0
Jewbert33

New Zealand skydive school

Recommended Posts

So this is my first post I think on a forum ever. I'm from Canada, and the weather in the central doesn't really allow for year round jumps. I was looking into this school and no one has really posted anything since 2009. Wondering if anyone has been to the school in the last 2 years or know anyone enrolled. Any help would be great. Cheers.
Guy walks into a bar wearing nothing but Saran wrap. "I can't serve you, I can clearly see your nuts!"

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I think you would be better served by being a loyal local and working with a DZ that you trust.

I know it will be less expensive. I have a few friends that have gone there..... Mixed experiences, but they both said it was quite expensive.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Highjacking this post for some info too.

My girlfriend is going to Queens town NZ in March 2012 to teach a large yogi workshop. She wants to promote skydiving to all her students.

Info I'm looking for
Dz in Queens town?
Tandem cost in us dollars?
Could I do visiting Tandems?

Anyone reading this who works in NZ please pm me
..................................
Better you than me
..................................

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

So this is my first post I think on a forum ever. I'm from Canada, and the weather in the central doesn't really allow for year round jumps. I was looking into this school and no one has really posted anything since 2009. Wondering if anyone has been to the school in the last 2 years or know anyone enrolled. Any help would be great. Cheers.



Three or four guys I know went through it. PM me your info and I'll get it to them to talk with you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
"
Quote

That's the goal to work full time somewhere other than Canada. And I'm sick of selling cars.

"

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

Working in other countries can be a challenge.
Take it from a guy who used to work in the American skydiving industry during the 1990s.
It helps if you are young, energetic, have medical insurance, have a working visa, have lots of ratings and are willing to work longer hours ... for less pay than citizens.
Working visas can take up to two years to secure. Trust me, it took me that long - and more thousands of dollars than I care to remember - to get a NAFTA visa.
The ratings that pay the best are packing (you need an FAA Rigger's License to do that legally in the USA) and tandem. The beauty of working with tandems is that you get paid to wear out some-one else's gear.
Outside freefall videographer is the next most popular job, but the difference is that you need to invest $10,000 or $20,000 in equipment and pay for all its maintenance out of your earnings.

There used to be hundreds of jobs, packing mains at major American DZs. However, Americans treat un-documented aliens worse than they used to treat slaves! One complaint and you are on the road!

Sorry If I am bursting your bubble, but making a living - as a professional skydiver - is hard work. To keep a job, you need to be willing to work longer hours - for less pay - than the next skydiving bum.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

"

Quote

That's the goal to work full time somewhere other than Canada. And I'm sick of selling cars.

"

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

Working in other countries can be a challenge.
Take it from a guy who used to work in the American skydiving industry during the 1990s.
It helps if you are young, energetic, have medical insurance, have a working visa, have lots of ratings and are willing to work longer hours ... for less pay than citizens.
Working visas can take up to two years to secure. Trust me, it took me that long - and more thousands of dollars than I care to remember - to get a NAFTA visa.
The ratings that pay the best are packing (you need an FAA Rigger's License to do that legally in the USA) and tandem. The beauty of working with tandems is that you get paid to wear out some-one else's gear.
Outside freefall videographer is the next most popular job, but the difference is that you need to invest $10,000 or $20,000 in equipment and pay for all its maintenance out of your earnings.

There used to be hundreds of jobs, packing mains at major American DZs. However, Americans treat un-documented aliens worse than they used to treat slaves! One complaint and you are on the road!

Sorry If I am bursting your bubble, but making a living - as a professional skydiver - is hard work. To keep a job, you need to be willing to work longer hours - for less pay - than the next skydiving bum.



Although, if he's going to do it, New Zealand might be the place for it. Last time I checked (early 2010), going to that school qualified you for some sort of educational visa. And then you would get extra points towards a residency visa for having education in NZ. They also give extra points for residency visas if you're a tandem master or instructor with over a 1,000 jumps. And if you're under 30, you can prettily easily get a work/travel visa for a year that might let you build up work experience which would also give you a leg up with residency. Most of the folks I know (experience primarily limited to one dz) who are tandem masters, packers, or video there are non-NZers. (Two of whom worked/jumped in America under less than legal circumstances back in the day and would probably agree that that's no longer an option.)

The drop zone I jumped at their last two TMs were home-grown folks who came up as video and then when they hit 1,000 jumps converted over to TMs.

Having said all that, when I was thinking of doing the school in early 2010 I was told it wasn't what it used to be and probably not worth doing. So, definitely talk to recent students if you go that route. I was more interested in living in NZ than working as a skydiver, so took a different option to make that happen.

As always, someone else may have a different take on it all.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Canada and new Zealand are on the same common wealth, so visas are extremely easy to get. First time I went took 12 hours online to get approved. The school will actually help with a student one by telling the government you are going to be a student of theirs. I think I'm going to go through with it, and be happy to relay how to course is. I will start in April.
Guy walks into a bar wearing nothing but Saran wrap. "I can't serve you, I can clearly see your nuts!"

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Yeah have been looking into it as an option. There's so many different opinions on it across the web. I'm going to do my second tandem jump in a few weeks to make sure diving is something I definitely want to pursue further, and also to talk to the guys at the DZ near me in Australia about alternative ways to progress in the industry.

I'm particularly interested in the course in NZ because I'm into photography and it looks as though it is focused on providing skills for employment, rather than just teaching you to jump from the airplane. Whether this is a realistic assessment of what you can get out of the course is what I'm trying to work out. It may work out to be more expensive in the end, but it also looks like it gives a lot of structure and a set timeframe to the learning process which I think would be valuable for me.

If I were to go I would definitely be treating it like school.. putting my head down for a few months and really studying hard. Something I keep hearing regarding the course is that you get out of it what you put in.. if I were to do it I would be looking to use it to improve my skills as much as possible in the time I had there rather than socialising or partying. That can come later :)

In my view it seems like a convenient and structured way to get 200 jumps under your belt, make some contacts in the industry, and spend time at a couple of DZs to see how things work behind the scenes. Whether that is still true of this course is essentially what I'm hoping to find out from recent graduates.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0