Doing tandems vs. NO skydives

[ocb217 0]

Just wondering, what would you do?

I have the option to do tandems or NOT skydive. My family (who are helping pay for college) will not allow me to do AFF/solo skydives, but are okay with tandems. I had decided to not do tandems because it's a bit of a tease and I didn't feel it was cost effective in the long run. (My uncle, a skydiver, agreed with me and tried to encourage my family to allow AFF, but he didn't have much luck with them either) I love going to skyventure, but it just isn't the same.

Now I have two weeks off from school and I'm going stir crazy. (Already! I just finished classes today. ) Should I just give in and do a few tandems?

What would you do?

Audra

[jsaxton 0]

finish college. you'll neeeeed thje money if you like it ;)

[fishawk 0]

Have you ever jumped, if not, then by all means get out there and do a tandem have fun, get done with school then decide for yourself

[Milo 0]

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What would you do?

Get a job, thats what I'd do. Pay your own way and live your own life.

[Tolgak 0]

If you're in college, I'm assuming you're 18 (or very soon to turn 18). That takes your parents out of the equation as far as being permitted to jump. If your parents really cared for you, I don't think they will stop funding your education over a few skydives provided that you don't take their money for the jumps.

If you have a job and can afford it, go for the AFF. College is a great opportunity to start making independent decisions and this is definitely one of them. Your parents never have to know that you go jumping, and you have no obligation to tell them.

Just be smart with the money. Don't use food, car, or rent money to go jumping. Get a job (if you don't already have one) and use that to pay for your jumps.

Good luck.

Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

[ocb217 0]

Thanks for the replies!

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finish college. you'll neeeeed thje money if you like it ;)

Here I post asking what I should (or should not) do over the next two weeks... and you give me a plan of what to do after 6-8 years. Heehee!

I should have mentioned that yes, I have done one tandem and I've been playing at skyventure for almost a year. I'm 20 years old, I have a job, and I'm extremely responsible with my money. My mother is from a family of skydivers and grew up at a dropzone, so she has seen the worst of things and this is the agreement she is comfortable with. I have no doubts that going against her wishes will cause some serious tension (and no doubt she will stop helping with college funds) and I do not blame her one bit. She grew up with it and has experienced more than I can imagine.

I'm leaning toward doing some other local recreation and just enjoying the break for now. I have some friends who wanted to do a tandem - perhaps we can get together before school starts up again. Regardless, I do plan to jump again sometime this year.


I feel like an addict.

Audra

[tbellopa-c 0]

I offer tandem or AFF, but maybe you can meet in the middle with a tandem progression program? Just a thought, BUT please dear SIR finish your school.

Regards,

TB

www.skydivehouston.com

[Halfpastniner 0]

My mom told me if I started skydiving, she wouldnt pay for my college.

I called her bluff

She has eventually warmed up to the idea, and has even come out to watch me jump.

All i gotta work out now is how to tell her about BASE without getting kicked to the curb!

BASE 1384

[pinkfairy 0]

They can't be opposed to you learning to pack, can they? packing is safe!

And profitable.

I think you should wait with the skydiving plans till you're done with college, then you can earn your own money and decide for yourself.

Tandems aren't safe either, that's not an argument to allow solos, but they aren't safe.

I think you should do a tandem if you want to, tandems are fun, I even liked it when I rode the passenger harness for another skydiver who was getting his tandem licence. It's nothing like flying in the tunnel, though, the drogue makes you fall like a brick, and you really have no controll, your instructor and the drogue outflies you. But you get to fall out of a plane and fly an incredibly big parachute.

Or spend your money on more tunnel time.



If I'm restless because I don't get to skydive, I find that packing, or just some plain ol' physical excercise helps

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?

[gregpso 1]

My opiniion tandems are not a tease they are still a fun skydive with lots of freefall time. Yes expensive partically here in Australia (not complaining cause the tandems keep the sport going) Do AFF when you are ready but do a few tandems to kep your sanity until then when your family gets used to it. I have done 9 tandems over last 12 months and doing AFF later on. The 9tandems were not teases they were bloody fun skydives while learning off an expert.

