How Much Time do I NEED in the tunnel?

[white_falcon 0]

Ok Tunnel Rats,

I am going to be in Orlando Mid may for 3 days.

How MUCH time should is enough for a session? 10 15 30 mins?? I would also obviously want to have a coach/instructor.

As you can see, I am new to this world and would like to get better faster. I am much more interested in RW skills than FF. Sooooo, advice please??

Thanks,
Scott

[white_falcon 0]

hmmmmm, no takers?? I have read a little in here on the subject, but am not clear on the consensus. If I can only devote 10 - 30 mins, IS it worth it??

C'mon guys, I know SOMEONE has an opinion, you are skydivers afterall. LOL



Scott

[apixel 0]

I'm not a tunnel rat, but I just had my pre-second tunnel experience a few weeks ago, so I may have some insight. If you are an unknowing weakling like me, (I thought I was in pretty good shape), 30 minutes for the first session might be a bit too much. I had 30 minutes out of an hour, so I was in for two minutes, out for two minutes, in again, etc ... I think that by minutes 16 I was pretty much done for. I was able to muster up some more energy every once in a while after that, but I certainly was not taking real advantage of the time. ( A bit more on my defense, it was cold that night, and I had a long week of not enough sleep the days before ... also, that Mantis thing is hard on the arms )
In any case, if you are there for 3 days and are able to spread the time, I would do that. The next time I go, I will certainly try to be there for two days and do 15 and 15.

I had dropzone.com's very own Ron as a coach and he was awesome. I meant to write something about this whole thing a while ago, so this is as good a time as any. He came with a nice ambitious plan for me, since I had half an hour, but was nice enough to realize I was dying half way through it, so we solidified what we had. I came in bouncing from wall to wall and with weak forward motion docking skills, and left with very little wall encounters, full confidence in docking and fall rate matching, and a very good start on the mantis. This all transferred very nicely to freefall for me, in the sense that my coach levels were a breeze and I felt much more in control in the air. My mantis still needs a lot of work, so I'll probably be back in the tunnel for that at some point. Although Ron didn't see me smile once while in the tunnel ( I swear I'm having fun, I just don't smile! ), he certainly smiled and kept the whole mood charged with energy. I'll definitely be seeking him out so we can finish what we started on my next time there.

Hope this helps. Oh yeah ... drink a lot of water and a little aspiring/advil before and after, and take a hot bath after you are done. As tired as I was when I left the tunnel, I was barely sore the next day by following those simple steps.

[Bodyflight.Net 0]

It depends on how much you want to tune your skills.. I think ANY amount of time is worth trying.. at least to see what you think. I always say to new students that the first 10-15 minutes is a "get to know you" period with the tunnel/the air & the differences from skydiving.. then you can start working on really learning some things..30 minutes would be ok.. you MIGHT notice a difference when you go jump again.. an hour would be better...
even better than that.. go back more than once or twice in a month and you'll find you get LOTS better!

Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Tunnels,
Dawn Suiter

[Hummusx 0]

Quote

hmmmmm, no takers?? I have read a little in here on the subject, but am not clear on the consensus. If I can only devote 10 - 30 mins, IS it worth it??

C'mon guys, I know SOMEONE has an opinion, you are skydivers afterall. LOL



Scott

Yes, it's worth it even if you can only do 10-30 minutes. My wife and I did 1 hour last year and it helped immensely. Getting this kind of training early on would be great for you so that you don't waste time learning bad habits.

As far as how much time, I'd say the more the better! There's a progression that you'll go through with a coach from basic body position and stability to the whole range of movement in all directions. This took me almost the entire hour. My wife didn't get all the way through the progression because she spent more time then me on the basics (she has fewer jumps).

I would definitely break up your time, ie you don't want to do 30 minutes altogether. Do it in 10-15 minute blocks and do as much as you can afford to get. You'll never regret it.

____________________________________
It’s like selling a million grills all at the same time…with extended warranties. -Hank Hill

[NWFlyer 2]

I did some time at Perris at about the same experience level as you. I did 3 15-minute coached sessions over two days and that seemed just about right. I spent much of the first session just getting used to the tunnel environment and how to fly my body in it. It was during the second two sessions that I was really able to make some progress and learn. Those two sessions were one hour in, one hour out, one hour in, so I was pretty beat by the end of it, but as long as you stay hydrated in between and do LOTS of stretching you'll probably be okay. (Edited to make it clear that those sessions were 15 minutes out of each hour, split with three others)

So I'd say do multiple 15-minute sessions with time to rest and debrief in between, rather than trying to do one longer session.

"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

[diablopilot 2]

If it's just you and it's your first time, I wouldn't do more than about 15 minutes in a session, with coaching.

You can do multiple 15 minute sessions, but much more than that in a session and you'll be too tired to learn, plus you'll probably waste time too.

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

[rehmwa 2]

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If it's just you and it's your first time, I wouldn't do more than about 15 minutes in a session, with coaching.

You can do multiple 15 minute sessions, but much more than that in a session and you'll be too tired to learn, plus you'll probably waste time too.

