Good loner hobby?

[Isaiah_4031 0]

I've never been skydiving before but it seems like the most amazing thing in the world (I love heights, getting adrenaline rush, and I always thought if I were to pick a suicide, falling from way up high would be my method of choice... not saying I'm suicidal at all but you know what I mean.) But can you do it alone? I mean have fun doing it without friends?

I was just trying to find a new hobby that would really get me excited and I was looking at this. But I don't know, I'm kind of a loner and it seems like it would be awkward alone. I don't know anyone remotely interested in skydiving and I'm having a hard time finding anything else that would interest me as a new hobby.

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

Don't worry about it. Go jump.

#1 It is the most amazing thing in the world.

#2 Your "regular" friends will have no interest in it, and you will soon have to learn that they don't want to hear all about it in minute detail. Good luck keeping your mouth shut though.

#3 It really isn't something to do alone, you don't learn anywhere near as much on solo jumps as you do with others in the air with you.
BUT- the people in this sport are some of the coolest I have ever met. You can walk up to just about anybody (including some of the real experts) and ask "how do I...?" "can you teach me...?" "can you help me with...?" and get answers/help. All you have to do is really jump (not just talk/post about it) and reach out just a little bit. You will be surrounded by friends fairly soon.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[KermieCorleone 0]

+ 1 with everything Joe said. From my limited # of jumps, Freefall is 60 seconds of absolution.

Not only will your friends have absolutely no interest in the sport but they will look at you with a bewildered look as if you have an arm growing out of your forehead, because you cant wait to step out of a plane.

Even if you come into the sport as a loner you wont be one for long after jumping.

Cheers

- Neil

Never make assumptions! That harmless rectangle could be two triangles having sex ...

[humbled1 0]

Skydiving is an individual sport that can be done with others.....

In some respects you are always "alone" when skydiving, but doing group (RW) jumps is a whole lotta fun. When I got my A I had been doing solos so I just figured I would keep doing them. I did about 40 more solos before I realized how much fun jumping with others is.

I do an occasional solo now but its kinda boring, and lots of time to think about pull time and other nerve racking thoughts...

My thought is, go ahead and learn to jump (or at least start the process, you may not like it) and you will make friends as you go along. I am not a very social guy, I am not really a loner, but I spend alot of time alone because I think alot and people bug me sometimes. But I have met some of the coolest folks ever at the DZ.

Besides you can jump with the same people if you dont like meeting new peeps, but you would be suprised at how friendly peeps can be, skydiving is a great social lubricant, only second to alcohol imo.

You will not get your current friends to jump, most likely you will just have to make new friends that jump. Most peeps start jumping alone from what I can tell, I know I did.

btw, I would keep talk of killing yourself via jumping out of a plane to minimum during your first jump course, my guess is it will make the instructor a tad nervous!

"Tell ya the truth, I don't think this is a brains kind of operation."

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

I echo the observations above.

Skydiving is composed of several different disciplines. Some are inherently group events, some are solitary. Based on my observations it would be fair to group these disciplines this way:

GROUP
-- Relative Work (aka: "belly flying" or formation skydiving)
-- Free flying
-- Canopy Relative work***
-- Wingsuit flight

SOLITARY
-- Classic Accuracy*
-- Swooping*
-- Classic Style
-- Speed (I cannot remember the full name of this. It is single freeflyers attempting to achieve the fastest freefall speed).

With the exception of swooping, most of the solitary disciplines are rather unpopular.

A common cure for the "loner" problem is to bring a case of and pass it out to the jumpers after the day's jumping is over. You won't be a loner for long!

*** The CReW community is full of interesting folks. I bet that many of them would describe themselves as being a bit outside the "typical" skydiver model. This might be a good match for you.

* There are team versions of these disciplines too.

Warning.... Being a loner is fine, but being cavalier about the safety of other jumpers is NOT OK! It is important that you learn to NOT put other jumpers at risk by your behavior. Keep everyone safe and we can all have a GREAT time!!!

Come on out and give it a try!!!

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[tkhayes 126]

loner? try model rockets.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

I've never been skydiving before but it seems like the most amazing thing in the world (I love heights, getting adrenaline rush, and I always thought if I were to pick a suicide, falling from way up high would be my method of choice... not saying I'm suicidal at all but you know what I mean.) But can you do it alone? I mean have fun doing it without friends?

Not for most people. When you first start jumping just being in the sky and getting out of an airplane is very exciting but there's only so much you can do on the way down alone which is interesting.

Most people end up in some form of social skydiving discipline, where formations get built in various body positions (lying down, sitting, standing on your head) or with various aerodynamic accessories (a flying squirl suit or open parachute).

The obvious exceptions here would be freestylists, sky surfers, and swoopers. On the last one flying small fast requires you to get to a point in the sport where you have enough experience to probably survive.

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I was just trying to find a new hobby that would really get me excited and I was looking at this. But I don't know, I'm kind of a loner and it seems like it would be awkward alone.

Only one of my friends joined me for my first jump and she never made a second one. I was going to get another friend out to the dropzone and he was going to take my fly fishing but that never happened. Otherwise in over a decade in the sport none of my non-skydiving friends have even come close to joining me but that's OK.

If you aren't too much of an asshole, buy your beer when you accomplish firsts (giving the other skydivers a chance to meet you) and jump some place where there's a culture of bringing new people up to speed to keep the sport going you'll have other people who already skydive to jump with that you're unlikely to see outside the dropzone apart from at the ocassional jumper-party unless you share other hobbies in common (I've gone snowboarding and ridden motorcycles with people from the DZ).

