New jumper questions

[banditgrrr 0]

My wife and I did our first tandem jump in Hawaii last year, as a last minute decision. I'm extremely afraid of heights but I thought I would try to conquer my fears. Everything went well until we reached about 10,000 ft. My nuckles became white and I could feel a rock in the pit of my stomach. Our exit was made with me sitting in the door of the plane with the tandem master behind me. It felt like I was actually outside the plane only being held by him until he released us. It didn't help that I looked down just before we went. The freefall was not that bad but I had extreme anxiety once the parachute opened because I felt like I could not take a deep breath. This is the only time in my life I felt like I was going to literally pass out. We landed and I kissed the ground thinking it was a one time shot. My wife loved it. Now that you have my short jumping history...on to why I'm posting......

We ended up getting gift certificates for my 4 brother in laws. We're scheduled to do another tandem jump on May 24th at Lake Elsinore. My wife wants to go through the AFF course. Since we live in Las Vegas, we're going out to Skydive Mesquite this Saturday so she can get more information. She'd like me to go through the course with her but I don't know if I have the courage to go through with it. I'm even having second thoughts about doing the tandem again in May. I'm assuming that there are several first time jumpers that get the jitters. My fear is that if I were to try a solo jump, even with instructors at my side, I would freeze up due to my fear of heights.

I've been consumed with watching skydiving video's on You Tube and that probably was not the smartest idea. I spent 4 hours last night watching people have to cut their main parachute and other mishaps.

My questions are these....

1. If I have this much fear and anxiety about jumping, is it better that I just hang it up and not pursue it?

2. I know this is an extremely vague question but is there any frequency of how many main parachutes have to be cut away? 1 in 10, 1 in 1000?

3. Is it mandatory that all students have the automatic device that triggers the reserve if it's not pulled by a certain altitude?


The AFF course she's going to sign up lists jumps 1 and 2 as tandem jumps and 3-8 as instructor guided jumps. I'm just trying to get my gonads out of my stomach to see if I should join her. I don't want to have the same fear every time I have to jump.

Thanks

[pashakiev 0]

Do you WANT to jump at all? ...
Elsinore is very nice place, best to my knowledge,
not much jumping in Nevada though (i was there yesterday... 3rd time passing by, but not jumping due to high winds...)
If it is your wife that wants AFF, support her in it... but explain that it is not for you, You have already done more than most people... You have a tandem jump.
to answer your questions:

1) Automatic Activation Device - Mandatory for students anywhere in US.

