Continue, Quit, or Change Course?

[Zipp0 1]

So, I've done 4 IAD jumps and really enjoyed it, but a combination of things halted my jumping about halfway through the summer - I had to get around to restoring the boat I bought before I started jumping, for example, and lots of other stuff. Also, other things started to siphon my disposable income.

There were other factors too. I didn't feel like I had any hope of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I am used to picking things up really quickly, and this was different than anything I had done before. Also, I became a bit spooked after hearing about just one too many accidents. Oh, and I hate putting on a jumpsuit to board a 150 deg. F Cessna. But hey, it's cooler now.

I'm thinking that I have 4 options.

1. Quit. You've experienced jumping, move on.
2. I feel like I NEED to experience freefall before I make any final decisions. In that spirit, do a tandem.
3. Go AFF. AFF will give me freefall, and if I feel better about it than IAD, I can continue right along with the training.
4. Take some time to chill. Then when I feel the urge, make one more IAD before deciding. A good jump will probably get me back on track.

Advice? I figure a few of you have went through this.....

Zipp0

--------------------------
Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down.

[matthewcline 0]

Go back out t othe DZ and see how you feel.
AFF would probably be the way to go if it is to be a "decision maker" jump.

Don't quit man your gonna miss it!
Your posting here for a reason right?
You just need some some to say "Shut up and Jump!"
Now go jump.

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[PhreeZone 15]

If financing IAD is too much then you can rule out AFF as a progression method since an AFF jump is about 3-4 IAD's in cost. Granted there a whole lot less jumps to do before you get to the solo phase of AFF, but that is a consideration that you need to think about.

Accidents are a part of anything. If there was a website out there that talked about every single accident involving a car out there you would be terrorified to ever drive again. The FFA daily report can scare the hell out of you if you look at how many aviation accidents there are on a dailey basis. You eiither need to accept the risk and jump, or ignore it and don't jump. Please don't ignore it and jump anyways.

A Tandem is an option if you really want to experience freefall, but so is AFF1 if you are wanting to fly the canopy again also.

If you are serious about wanting to continue but a few dollars away every week and by spring you'll have enough money to pay for the rest of your IAD or AFF jumps.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[wildfan75 1]

Quote

You just need some some to say "Shut up and Jump!"

Shut up and Jump!

[freeflyit 0]

Just quit man, what's the point of doing something if you're not good at it right away right?

But if I were you, I'd press on. It all depends on if you like doing it or not. Is it really that important to you in life? I'd recomend going for it, cuz man, there ain't nothin like it, so shut up and jump!

[NewGuy2005 51]

Do what I do: Jump when you have money. Don't jump when you don't. My progress has been slow but steady.

[Jumpah 0]

I don't think I would have enjoyed IAD progression. It's freefall that hooked me in the sport. IAD/SL seems lonely. With AFF you are out there with other people and playing for much of it. If your DZ offers a tandem AFF progression you could get the fun of a tandem with the instruction of AFF.

Follow what seems like the most fun to you and what you can afford. So long as you are honestly enjoying your time alive it doesn't matter if you are skydiving or boating or sleeping.

That said...I've seen you post all over this forum. You are into skydiving so I doubt you are gonna leave the sport. So...shut up and feed the fix, fool.

[SethInMI 145]

My progression was static line; I am at a small Cessna DZ and that is all they offered. I will toss my 0.02 on several issues you are having:

1. Disposable income. You know that this is an expensive sport, in terms of training, gear and jumps, so if you can't handle giving the sport 2-4k over the next few years I would not pursue it.

2. Fear (incidents). I had alot of fear transitioning from SL to FF, I worried that I would get unstable and deploy unstable, end up with a horseshoe or a wrap and go in. My first terminal jump went fine, and it was the best jump I ever had. I ended up being pround of the fact that I did everything "myself", as my first few freefall jumps were solos, and my first jumps with instructors were not "Im here to help you save your life" but "Im here so you can get RW practice".

3. Progression issues: It took me a long time to get through training, 3 years and 35 jumps to A license. It was worth it to me. I told myself when I started what the completion cost would be and I commited to finishing the program (getting licensed) regardless of time or financial costs, and then I figured I would decide if the sport was right for me, before I took the plunge and bought gear.

It's flare not flair, brakes not breaks, bridle not bridal, "could NOT care less" not "could care less".

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Do a tandem or level 1 AFF,then if you don't have the desire quit.You can buy yard darts on e-bay


.

[steveorino 7]

I switched from IAD to AFF because I wasn't "getting" it either. I'm too kinestetic. I needed the immdeiate feedback of AFF to learn to skydive.

different strokes for different folks

steveOrino

[NickDG 23]

>>You've experienced jumping, move on.<<

So why do some people go to the DZ day after day? What are they looking for? Why are some satisfied with one jump while others make thousands?

I believe we chase that perfect wave like surfers do, but of course, we'll never catch it, and thank goodness for that. Skydiving is like shinning a pair of shoes. You'll figure a little more buffing and they'll be perfect - but they never are.

My advice is change whatever you need to change about your life, switch out your job, where you live, drop your lover, or collect a few more – do anything – except don't ever quit jumping . . .

NickD BASE 194

[Tink1717 2]

I advise you to combine #'s 3&4. First, take time off. But only take time off in order to get your money situation in order. Then, once you have sufficient funding, go AFF, get tunnel time and push all the way through your lessons. You won't regret it.

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717

[riggerrob 558]

Only pursue one expensive hobby at a time.
For example, I did four static-line jumps my first year, then concentrated on my pilot's license over the winter.
The next summer, I went to Europe, etc. and only made two jumps.
The third summer, I made fifty jumps, earned my A License, etc.
There will be plenty of time to restore that boat during the winter.

[Zipp0 1]

For clarification: The money became an issue when I started dumping lots of it into the boat that would have gone to jumping. Once the boat is done(soon), the money will be there for jumping again. (1, maybe 2 a month IAD)

Another factor is all the talk about currency. I worry that unless I can jump almost every week, I should probably reconsider. Am I giving that too much weight?

Zipp0

--------------------------
Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down.

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

Sell the boat.

If you want to experience freefall, AFF would be the way to go... but like someone said up-post, if money to continue with the IAD progression is an issue... then it will be & more with AFF.

Currency is important IMO when on student status... from both the "continuous progression" while learning and from the "keeping people's interest" perspectives. On one hand, don't stress that you have to be out there every weekend doing student jumps, but on the onther hand, it shouldn't be a once ever 30 days thing either. Generally speaking, I tell students to shoot for 2 or 3 student jumps a weekend, every weekend if they can, if not every other weekend... others will have different forumulas / advice that works equally as well. I realize its expensive, but realize to that it is a commitment and factor that into your decission making. Another thing I heard once from an ol' grey-hair when I got into the sport was that if / when you do get off of student status, if you're going to "get into" and "progress" in skydiving, you should do 200-300 jumps a year your first couple of years in the sport... again, realize that this is expensive these days and you don't "have too" and others will say things differently... but my experience was that wasn't a bad bit of advice.

Anyway, good luck to you. Try to make a decission. You can go away from skydiving for awhile and come back if you wish... or it can be something that you tried a few times and it wasn't for you and/or the bug didn't bite you... you wouldn't be the first nor the last person to happen by a DZ for a jump or a handful of them never to be seen again... no blood no foul.

[peckerhead 0]

Zippo, Who are you?

Your profile says your home DZ is Maytown but nobody at that DZ has ever heard of you.


I am an instructor there and none of the other instructors has a clue who you are either.

Continue, quit, or change course?

As far as we are concerned you do not even exist.

If you have somehow fallen through the cracks and none of the staff knows you then we have a big problem. But, I have looked at the paperwork and asked around and there is no record of you ever jumping at Maytown. It is a small DZ and students are treated like royalty.

4 jumps? Who was your instructor? We don't have that many.....I sure as hell don't know who you are and I teach the first jump course. I am also an IAD Jumpmaster and I know I have never tossed your pilot chute, none of the other JM's have either....None that will admit it anyway.

You have 657 posts on DZ.com but nobody at your home DZ has a clue who you are.

Whats up with that?

I would be happy to work with you and get you into the sport. Our student progression is affordable compared to other DZs in the region. For a small cessna DZ we have an incredible wealth of knowledge and a very experienced staff.

But, you have to physicaly appear and not just be a phantom on the internet.

[Orange1 0]

Quote

So, I've done 4 IAD jumps and really enjoyed it, but a combination of things halted my jumping about halfway through the summer - I had to get around to restoring the boat I bought before I started jumping, for example, and lots of other stuff. Also, other things started to siphon my disposable income.

There were other factors too. I didn't feel like I had any hope of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I am used to picking things up really quickly, and this was different than anything I had done before. Also, I became a bit spooked after hearing about just one too many accidents. Oh, and I hate putting on a jumpsuit to board a 150 deg. F Cessna. But hey, it's cooler now.

I'm thinking that I have 4 options.

1. Quit. You've experienced jumping, move on.
2. I feel like I NEED to experience freefall before I make any final decisions. In that spirit, do a tandem.
3. Go AFF. AFF will give me freefall, and if I feel better about it than IAD, I can continue right along with the training.
4. Take some time to chill. Then when I feel the urge, make one more IAD before deciding. A good jump will probably get me back on track.

Advice? I figure a few of you have went through this.....

Zipp0

So, I did both SL and AFF so maybe have some insight.

Firstly, I'm also used to picking things up quicky and struggled a bit at first with jumping. In some ways I think it was the challenge that kept me going at it: I knew I could do this, if I kept trying.

I did SL till first freefall (a textbook, perfect jump), then switched to AFF cos the SL progression would have taken too long, especially over winter. You know what? I HATED my first AFF jump. It was also a textbook jump - but I just didn't enjoy it. I honestly have no idea what made me go back, but I finished AFF a few days later.

Accidents? Well, I broke myself on jump #62. Apart from beating myself up over how dumb I'd been, I remember sitting on the ground and thinking, "well, I always knew I was going to break an ankle in this sport" (I actually broke both of them.) Yes, that accident was a lot less serious than the ones I presume you refer to. The incidents forum here has made me aware of a couple of things, principally that skydiving is not "safe", and that if I want to continue in it I must be as safe as I can be and learn as much as I can. This is skydiving, shit happens, and you have to accept the risks if you want to go on.

Not sure how long since your last jump but if you are still thinking about skydiving constantly, I reckon you'll regret not going back, whichever option you end up doing.

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[Zipp0 1]

Quote

Zippo, Who are you?

Your profile says your home DZ is Maytown but nobody at that DZ has ever heard of you.


I am an instructor there and none of the other instructors has a clue who you are either.

Continue, quit, or change course?

As far as we are concerned you do not even exist.

If you have somehow fallen through the cracks and none of the staff knows you then we have a big problem. But, I have looked at the paperwork and asked around and there is no record of you ever jumping at Maytown. It is a small DZ and students are treated like royalty.

4 jumps? Who was your instructor? We don't have that many.....I sure as hell don't know who you are and I teach the first jump course. I am also an IAD Jumpmaster and I know I have never tossed your pilot chute, none of the other JM's have either....None that will admit it anyway.

You have 657 posts on DZ.com but nobody at your home DZ has a clue who you are.

Whats up with that?

I would be happy to work with you and get you into the sport. Our student progression is affordable compared to other DZs in the region. For a small cessna DZ we have an incredible wealth of knowledge and a very experienced staff.

But, you have to physicaly appear and not just be a phantom on the internet.

I have had nothing but good experiences at the dropzone. Terry was my instructor, and took me up on my first jump. After that, Dave was my jumpmaster (the guy with about 11,000 jumps). I forget the name of my most recent jumpmaster - I'd have to check the log.

This IS the Maytown in Pennsylvania, right?

I guess I'm pretty damn forgettable!

PM sent.

--------------------------
Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down.

[NickDG 23]

>>Another factor is all the talk about currency. I worry that unless I can jump almost every week, I should probably reconsider. Am I giving that too much weight?
<<

You're more likely to be going down-wind and coming up the ladder, with a beer, when the helmsmen gets in the lee and there you go unconscious over the side.

Skydiving, even if you just sort of know what you are doing, is way-safer than sailing . . .

NickD BASE 194

[peckerhead 0]

Quote

I have had nothing but good experiences at the dropzone. Terry was my instructor, and took me up on my first jump. After that, Dave was my jumpmaster (the guy with about 11,000 jumps). I forget the name of my most recent jumpmaster - I'd have to check the log.

This IS the Maytown in Pennsylvania, right?

I guess I'm pretty damn forgettable!

PM sent.

Well ok, I am out of town for the next few weeks because I am going to a boogie in Oregon but I should be at the DZ in Maytown PA Saturday the 30th.

Terry doesn't have a clue who you are and Dave doesn't either. When was your last jump?

Were you wearing a gilligan hat and blueblockers at the DZ?


Nobody remembers you. We were thinking maybe you were someones alter-ego.


But hey, if you are real don't give up! and don't expect someone to come out to the parking lot and hold your hand. The squeeky wheel gets the grease.


Just dont squeek too much.....

[peregrinerose 0]

Aren't you being a bit hard on Zippo? I jump at Maytown too occasionally, and you may not know me either.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[peckerhead 0]

Oh, I know you....

We have jumped together at Chambersburg.

...And Maytown.

Hows Sam doing?

[peregrinerose 0]

I guess I'm just not as forgettable as Zippo?

It took me a sec to figure out who the hell Sam was He's good. Actually, he's SAMless now thanks to my seam ripper

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[Zipp0 1]

Quote

Terry doesn't have a clue who you are and Dave doesn't either. When was your last jump?

Were you wearing a gilligan hat and blueblockers at the DZ?

No Gilligan hat!!! My last jump was a little less than 2 months ago.

Tell Terry I was on the student load in the spring when he had to pull the guy off the wing back into the airplane. They called an ambulance as they thought he was having a heart attack.

I jumped right before he didn't.

Maybe you don't know me because you're always out of town at boogies?

Zipp0

BTW - the picture is not me. That's Johnny Depp from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". Was that confusing you?

--------------------------
Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down.

[peckerhead 0]

Funny!

Now maybe we can just write "Chad" on a piece of tape and stick it on his helmet.

You could have sold that rig to a Sam.....Too late now.

Whatever! He will still always be Sam to me.