Should I do a second jump? increasing confidence?

[Rhandolph 0]

Advice sought!

Last weekend I did my static line training and did a jump the next day. One minute I think I really want to do another jump, the next I think.. not sure if I should.
My jump wasn't the best ever seen, I was nervous of getting closer to the edge of the plane door, inside I felt quite calm but my body just would not let me shift any closer, so that my exit was a bit faltering, and I was slightly short of the dropzone (I could have gone for it but felt it better not to risk landing in the river boundary!).

Despite that my debriefing wasn't too bad but the instructor said 'I think you should think very deeply if you want to do another jump'

Any advice? Did you feel better getting out the plane the second time? overall it was a good experience and I've got a months window of 'turn up and jump' befpre I have to go through refresher training. Any words of wisdom?

[nigel99 280]

Quote

Advice sought!

Last weekend I did my static line training and did a jump the next day. One minute I think I really want to do another jump, the next I think.. not sure if I should.
My jump wasn't the best ever seen, I was nervous of getting closer to the edge of the plane door, inside I felt quite calm but my body just would not let me shift any closer, so that my exit was a bit faltering, and I was slightly short of the dropzone (I could have gone for it but felt it better not to risk landing in the river boundary!).

Despite that my debriefing wasn't too bad but the instructor said 'I think you should think very deeply if you want to do another jump'

Any advice? Did you feel better getting out the plane the second time? overall it was a good experience and I've got a months window of 'turn up and jump' befpre I have to go through refresher training. Any words of wisdom?

Not sure what context the instructor advised you to consider jumping again, but if you enjoy it then I suggest that you go out and do 2 jumps on the same day.

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

[pinkfairy 0]

Skydiving is not safe, not even static line jumps. Static line jumps have issues that you don't find in freefall skydives.

The second and third jumps are usually more scary than the first one because it dawns on you what you are doing.

Thinking long and hard about wether you should do a second jump is very likely to scare you away for good.

We can't tell you if you should or shouldn't jump, you decide, it's your risk and your responsibility to make that decision. If you don't jump again, try to think about what you learned from your one parachute jump and put it into other contexts, if you keep jumping, then welcome to the world's best sport.

Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet.

I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you?

[bullin82 0]

Like stated before its our call on to continue or not. I would say don let your first jump determine anything unless yo were doing summersults and tangled in the line barly making it alive, then i would say maybe rethink it. as i can tell you had te normal jiders, i mean really the body KNOWS that falling is bad so it tells you to rethink. i would say give it another shot and just consitrate youve done it once why not again??

[Rhandolph 0]

Of course it is up to me! I just wanted opinions.

I am not frightened of getting hurt or that it is a danger sport, if I was I would never had gone for a jump in the first place... it was getting the training/intellect to tell my primitive brain/body.. you must go over the edge, its only 3.500 feet, so why not? Go on get forward!

I did it for the experience (and a charity fund raiser) but part of me would like to do it bolder and better than before!

[thekgb2k1 0]

I say go for it if you liked the experience just learn from what you did wrong on the first jump and try not to make the same mistakes. I made my 2nd jump today...and it was great

...always remember when jumping a round...at 100' slip into the wind...keep your feet and knees together...pray to god...and hit all 3 points of contact...FEET, A**, HEAD

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

I am not frightened of getting hurt or that it is a danger sport,

Hell, you should be. It happens all the time.

If you want to try it once more, or a thousand times more, you should. Don't listen to what the people around you tell you.

Your instructor's remarks were a bit cryptic to me. Did he say anything about bowling?

[dks13827 3]

if you like jumping and are still interested, jump more. trust me......... many fine jumpers were NOT the greatest students since sliced bread !!
go to the DZ and watch a lot......... watch videos online.... got a tunnel near you ??

[mtbriles 0]

Ive been there before. I did my first two jumps on the same day so there wasnt much time to think about it on that day.
It was a week before my next jump and i was SOOOO NERVOUS!!!
I remember being in the plane and thinking that i didnt want to jump the sport wasnt for me and that im sooo stupid.
I jumped and i remembered why i love this sport.
I still get nervous on the way to altitude but once the door opens and that yellow loght turns on all fear disapears and when that light turns green i can do nothing but smile.
Overall find a reason that you like skydiving, what makes this sport worth it to you.

Overall id suggest you stick with it till you make it to freefall jumps that way you expierence every aspect of the sport.

Briles

Why not?
My direction in life is up...then down again REALLY REALLY FAST!!!
Never take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
D.S. #55

[MarkM 0]

Quote

Despite that my debriefing wasn't too bad but the instructor said 'I think you should think very deeply if you want to do another jump'

This is a red flag to me. I've only seen instructors tell things like this to people if they were concerned about the person's safety. Ex/ they thought how the person acted/responded was not conductive to being able to save their own lives.

You need to honestly assess yourself and think how you would've reacted in a real life threatening situation up in the air. Being scared is fine, we're all scared, but you can't freeze up. If you're comfortable with being able to think and do EPs in a bad situation, then yeah, I'd go again. It's a great life experience.

[miconar 0]

I would make sure I understand what specifically the instructor wanted me to 'think hard about'. if its because you raised your concerns with him and he wants you to think it through thats one thing, but if he had something else in mind make sure you tackle it when you do your thinking :) be honest with yourself.

As for the fear, it sound like what I experienced at first. Im a thinking oriented person, so I looked through the statistics and incident reports, saw some malfunction videos on the net and became confident >in my head< with the idea of skydiving, but the body was still afraid. Its kind of like washing a cat. he doesnt really care about being clean afterwards, he just doesnt like getting wet. jump a few times and your body would get used to the idea that it is survivable and gives you pleasure. im just past my 100th jump now, and I still get a little bit of anxiety every now and then, just before they open door on jump run. but its no where near the sensory blinding thought sucking uncontrollable adrenaline rush that I use to exprience just before my AFF jumps with my instructors trying to get me to smile :) now you cant knock the smile off my face with hammer when im in the air :)

good luck

[MikeJD 0]

Quote

now you cant knock the smile off my face with hammer when im in the air :)

If anybody tries that, you should report them to your DZO.

[miconar 0]

Quote

Quote

now you cant knock the smile off my face with hammer when im in the air :)

If anybody tries that, you should report them to your DZO.

You need at least 500 jumps to go on a hammer jump in my DZ.