A little confusion on AFF vs 'A-License in a week' programs

[njay 0]

A little while back I completed my first tandem jump at Skydive Dubai and knew I wanted to pick up skydiving as a hobby as soon as I hit the ground. I have been looking at skydiving schools and am trying to decide between a regular AFF program and one of the get the A license in a week programs.

I work in Central Africa and was thinking about just hopping over to South Africa to complete the AFF course at Skydive Witbank because of the good rates and good reviews on dropzone. I was also considering heading back home to the US to do a 'A license in a week' course at Skydive Spaceland.

Is the only difference that the AFF course I will do in a few weekends and the 'A license in a week' is just a straight shot through with extra dives at the end? Is it beneficial and will I learn more if I do all my beginning dives back to back in the 'A license in a week' or if I do the somewhat more leisurely pace of a regular AFF course?

Links for the classes I was considering:

Skydive Witbank
http://www.dropzone.co.za/v2_costs.php

Skydive Spaceland
http://www.skydivespaceland.com/learn-to-skydive/a-license-in-a-week/

[nigel99 143]

I would suggest a more leisurely pace if at all possible.

I don't think you lose out by doing a course in a week, but you are subject to weather, feeling tired or whatever else gets in the way.

Another consideration - South Africa is southern hemisphere - jumping for the next 5-7 months is better down south

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[ChuckMartin 0]

No matter what you do there are minimal things you have to do for a "A" license. They set it up so that if the weather is right and you are not having to do a lot of redos you will get all the minimums you need in a week. I think students learn a lot from just being at the DZ, asking questions and spending time around the sport. The A license in a week will work but I feel you will learn more taking it a little slower. Spaceland is a great upstanding dropzone and I am sure that they wont pass anybody that should not have passed but that does not mean that you will get as much from the program as you could have.

[DrDom 0]

Chicago certainly has a cool programme, and I like the idea of "breaking the mold" but A-in-a-week isnt for everyone. Assuming you do a FJC on day 1 and one jump you have 24 jumps to do in 6 more days. 4 jumps a day, plus learning to pack, tests, knowledge requirements... I've been through medical school and that sounds like a grueling pace.

You're in SA which means right now is PREMIUM skydive season, just go start jumping and move at your pace. In 1 month I only did 6 jumps, but I had a blast doing it.

You are not the contents of your wallet.

[njay 0]

I'm actually in working in Cameroon, but get 4 weeks off at a time for my job. I was planning on going to South Africa for AFF, but I have noticed that most of the schools there are only open on weekends. So now I am looking at one of the A in a week courses or maybe something in Spain.

[dthames 0]

njay

I'm actually in working in Cameroon, but get 4 weeks off at a time for my job. I was planning on going to South Africa for AFF, but I have noticed that most of the schools there are only open on weekends. So now I am looking at one of the A in a week courses or maybe something in Spain.

Consider building in some extra days for weather. I am not speaking about Spain, but in general. As a student it seem like weather/wind is the thing that often changes everyone's plans.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[skydived19006 4]

njay

I'm actually in working in Cameroon, but get 4 weeks off at a time for my job. I was planning on going to South Africa for AFF, but I have noticed that most of the schools there are only open on weekends. So now I am looking at one of the A in a week courses or maybe something in Spain.

Instead of "A In a Week", why not travel to a 7 day a week DZ, Spaceland, Chicago (not this time of year), Florida, etc., and doing it at a more leisurely pace. Plan two weeks, and even at that, don't worry about getting 100% complete, though it should be no problem. If you get done early, you can make a few more, or put a day in here and there to go be a tourist.

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[Di0 1]

Also consider that, varying from person to person, doing 4-5 jumps a day when you just started, might be quite tiring.
I don't know about other experiences, but when I first started after 2 jumps I was completely worn out, and sometimes even the second jump of the day was happening only because the instructors talked me into it, but I used to really feel "empty" after one jump, maybe because the stress before it and the adrenaline release, I just didn't want to start another "cycle".

Some people on the other hand just go up&down all day without any problem since day 1. Who knows!
Good news now I got over that phase and I can do 4-5 jumps in a day and be like "daaaamn, sunset already?!?". So yeah, I would pace your progress based on how you feel, but trying to rush trough it just to say "I DID IT!!" might not be the most fun and enjoyable experience.
My 2c.

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[SkydiverShawn 0]

DrDom

Chicago certainly has a cool programme, and I like the idea of "breaking the mold" but A-in-a-week isnt for everyone. Assuming you do a FJC on day 1 and one jump you have 24 jumps to do in 6 more days. 4 jumps a day, plus learning to pack, tests, knowledge requirements... I've been through medical school and that sounds like a grueling pace.

