How To Progress The Most With The Savings I Have?

[chalko 0]

hi guys
thanks for anyone who replys and helps me out :D. i did my AFF a while back and havent jump very much since attaining my A cert. i know i want to get into skydiving full time but i want to spend the money i've been saving wisely! i kind of wish i'd had done a tandum and then gone into my aff haveing time to save to inject myself into the sport. i've got quite a few questions so im just going to fire away:

i've got 5000 pound ( nearly 8000 dollars), what would you do to maximise your progression with this cash? stay in the uk? go to the USA (or other countries) where its cheaper to jump and better weather? how longer trip can i take with this cash? i should be able to get un-paid leave for work so the trip could be a good few months if needed...

if i went abroad to jump what things should i take into account? best insurance, dropzones to avoid lower experianced jumpers, converting say USPA back to BPA ect

Should i look for a dropzone with a tunnel close by? will tunnel training benifit me at my lower experience level?

i've talked with people about packing courses so that i could maybe extend my stay even longer. or even stay where ever i end up lol.... would i be better to do my packing course before i go or while im on my trip? would i need a visa if i was working as a packer?

Best and Cheapest Dropzones? i hear of Lodi being very cheap on both training and jump tickets but also hear bad things about the way its run and the DZ location not being the best for lower expeienced jumpers. which dropzones offer good discount block tickets ?? and cheaper coaching jumps?

I'd love to be working towards becoming a tandum instructor as it seems like there is quite a lot of work for TI's around the world ( i want to travel as much as possible, dont really want to stay in the UK) what kind of things should i work at towards to set me up to become a TI ?

As for my personal progression i really want to do my FS1 so i can jump with others and then possibly look at doing FF after that. im also very interested in becoming a confident tracker and working on my canopy skills and becoming very confident under canopy. what courses would you recomend?

After a trip like this would i have surficent training to start wingsuiting or would you recommend leaving this for a while until i was much more expeienced at flying my body? i really dont want to rush my training in any way!

I have now got my own gear, rig, jumpsuit alti ect so i wont be needing kit hire, im quite happy to camp/ rough it to save money for jumps, i dont really drink (but still like to party :P)

Big thanks to anyone who replies and helps me out, sorry for the mass questions!! i've probibly got a thousand more !! lol

cheeers olie

[skybytch 259]

Cheapest is not best.

Your money will last longer in the US if you choose a large dz that allows you to camp for free (Perris, Eloy, etc). You can pick up all the camping gear you'll need for around US$150 when you arrive.

Tunnel time is an awesome tool.

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would i need a visa if i was working as a packer?

Please don't plan on working while you are in the US if you don't have a visa that allows it - ie not a tourist visa. We need those jobs for Americans.

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what kind of things should i work at towards to set me up to become a TI ?

If you want to be an instructor, be a real instructor not a ride operator. Go for the AFF rating. Why put all that time and money into getting good at flying your body only to do the majority of your jumps under a drogue with 200 pounds of stupid attached to the front of you trying to kill you?

[5.samadhi 0]

why come to the US? Isnt there some badass dropzone in spain (like empuria brava???). Never been but I've heard great things from friends that travelled through.

Spain weather, women, food > USA weather, women, food

You do like good weather, hot women, and tapas don't you?

[Andy9o8 0]

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Please don't plan on working while you are in the US if you don't have a visa that allows it - ie not a tourist visa. We need those jobs for Americans.

Correct; and just to be clear: the consequence is more than just taking jobs away from those legally allowed to hold them. If a non-citizen on a strictly tourist visa works as a packer for any kind of compensation (money, jumps, use of DZ gear, food, lodging, dope, anything), it is a violation of immigration law, and if caught, he could be deported and banned for life from ever entering the US again. Also, either the DZ and/or the individual owner of each rig packed technically could be charged with legal violations, too.

The fact that historically it's been done before does not soften the illegality of it.

[BIGUN 1,071]

and/or the individual owner of each rig packed technically could be charged with legal violations, too.

Oh dear Lord... now I have to be the one saying, "Show me your papers!!!"



The whole world's gone to shit since John Wayne died.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Andy9o8 0]

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and/or the individual owner of each rig packed technically could be charged with legal violations, too.

Oh dear Lord... now I have to be the one saying, "Show me your papers!!!"

The whole world's gone to shit since John Wayne died.

John Wayne's real name was Marion. "Papers please", indeed.

[theonlyski 3]

Or just pack your own shit.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[demoknite 0]

I havent been to every single drop zone, but I would say that the ones that I have been to have foreigners packing. That doesnt mean they are illegal or working illegaly, but they are foreign.

[nigel99 150]

Don't blow your savings on training to become a pro skydiver!

My suggestion would be to set yourself a progression target of 4 years similar to an apprenticeship. Go to the local DZ every weekend and get yourself into the system. Jump as much as you can, pack and learn everything you can about dz operations. Go to 2 or 3 boogies a year and expose yourself to how other dz's work.

After 4 years of doing that you will have a good feel for dz culture and if you really want to live this as a full time lifestyle. You will also have accumulated enough jumps to be able to easily meet the requirements for AFF or Tandem instruction. You may even be doing it part time on the weekends by the end of 4 years.

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

[chalko 0]

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what kind of things should i work at towards to set me up to become a TI ?

If you want to be an instructor, be a real instructor not a ride operator. Go for the AFF rating. Why put all that time and money into getting good at flying your body only to do the majority of your jumps under a drogue with 200 pounds of stupid attached to the front of you trying to kill you?

[chalko 0]

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why come to the US? Isnt there some badass dropzone in spain (like empuria brava???). Never been but I've heard great things from friends that travelled through.

Spain weather, women, food > USA weather, women, food

You do like good weather, hot women, and tapas don't you?

Jump tickets in spain are around 25 euro which works out about 31 dollars... im thinking i'd get more jumps in in the US because of the exchange rate

[cocheese 0]

1) Switch to decaf.
2) Enjoy the moment.
3) Save half of your money for the unexpected.
4) Focus on the journey, not the destination.

[JohnMitchell 14]

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My suggestion would be to set yourself a progression target of 4 years similar to an apprenticeship. Go to the local DZ every weekend and get yourself into the system. Jump as much as you can, pack and learn everything you can about dz operations. Go to 2 or 3 boogies a year and expose yourself to how other dz's work.

Or at least 3 years, the minimum time in sport to become a TI. Even a weekend jumper can rack up 125 jumps a year to have the 500 required in 4 years. If you can find a DZ with a static line program, you can start working with students earlier and get your "people skills" fine tuned. I find that's what some TM's lack.

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After 4 years of doing that you will have a good feel for dz culture and if you really want to live this as a full time lifestyle. You will also have accumulated enough jumps to be able to easily meet the requirements for AFF or Tandem instruction. You may even be doing it part time on the weekends by the end of 4 years.

I've got 37+ years in the sport, and have loved them all. I don't think I could have lasted a decade as a full time jumper. I'm quite happy as a part timer.