Wow, I'm shaking just typing this.

[canyonracerx 0]

OMG, I love this shit. This is literally 1 day after doing a tandem for my 1st time. My girlfriend surprised me on my 23rd birthday with this and I think I am now addicted. I am a long time snowboarder/skater and have been racing streetbikes for the last few years so I am no stranger to speed and adrenilin. She figured this would be something I would love and boy was she right, I am taking my second tandem tomorrow so that next week I can jump on my own and get a real feel for freefalling through the sky. I have been riding race bikes for 6 years and as much fun I have hauling ass with my knee on the gound at 160mph I never expected there would be anything else that would effect me like the way racing my bike feels. I loved my 1st tandem so much that when I landed I signed up for my 2nd tandem to take place the next day, the owner said he's never had anyone sign up so quick. I always wanted to jump from a plane but never new it was so available, I want to say thank you for all of you who have made this sport popular and so available to newby's like myself. I hope you all will answer all the stupid newby questions I'll have since I know I'll have alot. I fully saturate myself with everything I get into and I feel this will be no different than anything else I love.......i'm still running the jump through my head over and over.......wow, I can't wait till tomorrow, this is the best drug on the market.

[bigorangemd 0]

Welcome to the dark side. It's a great sport. Also the DZ makes a great place to run your bike full out down the runway on off days!

[livenletfly 0]

we all know how you feel. i didnt sleep for 48hrs after my first jump. my palms would sweat just thinking about it. ive never been the same since. 3 years 1000 jumps and 35,000$ dollars later i still cant sleep some nights thinking about skydiving. welcome to our common bond, you'll meet some of the best people in the world within this awsome sport.
o by the way. it only gets better and better, you'll see!!!!

>

[justaflygirl 0]

welcome to our world!!! The adventure has just begun! Wait until you are licensed and the the "FUN" really begins!

When I first started jumping, two years ago, I would say for at least a month staright, I constantly stared at the sky, quitely thinking to myself, that "I have touched the clouds...." Now two years later, the first thing I do when I go outside is I look up and admire the beauty of the sky in a way that only a skydiver can. We are such lucky people to be apart of this wonderful thing!

You have also just stumbled upon and became a part of what could possibly be the best and strongest non-blood family ever. We skydivers take care of our own, the bond is truly amazing!

[rhino 0]

Quote

Welcome to the dark side.

Exactly... Welcome.. If at first you don't succeed don't try skydiving

[bbarnhouse 0]

Quote

run your bike full out down the runway on off days

Boy I sure do not recommend that, especially if the airport has federal grants. It could very well compromise the operation as well as the airport even if you were to get permission.

Welcome to skydiving! Gotta tell ya after my first tandem I went back up on the next load for my second one. It only gets better from there!
Stay safe, have fun and plan on equating everything to jumps when it comes to expenditures

[WrongWay 0]

Welcome to the addiction, brother.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[Superman32 0]

Quote

Stay safe, have fun and plan on equating everything to jumps when it comes to expenditures

hahaha... I could buy this but that's x number of jumps

Yeah, you will definately be saying that alotYou'll actually be able to hear your wallet weep

Inveniam Viam aut Faciam
I'm back biatches!

[canyonracerx 0]

Quote

hahaha... I could buy this but that's x number of jumps

Yeah, you will definately be saying that alot
You'll actually be able to hear your wallet weep

I don't think you realize how expensive racing streetbikes is...I'm giving racing up because I have to work on fri/sat's now but I get sun/mon's off so I'm probably just going to be transferring all funds to the sky.

I notice some of you have 3000+ jumps and D-licenses within 1 year of jumping. How fast can you go through the AFF course?

[monkycndo 0]

hahaha... I could buy this but that's x number of jumps

Yeah, you will definately be saying that alotYou'll actually be able to hear your wallet weep

[firstime 0]

OMG, I love this shit. ***

Welcome to a sport & lifestyle second to none.
$$$$ hahaha don't get used to it.. I gave up smoking because 2 packs is one hop & pop.

