Newbie Wants to Learn

[lagerhead 0]

I am very new to skydiving, and am looking to learn as much as I can about the sport. I have been looking through the forums trying to gain new info, but realize that much of it is opinions and personal experiences. Where can I find more authoritative info?

[PhreeZone 15]

Welcome to skydiving... where everything is opinion. The best source of info is the SIM from the UPSA or the Skydiver manual fro myour local skydiving association. There is a lot of things in the SIM a lot of jumpers disagree with so even the official publications are opinionated.

Keep your ears open, absorb all the info you can then filter it all out and form your own opinions on everything.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Casch 0]

If you spend some time in the forums (around a couple weeks) you'll find that you can learn TONS!!!! I can't tell you how much I've learned in the month and a half that I have been a member. This is truely one of the best, if not the best place to be online for a skydiver (except for ftp://ftp.skydivingmovies.com/, you can learn a lot there too, and keep very entertained)

[lauril 0]

You can check out the safety articles here on dropzone.com, or the pd's education page here.

[darkwing 4]

just ask any skydiver. They are all authorities.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[skymama 35]

Click on "safety" on the bar at the top of the screen. Read those articles, and also click on the link on that page where you can buy "The Skydiver's Handbook", by Dan Poynter. It's a must read for all new skydivers.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Quote

Where can I find more authoritative info?

Welcome ...

Now I'm just a toddler in the sport so all I can offer is my opinion, but what you didn't mention was what topics do you want to learn more about? Procedures, safety, gear, or how about specific disciplines types of skydiving such as RW, CREW, Freeflying, etc, etc, etc. If we knew what you wanted to learned about we could direct you to some sources?

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[councilman24 36]

I hate to plug Dan Poynter (he's very good at that himself) but the LATEST edition of Parachuting, A Skydivers Handbook, available from http://www.paragear.com/ will set out the basics very well. THEN, try to sort out the rest of it.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[swarley 0]

I am new also. I agree with reading
"The Skydiver's Handbook", by Dan Poynter. It's a must read for all new skydivers.
Lots of great info and scary pictures.
(Like the skydiver taking out the side of the Cessna
when his main deployed in the airplane and got pulled thru airframe). It shows the serious side of the sport and the safety issues. Good Luck

Steve

[Ron 7]

Talk and hang out with your INSTUCTORS.
Take almost eveything you read on this post and before you decide that it is correct, find an S&TA, or an Instructor and talk to them.

Alot of people on this website have ALOT more posts than jumps. Thats not saying they are not allowed to have an opinion, and voice that opinion. However, get all opinons verified by someone you trust, and use common sense.

There are some on this forum that know what they are talking about....and some that don't have a clue.

Verify everything....That includes this post.

Have fun, pull, and for Gods sake don't downsize to fast.

Ron

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[kallend 1,647]

Quote

Talk and hang out with your INSTUCTORS.
Take almost eveything you read on this post and before you decide that it is correct, find an S&TA, or an Instructor and talk to them.

Which is not to say that all instructors are 100% reliable sources of information.... take a topic like exit order and separation, for example, where many instructors STILL teach the "45 degree method".

Ask a rigger about equipment.

[DavidKing 0]

http://www.makeithappen.com/spsj/index.html

[weid14 0]

Quote

Talk and hang out with your INSTUCTORS.
Take almost eveything you read on this post and before you decide that it is correct, find an S&TA, or an Instructor and talk to them.

Alot of people on this website have ALOT more posts than jumps. Thats not saying they are not allowed to have an opinion, and voice that opinion. However, get all opinons verified by someone you trust, and use common sense.

There are some on this forum that know what they are talking about....and some that don't have a clue.

Verify everything....That includes this post.

Have fun, pull, and for Gods sake don't downsize to fast.

Ron

i'll verify Ron's post, he knows what he's talking about the majority of the time

[quatorze 1]

Quote

just ask any skydiver. They are all authorities.

Jeff, don't sweat it, he did his tandem with Outz with Tadpole as vidiot and me lurking, at HMBVI, he knows that I am and expert drink... er Skydiver

I'm not afriad of dying, I'm afraid of never really living- Erin Engle

[fred 0]

Quote

Where can I find more authoritative info?

Just send me an email. I've got more than 50 jumps, so I'm an expert. I'd be glad to answer any questions...

Seriously, though, Dropzone.com has a lot of valuable information, you just have to learn how to filter out the good stuff from the bad. Pay attention to what people say and put some effort into understanding the 'why's about their opinion. There are some very smart people on this forum who have a lot of experience to share. There are also some very loud people who post often and authoritatively, but actually have no clue. Read the explanations as well as the answers.

And then someday you can become an expert, like me. ;)