Newbie needs advice

[Dobbo049 0]

Hello!
I'm new here, this if my first post, so please go easy on me :D
I'm Stuart, I live in the UK, I'm 20 years old, I work in agriculture, I'm also training to become a tree surgeon and I am a skydiving virgin!

Skydiving has always fascinated me, ever since I was a little child I always got those mini toys that you could throw out the window and they would parachute down to the ground. I had an action man once but I think the size of the parachute was a little out of proportion to the size and weight of the action man . . . it kind of “fell” to the ground. :/

Anyway I've always wanted to do it but I've never been that excited about doing a tandem jump. I think it’s just the combination of being strapped to a bloke and him doing all the work (excuse the way I put that, haha), I'm the kind of person who enjoys doing it myself, I'd be just as excited about learning how it all works than free-falling from the sky.

It will be my 21st this June and I've been playing with the idea of doing an intensive week 8 level + 10 consolidation jump course.

I'm fairly certain I will LOVE it, I've always been a bit of a speed freak, I'm ok with height’s, I love the buzz of adrenaline you get from doing exciting things and all In all I just cannot think of a single reason why I wouldn't like it. I don’t enjoy sports like football and rugby so I want a sport that excites me. I will probably crap myself the first time but that will be the case whatever, I bet most people where scared the first time. :P

But as I said I am new to this, I've not done it before and I was hoping to get some advice and questions answered . . .

Firstly . . Is it a good idea to jump straight into the course, or should I maybe consider doing a tandem jump first? I won't be able to afford to do everything for my birthday so I would rather skip it.

Secondly . . Once I've completed the course (plus 10 consolidation jumps) can I simply go to any dropzone, anywhere in the world, show my license and do a jump for a small charge? Or can you become a member to some clubs and jump when you want? or is it not as simple as that? Do they expect you to complete their own course and stuff? To put it short, if I where to go on holiday and find there was a dropzone nearby I’d like to be able to turn up or phone in and book ahead then get there and be able to jump. How does it work?

Third . . If I were to do the consolidation jumps separately, do you need to complete them within a certain amount of time? If so, what are the consequences if you don’t?

Forth . . On the same subject I won’t be getting my own gear for a while, do most places let you hire equipment? Or if doing a solo jump do they expect you to have you own?

Fifth . . Once you have your license are you clear forever? or are you expected to take regular refresher courses to renew it?

My last question is about safety. All in all it doesn’t really worry me, I mean I’m training to become a tree surgeon, climbing trees and slinging a chainsaw around isn’t exactly the safest occupation to be in. Compared to that skydiving probably isn’t that bad. But anyone would be a fool to ignore it.

I wanted to hear from any personal experiences, how many jumps have you done? have you ever had to use your reserve or AAD? And why? Was it through complete fault of your own and you will never make the mistake again? Or was it through a complete unforeseeable malfunction of your kit? Has you or anyone you know had any mild or serious accidents? (please don't feel you have to talk about it if you are uncomfortable to do so)

Thanks for reading, I hope some of you can answer my questions and maybe give me some advice :)

Stuart

[davelepka 4]

Step one - go make a jump. The answers to those questions will all come in time, and none of it matter until you make your first jump.

As far as tandem vs a solo jump, it's just personal preference. A tandem is quicker, the training is just a few minutes while a solo jump will have you training all day. The tandem involves less personal responsibility, so you might have more of an opportunity to just 'go along for the ride' and see what it's like.

A solo jump, either AFF or static line, is more work, but it might be more rewarding. At the end of the day, you have the accomplishment of jumping on your own.

Some schools will use a tandem as a first jump, so it would count toward getting your license. Some places do not, so the tandem would be an 'extra' jump.

Finally, theres the cost. Tandems are typically in the middle of the price range, with AFF being more expensive and static line being less expensive.

Just figure out if you want to jump alone or do a tandem, then pick a local DZ. Make an appointment and go jump. Worry about all that other jazz when the time comes.

[wayneflorida 0]

You ask for so much info I really will offer just a few suggestions.

1. Go to a couple dropzones and spend some time talking to the folks about training, etc.

2. Try to have all the money to complete training to get your License on hand. Plan for several extra jumps more than the minimun requirement. I would not give a DZ all the money up front unless they have a proven track record of not short changing students and it saves you a good amount of money for the package deal. You could get seriously injured on jump 1. What happens to your money?

