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sadskydiver

Choosing to scratch for whatever reason - Reprecussions?

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Okay... a "no shit, there I was story"...

I can remember back to one slow day at the DZ when a few of us were standing around outside the hangar, along with the DZO in earshot, trying to decide if we wanted to go up. It was one of those wintery days in the SoCal High Desert... for those unfamilair... persistent winds out of the west, lots of standing lenticular clouds on the Sierras, not so windy one minute but a few minutes later it would be, turbulent, look at the windsock at the experienced pit & its dead, look at the windsock at the student area and its indicating some pretty good winds out of such-and-such direction, look at the windsock at the end of the runway & it indicates some moderate winds, but a different direction then the afore mentioned one at the student pit... wait a few minutes and it all changes around... a real unstable day that happens when there's a winter storm movin' through or getting ready to... the mountain wave is running and the glider geeks all got woodies and can't wait to get a tow... I'm thinking its the kind of conditions that just want to take your canopy, collapse it and shove it up your ass... or... looks like it would be one of those jumps where the canopy ride is really turbulent and you're just hopping you drop out of the turbulence before you get to the ground, but sometimes that doesn't happen and you catch an elevator shaft right before landing and pile in. Anyway, I say something like, "Fuck it, I'm going to drink beer" and turn and leave the group of newbs... they proceede to roll in on the DZO to see if he'll take the Cessna up for just and as I leave, I hear him say something like, "That guy who just walked off to get a beer has thousands of jumps and he doesn't want to go up in this... y'all may want to think about that."

:)

Anyway, having said all of that... sure... I've gone up in weather conditions that I probabaly shouldn't have and since then I probably have pushed the boundaries a bit too, but if anyone wants to scratch for what ever reason, they should do so. Sure, there will be a bit of good natured ribbing... heck, this is skydiving here folks, we're jumping out of marginally maintained aircraft with glorrified bed sheets on our backs... duh... :P... but if it goes past that, just tell em to fuck off... and/or laugh and point when they get drug.

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I have heard the "haha you should have come with us, see everything was fine" before and I have basically said, "good for you, I don't care." That is standing up for yourself. Complaining because people want to give you a hard time is stupid.



:D:D

...
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

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One of the most exciting aspects of skydiving is the thrill of doing something you KNOW you are not supposed to be doing..."you're asking for trouble"...every jump you make! HOW FUN IS THIS!!!

Stay jumping long enough and you WILL find yourself in situations that will make you uncomfortable at the low end of the scale, and pretty much terrified at the other.

Wind/turbulance, weather, DZ operations, DZ terrain, aircraft and a host of other variables can combine to give you a bad skydive! A "bad" skydive lands you in the hospital...or worse:(

You do not need to add additional risk to ANY jump by asking - [Oliver Twist voice] "I'd like some more trouble please!":)
Even with careful mitagation of risk, you will probablly find yourself having to deal with a situation that is truly life threatening and dangerous...and if everything goes well, you will learn volumes:ph34r:

Learn everything you can.
Watch everything you can.
Practice every thing you can.

Getting on a jump you're "uncomfortable" with is a part of natural progression...don't be afraid!

If you need to have reassurance that you made the right choice to not jump...I think the answers are going to be as obtuse as mine. You, only you, need to look out for your own best interests...you probably made the right choice for you! ...k?


Jon

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