How much time for a 1st timer?

[kawisixer01 0]

I've never been in a tunnel and will be in Tahoe for a week so I'm gonna make the drive to San Fran to hit up the tunnel. I'm curious how the time works. Like if I buy 10 mins (to be used in a 30 min slot) do I stay in the full ten or do I do something like two in two out and the clock stops on my time each time I come out? How much time would you guys reccomend for a first timer? If going by yourself does it make more sense to get a couple smaller blocks of time than to buy a large block of time?

[Muffie 0]

I've been doing some tunnel time while I'm in Colorado. I do 15 minutes each time I go, generally 2.5 minutes at a pop, alternating with whoever else is in that 30 minute block of time. Before going I spoke to a buddy of a buddy who was a tunnel coach and he had recommended 10 minutes to start off, but when I spoke to my coach we ended up going with 15.

Depending on what you're working on, different types of flying can be more exhausting. So far, I'd say sitflying took the most out of me (I'd done belly and back before that). If you can set things up with a coach that someone can recommend, I would do that as well.

[jtval 0]

Nah, they'll break up your time for you.
they know that flying for 10 minutes straight won't do anything more than tired you out.

Usually they'll mix you in with a few people so you can rotate.

Have fun.

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[CornishChris 5]

10 mins will give you a taste. If there isn't anyone else in they will still rotate you as it will be too much otherwise.

What are you looking to achieve - don't expect too much in that amount of time...

CJP

Gods don't kill people. People with Gods kill people

[kawisixer01 0]

Looking to mostly to work on freefly stuff (a stable head down if possible in a tunnel? and transition from sit to head down.), but am open to getting comfortable on my belly first. I guess I don't have a hard set goal, becuase I'm not completely sure what to expect and how I'm gonna do.

[ridestrong 1]

Quote

Looking to mostly to work on freefly stuff (a stable head down if possible in a tunnel? and transition from sit to head down.), but am open to getting comfortable on my belly first. I guess I don't have a hard set goal, becuase I'm not completely sure what to expect and how I'm gonna do.

If you've never been to the tunnel, you will most likely have to show proficiency in belly and back flying before they let you sit. I think you will find that back flying in the tunnel can be somewhat frustrating. You will likely need ~30+ min of tunnel time before they let you sit, and plenty more than that before your attempting head-down.

*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.*
----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

[dcfreefly 0]

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Looking to mostly to work on freefly stuff (a stable head down if possible in a tunnel? and transition from sit to head down.), but am open to getting comfortable on my belly first. I guess I don't have a hard set goal, becuase I'm not completely sure what to expect and how I'm gonna do.

There are many variables that will determine how long it will take someone to get to the level of flying on their head in the tunnel. Even if you you were able to fly head down proficiently in the sky, it is extremely unlikely that you'd be able to do it in the tunnel within 10 minutes.

It can be anywhere between 1 hour and 10 hours of tunnel time before a flyer is ready to start training in HD. Then potentially one to several hours of net work before lifting off stable.

If you can afford it, do as much time as possible and get a good coach. Its worth every penny.

[tistouta 0]

Yes but what are the statistics showing?
eg. : 90% of the guys need more than x hours to be able to start being stable in HD position

[beowulf 1]

I doubt that anyone is keeping statistics on this.
Everyone progresses at a different pace.

Also comparing yourself to other can make it more frustrating then it needs to be. It's better to just concentrate on your own progression.

[dcfreefly 0]

Quote

Yes but what are the statistics showing?
eg. : 90% of the guys need more than x hours to be able to start being stable in HD position

Beowulf is right on. I don't think anyones's keeping stats, and comparing yourself to others can be a bad idea and lead to a lot of frustration.

If you read through some of the threads on tunnel progression, you'll see that it varies drastically. Also, the learning curve doesn't seem to be linear. The first several hours can be very frustrating, but once things start to click and come together, the learning curve typically becomes steeper.

My progression was something like this:

About an hour belly

Around 2 hours back flying and walking

About 4 hours sit flying

An hour or so of HD on the net

4ish hours working on HD

For me, getting a decent sit was more difficult than HD for some reason. I was flying off the net in HD after about 20 minutes and holding it relatively well. After that I started working on sit to head transitions and occasionally did some work on the net.

I have around 12 hours or so now and my sit is relatively decent, can do both sit to sit front and back loops, carve (not well), take docks etc.

I've got all the sit to HD transitions, front flip, back flip, cartwheels in both directions, Head to head front and back flip, stalling, taking docks, carving etc.

All of the above needs lots of cleaning up, so by no means would I consider myself proficient.

I've seen others with 4 or 5 hours total flying very well on their heads, and yet others who have well over 10 hours that are still sit flying.

I have about 1000 jumps, 500 freefly with about half or less being head down. My head down in the sky was so-so, with it being on the better side the more current I was (I haven't jumped since October and have done my last 6 or 7 hours in the tunnel after that, so I can't comment yet specifically on how I've improved in the sky.)

A few things that I know would have made my progression faster... More leg and core strength as well as flexibility. I'm short and stalky, so I initially had to fight at first for lift.

Also, if you are closer to the tunnel, you'd probably better off doing shorter amounts of flying over longer periods of time. I've always done at least an hour in a day on every trip and ended up getting pretty burnt out by my later blocks. If I lived closer to the tunnel, I would have done 30 minutes per week instead of an hour.

Also, about 9 hours of the time of done has been with awesome coaches. The time I've flown previously without a coach, I didn't progress much. Get a coach!!!

Finally, prepare to become addicted. I started in May last year with the intention of doing 4 or 5 hours. I ended up doing around 12 or so and I've already book 7 hours for this month and next month.

Expensive as he'll, but worth every penny
I luv the effin tunnel!

[tistouta 0]

Anybody else can describe their tunnel progression?
Just for beginners to understand the necessary investment before being able to fly HU and HD?

[ridestrong 1]

Quote

Anybody else can describe their tunnel progression?
Just for beginners to understand the necessary investment before being able to fly HU and HD?

-10 min belly/back flying

-10 min back flying, walking

-10 min practicing sit

-50-60 total minutes sit flying, solo and group

-after ~80 min started practicing HD and still working on it... after ~15 min still have the coaches holding onto me.


However... I have watched one of the guys in my tunnel league work on his sit for the past 70-80 min and he still can't hold it off the net... granted he is learning from scratch and has no sit time in the sky either.

*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.*
----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

[mchamp 1]

Quite stellar progression!

I have about 2:30 in TT

1:30hrs working on belly and some 4 way

30min backflying

15min walking around and learning how to control my body

Rest is messing around having fun and transitions from back to belly with some "jumping" up and down

For info regarding lift ticket prices all around the world check out
http://www.jumpticketprices.com/dropzones.asp

[tistouta 0]

Thx for the info.

As far as I am concerned, it spent roughly 1 hour on my back, and 1 hour on the net working on back/sit transitions and starting back carving before being stable HU.

I've been since then working on moves in all directions and continued back carving. Spent 10 minutes HD on the net so far. (I've spend 3 1/2 hours in the tunnel), and I have another 3 hous planned till end of march.

I hope by then I'll be flying HD of the net!