Skydiving for a living for ONE year

[Andy9o8 0]

As someone a generation older than you, I'm going to answer this not re: working at skydiving necessarily, but more re: the idea of taking a "gap year" between college and either a "real job" or back to grad school.

You're, what - age 22-ish, single, unattached, no kids, no mortgage, not yet chained to the "career track", superb health? That's now. How much longer is that likely to last? You meet that "certain someone", and all that's going to end, quite possibly....mmmm... forever.

Your window of opportunity is now. You may think you'll have other windows of opportunity later. And maybe you will. But don't bet on it. Some skydivers are lucky enough to be This Guy, but most aren't.

[davelepka 4]

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I’d say fuck it and do it,

Do what? Go live on a DZ and get a job not jumping? Maybe get lucky and find steady packing work so you can feed yourself, but be busy packing 90% of the time the plane is flying? Or not get lucky and end up cleaning the bathroom and picking up garbage to make just enough to feed youself, and while you won't be busy during jumping hours, you won't the money for it either.

If the OP was a guy a tandem rating, and a year of work under his belt, I would say it's the best idea ever. It's even a great idea for a job during grad school, as you can work on the weekends, no late nights, and make good money for only two days per week.

Again, DZ jobs are not just there for the taking. You either need an 'in' at the DZ, like being a regular jumper there for a few years and paying your dues, or you need to have your ratings and experience 'in the bag' so they can hire you as a full-time guy right off the bat.

Try this, go to the DZ for the next three weekends, and camp overnight. Budget yourself $10 a day for food and entertainment, and don't make any jumps at all. You're going to be bored, jealous, and hate your life, and that's on the weekend when there are people around and stuff happening. Try staying over for a Mon and Tues one week, and see the hell of a deserted DZ, with nothing to do and no money to spend. That's what you're encouraging this guy to do, you think that's good advice?

[Andy9o8 0]

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Try staying over for a Mon and Tues one week, and see the hell of a deserted DZ, with nothing to do and no money to spend. That's what you're encouraging this guy to do, you think that's good advice?

Actually, that sounds very meditative. He could read books, write manifestos and learn to become one with himself. He could become the next Che Guevara.

[davelepka 4]

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He could become the next Che Guevara.

Or Ted Kaczynski.

[Andy9o8 0]

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He could become the next Che Guevara.

Or Ted Kaczynski.

You know, I was thinking that, too- something like: "stay up all night in a tent making una-bombs...", but I decided to go with the Guevara thing. Easier to do on a tight budget.

[larakiyomi 0]

I took a job at the drop zone while I was in chemistry grad school, and look where I am now. I make a smutty magazine about skydiving, earn about 10% what I would have with a PhD, haven't been in a lab in over a decade, can't really understand my Master's thesis, don't know what's going on in the world of photoelectrochemical hydrogen production, can't even remember how many valence electrons carbon has, can't remember exactly what a valence electron is, and couldn't be happier. Do what makes you happy!

Incidentally, I took a year off between undergrad and grad school and volunteered for a year with Habitat for Humanity in a faraway place. That was awesome too, and even if I was still in chemistry, I would have been glad I took that year off.

Good luck and have fun!

Blue Skies Mag

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

A bit of humor for this rather downer thread:

Q: What do you call a professional skydiver without a girfriend?

A: Homeless.

The reason that it is funny is because there is a bit of truth in it!

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[steveorino 7]

Sorry, but I don't think we need another TM or AFFI with the MINIMUM skills. That is those who typically have one jump or one minute more than the minimum. I do not think it makes for a good instructor. Get a real non skydiving job and have fun skydiving. LEARN.

If you decide to go ahead and do this remember me and respond back 2-3 years, and 1000 jumps later and you tell me if you think you were ready.

/rant

steveOrino

[Spills 0]

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I’d say fuck it and do it,

Do what? Go live on a DZ and get a job not jumping?

Maybe working as a packer is different then being a bicycle mechanic. I didn't get to ride as much as most people but I did get to hang out with friends from my industry when the shop closed. I got to learn the ins and outs of the industry from the inside. Some of my friends have stayed in the industry and now I have hook ups for life.

