Quitters!

[rdesilets 0]

Quote

I quit in '96 and started back up again this year. I just got bored with RW and decided to get into something more exciting (sportbikes). A few new disiplines popped up since I left, so I'm back for another go. I'm really going to try and keep my priorities balanced now, so hopefully I don't burn out again in a couple years.

The same thing happened to me. I "quit" for 5 or so years when I had about 500 jumps ('97). Sold all my gear and spent 5 years doing other things on the weekends (jet skiing, boating on the Austin lakes, etc).

There was a day when I would show up at the DZ 5pm Friday and leave 10pm Sunday.. dealt with all of the DZ politics and B.S... after a while it just was not fun anymore.. so I decided to take a break.

A few years ago I got the bug and decided to give it another try (I knew I would be back, I was just taking an extended break).. now I am a pure "fun jumper" and love the sport more than I ever have ... I show up make some great jumps (usually for a big way record/ event or with a pre-determined group of folks).. and head home to do other things (married with a 3.5 year old son). No politics, no BS, just put money on my account and skydive hard.

As someone else said, I think it's all about balance. I like to have balance in my life and skydiving is just one of the "slices of pie" in my life. (sorry, a little off topic).

Hey Jumper Conway, we met at the Ballunar last weekend (I was on Larry Hinson's team). Hi Wendy.

-Rob

[bluheelrtx 0]

Quote

You are sooooo right. I was out 21 years but I never completely quit thinking about it. When people ask me why I quit ............ I have no answer.

But I am back now and I like NOT doing PLF's on every jump!!

"I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn't, than to live my life as if there isn't , and die to find out there is"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I don't get it. Are you saying that without a threatening diety, you have no morals?

Quote

My best friend and I did our first jump together almost 8 years ago. It was her idea. I never really thought about it and didn't realize I was hooked until I was about to get my A.

She quit jumping after blowing her knee out on a landing about 6 years ago and sold her gear last year. She gets her skydiving fix vicariously through me now. Maybe she will jump again some day.
--
Jason
--

--
Jason
--
Some people never go crazy. What truly boring lives they must lead.

[flyangel2 2]

Quote

I don't think I'm a skydiver. I think I am a person who skydives.

Right now, it's pretty interesting. If it ceases to be that, I will move on.

Well said. There are other things going on in my life, I don't jump every weekend.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[Scoop 0]

I did one AFF jump a year ago and was broke!!
Im back now tho and want to carry on...
However in that time over 1 weekend of me being at the DZ, (although I didnt know them really), 2 have died jumping. That kinda puts things into perspective. But I have to say, it didnt put me off. Just made me more aware of the respect you need to give the sport. Maybe a costly lesson for some, but a good one for me.

In answer to your real question.... I dont know of any cos I wasnt really part of the scene

[elias123 0]

Quote

It can be hard for some students, not knowing anyone at the DZ, espicially if they fail an AFF or 2 and they get discouraged.

guess i am one of those. the dz is 2 hours away with the train and i hardly know anyone there. i also failed aff level 2 so that dicouraged and frightened me alot. forntunately, i have met some people on the web who are doing a jump course there too and i know of at least one of my other (still whuffo) friends who will probabely take an aff course there.
i hope that will make it easier because i really hate to sit on the train anlone for 2 hours with so much stress about jumping. i have also this feeling that my mind says yes to jumping, but my body says no,
but i guess that will disappear one i have jumped more.

"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"

[rushmc 18]

I don't get it. Are you saying that without a threatening diety, you have no morals?

------------------------------------------------------------

Not really........
My take on this is that we should all live a "good" life. Regardless if there is a higher being and/or if you believe there is. Do what is right and the rest will take care of itself .......if that makes any sense to you. (i am not doing a good job of putting words to my thoughts right now)

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[daveb 1]

Quote

Quote

There are other things in life, skydiving isn't everything.
Derek

Right now, it's pretty interesting. If it ceases to be that, I will move on.

I was going to reply to Winsor's post (which I think is well considered), but upon thinking about what I wanted to say (vs. had to say ;-), this post probably sums it up best. People quit for any number of reasons -- all good -- but the more interesting question is why do people stay? What is it that's different about those with thousands of skydives and ten or more years in the sport that keeps them jumping?

I'm not there yet, but I'm beginning to see some patterns -- you old guys correct me:

1. Continued education -- there is always something to learn, to improve, to try.
2. Educating others -- passing on knowledge to other jumpers.
3. Variety -- trying new things or in new situations

I was going to add "dedication to a goal -- witness the top competitive skydivers", but I realized this is really a combination of the first two, and occassionally the third. And any other thing I thought of was essentially some combination of these three. And on top of all that, the foremost answer was exactly Happythought's post, that bears repeating:

Quote

Right now, it's pretty interesting. If it ceases to be that, I will move on.

This is so insightful, it really rewards some honest contemplation.

Obviously, as Derek states, there is more (much more!) to life than skydiving, and I hope to never be as shallow and one-dimensional as believing that skydiving is *it*. And as much as I enjoy this sport, I find that I wholeheartedly agree with Happy's self-assertion.

-- Dave

[UntamedDOG 0]

Quote

How many of your friends that started jumping with you have stopped jumping for whatever reason?

That is the problem. Anytime a skydiver wants to leave the sport, they always have some lame excuse. I myself have been guilty of this.

I really don’t think of Skydiving as a hobby/sport/pastime. In fact I find such comparisons to be insulting.

Is religion a pastime? Is raising kids a hobby?

There are legitimate excuses for taking a break such as finances and “fear” of death.

I have more respect for someone who just comes out and says, “I’m a coward and I don’t want to die”.