That pretty much spans all ages and occupations - I've jumped with 18 year olds and 70 year olds; fishermen, contractors, doctors, engineers, flooring guys, lawyers, electricians, teachers, pilots, police, resaurant owners, carpet cleaners, massage therapists, photographers, etc.

[Chubba 0]

It's not really a good loner hobby.









It's a GREAT loner hobby. I'm very introverted, the DZ atmosphere is great, it's very easy to make friends with everyone because all have something in common.

[wrightskyguy 1]

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loner? try model rockets.


*** Or "World of Warcraft", no wait, that's losers.

John Wright

World's most beloved skydiver

• Quote

[cocheese 0]

In space, nobody can hear you scream.

[mattz 0]

if you get into skydiving you wont be a loner for long. unless of course theres some underlying social retardation there.

[futuredivot 0]

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-- Relative Work (aka: "belly flying" or formation skydiving)

This is solitary the way I did it

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[Loonix 0]

I suggest you try... The student progression is done with only instructors there, and then you'll be on your own for a while until you get your A license. This period will be fun either way, and if you then decide skydiving is boring, you had a good time till then at least, or maybe you find that you're not a loner any more, and continue to jump with new found friends.

[wmw999 2,121]

Try it. The worst likely thing would be that you don't like it at all. But you can leave right after jumping if the social scene doesn't turn you on. You'll lose out on some stuff, but there are worse problems.

I'm something of a loner, too.

Wendy W.

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)

[pirana 0]

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loner? try model rockets.

. . . that explode.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[pirana 0]

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loner? try model rockets.

Then of course, there is always . . .

Torturing Small Animals.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[fmmobley 0]

I am somewhat of a loner as well. In the past I was involved in activities that often were done alone (running, cycling) and was happy with that. Then I took up skydiving.

Skydiving won't be much fun by yourself. Once you are over the initial thrill of it. Solo jumps aren't nearly as much fun as being out there with others.

It is a very social sport. Plus you depend on each other for safety as well. We all share information and look out for each other.

Here is the good news... I have discovered that most in the skydiving community are very open and welcoming to new people (of course there are exceptions). The good news is that if you reach out, just a little, you will find people who will draw you in, nurture you, help you, teach you and become new friends.

The current episode of Skydive Radio deals with new people in the sport. Give it a listen...

http://media.libsyn.com/media/skydiveradio/sr115_03_31_09.mp3

Let us know how it goes...

... Marion

[airtwardo 6]

I'm something of a loner, too.

Yeah...Right!

Yer a good lookin' woman at a DROPZONE!


I'm the crusty old fart always jumpin' solo!

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

[NovaTTT 1]

There are some good posts, points and tips in this thread.

But in the end, it comes down to the individual.

If Isaiah decides to take up the sport, perhaps he will enjoy jumping with others. Perhaps he will enjoy jumping alone, the thrill of simply exiting and falling being enough. Maybe he'll enjoy a discipline that is inherently solo - like skyboarding, S&A or freestyle.

It's a group/community sport, to be sure, but I've known guys (no girls) who were in it for themselves and just enjoyed jumping from aircraft.

Emily Dickinson said, "The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience."

Paul Simon said, "I'd rather be a hammer than a nail."

There's a place for everyone in this sport so come skydiving and enjoy the thrill.



*edited to add an "s"

"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

[airtwardo 6]

Quote

There are some good posts, points and tips in this thread.

But in the end, it comes down to the individual.

If Isaiah decides to take up the sport, perhaps he will enjoy jumping with others. Perhaps he will enjoy jumping alone, the thrill of simply exiting and falling being enough. Maybe he'll enjoy a discipline that is inherently solo - like skyboarding, S&A or freestyle.

It's a group/community sport, to be sure, but I've known guys (no girls) who were in it for themselves and just enjoyed jumping from aircraft.

Emily Dickinson said, "The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience."

Paul Simon said, "I'd rather be a hammer than a nail."

There's a place for everyone in this sport so come skydiving and enjoy the thrill.



*edited to add an "s"

Alwasy remember, we NEVER jump alone...


~Murphy lurks and the Reaper rides for free!

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

[NovaTTT 1]

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Alwasy remember, we NEVER jump alone...


~Murphy lurks and the Reaper rides for free!

Ain't it the truth!

"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

[jumpwally 0]

Try it ! If you like it, you will meet / find other like loner type folks, if that makes sense...but this sport draws in all types, which is part of the attraction...

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[elias123 0]

lol

"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"

[rehmwa 2]

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I'm kind of a loner and it seems like it would be awkward alone. .......I'm having a hard time finding anything else that would interest me as a new hobby.

there's plenty:

loading your own ammo
climbing clock towers
telescope cleaning
internet lurking
just lurking in general
loitering - a cousin to lurking
riding elevators all day
watching Bill Murray films
political activism

good luck

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Chubba 0]

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Perhaps he will enjoy jumping alone, the thrill of simply exiting and falling being enough. Maybe he'll enjoy a discipline that is inherently solo - like skyboarding, S&A or freestyle.

Yeah I don't mind solos at all, it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

A nice fast track with a good canopy ride is about as satisfying as it gets for me.

Dropzones are pretty chill places, being introverted doesn't matter in the slighest, once you spend every weekend for 12 months out there you will have at least a few cool jumping buddies.