Jaker 0 #1 October 30, 2007 Hello everyone! I've been reading these forums for the last few days, and thought it was about time to introduce myself and whatever. (I've read so many posts and replys I feel like I know some of you already!) Having said that, here's a familiar story I'm sure. I've wanted to try skydiving since I went bungee jumping back in like 1995! lol For one reason or another, I never got out there. Then about two months ago a friend asked me out of the blue, and away we went for a tandem jump in Deland. Like most people, my ideas of what this would be like were SO far from what I actually experienced. In fact, I experienced so much I don't even really remember most of it. I have a crystal clear memory of walking to the back of the plane on VERY rubbery legs, then all of a sudden I wasn't in a plane anymore! What I remember most after that, was geeking for the camera guy while mentally screaming "oh shit" over and over again in my head! (for the record, when your brain is in utter freak out mode and the camera guy gives you a big thumbs up, you can't think further than smiling like a retard and giving a thumbs up back! Need proof? Watch any tandem video on youtube.) Then the canopy opened, I found myself still breathing, and in a state of utter euphoria. So much so in fact, my tandem instructor had to ask me if I was OK! (I was!) What an utterly amazing feeling. So unlike anything I can even describe to my friends, though I have tried, and tried, and tried, and tried. I the time between then and now, I've ready just about everything I can find on the internet, watched about a million videos, dreamed and planned and schemed, and talked my friends blue in the face. I even went so far as to watch an utterly terrible movie starring one of the Cage brothers, Tom Berringer, and Dennis Rodman. It was called "Cutaway," and even with one little tandem jump under my belt, it was re-damn-diculous! (But filled up a rainy Sunday evening.) So here we are. Me, planning and working to get funding together for AFF. You, reading this long winded post. My questions is this... I know myself very well. I love new experiences, become very fixated on them, maybe even obsessive. Then after awhile, I calm down a little, pick up something new, and I'm on to a new obsession. As a result, I have LOTS of hobbies, and I love them all! Kayaking, hiking, climbing, surfing, photography, blah, blah. And while I constantly pick up new things, I keep up with the old ones as well, just not as much as I used to. I'm no dummy. Regardless of how exciting and challenging skydiving will be, it's probably not something I will eventually want to devote all of my time to. For awhile, yes. Forever, no. I recognize that as with anything in life, the more you practice, and the more you work at it, the better you get. However, most of my other hobbies have a VERY small potential to end with me deceased. Maybe bloody, and likely wet, but not deceased. Soooo. Given the right frame of mind, dedication to safety and continual learning, is skydiving something that I can do "casually?" If you know what I mean? I'm pretty much dead set on getting through AFF. That's my big life goal for right now. If I can do that I will feel that I have accomplished something to be proud of. After that, I'll have to decide how much of my life I'm willing to dedicate to the sport. Any thoughts? Thanks for reading my blathering on and on, and I look forward to meeting some of you in the near future! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #2 October 30, 2007 Quote I'm pretty much dead set on getting through AFF. That's my big life goal for right now. If I can do that I will feel that I have accomplished something to be proud of. After that, I'll have to decide how much of my life I'm willing to dedicate to the sport. Do that. Figure out the rest afterward. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #3 October 30, 2007 I'm no dummy. Regardless of how exciting and challenging skydiving will be, it's probably not something I will eventually want to devote all of my time to. For awhile, yes. Forever, no. Quote Yeah...me too! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaker 0 #4 October 30, 2007 Quote I'm pretty much dead set on getting through AFF. That's my big life goal for right now. If I can do that I will feel that I have accomplished something to be proud of. After that, I'll have to decide how much of my life I'm willing to dedicate to the sport. Wow. That paragraph sounds really dorky all by itself. I hate posting in public forums! lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baksteen 84 #5 October 30, 2007 QuoteI the time between then and now, I've ready just about everything I can find on the internet, watched about a million videos, dreamed and planned and schemed, and talked my friends blue in the face. I even went so far as to watch an utterly terrible movie starring one of the Cage brothers, Tom Berringer, and Dennis Rodman. It was called "Cutaway," and [..] it was re-damn-diculous! (But filled up a rainy Sunday evening.) Well, you've got all the peripheral makings of a skydiver... Quote I know myself very well. I love new experiences, become very fixated on them, maybe even obsessive. Then after awhile, I calm down a little, pick up something new, and I'm on to a new obsession. [..] blah, blah [..] And while I constantly pick up new things, I keep up with the old ones as well, just not as much as I used to. I'm no dummy. Regardless of how exciting and challenging skydiving will be, it's probably not something I will eventually want to devote all of my time to. For awhile, yes. Forever, no. Famous last wrods. We'll talk about this again once