How has skydiving changed your life or that of someone you know?

[skydiverbry 0]

It showed me how to LIVE!

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Growing old is mandatory.Growing up is optional!!

D.S.#13(Dudeist Skdiver)

[monkycndo 0]

Been following this thread and finally decided to post. It just so happens today is my 4th sky birthday. I was a bit of a workaholic & didn't travel much and squirreled my money away for retirement. Did a tandem back in '01, but that was just a carnival ride. On 5 Nov '04, I did my Cat A from a C206 in Hollister with Raff on main and AdamT on reserve. I paid for the entire AFF program before my FJC expecting that I would like the experience(also because I got 10 free jump tickets, I said I was cheap). Upon landing, I knew I was hooked. Since then, I have made 823 more jumps, been to 17 DZs, jumped from planes, balloons & helicopters, became a coach and WS instructor, met many many wonderful people, lost some of those same friends, now work so I can travel(to boogies of course), have a much smaller savings account and last but not least, attained #1 stalker status.

And wouldn't change a thing. Except maybe to have started sooner. And to have landed better that one time in Eloy. Never knew I could get cankles from skydiving.

To all of those I have met, thanks for the fun.

To all I have sparred with here on dizzy.com. Thanks as well. (even you Squeak)

Looking forward to what is around the corner.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[mamajumps 0]

I am a totally different person. It has given me the courage and confidence that I have never had before. I was raised to never speak unless spoken too, now.. I am the center of it all. Bubbly, fun and outgoing. I feel like if I can jump from plane and literally save my life each time, well then I can do anything....

[dreaming13000 1]

Well, I met a fabulous man while skydiving and now we have a little one on the way....pretty life~changing I'd say

Plus I had always dreamt of flying and now I fly on a regular basis and the freedom that comes from finally following a dream is remarkable!

"A man only gets in life what he is believing for, nothing more and nothing less" Kenneth Hagen

[skybill 19]

Hi 312,
OH my, Party with the Herd!! What a blast at Freak Brothers and the batch of Raw Oysters on the 1/2 shell at the Z-Hills World Meet Boogie!!!!
Canopeas make great sleeping bags, even better than satin sheets for you and your lady to slide around on!!!! Curious stains?? What curious stains??

Right on about the "friendships!!!!"

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[Tuna-Salad 0]

Good stuff.. I was glad to see all the replies and mostly positive too! People forgot to mention the free beer though.. it's not in every sport people dole out free beer for stuff.

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[Sangi 0]

Well, skydiving didn't really change my life. It's the same as it was before. I'm the same withdrawn silent person as I was before, in the dropzone as well, I rather go sit in the field by the weathercock alone and watch others land or just stare at the sky instead of sitting by others chatting and so on...

Only thing that's different now is that I skydive, which I wasn't doing before.

I like the freedom in the air, doing atmonauti and feeling as if I'm flying (which was dreaming of doing always), when the canopy inflates and I feel safe, the good views, peace and silence up in the sky and I don't know why but I kinda feel at peace (spiritually) in my home dropzone (Pociunai in Lithuania), it's really a magical place, got a beautiful river Nemunas just by it's side, the sky there is always so incredibly bright, the clouds seem as if they are glowing I feel weird there, but I love that feeling.

Here's a couple of pictures...

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

[Tuna-Salad 0]

Wow that is nice!

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[Braz933 0]

I admire your courage and perspective Chaz.

[debussyschild 0]

I am going to go in a different direction with this one... as far as life skills are concerned, my experience thus far (about 2 months or so) with skydiving (yes, only one dive, but lots of time spent packing/observing/asking questions at my home DZ) has taught me a lot about myself and just people in general. For one, if you are not already humble and understand how to be subordinate (i.e. shut up and learn) when times call for it, you will either quickly learn those skills or be just as hastily ousted. Let me tell you, as a person with a lot of pride, I have learned not to let that get in the way between me and an instructor who is GOING to help me save my own life someday.

Yes, skydivers are inherently crazy by nature of what it is they are doing (jumping out of a plane is not natural, no matter how you slice it), but they are in no way stupid (just go with me on this one). Above all, I have come to learn that seasoned skydivers are very wary of newcomers: they want to know that you are serious about pursuing it and learning about the sport correctly the first time. They are very excited to have us newbies around, but they are always watching, hoping you will stick around. Clearly, there is not much margin for human error in this sport. An even higher priority when evaluating newcomers (just in my personal experience, as a newcomer that is currently RIGHTLY the subject of lots of supervision and scrutiny...they keep me on my toes, and I like it...that's part of the challenge anyways) is deciding whether or not the newcomer is trustworthy.

I have already heard from instructors what they thought about some students who displayed a blatant disregard for sound instruction or any kind of constructive criticism designed to help them along. It was not pretty and they hoped to never see that student return again. This was NOT because the student was annoying per se, but because they more than likely could become a potential danger to themselves and other jumpers. So, I have developed a healthy respect for the process by which you are--dare I say it--initiated into the sport. And I respect the sport and those that are in it a whole lot more for their often brutal, yet well-intentioned scrutiny and criticism. After all, what does not kill really does only make you stronger (or just more likely to survive).


Edited for spelling

"For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[Braz933 0]

I only have 2 tandems, but AFF is in the works for next spring.