I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

[ocb217 0]

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I offer tandem or AFF, but maybe you can meet in the middle with a tandem progression program? Just a thought, BUT please dear SIR finish your school.

*ahem* Um.. I'm with you on the finishing school part, but I don't have plans for a sex change any time soon.

And yes, rest assured school will always come before skydiving. As much as I dream of jumping from an airplane, scalpels & surgery still rank higher than skydiving.

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I called her bluff

My mother isn't the bluffing type. I don't think you'd ever hear from me again.

pinkfairy & gregpso, I think you are right. I'm going to buy a few skydiving related books (and the sim) and do what I can to be prepared when I can skydive.

I really appreciate all of the responses! It's helped me think through it. The last few months I've been thinking in an endless circle --
Go to skyventure! Wait, why spend money at skyventure when I can do a tandem? Why tandem instead of AFF? I can't do AFF. Go to Skyventure! ....

I'll order a few books tomorrow, study as much as I can, get to the dropzone when I can (hopefully learn to pack) and do another tandem sometime this year. It just might work for me...

Audra

[Inspired 0]

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My opiniion tandems are not a tease they are still a fun skydive with lots of freefall time. Yes expensive partically here in Australia (not complaining cause the tandems keep the sport going) Do AFF when you are ready but do a few tandems to kep your sanity until then when your family gets used to it. I have done 9 tandems over last 12 months and doing AFF later on. The 9tandems were not teases they were bloody fun skydives while learning off an expert.

+1

To the OP: Once you're actually self sufficient; and by that I mean not using other people's money for school, not living with your parents, and paying ALL your own bills; then start living your own life the way you like and start AFF. Don't do it on someone else's dime, unless they're ok with it. If they approve of tandem jumps, then count your blessings and JUMP!

Edited to add: I just saw that you posted right before me. I like what you had to say! You show a good amount of maturity.

BLUE SKIES!

[tombuch 0]

Respect your mothers wishes and don't do AFF. As you noted, she has experience with skydiving and her concern is rational. You are 18 but you are also her son, and she has asked you to hold off on jumping until after collage. That's reasonable.

Your idea of going for a tandem with your friends later on in the summer makes sense. That way you can share the fun, and you will be making an approved skydive. However, I'd say just make one tandem (umm, or maybe two).

Find something else to do in the area for the summer. Perhaps SCUBA diving? Maybe learn to fly? Or hook up with an organization such as Habitat for Humanity.

This is such a fun planet to be on, I'm sure you will find a way to enjoy the summer and enhance your life.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[likestojump 3]

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Just wondering, what would you do?

that's easy "what mama don't know can't hurt her". They are not being rational about it, so you may be going against their wishes, but doing it because it's safer.

also teh part about being 18+ and an adult is important too. Don't let you parents control your life. Respect them and their opinions but realize they may not be always right or acting in your interest. Sometimes they aer just older fashioned with not enough relevant information to really make their opinion matter.

[sxc 0]

If it were me, and I really wanted a "fix", I would go hang out at the DZ, do a Tandem or two. Or just go for a ride-along on the plane. They are much less expensive and they are good for an altitude fix.

And bring beer to the DZ!

[Butters 0]

If you can't skydive now then either save the money for skydiving and gear later or spend the money on tunnel time ...

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[Andy9o8 0]

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My opiniion tandems are not a tease they are still a fun skydive with lots of freefall time. Yes expensive partically here in Australia (not complaining cause the tandems keep the sport going) Do AFF when you are ready but do a few tandems to kep your sanity until then when your family gets used to it. I have done 9 tandems over last 12 months and doing AFF later on. The 9tandems were not teases they were bloody fun skydives while learning off an expert.

Agreed. Any kind of skydive (including a tandem) is better than none. Keeps your head in the game.