you finished AFF. Even when you finish AFF, there are still a great many things to learn. Quote Soooo. Given the right frame of mind, dedication to safety and continual learning, is skydiving something that I can do "casually?" If you know what I mean? Actually, this is how I approached the sport myself. However, the very first time I was under canopy, I knew I was hooked. I just didn't care about my other hobbies anymore, and the further I get in skydiving, the more time and money consuming it becomes. Can skydiving be done casually? Some people make a few jumps every year, half of which are recurrency jumps. Is this safe? Is it even skydiving? Can YOU skydive "casually"? We'll see..."That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Merkur 1 #6 October 30, 2007 Hi Jaker, I disagree a bit with surfing ans especially climbing as something that you can do "casually" without really increasing the risk of getting really hurt or even, like you call it, end up deceased. In all of your hobbies you require a certain state of currency. That's the same for skydiving as well. If "casually" means, that you will jump one weekend a month (but several jumps) I would say that this is O.K. However you will most certainly not really improve but still keep a level of proficiency that will keep you safe. If you go out just every other month, this might work as well. Beside the actual improvement in flying, I noticed, that a lot of people, especially with lower jump numbers, do have more of a mental problem if the delay between two jumps is to long. Thereby the fun-aspect for these jumpers is going towards zero as their stress level is pretty high. Like said in another post - go through AFF and decide afterwards how much time you want to spend on the DZ. If it's going to be just once every three month it might be the wrong hobby. But I am quite sure that you might finally have found something - even if you claim otherwise - that you might stick with. It will most certainly be the first time, that you start quitting some of the old and "boring" stuff that you have done so far. blue ones, M. vSCR No.94 Don't dream your life - live your dream! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #7 October 30, 2007 Quote...Soooo. Given the right frame of mind, dedication to safety and continual learning, is skydiving something that I can do "casually?" If you know what I mean? With this great attitude, I certainly don't see why not. Many people do...it's the ones with the "casual" attitude that worry me regardless of how often they jump.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #8 October 30, 2007 Do you know where you are? You're in the jungle, baby. You're gonna die. Welcome to the jungle. It gets worse here everyday... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
laughn_gas 0 #9 October 30, 2007 By the time you get through AFF you probably will have sold your Kayak, hiking boots, climbing ropes etc., surf board and camera. See ya around the DZ!!! See ya in a minute. Peace out! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaker 0 #10 October 30, 2007 Quote Quote I disagree a bit with surfing ans especially climbing as something that you can do "casually" without really increasing the risk of getting really hurt or even, like you call it, end up deceased. True, True. But keep in mind, I live in Florida. The only climbing here is indoors. I generally climb three days a week, but if I miss for some reason I can always hit some 5.7's or 5.8's till i get back into the swing of things. I was thinking after the initial "jump whenever possible phase" I could probably handle a couple weekends a month, conveniently placed on the weeks I get paid! lol But who knows, maybe that phase will never wear off! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaker 0 #11 October 30, 2007 Quote By the time you get through AFF you probably will have sold your Kayak, hiking boots, climbing ropes etc., surf board and camera. You may just be right! Though won't I still need the camera? lol And trust me, nobody want's those hiking boots! I don't want to give the wrong impression here, I could hardly be more excited than I am to get back out there. I know it's kind of silly, but I'm doing another tandem in two weeks just to take off the edge! Then in January I'll have bonus money to get me through AFF! Thanks for everyone's kind words! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 259 #12 October 30, 2007 QuoteI was thinking after the initial "jump whenever possible phase" I could probably handle a couple weekends a month, conveniently placed on the weeks I get paid! lol But who knows, maybe that phase will never wear off! Skydiving was the only thing that completely held my attention for longer than a few months. Gotta love ADD! The phase of "gotta be at the dz every minute I can and be on every load I can" (I like to call it the "puppy stage") wears off for most people after a couple hundred jumps. Note I said "most" - there are people with thousands of jumps who still feel a need to be on every load they can. And then most of us discover balance... we remember that there are other fun things to do on a beautiful Saturday morning. Enjoy the puppy stage while it lasts. I think it's a good thing to be completely immersed in this sport at first - being at the dz all the time makes getting to know other jumpers easier and doing a bunch of jumps in a (relatively) short time period is the best way to build a solid skill foundation for later, when discovering balance might have you not staying quite as current. