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towerrat

Tandem Burnout

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Are you or have you been burned out on tandems? If so, what are your numbers. If you got over it, what did you do?



As I approach 10000 jumps, I can't bring myself to work out how many are tandems, but it's kind of like a marathon race. You hit the wall after so many, and if you want to continue, you have to push through it. After which, you're sort of numb to them. I find that if you can't do that, you should stop for a while, because they will eventually drive you insane.



Not to sound pissy or anything, but how can that be consistent with optimal safety?

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I did tandems at a smaller Cessna dz for 2 or 3 seasons, was getting bored with it and moved on to AFF. I did like tandem better when I did less of it and mixed it up with AFF, but that was not working due to workload (i.e. not enough TIs on the dz). I also got into wingsuiting at another dz. A back injury has now ended my tandem career, and I don't really miss it. As with the stock market, diversification is key...

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Not to sound pissy or anything, but how can that be consistent with optimal safety?



I'm talking about just getting your head down and getting them done, just like you would any other job of work that you have to do.

I'm not talking about just tuning out. It's a job that you have to focus on completely, so if you're going to do a lot of it, you better learn to pace yourself, or your body and especially your concentration won't make it in the long haul.

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I had about 2000 tandems 3000 jumps 8 years when I got burned out. It was caused by several things. I quit skydiving for 2 years and was even more unhappy:(. I'm back now and banged out 1000 in six months. All it took me me was to move to a different drop zone. I should have done that from the beginning. I think that is way a lot of instructors move so much, it keeps things new and exciting.

Blue Skies;)

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As I approach 10000 jumps, I can't bring myself to work out how many are tandems, but it's kind of like a marathon race. You hit the wall after so many, and if you want to continue, you have to push through it. After which, you're sort of numb to them. I find that if you can't do that, you should stop for a while, because they will eventually drive you insane.



Not to sound pissy or anything, but how can that be consistent with optimal safety?



...................................................................

I can think of three responses to fatigue.

There is a fine line between zen, "git-r-done" and trance.

Zen happens when everything is going well (well-rested, well-fed, etc.), the TI can relax, and just go through the motions while monitoring everything.

"Git-r-done" kicks in towards the end of a long day. You have to remind your self to sip some water and stick with procedures.

"Trance" is the worst because it means you are too tired to keep track of the outside world and are just going through a routine.

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if YOu try to stop you will feel like you are missing out. We are like the strippers of extreme sports. Try to get out but you will go back for one reason or the other. We just cant turn down the money, we really love it, or you just cant do anything else because you are a worthless bum and suck at life outside of skydiving.
Whatever the reason......it doesnt matter, once a stripper always a stripper.
As one of my friends so gracefully put it "fuck it I need the money"

So my advice is to say "fuck it I need the money", then go ride some fat bitch in on her face. You will laugh on the inside and feel better. just remember to tell her to get her chin up so that she doesnt get dirt in her mouth.;):P

I know that a bunch of people are chomping at the bit to get on here and tell me what a horrible attitude that is, but thats because you are self righteous know it alls that are wound to tight to see that I was joking around.

theres a difference between bitching about your job and joking about it...one is a healthy sign, one is a sign of building burnout. which do you do most???

"ride a fat bitch....save your tailbone"

i'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your packing tent down

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fincher,

You have truly sick sense of humour, even more funny because it is painfully close to the truth!
Your comparison to strippers is painfully close to the truth.

Most of us started skydiving for the same reason we lost our virginity: for our own pleasure.
The we started sharing sex/skydiving with a few close friends.
But in the end we become whores when we do it (sex or skydiving) with strangers for money.

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When I was on my S/L progression, I told one of my instructors I wanted to be a tandem instructor, that was my goal. He told me what it took, I said OK, and made it happen.

I went from jumping at two separate "make a few tandems and a few fun jumps each day" DZ's to a great DZ that has a well-established tandem operation. I won't call it a tandem factory because there is a strong sport-jumping contingent as well, but when you're on staff, you're ON STAFF. You will go all day long.

In the end, two things burned me out: the pace of the work, and the liability. Credit goes to my student operation manager, who let me set the pace of how many tandems I wanted to do when I was in my "try to fix the burnout" phase. But ultimately, it was the liability that did me in. When I was a young buck in my 20's without a pot to piss in nor a window to throw it out of, I didn't have much to lose. Also, I was naive and thought "hey, they signed a waiver, they know the risks, they won't sue, right?" Now, after over a decade in the sport, I realize what asshats students can be, even (or especially) when the instructor does everything right. I never hurt a student, and I never was involved in a lawsuit, but am more aware that it DOES happen. Now that my wife and I are working HARD to save up for our first home, I have a much stronger awareness of how much could be taken away from me, seemingly on a whim. So, I hung it up.

I still sport jump when I can. I'm starting to remember how much fun this stuff really is.

Elvisio "did my tour of duty" Rodriguez

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We just cant turn down the money, we really love it, or you just cant do anything else because you are a worthless bum and suck at life outside of skydiving.



Can it be all three at once?:P
----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

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