What makes someone pick the place to make thier first jump?

[jojo69 0]

We decided to jump at Raeford because a friend had won a tandem jump as a prize. We all went to watch and by the time she was done several of us had signed up and two of us did two that day. I was like it was contagious. We all had to get into the act. It helped that the people there were great.

[countzero 7]

my first jump was on my birthday with 2 of my best friends. i wanted to do an aff 1st jump as opposed to a tandem, and skydive houston was the closest that offered aff 1st jump. the good vibe and cool people are what's kept me going back. plus SDH being only 20 mins. away dosen't hurt either.

diamonds are a dawgs best friend

[skybytch 259]

When I did my first jump, I chose where to jump based on location - it was the closest dz to where I lived.

[Legs 0]

Refferal - others I know had done a jump at my now home DZ. Theirs was a one off ......... I'm still here.

With love in Christ

[Royd 0]

My sister bought me a tandem for my birthday, and Z- Hills was only forty minutes away. I got my A license there, but now I jump at Palatka, which is only an hour from my house. It's a very laid back place.

[bob.dino 0]

Location. The DZ's shop was next door to the city centre internet café I was using to check my email. Strange how such a small coincidence can have such a major effect on a life, isn't it?

[DSE 3]

I had a choice of Skydive Hawaii and Pacific Coast. Skydive Hawaii was closer to the airport entrance, so I went there.
The DZ in Utah is less than 10 mins from my home.
Location is important.

[Clayman 0]

My GF bought me a giftcertificate by my B-day for one of the only two DZ's here and have stayed there as the vibe and people are great. The distance is not bad either as it is just over an hour away.

[Sane 0]

When I did my tandem, I picked the DZ I did because it was the only one I knew about..

Now I know that there are a few other DZs around where I live, but I would still like to go do my AFF at the one I did my tandem at, it was a nice place...

[siddacious 0]

I agreed to go skydiving and my friend chose the DZ. Not sure what criteira it was based on, but it might have been where another friend went.

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[mangledspoon 0]

There was only really two DZs to choose from. I chose the one with 0 deaths as opposed to 5.

[PWScottIV 0]

Quote

I know that this thread has done before, but I spent some time searching and couldn't quite find what I was looking for. If you know of the thread please link me to it. In lieu of that lets have a discussion.

The primary aim of this thread is at people reading the site who have just started skydiving or people who remember what it is that they wanted when they started skydiving. We have done the "why did you choose this DZ" thread to death but the focus is mostly on experienced jumpers. I am looking for ONLY a student perspective. What made you pick a DZ to go check out. I am not so much interested in what made you keep going there or what you thought after you got there, I think I have a good handle on that.

I am looking to know about the process that people went through before the picked a DZ to make thier first tandem. Also, if you are reading this and haven't yet decided where to jump or are working on that process I would love to hear from you too.


I am trying to figure out what people want out of this. Most of the people who are going to answer this thread are skydivers, but I want to know what that one time tandem thrill ride person uses to decide where to go.


Let me know what you think? I have intentionally made the poll "Select only one option" because I want you to pick the most important thing. I know that many factors go into it but if you had to pick one, what would it be?

A little over a year ago, I surprised my ex-gf with her AFF-1 and FJC for her b-day (It would be my first jump too). I looked around quite a bit for DZs and made an educated decision as to which place I thought would be best, as opposed to just picking the closest location. My choice was based on a combination of location, price and safety. The locations I had to choose from were Skydance (Davis, CA), Bay Area Skydiving (Byron, CA), and Lodi, CA.

Both Davis and Byron were, from everything I've heard, much safer than Lodi, so even though Lodi was much cheaper than the others, and a bit closer than Byron I wasn't willing to jump there (especially for my first jumps). However, I was paying for two and Davis was gonna cost me over $100 more for both of us, so even though Byron was about 45min further, I chose them. Both Byron and Davis said good things about each other, so as far as quality and safety goes, I placed them pretty much at the same level. Having visited Davis, I think they definitely have better facilities and a little higher quality of instruction and equipment... However, that definitely would not have been worth the extra $100.

I assume most first time jumpers primarily just find the closest or cheapest place they can find.

Gravity Waits for No One.

[Fast 0]

To everyone that has replied so far, thank you very much for doing so. Please don't hesitate to chime in just because your answer has already been stated.

The reason I am asking about this is because I am trying to figure out the best way to get people interested in a skydiving club I am helping to run.
Again, thanks for taking the time to reply.

~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

[Glitch 0]

For me, it was a combination of location and the willingness of the DZO/Instructor to take on the task of training my dad (100% disability: missing R leg from the hip down, no stump, and needed a custom harness built). This was in the early 80's.

Randomly f'n thingies up since before I was born...

[Richards 0]

A freind of mine was doing it and he told me about it so I went to his dropzone.

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[LloydDobbler 2]

Sounds like the big winners here are location & referrals.