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andm31 0 #13 October 30, 2007 QuoteI know myself very well. I love new experiences, become very fixated on them, maybe even obsessive. Then after awhile, I calm down a little, pick up something new, and I'm on to a new obsession. As a result, I have LOTS of hobbies, and I love them all! Kayaking, hiking, climbing, surfing, photography, blah, blah. And while I constantly pick up new things, I keep up with the old ones as well, just not as much as I used to. Man I recognize that from myself and I too have a ton of hobbies and as a matter of fact I love them all but don't have the time or energy to do them all at once so I go from one to another and that's pretty much fine by me (I actually played the guitar again yesterday and that's been a couple of months ago) It's ok to shift perspectives no and then! :)Blue skies! Anders Samuelsson www.anderssamuelsson.se Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #14 October 30, 2007 Quote...I think it's a good thing to be completely immersed in this sport at first - being at the dz all the time makes getting to know other jumpers easier and doing a bunch of jumps in a (relatively) short time period is the best way to build a solid skill foundation for later,... Forgive me for adding: Being there to learn, jumping or not, is a decided advantage. Knowledge is power.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baksteen 84 #15 October 30, 2007 If I've read you correctly money is the limiting factor for you. So maybe it's better to save the money of the second tandem for after your AFF, or for when you need to redo a level? But if you insist on doing this tandem (it's your money after all) tell your tandemmaster that you're considering AFF."That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NewGuy2005 51 #16 October 30, 2007 QuoteQuote I'm pretty much dead set on getting through AFF. That's my big life goal for right now. If I can do that I will feel that I have accomplished something to be proud of. After that, I'll have to decide how much of my life I'm willing to dedicate to the sport. Wow. That paragraph sounds really dorky all by itself. I hate posting in public forums! lol It's not dorky at all. I think a lot of us started with the same frame of mind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaker 0 #17 October 30, 2007 Quote If I've read you correctly money is the limiting factor for you. So maybe it's better to save the money of the second tandem for after your AFF, or for when you need to redo a level? Sigh...Isn't money always the limiting factor? You are absolutely correct. I should save that money for AFF. Most definitely. However, I have a friend that is going for her birthday and asked me to go. I think it would be really difficult to ride along and not jump!AFF money will be coming soon after in the form of work bonus! I'm also working on selling a vehicle, so may have it even sooner. I will definitely let my Tandem instructor know of my interests. I'm hoping he can show me a few things on the way down. lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UDSkyJunkie 0 #18 October 30, 2007 QuoteI was thinking after the initial "jump whenever possible phase" I could probably handle a couple weekends a month, conveniently placed on the weeks I get paid! lol But who knows, maybe that phase will never wear off! A couple weekends a month is plenty to remain current and safe, especially if you're there both days or at least get several (4-6) jumps in a single day. Truly, that's about the average... sure, the pros are making 1000+ jumps a year, but if you look at the rest of the up-jumpers you'll find the average is more like 100 jumps per year, with very few putting in more than 200 a year unless they're doing video or tandem/AFF instruction on the side. Now at that level of participation you're not going to become a canopy piloting god or a 4-way guru or a freefly prodigy overnight, but if you put forth some effort you can get pretty good over the course of a few years. Being in florida helps too... LOTS of great coaching and generally good jumpers around, and access to the tunnel if you're so inclined."Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drdive 0 #19 October 30, 2007 AFF money will be coming soon after in the form of work bonus! I'm also working on selling a vehicle, so may have it even sooner. >>> Jaker, One tandem on my daughter's birthday is what got me hooked. Just a warning though, skydiving is more addicting and more expensive than heroin - you just meet a lower class of people skydivingDoc"We saved your gear. Now you can sell it when you get out of the hospital and upsize!!" "K-Dub" " Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Merkur 1 #20 October 31, 2007 Quote And then most of us discover balance... we remember that there are other fun things to do on a beautiful Saturday morning. Like what???????vSCR No.94 Don't dream your life - live your dream! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 259 #21 October 31, 2007 QuoteLike what??????? Morning sex. Noon sex. Afternoon sex. Early evening sex. Drinking. Having sex while drinking. Drinking while having sex. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
laughn_gas 0 #22 October 31, 2007 Quote Morning sex. Noon sex. Afternoon sex. Early evening sex. Drinking. Having sex while drinking. Drinking while having sex. Will you marry me?See ya in a minute. Peace out! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
denete 2 #23 November 1, 2007 QuoteBeing there to learn, jumping or not, is a decided advantage. Knowledge is power. Say it again! Nothing but the truth. - DavidSCR #14809 "our attitude is the thing most capable of keeping us safe" (look, grab, look, grab, peel, punch, punch, arch) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
