Cemolo 0 #1 July 2, 2005 hey everyone, after reading for a couple of month now and getting more and more interested in skydiving I finally wanted to get some feedback on some of my thoughts. Well, like everybody that is new to the sport or is interested i searched for my nearest DZ and it came out to be Cross Keys. I m from Wilmington, Delaware and its only about 30 miles away if I m not wrong. Well i mean that sounds great, and I heard a lot of good things about Cross Keys but I wanted to know some specific things. Starting with some subjective questions like is Cross Keys a good place to start the sport, and do my AFF? Is the DZ to big and will I get lost? Or is it a big DZ but i will still find my way around and even more important , are people helpful and open to talk to newbs, or is everyone busy with themselves? Next question, just to make sure, AFF will cost be about $1300 right? Is that with gear or do I have to rent gear and pay for it for every AFF jump? And then in general how much does it cost to rent gear for a jump and for a day? How much does packing cost? I hears there is a membership fee, how much is that at Cross Keys? Another question that might sound stupid, but i havent found any Information on it yet. Is there a Tunnel at Cross Keys, and if not where is the nearest one around? Well I m sorry if I asked to many stupid questions but I m just trying to figure out if Cross Keys is the right place to get into the Sport. So I would be very happy if some people could give me some feedback on all of this.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tink1717 2 #2 July 2, 2005 I'm a regular at X-Keys and can answer some of your questions, so here goes..... Quote...is Cross Keys a good place to start the sport, and do my AFF? Yes. They have a very good program there. Quote Is the DZ to big and will I get lost? Or is it a big DZ but i will still find my way around and even more important , are people helpful and open to talk to newbs, or is everyone busy with themselves? Yes the DZ is a big one. With that kind of size, there is always the possibility of getting lost. But my experience at X-Keys is that you only get as lost as you allow yourself. Quote Is that with gear or do I have to rent gear and pay for it for every AFF jump? No. Gear rental is part of the student jump price. After you get off student status, that changes. But the gear store, Square 3, has a very good deal on rentals. Quote I hears there is a membership fee, how much is that at Cross Keys? $15.00 per year. Quote Is there a Tunnel at Cross Keys, and if not where is the nearest one around? Nope. There was supposed to be one opening up in Trenton, but I haven't heard much on that since last summer. Hope this helps you.Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off. -The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!) AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cemolo 0 #3 July 2, 2005 first, thanks for your answers. sounds pretty good. Might sound stupid but how can I figure out if a DZ has a good AFF program or a bad one? what are the things i should look out for? What is very important what is less important? ANother question, you said that Square 3 has good deals, do you know any specific prices, I could not find any anywhere, and since I m a College Student the rental price in the beginning is very important to me. So once again thank you, you definitely helped me out ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tink1717 2 #4 July 2, 2005 Quote...how can I figure out if a DZ has a good AFF program or a bad one? It's not really a matter of good/bad per se, it's a matter of what a good program includes. The AFP program at X-Keys goes all the way to the "A" license. It is all inclusive with no gaps. Other AFF programs have gaps in the program where you are cleared to jump solo (not under supervision) but are still expected to complete the skills check off on the license proficiency card (your instructor will give one of these to you OR you can download one at USPA.org ). Quote...you said that Square 3 has good deals, do you know any specific prices It's been a while since I had to look into these prices. The last time I did, they were $38.00 per day. This is significantly better than most DZ's where you are charged on a per jump basis. Feel free to ask anything else.Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off. -The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!) AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #5 July 2, 2005 If you are only 30 min away why don't you just go visit them and take a look around. Better yet get a group together and see if you can parlay organising into a better deal for your own first tandem. BTW I live about 4000 miles from CC and they have a good rep way out here. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vamp 0 #6 July 2, 2005 I'm going through my AFP at CrossKeys right now and I tell you, I love it there. The training is excellent, the instructors are wonderful, and the general atmosphere is open and welcoming. And all the jumpers I've met (either by name or in passing) are fun, friendly folk. It's a great place. And heck, 30 miles away -- what have you got to lose just driving on out? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superman32 0 #7 July 4, 2005 *I did may AFF there and CK is about 100 miles from me and I still drive there. There a couple of closer DZ's but I rather dive the extra distance. *Gear can be rented at both Square3 or manifest for about the same price of around $30 per jump or $60 per day. Gear rentaland packing is included during AFF. *If you decide to do AFF at CK, and you only live 30 miles away, you really should try going there during the week. Weekends are very busy and most instructors are with tandems, and while you can still jump its unlikely you'll get more than 1 and if lucky 2 jumps a day. *A great benefit of going to a large DZ like CK is that once you are able to jump by yourself the number of jumps you can do is limited only by how fast you can pack because the loads are non-stop all day long. Inveniam Viam aut Faciam I'm back biatches! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stacy 0 #8 July 4, 2005 Also I believe that buying your jumps via their web site saves a little $$ too. They have package prices for the whole AFF program I think. ____ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vamp 0 #9 July 4, 2005 Also they are running student daze every couple of weeks...student jumps 145 per when bought in blocks of 2 or more. Don't know the next week they're doing it, but it's soon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jjrainyday 0 #10 July 5, 2005 In answer to your question: Quote Might sound stupid but how can I figure out if a DZ has a good AFF program or a bad one? what are the things i should look out for? What is very important what is less important? There are some basic questions you can ask any DZ with a student program. These include: -How many students have you trained? How many tandems have you done? Cross Keys has done more than 250,000 tandems since they opened. -How long have you been in business? CK: Since 1984. -How experienced are your instructors? How much time in the sport do they have, and how many jumps (on average) does your staff have? CK: The staff averages 6,000 skydives each. -What kind of plane(s) do you fly? (If you don't know the different types, ask how many people it holds. 20+ is big and nice.) CK: On the weekends, a Super Skyvan (approx. 22 jumpers with a cool tailgate exit) and Super Otter (approx. 24 jumpers). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSBlueskies 0 #11 July 6, 2005 Why don't you take a run up to Cross Keys and then take a look at Skydive Delmarva in Laurel. Not as close as Cross Keys, but it's in Delaware. Lots of good people there and something is always going on. They are having a CASA boogie there this weekend. Might be a good time to check the place out. Blue Skies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dougmoffitt 0 #12 July 7, 2005 I am currently doing AFF at Cross Keys - about level 6. The program at XK is 3 tandems, then a 4-hour ground school,7 or more AFP jumps with an instructor, then coached jumps until signed off or the minimum of 25, as needed. Somewhere along the line you need to learn to pack for about $50. Rates are around (it varies) $175 for the tandem and $155 for instructor jumps, including gear but not tips. Deals are available for on-line purchases, cash, certain periods (Student Daze) and for bulk purchases. Coached jumps are a bit less. I can't currently speak to the numbers, as I haven't gotten there. As I understand it, you begin to rent demo gear and pay for repacking. I would count on around $2,500 to get your A license if all goes smoothly. You'll need an altimeter, jumpsuit, and helmet somewhere along the line -- $400 to $1,000. Almost everyone recommends renting your rig until you are about 100 dives in. You will want to demo and downsize (Slowly!!), so buying makes little sense. The instructors are all good. You can either take pot luck or choose and stick with a single instructor. Personalities and styles are quite varied, from neo-Prussian to very laid back; pick the one that speaks to your learning style. As for getting lost: Avoid weekends -- tandems are the first priority since they are the entry and the money-maker. Go early -- start varies from 8 to 10 AM; be there and manifest (sign for a jump) early. Go on days with iffy weather, manifest, then just hang out or learn to pack or whatever....until the weather breaks, which it mostly does. Make yourself nown; talk to everybody. The bar opens at sunset; buy a round for some folks then ask your questions--surefire way to hear the lore and get advice. Packing is, I believe, $6, maybe $10. The membership you need is in US Parachute Assn. $51/year. Get it now from the USPA Web site; it takes a few days to arrive. Otherwise you will have to pay for a $15 monthly membership to cover the time until your annual card arrives. The system is awkward. Your question about the tunnel means you've done your homework. I just returned from the one in Orlando, FL. I learned more in an hour there with an instructor than I would have in scores of dives. Its also great because you get immediate feedback and the chance to try things repeatedly. Also, it's great, damn fun!! About $600 per hour plus instructor. I very much recommend doing that between the tandems and first AFP jump. You will save both time and money! Also, it's great, damn fun!! www.skyventureorlando.com I had my own instructor; maybe they can provide one. I don't know. Also, it's great, damn fun!! Blue skies! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
