How did YOU afford it?

[ryan_d_sucks 0]

Subway sandwich artist
Paid psychology experiment test subject
Sold blood plasma
Static Line

[vortexr1 0]

Don't work for the man.......

[airtwardo 6]

Get fronted an ounce and whack it.

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

[Melissa126 0]

I took the plunge and am now half way through my aff...well let me just say, I've NEVER been more broke, but I've also NEVER been this happy

[popsjumper 2]

Cashed in my pension (kept the 401K), paid off the ex and bought into skydiving. When the bank account drained down to about $20K, I got an AFFI rating to plug the leak.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[skyflower_bloom 0]

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I took the plunge and am now half way through my aff...well let me just say, I've NEVER been more broke, but I've also NEVER been this happy

NICE JOB!!! 110% worth it, huh? Congrats and welcome!! Keep us posted.

blue skies,
robyn

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Gandhi

[deltron80 0]

I have 2 jobs and I still credit card 1/2 my jumps! woooo!!!

[doughboyshred 0]

I haven't, yet. But I will. One track mind, priorities, etc. Basically I am putting 500 bucks a month in to a skydiving fund, after the mortgage, and before every other bill. Pay yourself first, right?

I expect all of my other hobbies to go on the back burner. Spending a lot less on food, nothing on alcohol or drugs, no concerts for awhile, etc..

Whatever it takes.

[Master_Yoda 0]

I only had to join the military for 4 years. I got my S/L jump progression for like $125 and once I completed it I paid the 82d ABN parachute club $10 per month membership and got to jump out of military aircraft(Blackhawks, Hueys, Chinooks & SkyCranes) every weekend for free.

But that was 20 years ago. Now I'm gonna have to PAY for my jumps. And I'm gonna have to wait until I finish school and find gainful employment in my new career... or get a hell of a lot of student grants. I'm lucky in that my education is 100% PAID. But I'm not allowed to get a loan so as I said, grants are it.

My goal is to save enough for a used rig, altimeter, jumpsuit, head gear, etc, plus enough cash for the first 100 jumps and some extra cash for coaching THEN show up at a DZ with all my gear, food, several cases of beer and a sleeping bag. And see just how fast I can make 100 jumps getting familiar with gravity again.

Dreams are good. They'll get me thru math!

[davelepka 4]

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My goal is to save enough for a used rig, altimeter, jumpsuit, head gear, etc, plus enough cash for the first 100 jumps and some extra cash for coaching THEN show up at a DZ with all my gear

I'd steer clear of buying gear until you're current, and have had a chance to jump some of the newer canopies. If you really haven't jumped since 1990, there have been some HUGE changes in canopies, and attempting to select one for purcahse with no jumps on anything newer than circa 1990 is a mistake.

If you have a rough size in mind, you could purchase a used container and reserve. Once you're current and have made a few on the DZ gear, starting with too much canopy and getting down towards just right, you can demo different canopies to see what you like. Some gear stores and manufacturers offer demo programs where you get a canopy for two weekends or so for about the cost of shipping both ways. You can also borrow another jumpers canopy for an afternoon if they have the model and size you have in mind.

Try it before you buy it.

[Master_Yoda 0]

A used container and reserve (190 sq ft) is what I was thinking about. Then maybe a new main or a used one if it's exactly what I want.
I was recently told about companies sending out demos. And I may just do that if I get current first. We'll see.
That said I have been reading A LOT about the new gear out there. So far, I believe a PD Silhouette
or Pulse in the 190 to MAYBE 170 range will do me just fine. IF I can get my weight down under 170... and 160 is my goal. That way my exit weight to canopy size ratio is just a smidgen over 1:1. And it'll be an ideal canopy for wingsuit flying which is what really is turning my gears to come back.

I know I want a Cypress and I think I want a rig with a "Skyhook" but I as far as I've been able to research, only new Vectors and Javelins have that option. $$$
I suppose I could do without the skyhook but the Cypress (with at least a few years left) is a must. That skyhook deployment is awfully fast tho!

I still need a bit more info on altimeters but my old Altimaster was just fine so I'm sure the new ones are even better. I'll pass on an audible altimeter for now.

I'll buy a basic rw suit and a frap hat regardless of the fact that they're passe. I don't care. It's what I'm used to and for now, the less that's different, the better.

The main thing about coming back that I wanted to avoid, was jumping lots of different kinds of loaner gear.
Based on the "old" incident reports, jumping unfamiliar gear was the best way to become a report yourself. Currency was also an issue which is why I wanted my own gear from the start and the cash for 100 jumps before showing up at the DZ.

[BecomeAddicted 0]

Hey, I'm new as well! I'll probably end up waiting until next summer (May/June) to start AFF and go for my A license, but with all the tandems I've been doing lately, I have been thinking about money. I'm a 23 year old guy in dental school (won't be done until I'm 26! ), so as you might imagine, I'm strapped for cash as well. With the exception of AFF plus the jumps necessary to get my A license, I'm guessing that until I'm done with grad school, this will be a very part-time hobby for me, and I probably won't get my own gear until I'm out of school. Luckily, I should be graduating with

If this were any "normal" hobby or recreational activity, my family would certainly help me pay for it. But they're pretty pissed that I'm doing it in the first place, so that's out the window.

[Melissa126 0]

Ah school loans, they always get in the way!!! That and rent!!! I have about $28k left on my school loans, I had been over-paying since I graduated, then found out that I was paid ahead until next year-- so of course I took that as "do your aff and then go back to paying them in a few months"... haha so that's what I'm doing- and picked up some extra hours at my second job, along with eating canned green beans most nights for dinner, and taking cold showers and putting other hobbies on the back burner. So far my only gear investments have been goggles and i'm about to get a helmet and altimeter... Going to wait a year or so before I plunge for gear.

[Will_Evo 0]

I saved up in Iraq and used the money for AFF. I saw that you just finished AFF...get ready for the BIG expenses lol. I did a little calculating the other day...in my short 150 jumps, including gear and everything skydiving related...I've spent about 9K The things you'll do for love

-Evo

Zoo Crew

[Hunt_Joshua_G 0]

Im Just getting into My AFF jumps. I work 2 jobs and pick up shifts all the time. I have not been home in almost 4 days. Im just glad that there are showers at work.
I do my first AFF on Saturday and if things work out for me at work i will be done in as little as 2 months.

"When the people look like ants-PULL,
When the ants look like people-PRAY."
"Only skydivers know why the birds sing."