Continue AFF? Honest Feedback Please!

[cocheese 0]

With head aches, ear aches, bruises from leg straps, and then failing level three twice, I almost gave up.

I still suck and get occasional ear pain.

[scottjaco 0]

My advice, although I'm not an instructor, screw the tandems. Get going on the AFF course. You've already done 5 Tandems and you're dropzone should stop trying to milk more money out of you.

[sagan 0]

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> Is it not a bit like when travelling in a car you can get sick, but as the driver you don't?

I don't think so. I had two 'stand in' students who got naueous in a tandem harness. In both cases they were doing the steering under canopy, and both were experienced (~150, ~1200 jumps.)

Not sure if this applies, but I also definitely felt a bit wobbly on my tandems before I started AFF, so count me in as another skydiver that didn't feel well under a tandem canopy. I was later told by an AFFI that not only are you in a lower "comfort" position when you get unhooked under canopy but you are also forward of where you would normally be if you were in your own harness. This forwardness effects what you feel or so I was told -- sounded good to me at the time.

On a side note I'd bet everyone has some strange fear, anxiety, etc, etc when they first start. Mine was I was scared to look up in freefall (down was fine, up was scary -- go figure) -- trust me the AFFI's were less than happy about that on exits.

-Patrick

[popsjumper 2]

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I would say (sorry I am going to be harsh, and it only is by the tone of your posts) that your problem is simply confidence... You need some!

I agree here.

Melissa...First-jump students fly and easily land parachutes every day of the year. It's really not that hard to steer to where you want to go. You can do this. You are going to be totally surprised when you see how easy it really is.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[rs2kmk5 0]

Take the FJC and see how you feel. The best way to get confident is to drill, drill, and drill over and over again.

Make the jump second nature in your mind, and your body will follow your mind. Ask questions if you're unsure about ANYTHING, and dont feel awkward asking questions. Everyone started somewhere, no one was a born skydiver.

As said, the most important thing is to have fun and stay safe. If it's not fun, somethings wrong. Anxiety is natural in this situation. I went up yesterday without eating and had real bad 'acid' for hours after - the adrenaline / anxiety just messes with you! Try and eat, nothing major, but something in your stomach will definately help. Bit like going on a ferry or large boat - empty stomach = big gut trouble

HTH

Out of 10,000 feet of fall, always remember that the last half inch hurts the most — Captain Charles W. Purcell, 1932

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Give him a break,he's from New York.

[AFFI 0]

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Give him a break,he's from New York.

Get a rope...

[popsjumper 2]

...or good ol' Southern tar and feathers.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[JeepDiver 0]

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skydiving is not the sport for you.

How about me...I can't fly head down worth a shit, should I quit too?

Not at all.
I doubt my advise will be taken regardless.

Her issues need to be resolved before she moves forward safely. IMHO

I do have a serious concerns when someone says that their thought process is simply not working during freefall and deployment and landing.

Do they understand their EP's? Will they be able to act upon them?

Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, hyperventilating, having a case of the dry heaves is not the same thing as saying "I'm nervous" or "scared"

Will the person experiencing all these things be able to act accordingly with all that needs to go right or be able to know when things are going wrong?

We can all agree that clear level-headed thinking is a requirement of skydiving. I'm concerned for the students safety.... not so much "feelings" as the result of my brief comment.

My thinking along this line is the student that admits they are a klutz as in a past member of this forum who didn't fully understand how an ADD works and needs to be set to the proper ground elevation.

My concern is for her safety.

[AFFI 0]

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I'm concerned for the student’s safety....

Then why not recommend that they talk to a rated and experienced solo freefall instructor who has experience in making such evaluations?
It is IMPOSSIBLE to make an evaluation on the OP based on what was written here without reviewing logbooks, talking with the tandem instructors who have personally worked with them and taking time to make an assessment of this individual - IN PERSON, by a instructor qualified to do so…

Skydivers giving advice when they are not qualified and do not know what they are really talking about – well intentioned but overall detrimental to the safe progression of learning for solo freefall students.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2891889#2891889

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

[JeepDiver 0]

Close the General Skydiving Discussions forum even when Honest Feedback is requested from all users by another member. AFF instruction was not requested, nor is it possible to give online as we all know.

I'll not have this digress in to a off-topic debate between you and I.

[veri 0]

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Some jumpers experience nausea and lightheadedness in tandem harnesses, but the same symptoms do not occur when jumping with their own rig. It is likely a result of the harness fit. I know several experienced jumpers who got nauseous on the front of a tandem but have done hundreds/thousands of jumps without a problem with their own gear.

Not a current student or licensed jumper (tragedy, I know... sigh), but I was also slightly nauseous under canopy on my tandem. I was perfectly fine with the jump otherwise and had no problem with the height / idea of leaping from a plane / the usual suspects, so I also attributed this to harness fit.

[rygon 0]

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I do have a serious concerns when someone says that their thought process is simply not working during freefall and deployment and landing.

Do they understand their EP's? Will they be able to act upon them?

I doubt my thought process was working 100% when i first jumped...Have never done a tandem, just went straight onto AFF level 1.
I practiced my EPs until i knew exactly what i was to do, but with the rush of the 1st jump etc i would have been hoping that it would be second nature and i would have to think too hard.

With regards to landing i also felt like i didnt know enough. Turns out that there isnt too much to know anyway (for your 1st jump anyway) and a lot of it is just getting the feel of the winds and getting back to the dz.
Just remember to check your canopy (is it big, rectangle, free from defects)...if No to any of these then EPs. If its ok then take a deep breath, relax and grab your toggles...3 practice flares and then look around you (objects in air, on ground, find dz).
Go to holding area (halfway between where you are now and dz) and then have a little play with your canopy until you are at 1000ft approx, run to the dz then at 500' turn...300' turn again into wind, 10' flare.

That was all i knew and i thought it was too little but when the canopy opened and i was to steer myself i felt more confident (plus the radio contact helped).