nanobyte 0 #1 August 31, 2007 I've only recently begun skydiving and have only done 4 jumps so far (next jump will be AFF level 5). It's currently raining outside and my dropzone's webcam shows me that it is much too cloudy for any student to jump today... Weather forecast says it will stay this way for 7 more days... I was once mildly addicted to a substance and today feels exactly like a withdrawal day... it's aweful! Maybe the rush and fun wears off over time, but it's still intense enough for me to begin missing it shortly after I leave my dropzone's parking lot. I wish I lived somewhere you can jump all-year. I currently live in Germany and the season is nearly over here. I can really see myself moving to Spain or Portugal in order to be able to jump whenever I like to! Everything in my life has 2nd priority right now. Nothing I in the past considered a rush (like flooring on the Autobahn) is fun anymore. Everything else just pales in comparison. The freedom, the blue sky, the really cool people you meet... It feels as if I had just become addicted to a bad, bad drug. Yes, its highs are simply amazing. But its hangovers are virtually unbearable... If by any chance I make it through this week, I'll overcompensate and arrive at my dz at 7.00 in the morning and leave at 21.00 in the evening. I'm so eager to finish AFF and reach solo status, it's insane! I wonder if you can switch dropzones once you reach solo status? My teachers keep telling me you should not... ...but I don't mind driving a few hours to find a sunny spot with an open dz. Or even take a cheap flight to Portugal for a weekend... The saying that you spend a few hundred dollars on your first jump and half your paycheck for the rest of your life afterwards is simply true and not negotiable. You are totally willing to spend every dollar it takes! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrismgtis 0 #2 August 31, 2007 Get in your car and put the pedal to the metal for an adrenaline dose. No, don't. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
omnia 0 #3 August 31, 2007 I'm new too and know exactly how you feel....everything else seems to pale in comparison! Driving to work while the skies were clear and blue today was torture! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jumpah 0 #4 August 31, 2007 Many of us have been there too... Use the time to ensure you get some "Relative Work" in with the family and friends and soon-to-be-an-ex whuffo SO Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,254 #5 August 31, 2007 So the season is nearly over in Germany? Ryanair is your friend Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill_K 0 #6 August 31, 2007 Hmmmm, closing in on my 2nd year in the sport now and well lets see, it's a Friday before a 3 day weekend here in the US and all I can think about is when I can get to the DZ and start jumping... Soooo, I can totally feel ya there. As for going to other DZ's hell yes you can. Once your off your student status you can and dare I say it, should go to other DZ's once in a while. It's a great way to learn and meet a lot of really f'n cool people. Stay safe, have fun, laters... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nanobyte 0 #7 August 31, 2007 Well... after finishing all 7 AFF levels, you have to complete a number of additional jumps alone (16 jumps I think) with your teachers overseeing them (I think that is an informal agreement, not sure though). After that, you have to do 2 license jumps and pass an exam. Only then you receive your license... I don't think you can switch dzs before that... long way to go, and right into the winter! Damn, it seems I will have to completely stop jumping until next April once the season here is over. Painful thought! With a break longer than 3 months I'll also have to do an AFF rejump, even if I finished the complete program. Why on earth did I start in August? I should have started 2 months ago! Bad, bad timing! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill_K 0 #8 August 31, 2007 Na that's a weekend of jumping. Lets see that's 26 jumps... 8 on Friday, 9 on Saturday, 9 or 10 on Sunday... bam your golden!! Geez I wish... I've only had one weekend in my time jumping even close to that, but I know guys that I jump with that put down numbers like that every week it seems like. Hang in there you'll get there. I started my AFF in November and did not graduate until the following Apr. Spent many, many a day at the DZ watching others though. It goes a lot faster once you get through AFF. I promise!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,254 #9 August 31, 2007 Quote Well... after finishing all 7 AFF levels, you have to complete a number of additional jumps alone (16 jumps I think) with your teachers overseeing them (I think that is an informal agreement, not sure though). After that, you have to do 2 license jumps and pass an exam. Only then you receive your license... I don't think you can switch dzs before that... long way to go, and right into the winter! You can, it's just not quite as straightforward. Phone up or email some of the big DZ's in Spain and Portugal and see if they'll take you. If you want to jump, be proactive about it and get out there and jump! If you don't ask you don't getDo you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nanobyte 0 #10 August 31, 2007 This is how I feel right now: You know you're a skydiver if... When you wear your rig on commercial passenger flights, just in case. You stop by the New River Bridge and take a look. All the others are saying 'damn, look how high it is' and you're saying 'damn, look how low it is'. Your friends look at the sky and say, "look at all those clouds", and you say, "look at all those holes!". When buying a house seems like a terrible waste of jump money. Every single one of your whuffo friends is to the point of wanting to kill you every time you mention skydiving. You know to the tenth of a mile how far it is from your driveway to