How often do you have to jump for the A license to be worth it?

[skamunista 0]

worth it and safe, i should say...

Did my first tandem last week--it was on my bucket list for years, my sister did one a few weeks before and my band got a gig at a boogie, so it was our payment. And I want more...

Meanwhile I am an unemployed teacher and I live in an urban area close to 2 hours from the nearest dropzone. I also have no car. these things seem like obstacles... but maybe in the future? I don't want to sound lazy, but how frequently and much do you need to jump to keep yourself in shape? Is this a feasible past time for me?

As a side note, it WAS great and everyone at the DZ was amazingly cool... but I have already some good friends who I don't want to trade out for them... and yet when they call me crazy I already feel like I can't relate to them anymore :(:(:(:(

[Southern_Man 0]

Assuming you are in the USA you have to jump a minimum or every 30 days as a student. As an A licenses jumper you need to jump at least every 60 days.

Those are the bare minimums to keep current, if you ail to meet them you will have to do a recurrency jump which will cost you more money. Just doing the bare minimum may not be enough for you to be a safe jumper--currency is important. It will not be enough for you to build your skills and advance as a jumper.

If you can jump enough to be safe and build a few skills (and nobody can give you a magic number for that) then there are certainly people who participate in the sport on a casual level and yet still find it rewarding and worthwhile.

It is an expensive sport, expensive to start while paying for instruction, expensive to buy and maintain gear, expensive if you want to jump regularly and build skills.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[davelepka 4]

As mentioned, when still a student, you have 30 days to make your next jump or you can expect to be bumped back a level. If you complete level 3, and are passed to level 4, but don't return for 40 days, you'll have to re-do (and pass) level 3 again.

Once licensed, your license is good for the rest of your life, but if you go more than 60 days since your last jump, you won't be 'current' anymore. You'll need to make a recurrencly jump, which is really just a two-way with an instructor. Depending on how long since your last jump, it may include some ground instruction, but it's really just the one supervised jump.

Beyond that, you can jump as little as you want, but keep in mind that your skills will suffer. You can earn an A license, and jump once every 59 days and be safe, but you need to jump like you haven't jumped in 59 days. That means conservative choices in equipment or the weather you will jump in, and only doing solos or two-ways. If you jumped more often, and were more current, you could jump in more varied conditions or with more pepole, but if you remember you skill level and currency, and proceed with that in mind, you'll be fine.

[skamunista 0]

I was really expecting a "however much you feel is worth it" type response and both of you gave me just what I was hoping for... Thanks. This place has such a nice culture. I guess for now I'll just have to keep it in mind for a day when i have money and summers free & hopefully jump again soon...

[dthames 0]

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I was really expecting a "however much you feel is worth it" type response and both of you gave me just what I was hoping for... Thanks. This place has such a nice culture. I guess for now I'll just have to keep it in mind for a day when i have money and summers free & hopefully jump again soon...

Static line jumps are reasonable in cost. One you get a few of them behind you and get into the free fall part of the static line progresion you can do one jump ever 2 or 3 weeks, stay current and you should be able to slowly progress.

If you could find someone that might give you a ride to the DZ, you might be able to make a deal where you do a large amount of work to pay for a jump, making it a sweet deal for the DZ owner......if you want to jump bad enough.

Cut grass, carry garbage, etc.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[kelpdiver 2]

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It is an expensive sport, expensive to start while paying for instruction, expensive to buy and maintain gear, expensive if you want to jump regularly and build skills.

however, it's on par with buying a not high end motorcycle - say 6-8k to get trained and get a rig, and then a couple thousand per year. If you can swing the first part, the ongoing costs can be very manageable. Of course, you can spend a ton more, going to farflung boogies and jump out of exotic craft, but you don't have to.

1-2 weekend days per month at 4 jumps in a day = 60/year, a reasonable participation rate floor. The USPA averages were in the 70s, iirc, but I'm sure that's bimodal with a lot of people at 100+/yr and less active people in the 30-40 range.

[beowulf 1]

You could always learn to pack parachutes and work at the dropzone packing for the school or other skydivers. That would help pay for your skydiving or just put money in your pocket.

[mahonie10 0]

If you are trying to justify, this being a "past-time" for yoursef. No one can tell you its worth it or not, you have to decide that for yourself. I can tell you my experience, is after my first tandem i was hooked and couldn't think nothing more than getting back up there, but up until a year ago the closest dz was 3 hours away. so now that im close to one it's game on. You don't have to give up your old friends either, making new friends around the DZ is one of the great parts about this sport. yes it is expensive but well worth it i think.
Blue skies

[mjosparky 3]

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You don't have to give up your old friends either,

You don't have to but you will. Plus your wife and your soul.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals