IAD/SL - Your Experiences

[Zipp0 1]

So I'm cruising along the IAD proggression, and the road is a bit bumpy. I can't get my legs in the right position, or they kick, or I do something else that prevents me from having a completely successful jump.

When did it click for you? When it clicked, did the sensory stuff chill a bit?

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

[AFFI 0]

Quote

So I'm cruising along the IAD proggression, and the road is a bit bumpy. I can't get my legs in the right position, or they kick, or I do something else that prevents me from having a completely successful jump.

When did it click for you? When it clicked, did the sensory stuff chill a bit?

100% of the students I have worked with seem to have the same anwser - it starts to click when you start to relax.

When you decide to relax is entirely up to you - we (instructors) can train till the cows come home but we cannot make you relax, only you can do that.

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

[wmw999 2,166]

Right after my first freefall. And yes, relaxing makes a huge difference. Let the wind help you, rather than fighting it.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[NWFlyer 2]

Quote

When did it click for you? When it clicked, did the sensory stuff chill a bit?

I'm still waiting.

No, seriously, I voted 20 or more only because you left out an option in the poll. I'd have voted in the 15-20 range myself. I had a *lot* of trouble with static line exit stability on my five-second delays and actually switched and did a few AFF jumps before moving back into the static line progression. Doing the AFF jumps helped me learn to relax more on exit and really FLY the exit rather than "flail and freak" that I wasn't going to get the ripcord.

Don't think of repeat jumps as failures... think of them as opportunities to work on the skills some more. Not everyone gets their license in exactly 25 jumps; in fact, I'd bet more don't than do (though I have nothing to back that up).

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[jloirsdaan 0]

Quote

So I'm cruising along the IAD proggression, and the road is a bit bumpy. I can't get my legs in the right position, or they kick, or I do something else that prevents me from having a completely successful jump.

When did it click for you? When it clicked, did the sensory stuff chill a bit?

It took over 25 jumps before I even got passed 10 second delays . I was a horrible student. I couldn't stay stable for anything. Then, finally one day it clicked. I'd just bought a jumpsuit (they couldn't figure out why...they were telling me to take up golf) and I jokingly say that fixed my problems. But seriously...I bought the jump suit and on that jump it clicked. I did a perfect 10 sec delay and didn't slow down from there. Didn't screw up another jump. took me 35 jumps to get my license.

So yeah, I always had something too....most of the jumps weren't anywhere near successful. Spinning, flipping, opening on my back, etc.

Jordan

Go Fast, Dock Soft.

[AFFI 0]

Quote

When did it click for you? When it clicked, did the sensory stuff chill a bit?

Ummm, been thinking about this question -

I think I really began to relax at around 150/200 jumps and totally relaxed closer to 1,000, and I mean totally.

Keep in mind that your brain wants to protect you from harm, to keep you alive and now you are throwing your body towards certain death willingly – your brain is probably wondering what the hell you are doing and it will take a while to convince your protector (brain) that everything will be alright. Hell, sometimes I still get the sensory thing; sometimes my brain tries to convince me that jumping is insane, so for me at least, it has never totally gone away.

Relaxation in freefall is bred from knowledge about the gear, using it properly and knowing that you will be able to safely land. Anytime I work with a student that is nervous to the point that it is affecting them adversely I take a bit of extra time and thoroughly go over the gear and using is safely and this knowledge dispels the fear noticeably. We encourage taking a packing class early on in our solo freefall progression.

So if you are looking for point blank advice, learn all you can about the gear, take a packing class and most importantly, LISTEN to your instructors. Keep jumping and before you know it you will get comfortable in the environment.

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

[tiedye 0]

Not sure how you're exiting, but when I did it, we had to hang from the wing strut. Very good instructor suggested one of the things to picture is that you're standing on a beach ball on your tip toes trying to reach up to something. Or, try thinking of how the gymnasts in the olympics end their routines- feet together, arms wide apart. (Feet should be shoulder width apart but picturing them together will help with the kicking and help you not fall spread eagle.) Or that Nestea commercial where the guy falls back into the pool in slow motion...try and picture something in your mind that has the right body position and is relaxing. Look up at your JM and not down at your feet, you don't have to worry about the ground until later.

Don't worry about comparing skills on jump numbers with other people, everyone is different. And from what some people have said, it seems that alot of people who had the most frustrating starts end up to be the ones most skilled in the long run.

What have your instructors suggested? They should have some tips, I'm sure you're not the first guy to try to run all the way to the ground.

[Andy9o8 0]

It's not just raw numbers of jumps that will help overcome sensory overload, it's also currency. When I was a student on S/L progression, for a while, I used to do only 1 jump every weekend or so. Lots of instability problems. Then at around Jump 15 I did 5 jumps in 1 weekend, and by the end of the 2nd day it was really starting to feel a lot more natural to me.

[SWATcop 0]

I already had around 35 Military static line jumps when I started the static line progression course. I think that contributed to being relaxed with no real fear of the jumping part. I had to repeat one jump out of the whole course.

Kevin

Muff Brother #4041
Team Dirty Sanchez #467

[FrogNog 1]

Around jump 15, something like my 7th 15-second freefall, in the rain, resulting in a cutaway, I clicked. Lots of things were going "odd" that day on the ground and by takeoff I knew something was going to happen... and I would be OK with that.

Now, it would be another 85 jumps before I wasn't scared riding up in the plane. :)

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[astor 0]

Just another pool which is not for me - missing the "not yet" option...

Instead of that, here you are some experience from my last two jumps:

Jump #4 (IAD from 3000ft) - my first off-DZ landing (I underestimated the wind speed and made a superfluous 360 deg. turn quite a low)

Jump #5 (IAD from 3000ft too, just about 2 hours later) - my first reserve ride (some kind of problems with lines after an unstable exit, the cutaway was not really necessary, but it looked very nasty from my point of view, so I decide for red&silver immediately - details maybe in a separate post; btw I had massive line twists on my reserve too)

Well, I am preparing for my next jumps (probably this weekend) with one simple goal in mind: to land INSIDE the DZ under my MAIN canopy...

[morten 0]

There seems to be one category missing:
I was paralyzed, but luckily in the correct position to get a perfectly stable exit

It lasted until 10 secs freefall where my unyielding bodyposition produced a rocking motion that haunted me for at least 12 jumps.