First Time Skydiving

[rave4funn 0]

In my humble opinion, I suggest doing a tandem first. The reason being that I didn't enjoy my first few AFF jumps. I mean I KNEW that it was fun. I was jumping out of a plane; there is noway to not enjoy that. However, there was a lot more of a performance anxiety in AFF. A tandem gives you the ability to really enjoy freefall and work on some canopy control. To each his own; I've got friends who never did a tandem and breezed through AFF.

P.S. (not having anything to do with this post)I hate the people who skip the tandem and go straight to AFF because they are "too cool" to be strapped to someone Someone in my AFF class had that attitude and he and his wife both failed miserably. A tandem probably wouldnt have fixed their stupidity.

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[ThomasRizzo 0]

I just did my first jump a couple weeks ago and it was an AFF. (I loved it! And you people are are all crazy! ) For me, I needed to go through the training... no real training and being attached to and totally dependent on a tandem instructor would have made me a panicky mess. Plus it was great to hang around at the DZ pretending to be part of the 'in' crowd while the tandem ppl came and went all day. Got to watch ppl pack.. eat, relax, watch landings, eat some more...drink (thanks Joe!) But, that's me, I fly and do a little aerobatics so I figured I'd be able to keep my head on straight during it all. ....Just didn't know if I'd have the courage to make that first step until I did. ....now jump #2... I think I can, I think I can...

[AFFI 0]

rave4funn and ThomasRizzo - Great posts!

It shows how different personalities really should approach the training as is best for all of us as individuals.
We are all different; we all learn and approach situations differently.

There is not one size fits all answer.


Rave4fun, I am curious:
“Someone in my AFF class had that attitude and he and his wife both failed miserably”

Failed miserably?
Were they injured or killed?
Have they continued to jump, did either get their license?


Thomas:
Sounds like you enjoyed your training, used you spare time in a positive manner and will continue on toward your license – have fun.
And - I know you can, I know you can!


Again, great points by both of you, thanks…

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

[rave4funn 0]

Neither of them had any intention of making more jumps. They made that clear in class. The guy had the attitude of he was not going to have a man strapped to him as if that would somehow emasculate him. So, he was not going to do a tandem.

The man froze in the door for a long time. Once he decided to leave the plane, he didn't do anything in freefall. The instructors pulled his arm back at pull altitude (trying to at least get him to pull for himself) and he got his pilot chute out. He didn't release it for a while. His instructor flew back up to him and SMACKED it out of his hand. He landed uneventfully. I saw the video of his jump.

His wife froze up out the door. If believe the instructors pulled for her. She didn't follow the radio instruction and went through a tree and broke her ankle I believe.

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http://www.myspace.com/rave4funn

[rygon 0]

I think if you want to be doing the AFF level 1 first because of the positives of level1 (ie. freefall on your own, more responsibilty) rather than the negatives of a tandem (trusting someone else to pull) then AFF is the best thing forward.

Im guessing that if you cant trust someone strapped to you then its going to be very hard to jump out trusting 2 instructor to help you on the way down.

I did AFF level 1 fist as i wanted to enjoy the freedom of falling on my own, and im glad i did. Now finished level 7 (without failing any levels) and waiting for the weather to get better to do my consoles.

ps I found my 2nd jump a lot more nerve racking when in the plane, guessing as i knew what to expect

[ebeziere 0]

Hey,

I thought I'd write something here because no one talked about the static line program.
I did an SL because I didn't have the money for an AFF.
I have to say I had a blast. Every step in SL is an accomplishment : the first time you pull on your 10 sec delay jump, your first 20 sec delay jump, and your first 12000 ft jump.
I never did a tandem but i never wished i had done one before starting SL...

To me, the advantages of SL is a step by step progression, the fact that you truly made progress on your own and you "deserve" your first 12kft jump instead of paying for it. I dont really see a disadvantage. Sure it takes longer to get the A lisence, but honestly i didn t give a s**t. i had a blast and that s what mattered.
Now i m practising tracks and stuff and i don t feel that my level is worse than that of an AFF student.

Anyway, I just wanted to make a post about SL ;)

Wish you luck!

PS: AFF is not risky what so ever ; So don t worry for your daughter ; It s true though that an AFF without ever having done freefall can be emotionnally too much for some people...

PS2: forgive me for mistakes I'm french lol.
PS3 (omg lots of PS) : I respect all AFF students of course, I m not sure i'd have had the balls to jump at 12kft on my first jump ><

[shropshire 0]

Great post!!.

I did S/L ... because that's all we had
Dont get me wrong AFF is one of the ways to learn but maybe satisfies the modern I must have it and have it now attitude.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[escher 0]

There's always the IAD courses, too. Similar to the static line, it's a nice and easy progression through 25 jumps. And while this may be DZ specific, I had a ton of personal attention and instruction from start to finish.

As stated above, by the time I was at 10,000 feet, or even 6,000 feet, I truly felt like I had earned it.