2) Cutaways. average ~ 1000 (but really depends :):) some folks have 5000 + jumps with no chops... and some seem to "like" getting rid of their main every 100 or something
~~~~
This sport is lots of fun. it is not for everyone though, so no reason to rape yourself if there is no "want to!"

Blue skies

Less Bitching / More Jumping..... Please?

[DARK 0]

im a noob so take my advice for what its worth

you dont sound like you particularly enjoyed your tandem but you are still interested in giving the sport a chance so i would recommend doing your next tandem either way and then make a decision. i watch mal videos all the time but nowhere near as much as i watch compilation videos of really really cool jumps(wingsuit rw etc, i find freeflying boring to wathc ) so make sure you are balancing what you are watching or else you will understandably get psyched out

[peregrinerose 0]

Do YOU want to jump, or are you just doing this because your wife wants you to? Jumping for someone else is the wrong reason to even think about getting in the plane. You can get hurt or killed in this sport, even if you do everything right. You need to be ok with that risk, and truly want to be in the sky.

If you are unsure, do another tandem... I wouldn't suggest AFF quite yet for you (and I'm even an AFF instructor
About chops... it's something like 1 out of every 300+ skydives is a cutaway. They really aren't all that big a deal.... it's why we have 2 canopies to begin with, and it's why a main takes 10 minutes to pack and a reserve takes a couple of hours to inspect and pack.

Yes, students are required to have AADs... but AADs are the last thing you should be thinking about. The second you leave that plane in your AFF jump, behave as though it is not there. AADs are backups for stupidity or unconciousness... either way, they are not something to depend on. You need to save your own life on your AFF jump and need to be mentally prepared for it.

Your fear is not fear of heights... from a visual standpoint, above a thousand feet or so, your brain can't really comprehend that kind of altitude. Your anxiety can come from a lot of things, heights isn't one of them on a skydive (most skydivers are afraid of heights, and no amount of skydives will conquer that!)

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[Jumpah 0]

It sounds like they do the tandem progression out there for their AFF. It'll be mostly like your previous tandem, but you will be given a bit more responsibility with the instructor backing you up.

Don't focus on cutaways...I know someone with 75 cutaways. He's got 13,000 jumps, too. Its an emergency procedure. I haven't had any, yet, and I'm a sloppy packer by some standards.

Very few first time jumpers aren't scared. You aren't alone...this ain't natural. Visualize how cool it'll be to make your 100th jump some time from now. Maybe it'll be a four way with your wife and a couple of new friends you've made. Its sunset load, and while under canopy you watch the sun set again. When you get to the ground, someone grabs you, your rig gets pulled off, you are pied and tossed in the pond while everyone shouts "HIM, HIM, F*** HIM!" in your honor as you and everyone around celebrates the milestone, complete with the case of beer you just bought.

[banditgrrr 0]

Thanks for all the comments....

I think I will eventually get over the fear of the plane ride up. Even though I've seen horrendous videos on landings, I'm ok with that. The two parts that concern me most is freezing up at the door and how I would react if/when my main parachute failed.

I realize I can't do this for someone else, or because they want me to. I just don't know if it's something I'd actually get excited about doing every couple weeks.

We're going out to Mesquite on Saturday. Maybe I can sit in on my wifes class and see if I get any reassurance from it.

[billvon 2,426]

>If I have this much fear and anxiety about jumping, is it better that
>I just hang it up and not pursue it?

Most people get over it. If your desire to do it outweighs your fear, then by all means go for it. It will get easier with time. If your desire isn't that strong then it's probably not worth the risk.

>but is there any frequency of how many main parachutes have to be cut away?

Around 1 in 1000. I've gone 3500 jumps with no mals, but had 5 in my first 1500 jumps.

>Is it mandatory that all students have the automatic device?

Students - yes. In most cases, experienced jumpers - no.

[Fast 0]

Here is something to wrap your head around...

Your fear of heights is only there because you "know" your high up and "know your afraid of heights." All the visual cues that tell you that you are high up don't kick in till you get down low to the ground. Maybe that will help you forget the fear of heights thing. Also - yep... most people have a lot of anxiety about skydiving when they first start. That comes from a lack of trust and knowledge of the gear. You have to build that up.

As an AFF instructor, basically all the students I see are nervous and somewhat scared. Just a fact of learning to skydive.

That said, don't jump if you don't want to. This sport isn't for everyone, that's for sure. It can be a really great thing to conquer it though and can change your outlook on life quite a bit. Sure did for me!

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[MarkM 0]

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I realize I can't do this for someone else, or because they want me to. I just don't know if it's something I'd actually get excited about doing every couple weeks.

You shouldn't have to "get" excited about, it should be just something that excites and interests you. It almost sounds like you're trying to convince yourself you'd like to do it. Maybe because it interests your wife so you want it to interest you.

Skydiving isn't something that most people really want to do over and over. It's okay if you don't want to do it. Just go out, do another tandem, and if you don't really enjoy it don't get into the sport. There are a lot of other things you can get into that you may enjoy and appreciate more.

[brucet7 0]

