The Top Three Reasons You Do Tandems??

[slotperfect 7]

Tandem Instructors (current or former) only please!

For me:

1) I love sharing peoples' first time skydiving experience up close and personal. I get a thrill from their thrills! The reactions are incredible; some quite memorable as well.

2) Experience. I have learned more about how to be a safe skydiver from tandems than anything else. I also learn a lot about human nature. Somehow I know that the experience I am building doing tandems will come in handy later in life, in skydiving or elsewhere.

3) The responsibility factor. I get addicted to the incredible responsibility of tandems. It is very rewarding to have people trust me as a safe space for them to shatter the boundaries of their comfort zone.

So, how about all of you? What are your top three?

Arrive Safely

John

[tandembrent 0]

your reasons are mine exactly!!!!

i read them and could think of nothing to improve your list.

peace,
brent

***

~~~~Green grass and high clouds forever~~~~
no matter where you go, there you are!

[AggieDave 6]

Your reasons are pretty much inline with mine.

1) I love getting to share people's first skydive with them, their excitement is like a drug to me, it really fuels me and my skydiving.

2) I've learned quite abit about people's reactions to stress, etc

3) Its just plain ol' fun!

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[teason 0]

1.) My tandem master hates the heavy/problem students

2.) My tandem master went fishing

3.)I'm still paying off my tandem gear.

Sorry, I'm a downer.

Actually I love tandems, nothing like having a human cheststrap!

I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.

[diablopilot 2]

1) The vibe I get off the students.

2) The chalenge of surfing someone out the door each time.

3) The payola.

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

[nightjumps 1]

1. The trust.
2. The control.
3. Feeling fear turn into confidence and exuberation.


3.a Not having to spend 8 hours in chalk talk just to watch someone walk away after one jump.
3.b The AFP Program.

[riggerrob 558]

3. Feeling fear turn into confidence and exuberation.


3.a Not having to spend 8 hours in chalk talk just to watch someone walk away after one jump.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

3.c Not having to worry about brain-locking students landing in forests, towns, rivers, etc.

But I also have to admit that I am in it for the money. For the last 11 years I have put bread on my table by instructing and rigging full-time.
The highest and best use of my time is doing a tandem with a camera strapped to my left hand.

[matthewcline 0]

The fun in watching that 1st jump joy and exhiliration.

The challenge of making it all go right even when the "student" try's to "help".

The learning experience, no tandem is ever the same nor "just another skydive".

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[slotperfect 7]

Quote

even when the "student" try's to "help".

Yesterday I had a big lad (Mike) as a tandem student. His position in the door was perfect. When we exited, he pushed off the bottom of the Otter door so hard that he basically took the exit away from me. He immediately snapped into a nice arch, and I finished the exit & set the drogue. It was great to have a student that switched on, but it did surprise me a little. Nobody ever pushes off like that.

Arrive Safely

John

[skydiverton 0]

1) giving someone a first0jump experencie without spending 1 dayin the classroom first.

2) Experience excitement of studentys right after freefall

3) Just bought a house, so a little $$ is welcome

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Using your droque to gain stability is a bad habit,
Especially when you are jumping a sport rig

[FreeflyGoat 0]

1. It beats delivering pizza for a weekend job.

2. $

3. Get paid for skydiving.

I guess it sounds shitty doing it for the money when all the other posts list experience, joy, etc... but I look at it like a job because I wouldnt be doing it for free. I'd rather be freeflying.....

_________________________
goat
derka jerka bukkake jihad

[JohnMitchell 14]

#1 The only thing better than a free skydive is getting paid to skydive.

#2 Ground instucting doesn't pay enough at my DZ.

#3 I enjoy meeting people and taking them on a skydive. It is an amazing thing to get to share with them. That said, the "high maintenance" whiny passengers are not much fun, but that's all part of the game.

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

I wouldnt be doing it for free. I'd rather be freeflying.....

