Noob Question part two: In your early jumping days, what were you glad you focussed on?

[Namowal 0]

As a follow up to my "what did you learn the hard way" question...
...what things did you do (or focus on) as a beginning jumper that paid off in the long run? What helped you progress? What kept you safer?

(Thanks to Artwardo for suggesting the question.)

My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

[fastphil 0]

For me, making a lot of jumps fast helped progression (but, go figure)...

[wmw999 2,121]

Learned well about my gear, and about why I did what I did both with gear and with skydiving. I have to understand things, not just remember them.

Oh yeah -- also, I didn't sleep around, and I'm glad that I don't have to wonder what all hte other old timers remember.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[skyjumpenfool 2]

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As a follow up to my "what did you learn the hard way" question...
...what things did you do (or focus on) as a beginning jumper that paid off in the long run? What helped you progress? What kept you safer?

(Thanks to Artwardo for suggesting the question.)

Barbed wire avoidance on T-10's.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[grimmie 173]

I listened to the DZ oldtimers advice regularly.

Turns out they were always right...

[Namowal 0]

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Learned well about my gear, and about why I did what I did both with gear and with skydiving. I have to understand things, not just remember them.

I'm that way too.

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Oh yeah -- also, I didn't sleep around, and I'm glad that I don't have to wonder what all hte other old timers remember.
Wendy P.

Sounds like a good plan to me.

My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

[Namowal 0]

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I listened to the DZ oldtimers advice regularly.

Turns out they were always right...

This too makes sense.

My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

[devildog 0]

Well, I'm obviously still in my early days, but I'm glad to have had EPs drilled in over and over.

You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

[Freeflaw 0]

not downsizing (1 to1) and learning everything about my first canopy (landing: all wind directions, one toggle, no toggles, two toggles one hand, breaked approaches to landing surges, double fronts, 45 degree front, sinking it in at 3/4 brakes etc. (helped with landing out and recovering from a collapsed wing from a dustdevil)

rigging (helped with my gear fear)

researching: reading a lot and talking to many different jumpers (understanding how accidents happen, different strategies to resolve problems or keep em from hapenning...etc)

-> most importantly, listen to your elders (notice the plural...find consensus...no good statistician is going to draw conclusions from just one data point)...time in the sport and or jump numbers mean a lot, but stupidity/ignorance comes in all shapes and sizes

[JerseyShawn 0]

Having a discussing during my AFF days with my instructor about how/when to progress to the next level (downsizing, who I choose to jump with, ect.) he told me:

(Excuse his English) Taps me in the back of my head to make sure Im listening, "Being cocky and getting in over your head will get you fucking killed. Know your limits"

Ill never forget the unblinking stare in his eyes. I repeat that statement in my head before planning every jump. That helps me to be safer by thinking way ahead.

Shook his hand and said "Thank you sir" out if respect for possibly saving my life in the future.

[airborne47 0]

I'm still in my early days. (165 jumps.) But!
#1 I am responsibale for my safety! Do not do things i'm not comfortable with!
#2 PLFs
#3 Admit and remember how little i know. And ask questions and LISTEN to the answers of those with more experience!
#4 I am responsible for my safety!

[BMichaeli 1]

I focused on learning as much as i can about my gear so i understood what each parts purpose was. I also spent a lot of time working on my canopy skills and i mean a lot and plus high pulls are fun. I did 4 high pulls on both my first and now my second (smaller) canopies practicing drills i learned from the pro canopy pilots that jump at my DZ. I would also recommend taking a canopy course it is very helpful having you landings filmed then having a debrief from professionals.

The reason i am glad for this is because it in my mind makes me a safer skydiver since their have been so many fatalities while under canopies. I want to be as safe as possible since i really enjoy my life as it is.

[DougH 270]

Canopy coaching and lots of hop & pops.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[mchamp 1]

Still newer as well but....

Focused on the knowledge and maintenance of gear....especially after I hooked up my slinks incorrectly (looped once not twice) on a new canopy....

Also concentrated on canopy work with MULTIPLE canopy courses taken which has really helped improve many skills and maneuvers that I never even thought of to do/perform.

edit to add: Hanging around the DZ after hrs a lot really gained an immense amount of knowledge from instructors and other very experienced jumpers.

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

[manseman 0]

I jumped a lot and didn't drink excessively at every opportunity. It seems some people never really get past the beginner stage because they're spending most of the time at the DZ drunk or hung over.

[peek 20]

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...what things did you do (or focus on) as a beginning jumper that paid off in the long run?

I was lucky to have a good mentor where I started jumping. He liked talking a lot and I was eager to learn. (Thanks Marshall!)

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What helped you progress?

Back then we all had to flail for a while learning "RW" and then after enough jumps we got better. The idea of doing something special (like wind tunnel or coaching) to progress was not prevalent, at least not in my circles.

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What kept you safer?

Most definitely learning a lot about gear. Of course in those days you had to, or your jumps would be much more dangerous.

[airtwardo 6]

As a follow up to my "what did you learn the hard way" question...


...what things did you do (or focus on) as a beginning jumper that paid off in the long run?



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~As others have said, learning about and having a complete understanding of the gear.
Knowing what each part is, what it does and how it is most likely to fail, alleviates much of the 'gear fear' and lets you know what to be vigilant about regarding maintenance.