I guess being a good father and paying taxes is more fulfilling than anything skydiving can provide.

There was a guy I met once who compared skydiving with a good round of golf. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He no longer jumps.

I wasn’t surprised, I could tell he just didn’t get it.

FUCKING SELLOUTS.

[rdesilets 0]

Quote

I really don’t think of Skydiving as a hobby/sport/pastime. In fact I find such comparisons to be insulting.

I am not sure what you mean.. That's all skydiving is - a hobby/pastime/sport -- except for some it's a job as well.

What else would it be? I am not sure how you can compare skydiving to raising kids?

I think that is seems some "skydivers" are insulted when folks with a lot of jumps (or anyone for that matter) decide to leave the sport or take a break. It is like they just can't comprehend what else there is to do in life except spend every moment and last dime skydiving. It's hard for me to explain it but the same type of person seems to have to let everyone (in their non jumping life) know they are a "skydiver"...

I feel like saying "get over yourself" :)

(not to you, just a general comment for those types of folks)

Quote

I hope to never be as shallow and one-dimensional as believing that skydiving is *it*.

Very well said Dave... I read your post after I posted mine.. but you pretty much said what I was trying to...

[Luv2Fall 0]

I couldn't agree more. Different strokes for different folks......certainly wouldn't consider them quitters.

[speedy 0]

Quote

There are other things in life, skydiving isn't everything.

Derek

Yeah, like fish
My nitrite is still way too high

Dave

Fallschirmsport Marl

[SmoothAl 0]

Now, see, that hurts. I, personally, have taken some time off for 2 reasons -- 1) injured shoulder that I can't afford to have checked or fixed, 2) injured wallet that I can't afford to restock, without a job.
I kept jumping after I had hurt my shoulder, then I realized that if i had to roll my shoulder back into it's socket, in mid flight, I probably wasn't being as safe as I should be...I grounded myself. My grandma says I should sell my rig because I won't ever jump again...I refuse to accept that, as well as consider selling any of my gear.
Quitters?...neh, simply regrouping.

SA

[joebud321 0]

lesson for newbis!!:....stay away from the politics as long as u can!!!.....its the only bad thing about skydiving...

turn up!, jump!, hang out, leave the rest to the management

[Luv2Fall 0]

Quote

lesson for newbis!!:....stay away from the politics as long as u can!!!.....its the only bad thing about skydiving...

turn up!, jump!, hang out, leave the rest to the management

Yep

[UntamedDOG 0]

Quote

stay away from the politics as long as u can!!!.....

Are you crazy? I love dropzone politics! I love to hear about who is pissed at this DZ owner or that rigger and so forth. Gossip is what separates man from the beast. I often help the process myself by starting rumors and malign. Call me an old hen, but being a chatterbox has given me such a sense of social fulfillment in skydiving.

To me, skydiving is all about the drama aspect. I like to hear about aircraft maintenance horror stories, who is pencil packing their reserve, and who lied on their Jumpmaster rating application.

Terminological inexactitude. I really don’t care if it’s true. It’s simply a form of entertainment.

UntamedDOG

[amy1975 0]

Hello,
I am new to skydiving, only have one jump under me right now, and many more to come

• Quote

[Luminous 0]

Quote

I have found some other sports and other activities that have given me much more than skydiving ever did, without the investment in time or money.

and yet here you are.

Cheers
Larry
--

'In an insane society a sane person seems insane.' Mr. Spock

[Luminous 0]

Quote

turn up!, jump!, hang out,

DING - DING - DING !!!

We have a winner!!!
--

'In an insane society a sane person seems insane.' Mr. Spock

[grue 1]

Quote

Spoken like a true newbie!

Believe me, in the beginning we all felt like you do. I bet you that after a few hundred jumps, you'll understand what he means.

Quote

10 years ago I never thought I'd stop diving, but I'm logging only a handful of dives a year now. Skydiving bumped it out. Who knows in a few years. I like to have one or two major interests, and one new sport each year. It can get crowded in the closet.

If you reach a plateau and don't have new aspects of the interest to stimulate, you might find something more exciting elsewhere. That's pretty much what happened to me in the water.

Skydiving's higher currency requirement and the greater penalty for sloppiness only increases this.

Quote

At 43 jumps, I thought the same as you and couldn't understand why someone with thousands of jumps and that could really fly would quit. Then I got a few thousand jumps. Jumping from planes is fun and cool, all the other crap can add up to make it simply not worth it.

Quote

if you are seriuos - take a deep breath, step back from the computer, take off your rig and get a life

Ok. Skymama is the ONLY person who realised this was a joke reply on my part, going along with the "calling bullshit" thread. Any of you who have ever participated in a thread with me realise that I am NOT a serious person. I make jokes. That's what I do.

I have got some of the most overreactive PMs I've seen in a long time. Calm the fuck down, people.

cavete terrae.

[tbrown 26]

My old friend Jimmy Tavino is still jumping steady after more than thirty years in this sport. He posts regularly in these forums. Aside from Jimmy, I have several friends at Perris and Elsinore who jumped back in the seventies and never quite had the sense to quit, we still all get out on Air Trash Days (last Saturday of every month, usuallyat Perris). And I had a rather refreshing break of 22 years, but have been back for 2 1/2 years now myself and enjoying it more than ever. Nobody ever really quits until they're dead & buried - and some of them even make one last ash dive with their friends.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

I have got some of the most overreactive PMs I've seen in a long time.

Ha! Wait til you're married. You'll get a life-long education in "overreactive PMS"

[grue 1]

Quote

Quote

I have got some of the most overreactive PMs I've seen in a long time.

Ha! Wait til you're married. You'll get a life-long education in "overreactive PMS"

cavete terrae.