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Rogersmoke

When does a Tourist become a skydiver?

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DZ is just like high school.
You have several little cliques.


Skydiving is exactly like high school - you've got the nerds, the jocks, the cool kinds, the stoners, the class clowns, the go-getters, the suck-ups ..."


The BreakfastSkydive Club.

(>o|-<

If you don't believe me, ask me.

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Just curious, for someone who is a "skydiver" in some ways, but not TRULY a skydiver because he/she doesn't jump anymore (except for tandems), how do people view that group? As "wannabees"?

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Your "heart" is in it Guineapiggie, that make you a skydiver, in my opinion.

Life is short ... jump often.

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As soon as you exit on your first tandem you're a skydiver.



IMO you aren't, maybe thats what the DZ told you to make you feel good about your tandem. Yes, you made a skydive, not a skydiver.



You're welcome to your opinion, whatever makes you feel special dude.

My first jump wasn't a tandem, in response to your questions I have my USPA C license and English is my first language. If you make a skydive you're a skydiver in my opinion.

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The week of coaching, wind tunnel, rent of gear and new purchase during my recent stay at Skydive Arizona was some of the best value money ever spent.

Dedicated world class instructors, friendly athmosphere and even some more experienced solo-jumpers inviting you to jumps.

So what if they move on to new students? Just cool to have been one of them with the possibility of coming back!

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Tandem is a business. TI has to risk his/her life every time they make a jump so of course it is going to be more expensive than say Six Flags roller-coaster ride.

Everything is about monies these days. Tandem is much higher margin than AFF / student... So if a DZ could get all Tandem passengers all the time then that is probably what they will cater to...

And had I gone to Disneyland I would not have ended up with a broken ankle... so I mean the ice cream you were talking about is not necessary.

If anything, I just wish it wasn't all so regulated and so bureaucratic. In an ideal world first time jumpers should be able to rent a gear and go jumping by themselves without tandem and without two instructors holding them on the sides. I mean it is not like we didn't have to sign a waiver releasing the DZ from responsibility and liability anyways, so I don't see why skydiving should be so heavily regulated since it is our own life in our hands anyway.

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One reason might be because you are in the air with other jumpers, and without proper training the potential is there for you to take one of us out, so the risk is not just to your life, but to everyone in the air with you. There is a WHOLE lot more than just that reason by the way.
I am thinking if you sign up for AFF and then go spinning out of control on your release dive you might change your mind about the necessity of instructors being there to stabilize you...

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

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In an ideal world first time jumpers should be able to rent a gear and go jumping by themselves without tandem and without two instructors holding them on the sides.



That's called "static line". Plenty of drop zones still train students that way. Look for one.

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One reason might be because you are in the air with other jumpers, and without proper training the potential is there for you to take one of us out, so the risk is not just to your life, but to everyone in the air with you.



Are you talking about students or swoopers?

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One reason might be because you are in the air with other jumpers, and without proper training the potential is there for you to take one of us out, so the risk is not just to your life, but to everyone in the air with you.



Are you talking about students or swoopers?



His response was to a guy with1 tandem jump, who appears to think that doing AFF with instructors is a money machine. He seems to think that he should be able to rent gear and jump!

Granted there is static line as an option (previously mentioned by John), I think bowling is more appropriate you don't have to rent balls and nobody holds your hand etc
Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

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I am not sure about your dropzone, but I started my AFF this weekend and all the folks there were very welcoming of my wife and myself. They allowed her to sit through the AFF class with even though she had no interest in jumping out of an airplane. By the time I did my first AFF jump she did a tandem, and absolutely loved it. She loved it so much she came out the next morning with me and did another tandem! I think she might convert, because she is expressing interest in seeing if the tandem instructor will allow her to fly the parachute from opening until it is time for the instructor to land it on her next tandem jump. We were welcomed with open arms by everyone at the dropzone, from the other AFF students to the people with over 3000 jumps to include the instructors and DZO. We had a cookout Saturday night and hung out drinking beer and shooting the breeze late into the night. I think like many have said on here it really depends on your attitude and how you treat others. If you are there to truly learn and don't mind helping out then they will treat you the same way. If you are there with the type of attitude you have portrayed on here then I can see why you were treated the way you were. My wife and I are the NEWBIES and were treated like we had been there for years! This is just my 2 cents and personal experience from this weekend.

Thank you for welcoming me to this amazing sport.

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As soon as you exit on your first tandem you're a skydiver.



At 66 jumps ( 23 tandems) I stil get called a whuffo

i would call you a bowler



I thank you for that Charitable reply squeak. I just wish none of this had happened and I could be Mr annoy and turn up again and jump. Big mistake by me how many times do I have to say sorry. Not a very forgiving lot.(except Ralph of course a very chariatable man) Have sent emails etc to Don and Louise and got nothing in reply.(Apologising) Last time I looked I have not kliled some one... but I was a complete dickhead/ Any chance of forgiveness !!! PLEASE !! (NAGGAS GOLDEN BROWN KGB AND ALL OTHER AUSSIE JUMPERS) i WILL JUMP THROUGH ANY HOOP TO MAKE AMENDS.
Greg W [email protected]
I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

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have you had any diagnosis for Personality disorders?
If not you may want to seek some professional counselling.

To the MODs..This is not a PA, Im serious,
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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sounds like a self confidence issue. If you ask people a million times "am I pretty?" or walk around like you feel like you don't fit in, then I'd walk the other way from you too. Just relax and worry about jumping and having fun. Don't worry about making friends. That's the easy part when you are all having fun. Get some of your non jumping friends to come hang one day with you at the DZ so people can see you are a sociable person. Just my 2 pennies :)

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