3. Start training when the weather will be good for several months. The more time between training jumps the harder it is usually.

Blue Skies

[CSpenceFLY 1]

The first thing you have to learn is most skydivers have ADD and didn't get through the second paragraph.

[Dobbo049 0]

Thanks for the replies,
The DZ that caught my attention was still 3-4 hour drive away. Hence why I was thinking about doing the intensive course, they provide accommodation.

This is what I was looking at doing . .
http://www.skydiving.co.uk/Accelerated1week.htm

But you think It would be better to do the courses separately over a longer period of time?

Thanks

[dragon2 0]

1) I would skip the tandemjump. If you´re in the UK, and don´t have that much money, I´d recommend going the staticline route rather than the AFF route. SL can get you in the air when AFF might be grounded due to cloud cover. It´s way cheaper to repeat a SL jump then a AFF jump, so even if you don´t do your first jumps perfectly it is still cheaper than one AFF jump or the tandem jump.

If you do go AFF, I think a lot of UK jumpers do theirs in Spain. Because of the weather and probably the cost.


2) It is easiest to have your A license if you want to jump anywhere else. This license is accepted anywhere and you´ll have less `hoops` to jump through if the DZ doesn´t know you.

3) Doing your first jumps close together means you´ll progress faster generally. The more time you leave between jumps, the less you´ll learn and the more you´ll have to redo. For most people anyway.

There is also a limit on how long you can go without at least a short refresher course. Check out the BPA website for the UK rules on that.

4) Usually you can rent gear, however this is usually just student gear so if you have 25~jumps you might want to jump something a little faster than that. If you´re no longer a student, perhaps the DZ will give students first pick of the rigs. Some DZs have gear stores "attached" where you can rent sportier gear too.

This is all DZ specific, so something you need to ask at each DZ.


5) see 3.



About the last bit, don't worry about reserve use. Basically, if you keep on jumping you will have a reserve ride or 2, the average is about 1:700 sport jumps. But you'll be trained how to deal with this so don't worry about it.

And yes, skydiving isn't 100% safe. If you jump, you'll see or have some minor or not so minor accidents at the DZ. Most of these are preventable by training, doing what you are trained to do and most of all knowing your own limits.
But not all of them.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[lvintw 0]

Why go so far away? There are other DZ's near you...
http://www.bpa.org.uk/where-can-i-jump/

Good luck and welcome!

[Dobbo049 0]

Thanks for the reply! very helpful.
Cost isnt a huge issue but obviously its not "cheap" so If I can save money by avoiding a tandem jump as well as the training I would.

I was looking at static line but I think I would prefer to do the full AFF course, take a look at my last post to see what I was looking at.

Its not surprising people do it in Spain, in fact the company I was planning on doing it with have a separate branch in Spain which they also recommend using. So I will definitely look into doing it in spain, England isn't great weather wise but It would be around my birthday in June and June is usually the best time for clear skies in the UK. So Fingers crossed if I go through with it.

[Dobbo049 0]

To be honest I need to do a bit more research on the ones local to me, I ran some searches for skydiving schools before I found this site and realised it was such a good database for drop zones :P

So naturally I stuck with the one I landed on, but I will definitely look at closer ones.

Thanks for pointing it out :)

Added:

Yeh sorry, update that.

My closest one would be beckles, this is there site. they seem to offer it for a much better price actually too.

http://www.ukparachuting.co.uk/tandem/aff-courses

Amateur move

[kentAllan 0]

Come to Voss, norway and do you AFF course!

Book the course june 16th, and plan for a two week stay. Then you most probably get your A-licence during the first week, and the week after that is the extremesportsweek with lots of fun stuff going on :D

course starts on saturday,and you start jumping on monday. Their course includes some windtunnel as well.

There is actually some courses wich have done all their 7 AFF level jumps in one day there. Great DZ if i might say so.

http://www.skydivevoss.no/en/

http://vimeo.com/35979987

[shropshire 0]

I think that you'll like Beccles - very cool .. good people.


One thing to bare in mind .. our weather is shite (as you know working out doors!!) and you may be sat around waiting ... take the opportunity to talk to folk - watch and learn - patience is defo a virtue.

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

[Dobbo049 0]

I love to come to Norway one day but probably not very practical considering we where suggesting finding somewhere closer than 3-4 hours :P

Yeh well I've been to Beccles before, obviously not for skydiving but for other reasons, its not that far from me. To be honest I didn't even know they did it there.