To the OP: don't defy or defraud your mom. Not worth the strain and damage to one of the most important relationships in your life. I think she realizes that if she simply "forbade" all skydiving outright, you might just do it behind her back. Most healthy relationships are all about compromise. What she's offering is a reasonable compromise.

[MarkM 0]

It's fine your mom is worried about you, but it's your life and the people in your life have to understand to respect your wishes.

People around you your entire life will try to live your life for you, will tell you what's best for you, etc. Up to you whether or not you want other people to tell you how to be or whether or not you choose your own path.

Can choosing your own path have consequences? Definitely. No one here can tell you whether it's worth it or not though.

edit:

Oh, and I would choose to stop jumping if I only had the option for tandems. A tandem jump and a solo skydive don't even come close to each other. In one somebody else is in control. When you skydive on your own you're completely free. No gravity, no boundries, the sky is yours.

[neue 0]

I may be wrong about this, but don't the series of tandems count towards your 25 for the A license? I mean, if you bang out a bunch of tandems, especially ones with dive flow tasks, like turns and such? I would think it would make signifigant progress towards the license and get you a decent amount of freefall time accumulated.

I've only done 3 tandems thus far (The Ranch does a IAF tandem progression, then ground school, then AFF style jumps) and I'm VERY glad that they do tandems first. It's so much more comforting with somebody right there giving you guidance, especially with the Canopy ride down. I know i'll be way more stable / calm on the AFF's.

I think you could learn a lot from a handful of tandem jumps! I think the only downside is the cost. It gets quite pricey.

[Andy9o8 0]

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It's fine your mom is worried about you, but it's your life and the people in your life have to understand to respect your wishes.

And he has to understand and respect her wishes, so long as she's paying his college tuition. Unless he simply wants to do it behind her back, in which case he's being deliberately dishonest.

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A tandem jump and a solo skydive don't even come close to each other.

That's just silly. Nitpick all you want, a tandem jump sure as hell is a skydive, as opposed to no skydive at all.

[LetsGoOutside 0]

Do a tandem for your first jump regardless. There's so much less to think about that you can just enjoy the skydive. THEN determine if it's something you want to do. I started with AFF and didn't really get all I expected out of a jump until I was cleared for solo.

[shropshire 0]

he who pays the piper calls the tune.

Don't like it ... fund your own life (a lot of us do. It's fun and ultimately mouch more rewarding).

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

[MarkM 0]

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And he has to understand and respect her wishes, so long as she's paying his college tuition. Unless he simply wants to do it behind her back, in which case he's being deliberately dishonest.

It's an issue of control. This girl's mom is basically blackmailing her into acting a certain way or she'll stop paying part of the girl's college tuition.

People will always try to control you like that in life. I personally don't care if people allow it to themselves, but all I'm saying is that life doesn't have to be like that.

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That's just silly. Nitpick all you want, a tandem jump sure as hell is a skydive, as opposed to no skydive at all.

Yes, it's technically a "skydive". In no way is it anywhere close to being as rewarding as going through student status and jumping on your own and with others.

[wmw999 2,116]

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This girl's mom is basically blackmailing her into acting a certain way or she'll stop paying part of the girl's college tuition

In my job, I can't do drugs (random testing) or speak for my company. Is that control also?

Her mother is giving her money for college. There is generally at least an implied contract for that -- e.g. "don't flunk out" or "don't take forever." In this case, she's adding a specific condition, one with which she's familiar.

Such is life. The OP can choose to go along, and continue to get college paid for (as long as other stipulations, e.g. not flunking out, are satisfied), or she can choose not to go along, and pay for her own college along with skydiving.

Look at the posts from people who want to quit college to skydive -- do you really, really think her mother is being all that unreasonable? I assume her wish is to have her daughter finish college, and she has a right to use her money to satisfy her wish.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Andy9o8 0]

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That's just silly. Nitpick all you want, a tandem jump sure as hell is a skydive, as opposed to no skydive at all.

Yes, it's technically a "skydive". In no way is it anywhere close to being as rewarding as going through student status and jumping on your own and with others.

To you. As I said, nitpick all you want.