I remember standing in the doorway and thinking...this may well be the last thing I ever do....and out we went. That was a very sobering realization, and when we landed, I felt like a completely different person. It changed my entire view of life, and how I wanted to spend mine.

Here are a few of the more tangible ways that it has changed my life:

1) I have spent untold hours on this site.
2) I think I have watched nearly every skydive video available on you tube, and have moved on to skydivemovies.com, along with the vids on this site.
3) I am reading books to educate myself on the sport.
4) Whenever I am feeling melancholy, I watch some of my favorite skydive videos and it cheers me right up!

Last but not least, I drive my wife crazy. Whenever the weather is good, I ask her if she knows what today is. She just rolls her eyes and says.."it's a good day for skydiving."

[debussyschild 0]

This is my second and last post to this thread. My first one was admittedly heavy, but finding humility within myself was by no means a small feat.

I think what skydiving has done for me so far is that it has allowed me to let go and to quit trying so hard to dictate every outcome in life. I am a bit of a control freak and lord knows (if you have watched me pack... you will see) a bonafide perfectionist. I tend to drive myself up the wall with my own self-criticism. It begins to wear on you and breaks down your spirit, and ironically, you are the one bringing it upon yourself.

Well, skydiving has shown me that no matter what you do or how solid you think your approach is in life, there are no guarantees. One of my instructors said it very well with this, "in skydiving there is only one guarantee: you WILL land." Enough said. There is no possible way you can control everything. In essence, skydiving is to me the epitome of the serenity prayer. Once you let go of that airplane or hop off the tailgate, anything can happen, some of those things are within your control and many others are not. Forgive me for being so philosophical, but each time you jump, are you not making a leap of faith (in yourself)? So, after making at least 24-30 more leaps of faith to get my A-license, I will tell you how much more it has changed me and all for the better.

"For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[debussyschild 0]

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Good stuff.. I was glad to see all the replies and mostly positive too! People forgot to mention the free beer though.. it's not in every sport people dole out free beer for stuff.

How could I forget that? Geez, and I'm a COLLEGE student... free beer = excellent. Great dance parties with the fog machine in the hangar are also fun, too.

"For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[SkyPainter 0]

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I admire your courage and perspective Chaz.

Thanks! But perspectives get shaped by experiences, which in turn can redefine 'courage'. The more experiences one has, the more 'perspective' on life is gained; 'courage' sometimes is simply the recognition that we all - every one of us - will be gone in time. More reality check than courage.

Skydiving adds to the experiences of life, expands the realities of living, and helps one redefine thier own version of 'courage'.

We are all just passengers on this ship!

Blue Skies and Safe Landings Always -

SkyPainter, AKA, Chaaaz

Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently
SkyPainter
SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

[Braz933 0]

Be that as it may...I still admire you.

[denete 2]

Yes.

SCR #14809

"our attitude is the thing most capable of keeping us safe"
(look, grab, look, grab, peel, punch, punch, arch)

[CyniQ 0]

I don't think that there's any way that you can not be changed... to some degree... by a near death experience. Which is kind of what jumping out of an airplane with a backpack full of nylon is.

What attracted me to this sport was the pinnacle of freedom and personal responsibility. Okay... and FUN. But you will likely never be more free than you are when you are LITERALLY 15 seconds from certain death and you decide the outcome. Pull?

Don't get me wrong (Wendy) . I have NO death wish. But I do appreciate having the opportunity to experience the ultimate in personal accountability.

Tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes possibles.

[seadream91 0]

I just made my 1st tandem jump this past Sunday and am beginning to wonder if I lost my mind somewhere between exit altitude and landing! I can't WAIT to jump again, but all the conflicting emotions I'm feeling are making me wonder about my sanity.

I guess the initial adrenaline rush and subsequent 'crash' are normal, but I'm not sure about all the rest of the emotions I'm having. I couldn't stop smiling the rest of that day, but yesterday I woke up with what feels like full-blown depression.

I never really thought of it as a 'near death' experience, but maybe that's a good descriptor. I think for me, it's the first time in my entire 50 years, that I've ever felt so alive. Those 6 minutes of freefall and canopy ride were the first 6 minutes of my life that I wasn't weighted down with the usual, mundane worries of everyday existence; the first 6 minutes that I was totally living in the moment with no thoughts of past or future.

Skydiving was really a 'bucket list' item for me; something I wanted to experience at least once. It's already apparent that for me, once is NOT enough. I plan on going through AFF in the spring ... (not sure I can wait that long to jump again though).

I have no doubt I'll 'go broke' trying to break into this sport, but how do you put a dollar amount on something that is truly life changing?

[Sangi 0]

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I have already heard from instructors what they thought about some students who displayed a blatant disregard for sound instruction or any kind of constructive criticism designed to help them along. It was not pretty and they hoped to never see that student return again. This was NOT because the student was annoying per se, but because they more than likely could become a potential danger to themselves and other jumpers.

That's pretty much me. With a measly 70-80 jumps at that time (94 in total) trying to learn how to swoop, doing long front riser spirals, very low hookturns (which one quite scared me lol), pulling at 700-600metres.

I can't help it actually, it's too damn fun.

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean