RobMox 0 #1 March 13, 2006 Hi everyone, I am a newbee to Skydiving and am just about to confirm a booking for an AFF course for myself and 4 friends. Can I get some final advice from you guys out there? I am looking to learn in Spain. Rob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adriandavies 0 #2 March 13, 2006 There are four main DZ's where Brits tend to train in Spain. Empuria near Barcelona, Skydive Seville, Lillo (Freefall Addicts school) and Ocana (Freefall University). Empuria and Ocana seem to have the best night life/non skydive entertainment. Check out their websites and maybe make a few phone calls to see which suits you best. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,254 #3 March 13, 2006 Get in touch with your local UK DZ before you go to Spain. That'll help make sure that once you get back you'll be able to keep skydiving without any hassles. dropzone locator Oh, and ask lots of questions, do lots of jumps and have fun.Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobMox 0 #4 March 13, 2006 I have been thinking of booking with Freefall Addicts and they are now based in Seville. On investigation there seemed to be a better selection of airports with budget airlines flying in and the extra activities seemed to be great. As I am paragliding near the costa del sol this seemed perfect. The FFU looked good and has a great reputation, I guess I am just fussy! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bagwarrior 0 #5 March 13, 2006 Good choice robmox. the Northern Dropzones are fricking freezing this time of year and dont start warming up until May, Take a look at their news pages and you\'ll see them all wrapped up !!! Seville is a rocking DZ for any UK jumpers, its full of Brits and has really cool staff from the Freefall Addicts and from the DZ. This is important if you are a brit jumper. The nightlife is just fantastic and so much to do, bars, Restaurants and niteclubs. What suprised me most was the huge international population there, chicas & chicos galore, I just love my visits there ... I\'ll be down in mid April, when you going ? I paraglide as well, Im in Empuria at the moment and the Pyrenees are awesome for flying, however the south coast has many great launch sites with ace sea views and with the better weather you can gurantee good thermals (Hot Air not wooley Underwear !! ) Bagwarrior Client Scare Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobMox 0 #6 March 13, 2006 thanks for the pm's and I look forward to paragliding together..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobMox 0 #7 March 14, 2006 Hey guys, I have had a lot of emails about this thread and people seem to be really helpful. One of the schools wrote back: "We will still ensure that you are each allocated your own personal and experienced instructor throughout the course- a promise which is hard to find with other Spanish Schools. We will reserve each one for four or five days for you even though it only takes two or three to complete our course. The ground school will also be done on a one to one basis. Many schools seem to be making a false advertising claim in the system of training we pioneered- If you look at their staff pages you will realize that for a group your size, it would simply not be possible for you to each have your own instructor." Everyone seems to be really helpful, but I am worried as there is a lot of conflicting information in the emails I have received. What exactly should I be getting for my money? Help! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bagwarrior 0 #8 March 14, 2006 Robmox which muppet is sending you emails claiming to be a pioneer of one on one tuition and claiming everyone is making false advertising ? Bagwarrior Client Scare Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobMox 0 #9 March 15, 2006 I think it was the guy from Aerolibre, but the school I contacted seemed to work from there. Anyway, I have booked my course now and paid a deposit. I have also found a really nice chap to look after my mates in Rhonda whilst paragliding. Someone also mentioned I could go down to Marbella to do some scuba diving afterwards as it was a short drive from the parachute centre. I am gonna have to get some more leave next time....and probably rob a bank before I come out again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joellercoaster 6 #10 March 15, 2006 Hey, just my 2p - I'm not super informed on what's available all over Spain, but I am just back from Seville a couple of weeks back. I did AFF with Freefall Addicts when they were at Lillo, and was extremely happy with the training I got (I'd done AFF before, so I had something to compare it to - these people were a class above). I had one instructor the whole time, and never had cause to feel neglected. Went back to FFA, still at Lillo, for consols and had a great time. Lillo, despite its reputation for being the arse-end of nowhere, has a lot of charm. The week before last, I went over to do a canopy control course with them, now that they're in Seville. Training at a bigger turbine DZ was a real eye-opener, to say the least! All my energy went into jumping so I can't say much about Seville as a place to just hang out, but in terms of training I'm still thinking and digesting all the stuff I was taught. Absolutely awesome, and recommended for anyone. It was so good I'm going back this weekend. Will try and get some FS coaching in... last time I spent a while watching other people's FS1 videos and it looked like they were having way too much fun (not to mention progressing, visibly, during the course of each jump). I know people will recommend whoever they trained with - anyone who teaches you to do something this cool has to be great, right? - but I've trained elsewhere and the difference can be night and day. I'm still just a newbie, but Freefall Addicts are the business.-- "I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan "You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bagwarrior 0 #11 March 16, 2006 I had a chat with a member of the staff in the Madrid DZ, and the latest thing is too BS about the temperature. It is cold up there and freezing at Altitude, but heres the best bit ... before the photographs are taken the er .. subjects are told \" wight lads, take af da woolies and louse dos thermal skarfs coz we dont want anybody tinkin its cold up here and far petes sake fookin smile wid yas !