New Jumper - Need Opinion

[skygazer 0]

Hi Everyone,

I am sure this has been covered...I found a few mentions while cruising the forum but I am really getting freaked about this. I have made 2 tandems -the first time I was having a having a heck of a time breathing but realized it made no sense and forced myself to breath and had an AWESOME time. Next time - same thing. I know this is 150% mental but I want to do my AFP next summer (gotta save the $$$) and I need to beat this. I am doing another tandem in the next few weeks and this is the ONLY thing bothering me. Does anyone have any suggestions? Skyding has given me a whole new outlook on everything in my world - it's all I think about! To discover it at 40 - I am not having it taken away by a goofy mind game. Any help is truly appreciated.

Thanks to all

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[turtlespeed 212]

I'm noone...so take this as you will.

Close your eyes in the plane and do breathing excersizes while imagining the skydive.
And do that all the way to altitude....at the door..deep breath and then count and off you go...alot of people forget to breathe.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[BobB 0]

I'm no doctor...but maybe you're breathing difficulties are due to tension? If you tense up, your diaphragm and intercostals don't want to move...and you can't breathe.

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forced myself to breath and had an AWESOME time

Raff told me that forcing a deep breath through the mouth and then exhaling will make you relax. Try it before your next exit...deep breath...hold for a second...then exhale.

If you have trouble during the dive, try it again...deep breath through the mouth and exhale...Raff gave me the "breathe" signal more than a couple of times on AFF dives...it sure as hell helped me during freefall.

Good luck and blue skies...

Bob

Yes, I know it is snowing.
No, we are not putting the top up.

[skygazer 0]

Thanks to you both - I will def try your suggestions. Cannot wait to go again - I have never experienced anything so amazing - never in my life could I feel like I could actually TASTE the adrenalin.

Life simply does not get better than this.

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[greenemachine 0]

my wife had same deal on her first couple of jumps, was due in part to her looking down at the ground, the air tends to ram in and make it seem hard to breath, look up at the horizon and relax, no worries

If a Blonde throws a pin at you RUN, shes got a hand grenade in her mouth!

[Clownburner 0]

My first two tandems it took me 3000 feet to remember to close my mouth, my jaw was so slack.

Just try to relax and stick with it, it gets easier as your body adjusts to the sensation and adrenaline of freefall.

7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez
"I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

[diablopilot 2]

I tell my first time students to scream if they are having trouble breathing. This empties their lungs and the body takes over.

For you this may not be the best course of action, though it may be fun and what you feel like doing at the moment.

What worked for me was focusing on the dive flow, and what I had to do during the skydive. It stoped being a ride when they were training jumps, and the focus I had on the skydive left me no time to think of breathing or fear.

Good luck, and welcome to the sky.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[PilotMike 0]

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my wife had same deal on her first couple of jumps, was due in part to her looking down at the ground, the air tends to ram in and make it seem hard to breath, look up at the horizon and relax, no worries

There actually is a technique used at high altitudes with pressurized oxygen masks that takes a little getting used to. It's called Pressure Breathing. On the ground, you relax your lungs/diaphragm to breathe out, when pressurized, you have to force the air out and relax to breathe in.

I've got about 450 jumps and the first time I noticed any trouble breathing in freefall was actually at Rantoul this year. I was in shorts/t-shirt arching to stay with a newbie sitflyer. I went into some industrial haze (cough)cloud(cough) and it was like I got the wind knocked out of me. I was probably looking down too, but I thought it was the strangest feeling and I just relaxed, looked at my friend and consciously took a deep breath.

My advice is the same as everyone else's. Relax, keep your chin up, and take a couple deep breaths before exit to keep you calm.

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Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

[funks 1]

screw the tandem, go to AFF now. If it is a money issue, save what you were gonna spend on the tandem and you wont be to far off for the AFF. If you are serious about becoming a skydiver there is no reason to do 3 tandem jumps...dont let procrastination get the best of you....it is very hard to calm down in the plane (as a student) so it isnt even worth trying, however once you are out in the sky just think to yourself and realize everything is ok...you are experiencing your dream, take it slow, realize that you are safe and before you know it you will be breathing!!

[algboy 0]

"my wife had same deal on her first couple of jumps, was due in part to her looking down at the ground, the air tends to ram in and make it seem hard to breath, look up at the horizon and relax, no worries"

I feel your pain, Skygazer. I had the same problem on my 1st tandem. Thought I was suffocating during freefall. I--too--looked straight down at Farmer John's house and got blasted by the wind. It took my breath away--literally. I forced myself to breathe through clenched teeth and eventually looked up at the horizon. Ta-DAAAAA--that's all it took.

BTW, on my AFF 5 dive, I thought I had done a pretty good job until, after deployment, I thought I was having a heart attack (couldn't catch my breath). During the debrief, after the jump, my instructor mentioned that he didn't see me breathe during the entire freefall! SHUH!!

I've had to constantly remind myself to BREATHE: on jump run, on exit and in freefall.

In my case the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak (not breathing/stiff as a board).

Enjoy your training--it'll be some of the best moments of your life.

“Keep your elbow up!"

[aliengirl 0]

Breathe through your nose. This is what one of my instructors told me and it worked like a charm. Very simple.

[mjosparky 3]

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screw the tandem, go to AFF now. If it is a money issue, save what you were gonna spend on the tandem and you wont be to far off for the AFF. If you are serious about becoming a skydiver there is no reason to do 3 tandem jumps...dont let procrastination get the best of you....it is very hard to calm down in the plane (as a student) so it isnt even worth trying, however once you are out in the sky just think to yourself and realize everything is ok...you are experiencing your dream, take it slow, realize that you are safe and before you know it you will be breathing!!

Bad advise, it is possible to relax in the plane for a student or a team jumper competing at the world meet. Focus on what your job will be on the jump. Breath in through you nose, slow and deep, exhale through your mouth, slow and completely. Remember, focus.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[tjumper 0]

I had the same problem when i started skydiving and realized that my i was breathing through my mouth. I started breathing through my nose and that fixed it. good luck