Out of all the lifelong skydivers, how many make it to old age?

[Monkeyb 0]

After a recent incident that cost the life of two frequent jumpers at my DZ, I'm feeling a bit uneasy about this. I'd read of incidents before, but none really bothered me like this last one.

I'm now wondering if it's worth going long-term in this sport... years and years and years of jumping probably means I'll experience several close calls. I've had one reserve ride thus far and don't particularly look forward to the next one. Obviously the more you jump the more you're exposed to the risks in this sport. I understand that we can die any day, and you can die on jump number 1 just as you can die on jump 9,999... but obviously the more you jump the greater the chance of something bad happening.

Do most lifelong skydivers come out ok? I'm still debating whether this is worth the long-term risks :\

[f1shlips 2]

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I'm still debating whether this is worth the long-term risks

Skydiving is an inherently dangerous activity and your internal feelings of risk versus reward should be given greater priority than any statistical survival rate.

--
drop zone (drop'zone) n. An incestuous sesspool of broken people. -- Attributed to a whuffo girlfriend.

[jlmiracle 7]

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Do most lifelong skydivers come out ok? I'm still debating whether this is worth the long-term risks

I will let you know after I'm dead. I've only been jumping for 9 years and plan on many many more.
There are old skydivers and bold skydivers but no old bold skydivers.

j

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[Zep 0]

This is my view, others may agree or disgree.


Skydivers go in phases, After basic training be it SL, AFF or whatever, They are saftey consious, practice EP's
breakoff an pull at the correct hight, Meaning they do every thing by the book,
Then after awhile comes the lazy pulls (Pilot chute in tow). Rushed breakoff, Dumping before youv'e killed your speed
(hard opening). Going low (nervious an fumbled pull). To name but a few. These are the warning signs. Heed them.

I think most people with under 500 jumps, have at one time or another experienced one or more of the above.

The more you Skydive the more relaxed you will become, This can be a good and bad thing.
Good because the more relaxed you are the better you will Skydive an more prepared for any eventuality
Bad because becoming too relaxed and you'll become over confident. An that will kill you.

The other issues are using a canopy not suited to your skill level, and doing radical manouvers close to the ground,


Oh, I forgot one, Rushed packing, A big No No, Their will always be another ride



My views. Flame me.


edit: forgot to answer your question, I'm old 50 an still jumping

Gone fishing

[Monkeyb 0]

Zep, I noticed your signature and couldn't help but notice the Catalan. You live in Barcelona eh? Cool, I'm Catalan myself, born and raised in Barcelona. Living in L.A. now but hopefully I'll be able to move back in the next year or two, haven't been to Spain in about 10 years, since I was 12 :)

Thanks for the feedback, it is very much appreciated. Say, where do you jump, Empuria?

p.s. visca al barça!

[upndownshop 0]

My father jumped for 41 years. Started in 1959 passed away in 2000 at 65 years old. Massive heart attack during deployment on his third jump of the day.
His death had nothing to do with skydivng, but I do believe it kept him "alive" in many ways.

I hope to do the same thing, just older.

Keep jumping, fears do become less over time. Stay current and aware of your surroundings, and dont take anything for granted..

Blue skies to you..

J

[JohnRich 4]

You can do everything correct and still die. However, that is an extremely rare event, despite the fact that we've had several such fatalities recently.

And the same can be said of any other activity in life, like driving a car. So skydiving is no different.

After 27 years of jumping, I believe that we are largely in control of our own fate. The level of risk you assume is in your hands; in the type of gear you purchase, how you fly your canopy, how well-trained you are, how you maintain your equipment, and how well-informed you are. You can be radical, or you can be conservative. There are risk/reward calculations with those choices. Choose your own path wisely to suit your personal level of comfort.

There's nothing wrong with jumping a big canopy and always doing straight-in landings. Some people may think it's not "cool", but you'll have a better chance of jumping forever without getting hurt. Jumping forever without injury is just another kind of cool.

[carbonezone 0]

Scotty is still KICKING
He loves being called a F.O.G "Fucking Old Guy"
<>
Tami

[Monkeyb 0]

Sorry to hear that. Sounds like he had quite the run skydiving though. At least he didn't fall victim to the sport, which is good I suppose, and enjoyed it til the end. Thx for the feedback man.

Oh and JohnRich, thanks for the post, that's pretty much what I wantd to hear

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[Monkeyb 0]

haha right on, hopefully one day I'll be a fog too :)

[Zep 0]

Hola, com va tot, pel benifici dels altres parlare en Angles,

At the moment I'm jumping at Empuria as San Fruitos (Manressa)has been shut down.
If an when you return to Barna you'll see a lot of changes, Some good like public transport an the standard of education.
We now have LA style street gangs (Ñietas and Los latin kings (South American imigrantes)) making some barrios very unsafe)
La Rambla is still the same, Some things never change.
All in all it's still a great city.



Edit: I just noticed your profile, If you want to know about Empuria ask Lob, an tell him Zep says high.

Gone fishing

[Monkeyb 0]

Right on, I'll say hellon for ya. Lob's already told me great things about Empuria :)

Jesus christ, gangs like L.A.? I would've never thought that would happen over there... that f'ing sucks. Hopefully the good outweighs the bad, I really want to head back.

