How do you talk your friends into a jump?

[SKIandSKY 0]

Either I suck at this or my friends are mostly wussies.

I've been jumping since April of 2009 and only talked three friends into a jump. Well, I did a tandem back in 2003 and had a student of mine get so excited she did two when she got old enough.

Other people at the DZ seem to get friends to jump.....how do you do it?

S&S

[quade 3]

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Other people at the DZ seem to get friends to jump.....how do you do it?

You don't. In fact, as you gain experience you'll learn the best thing to do is not even mention it to people. Maybe put a particularly cool photo on your cubical desk if you want, but other than that, it's a waste of time to try to convince people to come out and jump. They sure as hell don't want to hear you talk about it more than out of idle curiosity, then they'll go back to their own little lives.

Think about it from their perspective. By saying they'd like to jump, they get to keep the self delusion that they're "brave" enough to do it. As long as they never have to get on a plane, they can continue to tell themselves that for the rest of their lives.

If, on the other hand, they ever showed up at the DZ and decided at the last minute it wasn't their cup of tea, they'd have to live with the shame of that the rest of their lives. Every time they saw you they'd be reminded that they were not, in fact, "brave" enough to do it.

Some of the people you may be trying to convince might have a perfectly natural and normal fear of heights. Again, as long as they never show up at a DZ, they never have to confront it. Some might not be afraid of heights, but are afraid they'll screw up and hurt themselves. Again, perfectly natural and avoidance is a natural reaction.

No. You can't use this in attempting to convince them to go with you. It just doesn't work that way, so don't even try it. You'll just look like a douche for pointing it out.

If you have a photo on your cubical desk and word gets around that you skydive and somebody is truly interested, they'll let you know. You won't have to convince them. You'll only need to show them the way.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Granimal 0]

I gave up trying to talk people into skydiving years ago. I understand your excitement for the sport and desire to share the activity that you love. I knew my whole life that I would learn to skydive. When I finally was old enough to do it I spent months trying to convince friends to go with me. Many said how much they wanted to but always had some sort of excuse at the last minute. I realized a while ago that people who are destined to skydive are going to do it.

Another reason I will no longer try to convince someone to skydive is that I would hate to feel like I pressured someone into skydiving if they wound up getting seriously hurt or killed.

[absane 0]

I don't even try, actually. Only one friend thus far in the 6 months I've been doing this has actually jumped. However, she said she wanted to for a long time anyway... it was just the stuff that I posted on Facebook that finally convinced her to go for it.

When I first started, all I could do is talk about skydiving with my friends. It's to the point now that I rarely bring it up unless I did something cool on a jump or someone asks about it. But, usually, I don't say much if they ask about it because most of the time, they are just bringing it up for small chit chat. If they express genuine curiosity, I'm going all out on it.

If they really want to go and they see that I'm having fun doing it, it may only be a matter of time before they ask me how to do it.

Don't forget to pull!

[TiaDanger 0]

Either I suck at this or my friends are mostly wussies.

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This is a really ridiculous statement You should never say somebody is a 'wussy' because they don't want to jump out of a plane. This sport is dangerous; people who don't want to jump are probably smarter than us morons that do. Jumping is a very personal decision for some, and should be up to them and them only.

Don't EVER pressure friends to jump...if they want to, they will get a hold of you.

And for the record: the appropriate ranking of cool modes of transportation is jet pack, hover board, transporter, Batmobile, and THEN giant ant.
D.S. #8.8

[airtwardo 6]

You don't.

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

[wildcard451 0]

What everyone else said. It takes most people 2ish years to grow out of it, from what I've seen.

[hcsvader 1]

Tell them it will get them laid

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[Kajmana 0]

"you don't" that's exactly what I thought when I read the thread title.
Nothing worse than someone nagging you- clean your room! You drink too much! Your a pansy dude you can't even do a backflip over an 80ft gap on your bigwheel.
They'll be ready when they want to, probably around there 30-35th birthdays, hahahhaaha

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Other people at the DZ seem to get friends to jump.....how do you do it?

you make new friends at the drop zones

[airtwardo 6]

Another reason I will no longer try to convince someone to skydive is that I would hate to feel like I pressured someone into skydiving if they wound up getting seriously hurt or killed.

Exactly...

I've always made it a policy, not to 'convince' someone to Skydive.

I did have an amazing SO some years back that went for training and all the way to her A without me knowing...wanted to do a two-way on my birthday, that was cool but I could tell after a while, she really wasn't that into it, or me it seems!

My kids have asked me to take them but I won't, I told 'em I'll pay for training AFTER the second jump if they want to continue, but THEY have to show the interest and actual initiative to get started.

Three kids ~ So far no takers!

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

[airdvr 197]

Non-refundable deposits

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[Airman1270 0]

...they are just bringing it up for small chit chat. If they express genuine curiosity, I'm going all out on it...
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Nothing like explaining matter-of-factly the details of swooping like Superman into your slot, while they can't get beyond "What if the parachute doesn't open?"

So far my brother & two other friends made first and/or second jumps as a direct result of their exposure to the sport through me, then never wanted to do it again. In recent years a bunch of young people at church have also jumped and have enjoyed telling me about it. Several intend to return.

But yes the answer is "You don't."

Cheers, Jon S.

[skybytch 259]

I don't.

If they wanted to jump, they'd do it.