Perfect answer as far as I'm concerned. get an hour or two - with a coach and do it in quarter of a session chunks. 15 minutes of each hour, every other hour. On the in between, look at the tape and discuss things about the session. Classic tunnel camp format.

that is, IF you can set that up.

If you get 3 other friends, then you can really hit it with 2 coaches and buy 1 hour a piece.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[marcandalysse 0]

I Agree.

Do 15 minutes in an hour session divided with friends.
Do 3 of those spread over 2-3 days. That way you build muscle memory.

The first time most people get in the tunnel, no matter how many skydives they've done, they will be very awkward till they get the feeling for the wind.

Try closing your eyes for a round and just feel the wind on your hands as you do turns, levels etc.

Have fun!! Bring lots of $$$ 'cause you will get addicted. Only your creditcard limit and your body's tolerance for sore muscles will stop you now!!

oh yeah, keep smiling for the camera!!

marc

"The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly." --GK Chesterton

[freeflynNicki 0]

i visited a girlfriend in orlando just this past weekend (3/11 - 3/13) we did an hour fri night...30 in 2 1/2 min rotating...then debriefed for 30...then back in for 30....NEVER DO THAT! you'll be freakin' dead!

Learned ALOT, but the last 2 or 3 rotations...i was so exhausted...i bagan to regress like crazy.

15 and 15 like someone else said is not a bad idea at all! playing in the sky the next day is WONDERFUL!! All your new skills, fine tuned...YAY!

HAVE FUN!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PMS#269
Team Dirty Sanchez#41

[tdog 0]

My first tunnel session went like this @ 35 skydives...

30 minutes pre-brief, 15 minutes tunnel, 15 minutes brief, 15 minutes tunnel, 15 minutes brief... Total 30 minutes in the tunnel... Catch - there were no other people sharing the time so the coach and I would spend 20 seconds talking while the rat played, and I was right back in. I looked at the VHS tape. 36 minues lapsed on the tape, I was in for 31 minutes... That means I was "resting" for, on average, 24 seconds per 2.5 minute session... Resting was not even resting but practicing the next move, never turning my brain off or taking a moment to recoup. I might as well have just stayed in if the instructor could have told me the next drill. Was this the wrong way to learn... No, because I had only one day to do it on my business trip. If the time was more spread out, I would have done 20 minutes in the AM and 20 minutes after dinner...

I was SORE as hell as my body learned how to fly in the tunnel for the first time. You are fighting a lot of things until you learn to fall straight down, which takes 15 minutes of drills to get into the grove.

Note - of the 12 2.5 minute sessions in a row, I stopped learning on the 11th... I was lucky.

One month latter I went back for a camp... 30-45 minutes of tunnel plus 6 skydives a day - for a week... No soreness, just dehydration. Could have done more. Wanted to do more.

The reason - my body muscles relaxed and fell into place. I was no longer pushing the air but flying in it. You will be sore the first time you go in! Go slow the first day then speed up, I say.


How much tunnel time do you "NEED"... I am thinking somewhere between 250 and 500 hours would be a good base to work off of... Then add a few more hundred hours a year...

Seriously, get as much as your $$$ will allow. I learn 10X more in the tunnel than in the sky because the coach can stand up, manipulate one body part, then go back to doing the drill with ya.

[Paige 0]

I hope you already have the time booked. I'd call about that before planning anything. 20 minutes will usually do ya. You'll be hurtin the next day. Tunnel guys will be fine for your coaching

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[Avion 0]

2x10min or 2x15min blocks would be a good start. And the tunnel instructors themselves will be plenty help to you. I reccomend 2 sessions because after reviewing the first you will want to go back in and work on certain things.

Cheers

And yes, book it now to make sure you can get in.

[diablopilot 2]

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Try closing your eyes for a round and just feel the wind on your hands as you do turns, levels etc.

Oh gee....THANKS.

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

[white_falcon 0]

Hey thanks for all the input folks. I have sent an email to SkyVenture in Orlando and asked if they have time available during the time I am going to be there.

Hopefully I'll get a postive answer and I will heed the advice of the majority here and try to schedule 2 15 min sessions

and please oh please DO NOT let me get addicted to the tunell. Skydiving by itself is bad enough.


Thanks Again for all the replies

Scott

[mailin 0]

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and please oh please DO NOT let me get addicted to the tunell.

Not possible I think the tunnel is even more fun!



Jen

Arianna Frances

[keila_beatriz 0]

I came back of the wind tunnel yesterday, we paid for a 1hr divided in 3 so we have 20 min each in it was more then ok. I'm a beginner I only have 8 jups and that tunnel help me alot. The instructor teach me a lot, beacuse y progress very fast I have the oportunitty that the instructor trach sit flying also. My instructor was Carlos( Sky Adventure Orlando) he is the best. Make a appointment whit him . I hope that you enjoy the tunnel you would se your progress
seee you
Keila
Puerto Rico

...Blues Skies...
Keila
HISPA #80
"Enjoy the day like is the last one of your life"