the drop zone's driveway. On a full moon night, you look up and think "Night jumps!" You drive a beaten-up car because you really need that new canopy more. You look at your VCR and think, "Hmm, that's gotta be worth a few jumps. You wonder what whuffos _DO_ with themselves on gorgeous summer weekends. You can't imagine how anyone can go on vacation without a parachute. .Your rig costs more than your trailer. Losing your job is a reason for celebration! When buying a house seems like a terrible waste of jump money. Your whuffo friends only call if the weather man says the weekend will be shitty. You can't think of a better way to relax other than falling 10,000 feet. When someone asks you where you're from, you reply with the name of your dz, not your hometown. On cloudy/windy days you go to the drop zone anyway and bitch about the weather. On cloudy/windy days you pull out your parachute and pack it just to say that you've done something skydiving-related. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fast 0 #11 August 31, 2007 Quote Hmmmm, closing in on my 2nd year in the sport now and well lets see, it's a Friday before a 3 day weekend here in the US and all I can think about is when I can get to the DZ and start jumping... Soooo, I can totally feel ya there. As for going to other DZ's hell yes you can. Once your off your student status you can and dare I say it, should go to other DZ's once in a while. It's a great way to learn and meet a lot of really f'n cool people. Stay safe, have fun, laters... It took you till Friday? Fuck, you got it lucky man. I was wanting to jump come Wednesday. I am in my 4th year in the sport and I really would rather just be at the DZ right now. I jump every weekend and often 4-5 days a week and can't get enough. So, depending on who you are... it might not get better, you might just keep wanting more. Sorry ~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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #12 August 31, 2007 Been there done that. Even bought the postcard and sent it to all the whuffos who couldn't care less about skydiving. One thing to remember (it's hard to understand this when you are new). When the WX conditions are marginal. It is better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air ... than to be in the air wishing you were on the ground. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill_K 0 #13 August 31, 2007 Quote Quote Hmmmm, closing in on my 2nd year in the sport now and well lets see, it's a Friday before a 3 day weekend here in the US and all I can think about is when I can get to the DZ and start jumping... Soooo, I can totally feel ya there. As for going to other DZ's hell yes you can. Once your off your student status you can and dare I say it, should go to other DZ's once in a while. It's a great way to learn and meet a lot of really f'n cool people. Stay safe, have fun, laters... It took you till Friday? Fuck, you got it lucky man. I was wanting to jump come Wednesday. I am in my 4th year in the sport and I really would rather just be at the DZ right now. I jump every weekend and often 4-5 days a week and can't get enough. So, depending on who you are... it might not get better, you might just keep wanting more. Sorry Actually my sig-other and I started discussing my plans for this weekend last Sunday night when I returned home. I can relate to some of the items on that list. Like people probably having had enough of my talking about it at work all the time. The DZ that was 17 miles from my house closed last year or I could see me jumping 7 days a week when weather would allow it... sigh. What could have been. Sure hope it reopens though!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrismgtis 0 #14 August 31, 2007 QuoteWhen you wear your rig on commercial passenger flights, just in case. I wouldn't wear it (wouldn't do a whole lot of good probably), but I would feel much better if I did. QuoteEvery single one of your whuffo friends is to the point of wanting to kill you every time you mention skydiving. With me it's more like, I've annoyed myself talking about it so much. QuoteOn a full moon night, you look up and think "Night jumps!" I see a full moon and I think "Someone is making night jumps. I can't wait to do mine". QuoteYou drive a beaten-up car because you really need that new canopy more. ...skip dentist appointments, let the tread on your tires get too thin, decide that you would rather eat yogurt than go to the grocery store for food so you can save money... QuoteYou can't imagine how anyone can go on vacation without a parachute. Or look up the nearest drop zones in the area where you're vacationing. You decide that buying life insurance and medical insurance costs too much. You could be jumping with that extra $300 a month. I've done that.Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #15 August 31, 2007 Quote "Someone is making night jumps. I can't wait to do mine". How about a night jump, in a wingsuit in close proximity to a major city? I had one of those a couple of years ago out in Longmont CO well within in view of Denver's city lights. Great jump, great memories. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JulianoFanelli 0 #16 August 31, 2007 Quote Every single one of your whuffo friends is to the point of wanting to kill you every time you mention skydiving. i can add my girlfriend and my whole family, they just cant stand anymore Quote You drive a beaten-up car because you really need that new canopy more. yep, thats my car Quote You look at your VCR and think, "Hmm, that's gotta be worth a few jumps. yes, I look at my elec. guitar and think, "Hmm, that's gotta be worth a few jumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rave4funn 0 #17 August 31, 2007 Yeah, I start really getting the itch to jump about every Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. Watching a dozen or skydiving videos a day on youtube doesn't help much either. P.S. I really liked these two. Your whuffo friends only call if the weather man says the weekend will be shitty. On cloudy/windy days you go to the drop zone anyway and bitch about the weather.