I am a new jumper and have followed this thread and thought of commenting several times. My only comment is there are ways of supporting your spouse in her pursuit of this sport, who seems more interested in this than you.

My wife comes to the jump centers, visits with my new jump friends, listens to my stories, share in my passion, and never complains about the money I am spending. She has even expressed an interesting in gettin me a jump suit as a gift.

If you are really not into jumping but have a loved one who is, my suggestion is do what you can to help her and stay on the ground. And as with many new things, I would try it more than once. That rule does not apply to brocolli however.

POPS #10623; SOS #1672

[squarecanopy 0]

Skydiving isn't something that most people really want to do over and over. It's okay if you don't want to do it. Just go out, do another tandem, and if you don't really enjoy it don't get into the sport.

[Ginazzz 0]

Jeff....Let me quickly give yout he answers you need...In response to:
#1. Quite the contrary...you must jump more often to familiarize yourself and get comfortable!
#2 It's only a number! And it only matters if it happens...so don't worry.
#3 You will jump so much and so often that you will be comfortable and not pass out and therefore not need some silly automatic mechanism.
Signed,
Your wife!

[Ginazzz 0]

Ok...Ok....all kidding aside...He did make me try and enjoy shooting pool! The least he could do is now is jump out of a plane!!!
Alright....alright...so honestly, I don't think he should do it yet. He needs to watch a few weeks and maybe jump with the group on May 24th. IF he doesn't want to, I will be the "alternate" and jump in lieu of him. Poor guy turned gray in Hawaii before jumping. I am not gonna lie...I am SCARED....but I am also VERY EXCITED! I found out that tomorrow I can do one class and possibly two.

So I have a question for all you experienced jumpers....I have minimal upper body strength. How much upper body strength is needed? Is it significant? THAT is my only concern. I'm 5'2" and weigh 130-135 pounds.

This is a last minute question....but hopefully I'll be able to post tomorrow and let you all know how I did...oh, and Jeff too!!

[kashton 0]

I have heard it is 1 in every 500 mains that don't open correctly or at all. This is my first post though and I have never skydived, I am just about to go for my first time, way excited

That John Denver's full of s**t man...

It's a great day to be alive

[ltdiver 3]

Quote

So I have a question for all you experienced jumpers....I have minimal upper body strength. How much upper body strength is needed? Is it significant? THAT is my only concern. I'm 5'2" and weigh 130-135 pounds.

That was a question I had after I'd done a tandem as well. (I was supposed to only do 1 tandem, but got hooked and didn't stop. )

Compared to canopy flight on a tandem a solo rig is quite light. However let me speak from an instructor's viewpoint. At our school our hanging harnesses have 20 pound weights hanging from each brake line. Our students MUST be able to pull them up (by pulling down on the toggles) before we'll send them up on an AFF Level I skydive. It not only builds the student's confidence that they -can- maneuver their canopy, but also ours that they have the strength for whatever they need to do up there.

And yes, we've had to turn a few people away because they didn't have the minimal strength to do the task. I'm glad we found out on the ground, during training, instead of after a problem in the air.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[Para5-0 0]

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About chops... it's something like 1 out of every 300+ skydives is a cutaway.

You better get a new packer or take another packing class. I think 1 in a 1000 is a national avg. My first was not until 4800 jumps.

[Para5-0 0]

I personally think the more information you gather and the more you watch your wife in her ealry learning stages you will slowly want to aquire more knowledge and possibly take the class. A good instructor can put most of your concerns to rest. As your wife goes along read her Skydiver Information Manual and learn with her. Some of yor questions ar very common and are covered in the first few hours of the FJC.

OR learn to pack and pack for her. charge her 5 bucks a pack and start a college fund for kids. This way Gina can go skydiving and say she is supporting her children.

[Stuntbabex 0]

When i did my tandem I was scared shitless. Then I gained a lot more confidence and trust in the gear after I did my ground course for AFF1. I am a little scared of heights but after my first landing on my own it got a lot better. Hopefully this is the case with you too. Just go with your gut on whether or not you should try it again or not.

[banditgrrr 0]

So I go back to Mesquite on May 3rd with my wife, and I chicken out.

We went back this past Saturday and I was determined to give it another chance. I'm glad I took everyones advice. This was a much better experience than my 1st one last year.

The biggest concern I had is the first 10-20 seconds after opening the chute. I had a shortness of breath and I don't know if that's common or not for new jumpers. I kept focused on the horizon but I didn't feel comfortable enough to try steering the chute down.

I guess I'll take small steps and hopefully be able to overcome 1 issue at at time.

I do have to give credit where credit is due. My instructor, Simon, was the biggest reason it went well. He took the little bit of extra time to make sure I was relaxed with the jump before we boarded and this made all the difference in the world. 182's suck!

Simon - if you happen to read this, I'll buy you a beer ANY day!

[superwoman8433 0]

That is awesome that you had a better time....it will only get better with each jump. I was scared shitless and I did 11 tandems before I went through AFF and I still got so nervous during AFF I got sick. BUT it is TOTALLY WORTH EVERY SECOND! Jumping is my passion now. The best thing to do in skydiving is take things slow and easy. Kuddos on the jump!!