You're in SA which means right now is PREMIUM skydive season, just go start jumping and move at your pace. In 1 month I only did 6 jumps, but I had a blast doing it.

I think they actually set this to be ten days. Starting on Friday for ground school and possibly a jump then you have a weekend plus a week. This is more than enough time fro training, jumping, and debriefing.

But, everything that goes into an A-license and the jumping is not for everyone to complete in that time frame. Some people need a little more time for personal emotional reflection between jumps or to work through issues that develop in flying.

You will never be more alive than you are the instant you let go!

[DrDom 0]

SkydiverShawn

***Chicago certainly has a cool programme, and I like the idea of "breaking the mold" but A-in-a-week isnt for everyone. Assuming you do a FJC on day 1 and one jump you have 24 jumps to do in 6 more days. 4 jumps a day, plus learning to pack, tests, knowledge requirements... I've been through medical school and that sounds like a grueling pace.

You're in SA which means right now is PREMIUM skydive season, just go start jumping and move at your pace. In 1 month I only did 6 jumps, but I had a blast doing it.

I think they actually set this to be ten days. Starting on Friday for ground school and possibly a jump then you have a weekend plus a week. This is more than enough time fro training, jumping, and debriefing.

But, everything that goes into an A-license and the jumping is not for everyone to complete in that time frame. Some people need a little more time for personal emotional reflection between jumps or to work through issues that develop in flying.

heh, I've taken almost 2 months between levels 6 and 7 for "reflection". Doing it all at once may have made me more comfortable by now... So there could be some merit to it

You are not the contents of your wallet.

[mcordell 2]

skydived19006

***I'm actually in working in Cameroon, but get 4 weeks off at a time for my job. I was planning on going to South Africa for AFF, but I have noticed that most of the schools there are only open on weekends. So now I am looking at one of the A in a week courses or maybe something in Spain.

Instead of "A In a Week", why not travel to a 7 day a week DZ, Spaceland, Chicago (not this time of year), Florida, etc., and doing it at a more leisurely pace. Plan two weeks, and even at that, don't worry about getting 100% complete, though it should be no problem. If you get done early, you can make a few more, or put a day in here and there to go be a tourist.
For what it's worth I think this is the right idea. Don't try to set an amount of time and rush through, but do things at a safe and comfortable pace. I tried to do just a tad too much one weekend toward the end of my student status and thought I knew what I was doing and I packed myself a malfunction that earned me a reserve ride. It was stupid and I could have hurt myself. I sufferred from thinking I was ready for something I wasn't. I still feel pretty stupid for doing it. Not saying you will repeat my mistake but it is easier to do if you rush yourself. Good luck finding the right place and program.

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[justinbaker27 0]

I would like to point out 1 thing that no one else has. The reason this is a valid point with me is because I just went thru it. Also I don't think a lot of the skydivers who has been doing it for years are consciously thinking about. What if you get hurt or injured in your first few jumps and you have already prepaid a USA drop zone for your AFF in a week then can't jump? It's not just about the money but the time. If you fly to florida and expect to do it in a week and then twist your ankle a little bit then your done, now the drop zone (most of which won't do refunds) has your money, you have a bum foot or leg and still have to fly home in a week. Which means you have to fly back to start it again. Anyways I'm not a negative person and I hope you don't hurt yourself even a little bit.

However here is what happened to me 3 weeks ago. I moved to Florida to get my A license and like you only had tandem jumps under my belt. Time or money wasn't the issue. During my Pre-jump AFF level 1 training my instructors tells me more than anything else "Do not flare until I tell you to, if you do your gonna get hurt. You have no reference of how close to the ground you are and if you flare high your gonna hurt yourself, so listen to my voice on the radio" now coming from being active duty army several years back when training has to do with something that can hurt me or kill me I listen very closely and follow Instructions to a "T" I figure he is the professional, I don't know anything and I'm gonna listen to him. Moral of this story is I did listen to him and he got distracted and didn't tell me to flare until I was 2-3 feet off the ground and now I have a small tear in my ACL And i havent jumped in 3 weeks. Anyways my plan was to jump as much as I could everyday until I got my A license, my instructors plan was to keep me save and not pound me into the ground at 15ish mph (there was about 10 witness's standing near here that watched it all go down) anyways my point is things happen and I don't want it to burst your bubble and you stop skydiving because all your hopes and dreams was based on getting your A license in a week. So to answer your question, I would spread it out. Also another piece of advice if that little voice in your head tells you to flare because you know your 5-6 feet off the ground then do it! I put to much faith in my instructor and for another week or so I'm paying the price by sitting at home instead of jumping.

Blue Skies