[bbarnhouse 0]

Quote

I notice some of you have 3000+ jumps and D-licenses within 1 year of jumping. How fast can you go through the AFF course?

Jump numbers are correct but I can tell you I have more than 1 year in the sport.
As to AFF I completed mine in 2 weeks. Some go faster, some slower. It all depends on time, money, repeats if necessary and instructor availability.

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

Welcome.
It gives you so much. A feeling of being truly alive. Eleviates stress. Brings a smile to your face EVERY time.

My family is fully supportive of this sport as they see the happiness and joy it's brought into my life.

Feel the wind...your journey has just begun.

_________________________________________

[Airman1270 0]

"One of us! One of us! One of us!..."

Welcome, brother. Depending on where you go and what type of training you receive, as well as video, etc., the cost of a first jump can range from $150 - $250 or so, then the rest of your money for the rest of your life afterward.

I'm sure raising African Violets is fun, too, but there aren't enough weekend days in a month...

Cheers,
Jon S.

[ltdiver 3]

Quote

Gotta tell ya after my first tandem I went back up on the next load for my second one. It only gets better from there!

Thought I was the only one who'd done that.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[Pawel 0]

Welcome.. Don't forget to change your direct deposit to your DZ..

[evilivan 0]

I did it the other way round - skydiving and then bikes. Not much in it, except the gratification is shorter but better with skydiving. Welcome

"If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation."
David Brent

[only_at_120 0]

Gee that makes me feel a lot better. All your jumps and still have times that you can't sleep. I'm still at AFF Level III, didn't make it the first 2 times, and I feel like I know what my problems are and how to correct them. I have been practicing what my JM's told me to do, but for some reason I have been having cold feet! Guess it's just something I have to get over!!

[bigorangemd 0]

Quote

Quote

run your bike full out down the runway on off days

Boy I sure do not recommend that, especially if the airport has federal grants. It could very well compromise the operation as well as the airport even if you were to get permission.

That's the nice thing about a DZ with a private strip!

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Quote

You have also just stumbled upon and became a part of what could possibly be the best and strongest non-blood family ever. We skydivers take care of our own, the bond is truly amazing!

Roger that!
(You know I'm never gonna forget how that happened.)

Canyonracerx, be safe and have a great time. Never stop! (Not like you could now if you wanted to! ) justaflygirl is 100% right, you have joined a new family, so welcome!

edit: By the way, I may love flying and skydiving and the speed and the rush, but I don't know how I would handle zooming at 160mph on the ground!

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[bbarnhouse 0]

Quote

That's the nice thing about a DZ with a private strip!

Well it'e one nice thing

[tetra316 0]

Quote

Thought I was the only one who'd done that.

Did the same thing! The dz was using a borrowed airport for the weekend for a bunch of tandems from the university. We were supposed to go up on Saturday but got winded out. We were told to show up at 6am the next day and they would make sure we got up before the wind hit. Liked it so much I did two tandems within an hour at 6am in the morning! My earliest jump yet.

[Antidote 0]

Welcome to the sport.

Be safe. This sport is can be very unforgiving of mistakes.

[kallend 1,625]

Quote

Quote

Gotta tell ya after my first tandem I went back up on the next load for my second one. It only gets better from there!

Thought I was the only one who'd done that.

ltdiver

I did it too. And then another.

...

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

[canyonracerx 0]

just walked in the door from my second and final tandem. He showed me how to spin left and right and I pulled the cord right at 6000 ft then I steered the canopy the whole way right until we landed. The wind was blowing hard and a huge gust hit right when we landed so we landed on hard dirt instead of the soft stuff and then the chute filled up and pulled us back off the ground and I landed on top of my jumpmaster. I was of course fine but it nocked the wind out of him and hurt his back. I fealt really bad and kept apologizing but he said it wasn't my fault. Anyways I passed and will be starting my AFF course very shortly. Thanks to everyone at Skydive Santa Barbara you have been nothing but kind and helpful.

Oh and by the way heres a link to a video of a buddy and me at streets of willow. I love skydiving but there's still something special about dragging your knee on the ground at 160+mph.

http://www.axce.com/zrated/mike/sow001.wmv