--------------------------------------------------- http://www.myspace.com/rave4funn Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rave4funn 0 #18 August 31, 2007 Here are some other good ones: You know you're a skydiver when... You Know Your A Skydiver When... *Someone offers you a second plate of a very delicious and fattening dessert and you say: "No thank you, I'm watching my fall rate." *Each time you ride on an airline you insist on sitting by the door and wearing your rig. *You get engaged, and your spouse-to-be is thinking, "I can't believe I convinced him(her) to take the honeymoon in Paris!" and YOU'RE thinking, "I can't believe I convinced her(him) to take the honeymoon in Perris!" *You're watching a movie and someone falls/jumps/gets pushed off a building and you yell "PULL!!" *You can't put on a backpack without checking for leg straps. *You're taking a walk, spot a good sized field, and check for obstacles and wind direction to see how you'd make your final. *You're sitting in the TWA dome in St. Louis, the Rams score, the crowd cheers, and you're thinking "I bet I could base this thing. I've got my rig in the car." *Your clothes are kept on the floor so that your gear can have it's own closet. *You'll wake up at 6:30am on the weekends to get to the DZ, but you can't seem to be awake by 7:30 on the weekdays to be at work by 8. *BOC goes from meaning "Blue Oyster Cult" to meaning "Bottom of Container". *You're making love to your partner and they whisper "I've never done this before" and you yell out "BEEEER!". *On cloudy/windy days you go to the drop zone anyway and bitch about the weather. *On cloudy/windy days you pull out your parachute and pack it just to say that you've done something skydiving-related. *You "dirt-dive", "post-dive" and critique your love-making sessions. *The smell of bug spray makes you think of skydiving. *Whenever a passenger in a fast-moving car, you stick your head out the window and yell "FIVE LEFT" to the driver. Whenever leaving an establishment you yell "DOOR" to all the patrons before opening the door. *You don't own any clothing that you didn't get at a boogie. *Every single one of your whuffo friends is to the point of wanting to kill you every time you mention skydiving. *You analyze every flag you see in terms of it's too windy/not too windy to jump. *You analyze every flag you see in terms of which direction you'd face to land. *It's a dark sky with low clouds and you're thinking "Hop -n- Pops!". *It's so windy that trees are bending over and you're thinking "Cross country!". *You allow a maximum 55 seconds of "working time" when making love. *You can't think of a good reason to pick up your mail for three weeks after your issues of "Skydiving" and "Parachutist" arrive. *You feel naked without at least one jump ticket in your wallet. *You sign your checks with your name and USPA number. *You know to the tenth of a mile how far it is from your driveway to the drop zone's driveway. *Every time someone's beeper goes off you look at your watch to see if it's break-off altitude. *You don't remember your anniversary or your mother's birthday, but you know down to the second how much accumulated freefall time you have. *You analyze sessions of love-making in terms of "points turned". *You refer to your recent break-up as an "intentional cut-away". *You check the local weather forecast every hour before the weekend. *You get mad at the weatherman when he predicts rain for the weekend. *You can't remember the true meanings of the words "Stiletto" "Javelin" "Talon" "Racer" ..... *You walk everywhere watching the sky.--------------------------------------------------- http://www.myspace.com/rave4funn Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
denete 2 #19 September 1, 2007 I wrote this after my AFF-level 4 jump: QuoteOkay, this is going to sound bizarre, so I’m just going to lay it out there. I’ve been having what I can only describe as sensory flashbacks to skydiving. I watched a video clip of someone else’s jump, and when I heard the sound inside the plane (before the jump) when the door opens, and then when the vidiot puts his head outside, I had the most amazing rush of adrenaline come over me. It was great. I’ve had this happen when just visualizing the jumps as well. Standing outside the plane and going through the exit count, I can feel my body go through that moment of panic / acceptance that happens when you let go of the plane. It is utterly amazing that it can be replayed like this. I can still smell the av-gas, feel the weight of the other jumpers, see the objects on the ground, hear each of my JMs, like I’m there right now. I can feel the oh-my-gosh-cold air forced into my nose when I was in freefall. I can feel the risers standing me up and the rig grabing me out of the air from 120+ to 10 in just a few seconds. It is so vivid that I get the same sensory flood each time I think about it. Now I understand why this is so addictive. I thought that I would go away from it for a while and finish my A license later, but it has only been 2 days and I feel like I must get back in the air as soon as possible. Since I can’t go right away, I’m happy that I have these experiences stored up to keep me in those moments. I know where you're coming from. - David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stayhigh 2 #20 September 1, 2007 more and more skydive you make, farther and farther you'll be from REAL world...Bernie Sanders for President 2016 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JulianoFanelli 0 #21 September 1, 2007 Quote more and more skydive you make, farther and farther you'll be from REAL world... i think more and more skydive u make, more u see how whuffos are farther from real world!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