[cutaway1 3]

I'v jumped for quite awhile, and I believe the sport is just as safe or as dangerous as you make it.
Really,
Tim

SCR-21

[JohnMitchell 14]

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Do most lifelong skydivers come out ok? I'm still debating whether this is worth the long-term risks :\

Yes, most people live to retire from skydiving. With 70 jumps, you still have the cocky, bulletproof phase ahead of you. Remember what you're feeling right now and keep it with you. It will help you make better decisions. I'm glad I survived my teens and twenties. I wasn't very smart at times.

[BIGUN 1,050]

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do believe it kept him "alive" in many ways.

Not to mention the number of other folks he kept alive... Think he's still organizing raft dives?

[Tips glass]

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[kallend 1,621]

If you make 100 jumps/year starting at age 20, skydiving at current fatality rates reduces your life expectancy by about 2 years. Smoking a pack of cigarettes a day from age 20 reduces your life expectancy by 6 years.

Now, bear in mind that skydiving takes a lot of years away from a very small fraction of participants, while smoking takes a few years from a large fraction of its participants.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[alw 0]

I gave up skydiving in 1975 at the request of my wife. I recently took it up again with her full support.

Realizing one's own mortality (considering the reality of a finite life span) or the mortality of one you love is a sobering experience, and, I believe, a good one. It allows us a moment of clarity in which we can truly appreciate our lives.

Recognizing one's own mortality (a near death experience) amplifies that realization. Scuba Diver's have the same tendency to become complacent until they run our of air at 80 feet or experience other down side events. Race car drivers go through similar life assessment episodes. In each case they end up making a choice - and in each case it is the right choice, that is, whatever they feel they should do is the right choice. It is, after all their life so they get to be the judge.

While you are considering your own mortality and course of action due to a life altering event, and debating the wisdom of continuing to jump, know that the scales also balance. It was the life altering event of my wife (cancer) that brought me back to skydiving. Her realization that life is indeed short and finite and one should not remove the joy another feels in an attempt to cheat the fates.

I would not presume to suggest what is the best decision for you. Whatever you choose is the right choice. Happiness and inner peace comes from that realization.

---------------------------------------------
Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

[JohnRich 4]

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I gave up skydiving in 1975 at the request of my wife. I recently took it up again with her full support...

That was beautiful. Very well said!

[Rainbo 0]

Obviously I am not as old as some of the FOG's that have responded to you. But they are all correct in saying that it is what YOU make it, most of the time. It is much easier to question one's mortality when something happens to those close to you and you are younger. I think all of us have our time marked somewhere. So it is not really why you live your life, but how you live your life. The how impacts those around you and that's what counts.
As far as skydiving and when should you quit, that a hard one, that only you can answer. Do you still get more out of it than it takes from you, then keep charging ahead dude. My very old friend Jerry Bird said to me when he decided to quit "I don't want my ephitat to read - Jerry Bird skydiver of 40 years, died skydiving". He knew and understood where he wanted his life to take him at that point. I'm sure you will when the time comes.

Rainbo
TheSpeedTriple - Speed is everything
"Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting."

[skybill 18]

Hi YB,
Like Scotty, I'm a F.O.G. too and I plan on being around for a while. I like when people find out I Skydive and the start ranting,"SKYDIVE!!!! that's crazy, you can get killed, etc, etc et.al., how long you been jumpin?" I say,"41 years." and their jaw just works up and down and they don't know what to say.

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[Andrewwhyte 1]

It depends what you mean by old age; when i started I didn't think I'd ever be this old whether I skydived or not.

[Shark 0]

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If I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself.

Quote from D-22 during SOS, Skydive Elsinore.

[skr 1]

>I'm still debating whether this is worth the long-term risks

I don't think you can answer the question of whether to
jump or not with a statistical approach.

Statistics work for insurance companies because they
deal with lots of cases, but you're only one case and
you don't end up in a mixed state of 90% alive and 10%
dead, you either live or die.

And there is also the risk of living a long, boring life,
getting old, having done nothing, never experiencing
the friendships and jump stories and insights and feelings.


I think that if you like to jump then jump. Maybe someday
you'll feel full, like after a good meal, and just naturally
move on, but in any case you can't decide the whole
rest of your life today.


Skydiving is kind of like a narrow mountain trail. If you
stay on the path where a lot of stuff has been figured
out, you'll probably be OK.

But you don't have to stray very far off the path to be
in some deep and lethal shit.


I wonder about this myself from time to time.

Skr

[Andy9o8 0]

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And there is also the risk of living a long, boring life,
getting old, having done nothing, never experiencing
the friendships and jump stories and insights and feelings.

I think that if you like to jump then jump. Maybe someday
you'll feel full, like after a good meal, and just naturally move on, but in any case you can't decide the whole rest of your life today.

Skydiving is kind of like a narrow mountain trail. If you stay on the path where a lot of stuff has been figured out, you'll probably be OK.

But you don't have to stray very far off the path to be
in some deep and lethal shit.

See? This is what happens when you DO stay in the sport for 42 years. You get lots and lots of wisdom, and the chance to pass it on. Pay attention.

[itllclear 1]

OK, I've not been jumping as long as some in this thread, but probably started before some were born!

Looking forward to 3 1/2 years from now when I can get on SOS loads.

Skydiving is the best thing that ever happened to me. Definitely worth any of the risks!

Blue Skies!

Harry

"Harry, why did you land all the way out there? Nobody else landed out there."

"Your statement answered your question."