\" Most of the jumpers are heading down to Seville or Empuriabrava. Year round DZ\'s in this part of the world are down south or coastal which have it brilliantly, cool sea breezes and balanced temperatures in the summer and in winter time beautifully mild and warm. Madrid on the other hand has it terrible, freezing cold in the winter and hot and sickly humid in the summer with thermals which are very hazardous to the canopies which from a student perspective is very bad. You can enjoy a day counting the dangerous dust devils ! So Robmox you gotta go were the heat is and remember it may look sunny in the news but it sure as hell is cold ! By the way did you know Seville has a super aircraft ? Stay tuned ! Bagwarrior Client Scare Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skynovice 0 #12 March 17, 2006 my advice as a previous aff student last year would be to head south Bagwarrior is right about the weather, plus i here the school in seville is fab. i went to the FreeFall University, but wouldn't go back if you paid me 3 students to 1 instructor lots of hanging around, instructing is being passed from one instructor to another and dust devils are shocking, the guy that runs it is only interested in taking your money and you only see him when he wants more money. instructors not very helpful dz 20 mins away from where you stay. transport provided by other students not the school and website is full of BS Seville has excellent reputation.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
getrealguys 0 #13 March 18, 2006 Mike et all you all must be fairly bored down there then since you have time to talk to each other. With the exception of Joel / Adrian ALL these posters are fictitous and employess of a skydiving company. Get real. " why drop students through cloud , its illegal " Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bagwarrior 0 #14 March 18, 2006 Its good to talk .... Hey Robmox theres a kick ass boogie in Portugal with some bad ass aircraft, jumping and loving it. Im on my way now !! The G92 sure is a great plane and those colours are amazing ! A lot of people jumping awesome weather and a great mixed crowd. Anyone from seville wanna ride? I\'ll be passing through .... Bagwarrior Client Scare Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
getrealguys 0 #15 March 18, 2006 its more that talk is all you ever seem to do , so its clear your a great talker.. " jumping students in cloud helps them spin which leads to repeats" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobMox 0 #16 March 19, 2006 Thanks for your advice Skynovice. I have had 4 pms now from ex students who have all advised me not to go to the FFU. I have made my booking now and safe to say it isn't there! I have also been put off by a very suspicious post from "getrealguys" this seems to me to very obviously a member of staff from the FFU, including the post that was deleted by the moderator. I hope skydiving is going to be a good experience for me and that this is not typical of the people I will meet along the way. Please someone reassure me!! Rob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob.dino 0 #17 March 20, 2006 Skydiving is great, and the people in it are, for the most part, some of the best you'll meet anywhere. Unfortunately, there's someone playing silly buggers wrt the Spanish schools and dz.com. So yeah, there's some immature idiots involved with the various Spanish schools that cater to the Brits. Most of the rest of us are really nice though. Honest Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RobMox 0 #18 March 20, 2006 Thanks bob.dino, I am really encouraged by most of the people I have talked to. I am sure I will have a good time. Rob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BannanaGirl 0 #19 March 20, 2006 Hey RobMox, I have just done my AFF with FreeFall Addicts in Seville and I had the time of my life. They welcomed me into their home and fed and watered me, made sure I was entertained and they treated me like a friend, not a cash cow. I really was well looked after. Yes I had to repeat level 5 several times but that was down to me. Yes I had to pay for retakes but I was more than happy to as I knew what I was doing before I went on this course and that was making an investment in my skydiving future, retakes were par of the course. I have definately had the best start using these guys. Their location is excellent in sunny, sunny Seville and the aircraft (a Dornier) was getting up to 16 grand on some lifts all in around 12 minutes. I am going back and like Joel I know I have chosen the BEST that is out there to help progress with my skydiving career. Yep, there are some bitchy skydivers but then there are some bitchy self marketing, money lusting geeks that get off on trying to spoil your fun in all walks of life, skydiving being no exception. Ignore the tossers and live the dream...and I will see you down in Seville. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites bagwarrior 0 #20 April 6, 2006 the boogie in portugal was awesome ! spent a few days in seville, the weather was great, a big crowd of brit jumpers, great fun ! ill be back down after a few days break for the easter jam Going paragliding ! Bagwarrior Client Scare Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
RobMox 0 #18 March 20, 2006 Thanks bob.dino, I am really encouraged by most of the people I have talked to. I am sure I will have a good time. Rob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BannanaGirl 0 #19 March 20, 2006 Hey RobMox, I have just done my AFF with FreeFall Addicts in Seville and I had the time of my life. They welcomed me into their home and fed and watered me, made sure I was entertained and they treated me like a friend, not a cash cow. I really was well looked after. Yes I had to repeat level 5 several times but that was down to me. Yes I had to pay for retakes but I was more than happy to as I knew what I was doing before I went on this course and that was making an investment in my skydiving future, retakes were par of the course. I have definately had the best start using these guys. Their location is excellent in sunny, sunny Seville and the aircraft (a Dornier) was getting up to 16 grand on some lifts all in around 12 minutes. I am going back and like Joel I know I have chosen the BEST that is out there to help progress with my skydiving career. Yep, there are some bitchy skydivers but then there are some bitchy self marketing, money lusting geeks that get off on trying to spoil your fun in all walks of life, skydiving being no exception. Ignore the tossers and live the dream...and I will see you down in Seville. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bagwarrior 0 #20 April 6, 2006 the boogie in portugal was awesome ! spent a few days in seville, the weather was great, a big crowd of brit jumpers, great fun ! ill be back down after a few days break for the easter jam Going paragliding ! Bagwarrior Client Scare Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