That's whats odd about me, I guess, I would do tandems for free, mostly, but not the volume I do now for money. It would be one or two a weekend, simply because it is fun (as opposed to the 15 or so I did this past weekend, even with the shitballed weather on Sunday).

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[murps2000 86]

Sorry, but I'm with Goat. It's a job to me. Sure, a few passengers are heads up, get involved, and make my job easier, but that's not enough to make me purposely go skydive with a whuffo attached and an intentional pilot chute in tow just for the fun of it. I'm trying to pay for a habit.

My three,
1)money
2)tips (I do try to show them a good time)
3)making back to back loads while owning only one rig

[peek 20]

1. To show people how much they can accomplish when they can replace their fear or nervousness with confidence.

2. To show people who may have been lead to believe that Tandem skydiving is just a joy ride where they "don't have to do anything" that Tandem skydiving can literally be "learning to skydive".

3. Because certainly no two are the same!

4. Because after occasionally finding a student that has out-performed any of my previous students as far as awareness and performance of the manuvers I have taught them, I find yet another one that does even better. (It just continues to amaze me.)

5. Having Tandem jumps subsidize my other jumps isn't too bad either I guess.

[crutch 0]

1) Fun
2) Fun
3) Fun

If I ever quit having fun doing this, be close to me as my Sigma rig will be for sale real cheap!

Oh I forgot, what about the fame and fortune!!!!

blue skies,

art

[douwanto 22]

1 Keeps me skinny
2 allows me to travel quite often.
3 I Love giving this gift to people.

Chris

Uncle/GrandPapa Whit
Unico Rodriguez # 245
Muff Brother # 2421

[bluskidave 0]

#1- to give the first timer a very safe and enjoyable skydive. #2- to train and educate students as to what expect on their first Aff jump. #3To not hear how much time and money I spend on Skydiving,i.e. Bought all of my sons school clothes from my skydive income. And it is a hell of lot of fun!!!!!!

[John4455 0]

1. It helps with the cost of a other wise very expensive sport. It keeps me jumping a lot when I normally wouldn't be able to.

2. I like being part of the DZ. Being a staff member has its benefits. Like getting invited on a really cool demo, and other similar things. A DZO will look out after the people that look out after him/her.

3.It is fun to "re-live" that first jump experience and share somebody elses.

How do ya like it Johnny?

[tqsmile 0]

1. Seeing how my punter changes from fearfull to exited
2. The experience that i am receiving, flying skills as well as inter personal skills is awsome.
3. Big part is not having to sit in an office all day. Skydive-play with my kids-skydive-play with my kids.....coool

TQ
I am me and you are you, so deal with it!!!
www.skydivepe.com

[usedtajump 1]

These are why I became a tandem instructor / examiner.

1. To be one of the first to take part in a new concept. (Pre drouge days, Ted Strong personally ran the ceritfication course).

2. To teach other jumpers to be TIs so as to further the concept.

3. Most importantly to me, to hear the first comment that came out of the student's mouth after opening.

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

[A2C 0]

1) No skydiver forget his first jump like Bill Booth says .
2) We can share the experience right after the opening which is no other discipline has.
3) We are the welcome gate for skydiver. Some of my students got be TIs and they are making more skydivers too, such are feeling like I gotta be a grandfather.

with appreciation to Ted and Bill.

[pajarito 0]

Your reasons are my reasons and also in that order. I love doing tandems.

[gordy 0]

and I always thought that folk just did it for the money, or maybe thats just my dz...

[JJohnson 0]

1) Get real! Getting paid to skydive is like getting paid to have sex! Does it get any better? Let me sum this up.....I was gonna jump outta the plane anyway...so you are saying that if I strap this stranger to me....and get to work on nailing perfect exits in a variety of circumstances....get to geek a camera.....get to teach a newbie about playing in my world....get to watch someone have airgasms and have them thank me for it...get to spiral a canopy until someone else pukes....work on a whole new way of landing.....a side effect is I get to hang out at the DZ and wait for people to show up and not have to mow my lawn.....PLUS you are going to pay me for it?
I have the best job above Earth.

The day it isn't fun is the day I quit doing it.

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"