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soarfree

Any skydiver not enjoy their tunnel time?

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Every skydiver I've spoken to loved their tunnel time and cannot seem to get enough of it. I imagine I'll be the same way.

But I'm curious, are there any skydivers that did not enjoy their time in the tunnel?

Well behaved women rarely make history - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

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I have spoken & flown with plenty of skydivers who don't like the tunnel. It's a humbling experience and some just like their canopy or the freedom of space the sky offers.

If you have 1000+ jumps, you may expect to be able to fly in the tunnel when that just might not be the case. It will definately help you out but the tunnel and sky are different.

I think if you want to be good flyer, you should be open to the differences that each offers and take the experiences for what they are. The tunnel isn't trying to be the sky and sometimes I think people come in with expectations that are closer to their sky skills not realizing the differences.

I hope everyone would have a good time and enjoy the tunnel experience for what it is, not what they wanted it to be.
Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

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But I'm curious, are there any skydivers that did not enjoy their time in the tunnel?



I’ve never heard anyone say they didn’t enjoy the tunnel.

I have seen people that were humbled by the tunnel come out complaining about it. In my opinion those were people with pretty bad flying skills that were seriously over confident in themselves. In fact one time I remember a guy from a small DZ with 800 jumps, telling the tunnel rat that he didn’t need any help and wanted to start right away with 2 ways with his girl friend. Suffice it to say after 15 minutes he was able to avoid the walls…most of the time.:S
"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

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With my low jump numbers, I don't know that I qualify as a 'skydiver', however..... I definitely enjoyed it, and with each passing day I'm more eager to get back (especially after watching video and seeing things to correct).

That being said, it sure was frustrating in terms of staying in the wind stream...in the sky if you backslide, it's not as big a deal: you won't fall off the wind. In the tunnel, well...you will. In just one day of playtime, though, I learned a heck of a lot regarding body awareness & can't wait to work it some more.


For me, it was a very different experience from freefalling, though, and THAT came as a big surprise (though in retrospect I have to wonder why!?!?)


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It's a humbling experience



Don't you know it.

But now that I have enough time in the tunnel, I love it.

Yes, I'm a tunnel Whore. Sits back down>
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

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Don't you know it.



Omg, I do, I was just reminded of how far I have come in less than a year. I found a video of October 2004 where I'm just bouncing around on the net in a sit barely flying at all :D:D:D
Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

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That being said, it sure was frustrating in terms of staying in the wind stream...in the sky if you backslide, it's not as big a deal: you won't fall off the wind.



No you're right - in the sky you'll just kick someone in the face or funnel the formation ;)

I've got just under 3 hours in the tunnel and its made a world of difference to my flying - I couldn't have gone through AFF like I did without the tunnel, and I view them as seperate things now, although both allow you to practice formations and moves in the other.

Skydiving wasn't an invention as such (people fell out of planes for some time before realising if you strapped some fabric above your head you lived longer :P) - but the tunnel? I love it. Not quite as hooked as jumping, but its insanely addictive just like crack. And it costs about the same too :S

Edited for grammour ;)

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No you're right - in the sky you'll just kick someone in the face or funnel the formation



easy!! she's still on student status.. with under an hour in the tunnel and only 1 visit...

you don't want to give the girl a COMPLEX!!!:P

BESIDES... vamp.. you had a turning issue, very common on first tunnel flights.. not backsliding.. you flew just like a skydiver.. legs out! Great job!

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Being a larger skydiver, the tunnel wa difficult for me to do much learning in. I spent alot of time learning to fly big, and picked up some good pointers on how to get back up to formations. I also spent alot of time bouncing off the wall in front of me (killed my thumbs). I have to say though, I think they've boosted the power since I was there, so I'd definitely give it another shot.

Ganja

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staying in the wind stream...in the sky if you backslide, it's not as big a deal: you won't fall off the wind. In the tunnel, well...you will.



or find a better tunnel where the only harm in backsliding is hitting the walls....


i'm becoming a Tunnel Whore too.....2 hours and counting B|:):)
____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

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well, that's no reason to have a complex!! you'll soon have 2 tunnels pretty close.. first New Hampshire... then eventually New Jersey!



How about New Jersey first... THEN eventually New Hampshire? :):):)



That's EXACTLY what I was thinking....


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Being a larger skydiver, the tunnel wa difficult for me to do much learning in. I spent alot of time learning to fly big


I had a similar experience......I was 'taught' a very different technique for sitflying in the tunnel....(to fly in the speed of the tunnel I was in).... than I was used to doing normally in the air.
It was different and a little bit unnatural.
It let me fly better in the tunnel but i have yet to use/need it in the air....

The tunnel is a great learning tool but I suspect many just do like the freedom of the sky......not because they are so out of control that they cant fly in the tunnel but rather they take their visual 'clues' slightly differently and enjoy the freedom to explore a greater range around them than is possible in the tunnel.

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IMHO the only ones that don't like the tunnel are some of the old timers and people that haven't done it much.

The old timers don't want to look bad, which a lot of the do for the first few sessions. I can understand that. Although I really admire the old dogs that are willing to learn new tricks!!!!!!!!!

At Perris we have a few free fliers that refuse to get in the tunnel. I think it is because they don't have much money to do it. Because those same ones will take you up on an offer to fly if they don't have to pay for it. In truth the ones that i have heard complain about it are ones that don't fly well in the air to begin with, and they also don't want to look bad. Funny how the biggest critic of it out here (no names) will only do 2 way with people worse then him or solo wing suit jumps.
Dom


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Every skydiver I've spoken to loved their tunnel time and cannot seem to get enough of it. I imagine I'll be the same way.

But I'm curious, are there any skydivers that did not enjoy their time in the tunnel?



After spending 90 minutes in there I'd say it wasn't worth the money.

Belly flying I didn't notice any significant differences compared to being in the air. No problem. Fun to spend a few minutes getting better at sliding sideways. I like to belly fly socially since it's the greatest common denominator but have little interest in progressing beyond that.

Sit flying I didn't do because back flying was a pre-requisite, although head-up and head-down are my primary interest.

Getting control on my back was a lot of work and not quite sufficient to get me doing what I wanted.

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I hope you didn't pay a coach :S



We bought our time from a coach who included his services in the block rental rate.

The coaching and instruction were excellent - he did a good job adapting to the different learning styles for the four of us who split the time and had fun ideas for things to do in the body orientations we were competant in.

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just walked out of a quarter of sit flying, this was my first sit fly session in the tunnel...

it was great, but beat the living shit out of me, it's now been 24 hours and I can feel the lactic acid slicing my muscles... it hurts.

But I'm curious, are there any skydivers that did not enjoy their time in the tunnel?

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