[brettski74 0]

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What everyone else said. It takes most people 2ish years to grow out of it, from what I've seen.

+1.

Don't try. They'll jump if they want to. Probably took me about two years to figure that out.

Think of it like anything else. Just because your friend likes dogs doesn't mean that you like dogs, but somehow you can both still find a million other things to talk about and still be friends. Skydiving is the same. Just because you like it, doesn't mean they will even be interested. Find something else to talk about with them or find new friends.

[vegasskydiver 0]

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"you don't" that's exactly what I thought when I read the thread title.
Nothing worse than someone nagging you- clean your room! You drink too much! Your a pansy dude you can't even do a backflip over an 80ft gap on your bigwheel.
They'll be ready when they want to, probably around there 30-35th birthdays, hahahhaaha

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Other people at the DZ seem to get friends to jump.....how do you do it?

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you make new friends at the drop zones

[JohnMitchell 14]

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Find something else to talk about with them or find new friends.

Excellent advice.

[cocheese 0]

I usually just ask in the loading area if anyone is doing a solo.

[Hayden 0]

As many others have said -- you don't.

I thought about trying to talk my hubby into it but I couldn't imagine how I'd feel if he got hurt. And so, I realized the desire to skydive is truly a personal decision and no one should ever be "talked into" it. Just my opinion.

[thrillstalker 0]

I've gotten at leat 30 people to come jump since I started aff in July of last year.

I tell them they can come for the whole weekend or stay and party with us at night. Actually try to get your friends just to go to the dz, when they feel the vibe it might make them want to jump, if not it's just not for them.

Help them out and give them a skydiving experience, not just a tandem jump. There is so much more to skydiving than just the jump, we all understand that.

"Never grow a wishbone, where your backbone ought to be."

[Andy9o8 0]

I never do. Nor do I ever discuss skydiving with non-jumpers.
I avoid letting new acquaintances know I'm a skydiver, even at the cost of "fibbing" occasionally. My family knows I feel this way, so they know not to mention it to others who I myself would not have mentioned it to.
I learned long ago that most people think you're a bore and/or a braggart if you talk about skydiving.
As for those who already know, if they raise it, they won't understand it (or me) anyway, so I try to politely be as brief as possible and steer the conversation to something else.
I hate answering "casual" questions from non-jumpers about skydiving. Hate having the same stock answers to the same tired, old questions over & over again. Explaining skydiving to a non-jumper in a couple of sentences is like explaining constitutional law to a caveman - it just doesn't compute.
I would never try to talk a friend or relative into a jump, or even help one of them who decided on their own to jump, because if they got hurt or killed, their family would blame me for the rest of my life.

[JohnMitchell 14]

I know how you feel. If someone does ask, I'm okay with the stock "Yeah it's really a lot of fun" kind of replies. As an instructor, I have a lot of ready replies to the usual whuffo questions. After working 26 years in one building, the word is out that my wife and I skydive on weekends. It's usually a coworker that brings it up in social situations. I'm not ashamed to be a jumper. I'm just familiar with the resentment you spoke of that it can bring from others.
A certain percentage of coworkers think that's cool, and a number of them have jumped over the years. But actively recruiting them? No way.

[airtwardo 6]

...is like explaining constitutional law to a caveman -

Wait....WHAT?!

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

[Andy9o8 0]

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...is like explaining constitutional law to a caveman -

Wait....WHAT?!

Con-sti-tu.... never mind.

[Jewels 0]

Obviously, there's a big common theme in the responses you're getting, but I thought I'd add the opposite perspective to the discussion. I'm a tunnel flyer; love it and have done it for about four years now. I would miss it horribly if I ever had to move away from SVCO, but I only have four jumps to my name. I tried skydiving because I loved the tunnel experience so much that I wanted to take the next logical step in the sequence. I had friends who were learning about the same time and I liked the idea of it. BUT, what I really appreciated was that my friends knew enough to let me decide on my own when it was right to try jumping. My social circle is heavily monopolized by skydivers and they could've all pushed me to start jumping and keep jumping--but they didn't.

As it turns out, my last skydive was amazing and I loved every minute of it. If people ask, I can tell them honestly that it was a fabulous experience. It was a release dive, I did what I was told to do, and I landed (terribly, but I landed) by myself, without the radio. I wouldn't trade that for anything. And I'm also satisfied with it. What I love the most about the experience, I can get in the wind tunnel. My closest friends don't push me to skydive. They understand where my interests are and I appreciate the fact that they are comfortable with that, too. We have a lot of things we can share in common but it's not a big deal to them if I don't want to take it any further. My husband jumps, and I don't think he has ever once asked me to jump again. If I told him I wanted to, he would support me 100%. Skydiving is enough pressure on its own. Doing it because someone pushed you into it is even worse.

Let your friends embrace it on their own. If they try it and love it, it will be their own discovery. If they don't want to do it, you'll be a good friend for letting them sit this one out and still accepting them.

TPM Sister #102

[Ron 7]

Don't try....

We all went through that stage where we tried to get people excited in our new sport. Most of us grew out of it once we realized:

1. Most people don't care and think you are crazy. You are just going to annoy them by pestering them about it.

2. People who want to skydive will start to ask about it anyway.

3. Imagine your feelings if a buddy you twisted his arm into jumping died on that first jump.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334