For me, a friend called me and asked if I wanted to go skydiving: a friend of hers was somewhere around her 14th jump, and my friend had agreed to go up & do a tandem, but wanted others for support. (You guessed it: she ultimately wound up bailing on the morning we were supposed to go, so I wound up riding to the DZ with two people I had never met before). I loved it and wound up sticking with it.

Here's the thing, though - I can't really say, but if AJ (Ms. 14 jumps) hadn't been there, I don't know if I would have come back & started AFF. Well, that's not true - I probably would have. But since then, I've seen lots of people go up to the DZ with her to do a tandem, and ultimately go on to get their A's. I've taken a few up myself who have gotten licensed. It's as if knowing someone who does it really helps get people over the hurdle from the sometimes carnival-ride feel of a tandem to going back and doing an AFF.

Because let's face it, almost all the people I see go up for a tandem immediately want to do it again. (Then again, that applies to most people with 4000 jumps, too).... It's just a matter of convincing yourself you can do it, in the face of a high pricetag, and the absurdity of the idea that you could jump out of a plane on a regular basis.

Knowing a seemingly-"normal" person who does it is a total gateway drug. That's why I don't understand the DZ's that have cut out the "referral bonus" to skydivers who bring in friends...but maybe that's just me.

[sparkie 0]

Atmosphere/ attitude.

Did my tandem there (got one for my bd) nice friendly crowd, skilled and laid back instructors.

some of the people are crazy though! they jump out of airplanes!

[billstap 0]

heres my .02, i started my search back in '99 in rochester new york, found orvid or orville, down in the fingerlakes, i scheduled 3 diferent days and each time the weather was a no go, i heard of the place via a commercial at 230 in the moring usually when we were gettin back from the bar, when those opportunities fell through i just stopped lookin but still wanted to do it badly, a buddy of mine and i talked about doin it for yrs and then finally said we were going to do it instead of going to a jack johnson concert in central park, at this time i was in plattsburgh new york, out of my element so i resorted to the internet to find DZ's (this is way before i knew about DZ.com), so i searched vermont skydiving and got vermont skydiving adventures in west addison vermont, we went the following day made our jumps at sunset (amazing -- addicted after first jump) and then returned the next day to make another, honestly why did i go back to that dz or why did i go in the first place -- it was all i knew and i would have gone anywhere to make my 1st jump or any other ones after that. the following summer i found out about malone parachute club at clinton county airport (5 mintues from my house, vermont skydiving was 2 hrs from me) a small family oriented skydiving club, and oh man what a tight group of people, manifest on a white board and dry erase marker, very welcoming homey feeling, its too bad i have to leave when i get a job but i will forever remember that place and its amazing vibe/energy, and an incredible-knowledgeable staff, and i feel priviledged to have learned from them.
blue skies!!!
billy:)

[jbanning 0]

SKYDIVE TAMPA BAY!!!!

Just got lucky and have stayed there since. Small DZ with family atmosphere and the most fun I have ever had!

[Fast 0]

Quote

SKYDIVE TAMPA BAY!!!!

Just got lucky and have stayed there since. Small DZ with family atmosphere and the most fun I have ever had!

Awesome, what do you mean by "got lucky"? Did you just pick them out of the blue from a phone book, website, ad, friend told you?

~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

[klingeme 0]

For my tandem #1 I look at bigyellow.com and found Skydive Space Center to be the closest to my home. Thank god I didn't end up driving from Orlando to Cedertown because it was really the "Closest".

Mark Klingelhoefer

[DougH 270]

I ended up at my DZ because the my universities club originally had a deal there.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[yeyo 1]

voted: Other
because the next DZ is 2000 miles away

HISPA #93
DS #419.5

[Sky15 0]

I was stationed in the Air Force in San Antonio and looked in the yellow pages and found the only dz in San Antonio and went there. As an added bonus, the did give military discounts. After my tandem (discounted to $80 from $100), my AFF program was only $600 (in 1991). But basically I went there b/c they were the only game in town, didn't even know about he discounts beforehand.

[tbrown 26]

I was a college student and saw a flier for a meeting with a film at the student union. As I'd always wanted to jump since about age six, I went. What got me to sign up was that it was all organized. Although the DZ was about sixty miles away, they'd send a van and organize carpools with the students who had cars, so everybody got a ride. They offered a good group discount ($35 apiece for our group of over 15 students, compared to the usual $50). And it was an overnight adventure. We went up Friday evening, got there just in time to watch the sunset load come down, took our training and then carpooled into town to get shitfaced. Back to the DZ we bedded down in sleeping bags, and at 6am the lights came on and there was coffee brewing. By 8am the first Cessna loads (they had two Cessnas) were in the air for static lines from 2800 ft. It was a well run operation.

Nowadays here in So Cal we have Perris and Elsinore both about equally nearby to us in Orange County. They're both excellent safe operations in different flavors, so if people are interested I give them both web addresses, the latest prices, and assure them that either one is a safe place to have a wonderful day.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !