with inexplicable calmness, checking they've been fully digested before signalling for the next sacrifice to move into position.

I'd love to see these over the aircraft doorways, but it's probably a safety violation. Plus the cool crowd wouldn't be amused... ...but I'd be!

p.s. The breathing, visualization and meditation exercises suggested by others were helpful for me. They didn't make the fear go away (at first), but they put a damper on it.

That is a great idea! I have googly eyes all over my house. On my light switches, doors, outlets, toaster, light fixtures, etc. They just make everything happier! :)

[johnmatrix 21]

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1) one thing that helped me was to focus down my fear, as in... what was it exactly that scared me so much? spinning out of control? dust devils? horseshoe malfunctions? talk it through with your instructors. oh and tip em well.

I used to do this too. I was always nervous, mainly about the dive plan, my ability to control myself, emergency procedures, etc, so I would go back over that stuff in my mind on the way up - which would help.
The worst was when there was a more general free-floating fear that wasn't attached to anything. I just couldn't see anything specific that I was afraid of, so it was harder to find a solution. But at the same time, thinking about it in those terms revealed to me that I was experiencing something a bit different.

[Croc 0]

It is possible that philosophers such as Ayn Rand and Neitzsche are part of your problem. What would Ayn Rand think of your breakdown in the bathroom?
Exactly.
You cannot control the circumstances you will find yourself in when that door opens. You cannot, to a large extent, control your feelings. But what you do have 100% control over is your attitude. You must have a willingness to let go, literally as well as figuratively. Allow yourself to be afraid. Why? Because you ARE afraid.
Then do the dive anyway.

"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

[oldwomanc6 38]

Jeffery,

When I made my first jump, I was convinced I was going to die. I did it anyway, in order not to embarrass myself further with the adventure-seeking college mates I hung with at the time.

Most jumps I ever made, I had significant fear. As a student, I rode the plane down more than once. I am not talking about anxiety, but fear. Funny thing was, I was good in the air.

I battled with it, always. I enjoyed it so much that I worked through the fear, but it never went away completely. I never let it rule.

The only time the fear wasn't a big factor was when I did not let significant time lapse between jumps. If I went a few weeks between jumps, I hated the lead up to the first jump. If I made more than one jump in a day, the jumps after the first one had very little/no fear.

Those who do not experience the fear, don't generally understand it (and tend to discount it), but the fear is not all-powerful, if you don't let it be.

The question you should ask yourself is: Does the pleasure outweigh the fear? If yes, keep at it, if not, then don't.

Skydiving isn't for everyone, and 99% of the population would not even bat an eye if you never make a jump again.

At the end of the day, only you can say if it is worth it for you.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[lookoutbelow 0]

Every successful AFF jump is one that gets you closer to jumping out of that plane without anyone to save you. Could it be that is why it is getting worse as you progress? It might not be, but when I can pinpoint the cause of my own fears, it is easier to find a solution.

I haven't experienced extreme fear from skydiving (I'm new myself), but nerves for sure. The two things that worried me were malfunctions upon open, and what if after AFF, I completely lose stability during freefall and can't regain it.

I overcame my concerns about malfunctions by finding as many videos of malfunctions as I could and watching them over and over. Then visualizing them happening to me. And reading up on emergency procedures related to what I was watching. While I am certainly not looking forward to a malfunction, knowledge and expectation have greatly minimized their effect on my level of nervousness.

My stability fears I managed to minimize because I know I've never gone out of control and I know my body knows how to get back to calm belly. Like riding a bicycle to some extent. I trust my muscle memory. It really sunk in once I botched an exit, flipped, and fixed it. I have faith that I won't mysteriously unlearn to ride that bicycle.

[mjosparky 3]

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Funny thing was, I was good in the air.

Yes she was.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[JefferyHale 0]

WOW! I greatly appreciate everyone's feedback thus far. It took me a while to sift through the responses but I managed to read each one of them. Well, tomorrow is the day. I'm off work & I'll be heading to the DZ to do a fun jump. It was discussed tonight over beers at a local bar with fellow skydivers that instead of focusing on my D-1 jump tomorrow, I need to first do a "belly-to-earth" fun jump & get back out in the air. Again, I thank you all for taking the time to share your two cents with me. It helped quite a bit!

And for those who sent me private messages, thank you, too! I will respond to you all A.S.A.P., but for now I must rest & prepare myself for the next chapter in my journey.

Blue skies!

[dthames 0]

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My stability fears I managed to minimize because I know I've never gone out of control and I know my body knows how to get back to calm belly. Like riding a bicycle to some extent. I trust my muscle memory. It really sunk in once I botched an exit, flipped, and fixed it. I have faith that I won't mysteriously unlearn to ride that bicycle.

I would suggest you do get out of control and test yourself to get back in control (as a continuing part of your student training). It is great to practice that. I don't mean just doing the required flips, which often do not cause loss of control.

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

[lookoutbelow 0]

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I would suggest you do get out of control and test yourself to get back in control (as a continuing part of your student training). It is great to practice that. I don't mean just doing the required flips, which often do not cause loss of control.

Maybe I should have said I've never not been able to get back in control when it was time to do so. I've had an unstable solo exit that put me on my back unexpectedly. I've also been unstable a few times as I attempted to sitfly after AFF. Spun around this way and that, ended up heads down a few times. But in the end when I said to myself "enough playing", I always went back to stable belly without issue. I have no doubts I can always do it, as long as I'm concious and uninjured.

I know the SIM says I shouldn't be trying to sitfly yet. I hadn't seen that section at the time.

[Trafficdiver 8]

You already have the answer right in front of you.

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I cannot & will not give up on skydiving.

Like Nike says, "Just Do It!"

[dthames 0]

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I would suggest you do get out of control and test yourself to get back in control (as a continuing part of your student training). It is great to practice that. I don't mean just doing the required flips, which often do not cause loss of control.

Maybe I should have said I've never not been able to get back in control when it was time to do so. I've had an unstable solo exit that put me on my back unexpectedly. I've also been unstable a few times as I attempted to sitfly after AFF. Spun around this way and that, ended up heads down a few times. But in the end when I said to myself "enough playing", I always went back to stable belly without issue. I have no doubts I can always do it, as long as I'm concious and uninjured.

I know the SIM says I shouldn't be trying to sitfly yet. I hadn't seen that section at the time.

I must have misunderstood what you were saying at first. Sorry.

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

[lookoutbelow 0]

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I must have misunderstood what you were saying at first. Sorry.

No worries.