Most of the fun i have had in skydiving has taken place on the ground. The stupid shit you get into when you get weathered out.

Maybe you don't have to work at the DZ but can find a way to work just enough to survive and jump and still live on a dz.

[davelepka 4]

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Most of the fun i have had in skydiving has taken place on the ground. The stupid shit you get into when you get weathered out.

You have 43 jumps, ever consider there's more to come?

Keep in mind that most of the 'action' on a DZ takes place on the weekends, so if you're stuck in the packing room, you miss out. Even if the guy worked his 'day job' and just paid for fun jumps all weekend long, he still gets to hang out after jumping, he can still goof off during weather holds, but when the planes are flying, he gets to jump.

Based on his post, it sounds like he wants to jump, not just live on a DZ by any means possible. Would he live on a DZ if he could get paid to jump? Could be, but at the end of the day, it strikes me that the guy's #1 priority to be jumping, and I advised him of the best way to do that.

People seem to mistake what I'm saying as discouraging the guy from going after his dreams, but it's not. The best way to ruin the dream is to show up with no ratings, and get stuck packing to make ends meet. You'll lose your 'love' of the DZ in a hurry when it turns into your place of 'non-jumping hard labor' as opposed to your place of 'fun-jumps and good times'.

What I'm doing is explaining the reality of 'life' on the DZ. It's way different than just visiting on the weekends, and having some fun.

[airtwardo 6]

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Most of the fun i have had in skydiving has taken place on the ground. The stupid shit you get into when you get weathered out.

You have 43 jumps, ever consider there's more to come?

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Reminds me... a guy I knew years ago use to say he really didn't like jumping all that much, but it was the best way he could think of to party with SKYDIVERS!

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

[skybytch 259]

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Most DZ's need help outside of skydiving also.

What Rich said.

The skydiving gear industry is a great way to be "working in skydiving" without having to actually work at skydiving. The pay generally sucks (you might get to $35k/year after 10 years or so of kicking ass) but the side benefits can be very much worth it, especially if you're working at one of the larger gear dealers on one of the larger dz's or if you get on with a manufacturer.

Benefits direct from these jobs can include things like free jumps, free or reduced price gear and travel to boogies. Side benefits can include things like meeting some of the most amazing people you can imagine and getting to skydive with them.

[Titanman2789 0]

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I could definitely work a year before re-applying, but the jobs I could get with an undergraduate degree in chemistry would suck and pay ~35k. This is probably one of the only times in my life I could say 'screw it, I'll bum around for a year and enjoy life, then go back to the real world'.

Take the 35k job. I've worked in skydiving the last 6 years, starting as a packer and then doing video. Obviously you know that as a skydiver you have to live inexpensively, blah blah blah. It's just not worth it to be honest. Sure the paychecks are good when the weather is good AND the place is busy. When you don't have either one of those - weather or business - the paychecks suck, but you're still spending all your time at the freakin dz. At least with a real job, it will boost your resume for grad school and you will have the same check every 2 weeks. Plus, you'll be lucky to make 35k as a skydiver. Most I made in a season was about 25k, and the least I made was around 8-10k.
It all comes down to what your time is worth to you I guess. When you work at the DZ, you have to be there, so it's a lot longer days, for a lot less pay. Your girlfriend will probably not like it either that you will hardly be able to spend any time with her and you're a broke ass skydiver.

You have your college degree. Go use it. Sure 35k doesn't sound like much, but can you get promoted or apply from within where you would be working at after a few months? In skydiving there is not really any opportunity for advancement. You get whatever you get per jump, and you don't ever get a raise, even as the value of the dollar plummets. Hell, the dz I was working at started charging customers more and paying the staff less. Then that brings up politics, and I could go on and on and on.

If you want to work in skydiving the best way is to do it part time for jumps/fun. When you do it full time...well once you figure out how much time you spend there vs. your take home you might be lucky to make minimum wage

[kingbunky 3]

i didn't see anyone mention rigging. that's where all the money is in skydiving. and all the chicks too.

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001