Yeh UK weather can be shocking, that's why I'm planning to go around my birthday in June, June is always where our summer is, after that it seems to go down hill, but with England there will never be a guarantee of perfect weather, I don't mind waiting as long as they take that into consideration. :)

[shropshire 0]

Alternatively ... you could take a cheap flight to Spain and go get your licence done at Empuriabrava ( http://www.skydiveempuriabrava.com/) - also good folks and you'd not need to wait for June!!

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

[Dobbo049 0]

Again, id love to do it in a different country. The issue with doing it sooner is that It is still supposed to be for my birthday, so I cant really have my birthday sooner :P

Also I'm no immediate rush as I probably wont be able to afford to get my own gear this year.

I'm definitely looking closely into doing it at beccles though, have you been there then? I think a friend of mine done a charity jump there, I might have a chat with her at some point.

[shropshire 0]

I jumped with the Beccles crew when they were at Old Bucky (I'm in Cambridge so Beccles is 'just' a wee bit far for a day - so I jump at their Sister DZ - Sibson/Peterbro').

Tommo (the guvna at Beccles) is good people

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

[Dobbo049 0]

Ahh cool, yeh I'm from Bury St Edmunds, still a bit of a trek for me but there doesn't seem to be any Immediate close ones too me.

[adagen 0]

You might want to consider having a go in a windtunnel to pick up some freefall skills before you jump. 3 in the UK, in order of size:
http://www.bodyflight.co.uk/
http://www.airkix.com/our-tunnels/airkix-manchester.aspx
http://www.airkix.com/our-tunnels/airkix-milton-keynes.aspx

Anne

[Dobbo049 0]

Actually I was going to ask about that, is it worth doing to you think if I'm not going to bother with a tandem?

I have family in Milton Keynes so I go there quite regularly, I have actually seen the one there several times. It's at the xscape indoor snow slope.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[TommyM 3]

Hi Stuart, I can appreciate your enthusiasm but your asking questions about the honeymoon, wedding and children before you have gone on the first date!

You might be surprised at your reaction to a first jump, it affects people in very different and unpredictable ways, I did not like it much...it was too stressful, but I took it as a challenge and learned to love it.

You should focus on doing one jump, a static line would be good, absorb the gravity of what you have accomplished then go from there.

Regards from California, and don't forget to get photos or video, even for static line (very important)

[airtwardo 6]

Quote

The first thing you have to learn is most skydivers have ADD and didn't get through the second paragraph.

There was a SECOND paragraph??

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

[Dobbo049 0]

Thanks
Yeh I realise now I'm asking a lot. And It seems to be that the best way to answer my questions is to get out there n do it.

Problem is I cant afford to do everything, it is for my birthday after all and I was hoping to do it without having to invest too much of my own money, I cant afford to do wind tunnel, static line and the course. I am pretty serious about doing it but I guess there will always be a chance that I don't like it.

Maybe I should just do AFF level 1 and see how it goes? or find out what the consequence's are of backing out of the course if I where to feel I really didn't like it.

I'm not going to deny that I wont get really nervous and stressed the first time, because I probably will, but maybe sometimes In a situation like this, the first time is the hardest? I've never been one to give up very easily, I'll stay up all night just to get something to work properly.

I honestly think I would have to really HATE it to want to give up straight away, I'll give it a damn good go first. And I cant think of any reason why I wouldn't like it but I understand some people react in unpredictable ways.

I guess I just gotta try it?

[Trafficdiver 8]

Quote

I guess I just gotta try it?

Bingo!

And yes, if you can get in a wind tunnel do it, especially if you want to skip the tandem and go right to AFF. It really helped my stability in freefall.

[Dobbo049 0]

Ok, well like I said there's a wind tunnel not to far from me and it would club cheaper than a tandem to do so I'll look into that :)

Thanks

[shropshire 0]

Bedford has the better tunnel . IMHO

'Seems' to have more skydivers than MK (tourists) but it's a personal opinion.

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

[Dobbo049 0]

Oh HA! I didn't realise the other one was bedford, that's closer anyway. I've seen the MK one so that one came to mind first :)

I'll check one of them out. I'm thinking of going down to the drop zone at some point too to see what they recommend.

Thanks or all the advice