Skydive Hollister

[ArcAngel0223 0]

Hey everyone,

I'm preparing to head out to Skydive Hollister to fly video and possibly get my tandem rating. Was just curious what ya'lls thoughts and experiences were? Good? bad? Ugly?

If you worked there were you paid on time?

Any info would be appreciated, and feel free to email me [email protected] if you'd rather not post publicly.

Blue Skies my friends,

Jourdan

[NWFlyer 2]

Go at your own risk. Local scuttlebutt says the place is circling the drain.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[angryelf 0]

Have made a few jumps there over the years and had a mostly positive experience. Lot of people in the Bay Area talk down about the place, mostly because the landing area is separated from the airport and the bus ride sucks (And diehard Hollister types keep saying they will be landing at the airport "soon")... A good friend of mine/former student worked there for a long time and developed into a hell of a good vidiot and freeflyer. It's like any dz, it is run by someone who operates an amusement park for "adults" who themselves are ADD children with grown up urges and desires. You spend some time pandering a product to crazy people and you'll wind up that way yourself. Hollister has ups and downs and has had it's share of issues. Things can be loose and fast there, but that goes anywhere. Go check it out, if you like it stay. If not you can choose from 4-6 other DZ's in the Bay/San Joaquin Valley Area.

-Harry

"Sometimes you eat the bar,
and well-sometimes the bar eats you..."

[BillyVance 34]

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Have made a few jumps there over the years and had a mostly positive experience. Lot of people in the Bay Area talk down about the place, mostly because the landing area is separated from the airport and the bus ride sucks (And diehard Hollister types keep saying they will be landing at the airport "soon")... A good friend of mine/former student worked there for a long time and developed into a hell of a good vidiot and freeflyer. It's like any dz, it is run by someone who operates an amusement park for "adults" who themselves are ADD children with grown up urges and desires. You spend some time pandering a product to crazy people and you'll wind up that way yourself. Hollister has ups and downs and has had it's share of issues. Things can be loose and fast there, but that goes anywhere. Go check it out, if you like it stay. If not you can choose from 4-6 other DZ's in the Bay/San Joaquin Valley Area.

-Harry

I made a few jumps there one day in the mid 90's. Didn't much care for the van rides (no rear seats just sit on the floor). One time the driver had to slam on the brakes so some of us slid forward.

Plus you have to watch the cow patties coming in for landing.

A lot can change in 16-17 years though.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[jclalor 12]

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I made a few jumps there one day in the mid 90's. Didn't much care for the van rides (no rear seats just sit on the floor). One time the driver had to slam on the brakes so some of us slid forward.

I always keep my GoPro on for the ride back in the van, that's where the real defiance of death occurs.

[jacketsdb23 45]

There was a mass exodus of very talented skydivers not too long ago. Instructors and videographers were not paid for weeks at a time. Go check it out...but be careful. Cheers.

Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen
God is Good
Beer is Great
Swoopers are crazy.

[NWFlyer 2]

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A lot can change in 16-17 years though.

Yep, ownership's changed at least twice since then. The van ride still exists, though.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[jshiloh 0]

Far as I know, the DZO is still not back to action after busting his leg a little while back. That's not a bad thing in general, but considering how much a role Mako played/plays there, it's got to have an effect. They've been sued at least 2-3 times in the past few years. Their Yelp reviews continue to go down the drain, with the most common complaint being poor organization & even accusations of fraud. Lots of talk from former employees about not getting paid. Most (if not all) of their vendors/suppliers insist on cash up front due to payment problems. And I know there have been multiple complaints by customers filed with the DA's office. I'd strongly recommend you take a hard first-hand look at this operation before signing on.

[williammonk 0]

Hey,
I've been fun-jumping at Hollister for the past few months.

They've got a pretty good operation going on over there.

The owner (Mako) actually just made his first jumps after his accident this weekend, but he was always around the DZ, keeping things running.

As far as the instructors getting paid on time, I don't hear too much bickering... It's a pretty open place, I think I would have if it was a problem.

They seem to run a ton of tandems too, but it's my understanding that they've got a bunch of outside video guys with few customers ordering outside video.

If you're AFF rated, there's always students there.

It's funny about the Yelp reviews, I took a look at some of them. I think most people get upset because of weather holds. Over the last few months, several days have been weathered out and customers were NOT happy. Then when manifest tells them there are no refunds (as they were told) some go crazy... I've never seen an (obviously) unhappy customer on the van ride back though... This may come with the territory, but they get some NUTS customers in there. People so crazy you wonder how they even found the place.

But I like the place. Bunch of friendly people, fun guys, fun jumps. Laid back place.

The bus ride isn't the best thing ever, but its not too bad most of the time. Just a bunch of guys shooting the shit.

I didn't see you out there this weekend. Maybe you saw me... blue RW suit, Red Rig.

See you soon,
William.

[jclalor 12]

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Hey,
I've been fun-jumping at Hollister for the past few months.

They've got a pretty good operation going on over there.

The owner (Mako) actually just made his first jumps after his accident this weekend, but he was always around the DZ, keeping things running.

As far as the instructors getting paid on time, I don't hear too much bickering... It's a pretty open place, I think I would have if it was a problem.

They seem to run a ton of tandems too, but it's my understanding that they've got a bunch of outside video guys with few customers ordering outside video.

If you're AFF rated, there's always students there.

It's funny about the Yelp reviews, I took a look at some of them. I think most people get upset because of weather holds. Over the last few months, several days have been weathered out and customers were NOT happy. Then when manifest tells them there are no refunds (as they were told) some go crazy... I've never seen an (obviously) unhappy customer on the van ride back though... This may come with the territory, but they get some NUTS customers in there. People so crazy you wonder how they even found the place.

But I like the place. Bunch of friendly people, fun guys, fun jumps. Laid back place.

The bus ride isn't the best thing ever, but its not too bad most of the time. Just a bunch of guys shooting the shit.

I didn't see you out there this weekend. Maybe you saw me... blue RW suit, Red Rig.

See you soon,
William.

If you have only jumped at Hollister for a few months you re lucky, they seem to be finally getting it together. For a few years they were everything (and worse) the Yelp reviews say they were. I had friends that went out and did tandems paying full price for 15K, waiting for 8 hours, and then only going to 8K. I watched their videos of only 15 seconds of FF. Mako's a good guy and means well, but for awhile he really let things get away from him.

FYI, All the tandems found the place on Groupon and various other coupon sites, When Hollister is paid only $50 per tandem, people don't get paid on time.

Hollister has great funjumpers but tandems are the cash cow that keeps the turbines running, keep doing business the same way and no one will be jumping.