~I've always been somewhat into sports, so I from the start viewed this as a very athletic/physical activity in which conditioning is crucial...it may not be as much now as when I started, but it's still important IMO.

I work to keep myself in good condition as far as strength and flexibility.
Both help in preventing injuries and you need some endurance to go all day long and remain focused.

When we get tired we take shortcuts and that never ends well.

~Visualize EVERY part of the Skydive, from gearing up to touchdown.

Certainly not every part of the dive goes to plan, but if you have what you 'want' to happen previewed in your mind your body will tend to follow the road-map.

~Establish solid patterns of routine...get into the habit of doing things the same way at the same time.
Again, when you get fatigued or distracted having a routine will help insure you don't miss anything.

~A lot of things go into making one safe, the most basic is gathering knowledge and understanding & applying what you learn correctly.

'Back in the day' we would always play the 'what-if' game during a downtime or at the bonfire...Come up with different possible scenarios and what you would DO to successfully survive them.

Takes your EPs' to a whole new level and prepares you at least in part to address situations you may come upon but haven't necessarily thought through thoroughly.

~I think what's highest on the list of what kept/keeps me safe is the realization that although this is a 'sport' it's not a 'game'...there are very real and probably permanent consequences to even the smallest of errors.

It's fundamentally important to have an honest and clear understanding of your personal level of abilities and competence.

There isn't anything one can't do in the sport, but we all have different strengths & weaknesses...you need to recognize yours, and work to firm up what may be lacking before attempting something above a level you're solid at.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Southern_Man 0]

I'm pretty new with just over 200 jumps but I've been careful to:

1. Don't be in a hurry. Hurry makes for mistakes. I hope to be in this sport a long time and I am enjoying the journey. Sometimes this means skipping a jump that sounds really fun because I'm tired or because I don't like gearing up and running for the plane.

2. Focus on canopy control. I've done a lot of hop and pops and a canopy course. I also am still on my first canopy (a 210 at 1:1) and am in no hurry at all to downsize.

3. Continue to drill emergency procedures. We have a leaning harness at our drop zone and it is easy on any day to get in there and have another jumper hold up the pictures and drill. I do this at least monthly.

4. Be careful of boogie-itis. I've been to a few boogies, they are really exciting and fun and I want to take advantage of the organizing available. On the same token I make sure to remind myself to remain on jumps that are within my skill level, that I am mindful of all the canopies in the air, that I focus on landing safely (and not necessarily close) and that I don't allow myself to get rushed or deviate from my routine.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[Joellercoaster 6]

OK.

Things that helped me in the long run? Getting coaching early. Still not early or often enough, I still have habits, but it could have been a lot worse!

Things that kept me safer? This is going to sound terribly unfashionable, but: dropzone.com. Basically find the most conservative, hardass posters on here with thousands of jumps, and listen closely to what they say (not always to how they say it). It will give you a feel for the inevitable advice you're going to get, and a background against which to evaluate it. Very experienced people (even the legendary "instructors who have seen you jump") still give bad advice, but there's a lot of good minds on here once you figure out who they are. (Hint: they're mostly cranky.)

Stuff that helped me progress? Joining a Rookie 4-way team. I learned more in that season about how to skydive than in the rest of my jumping career put together. I've learned a bunch since then, don't get me wrong, but never again at the same rate. I'd recommend it even if you just want to freefly long-term!

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[GobbleGobble 0]

I'm still a noobie. Work the hell out of your belly skills! There is plenty of free coaching available from the FS load organizers pretty much every weekend at Elsinore. The Excel camps were designed for us to get very good coaching and it's free. Can't recommend that enough. Since you are knocking out your solos now, I'd say mix in some jumps where you pull around 5k and work on canopy stuff. Brian Germain's downsizing paper is a good place to start.

Talk with your instructors of course.

[Abedy 0]

Quite glad I was pretty conservative with my canopies. Flew a 210 that was docile enough to forgive two or three risky/stupid manoeuvres so I had the chance to get talked to. Also pretty good I was under a 169er (WL 1,2 at ~350 jumps) with my right scapula and humerus smashed. Would have been "interesting" to land at 1,4 or 1,5 (a common WL for many jumpers with that number of jumps...)
Glad I always drank responsively, never embarrassed myself, never turned up hung over.
Glad I never chased any skirts.
Glad I took canopy classes before I got on my 169er, my 149er and my 129er.

The sky is not the limit. The ground is.

The Society of Skydiving Ducks

[jonstark 8]

Spotting and accuracy!!!!!!!!!!!

jon

[wildWilly 0]

I'm glad I focused on practising my EPs on EVERY ride to altitude because when it did finally come time (1100 jumps) to use them ( and it WILL come time for you too) it was second nature and didn't seem that big a deal. I just reacted and didn't think about til I was on the ground and saw the video.
Blue skies,

Willy

growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.

[format 0]

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What kept you safer?

I'm so glad I trusted the right bunch (guys with 30-3000 jumps).
Another big thing is developing instinct for how not to hurt your bones... and when! to stop drinking/jumping.

Of coarse I broke some but I've been back in a month or less. No doctors.

I'm so glad

What goes around, comes later.

[jimmytavino 16]

packing

accuracy

spotting


having FUN!!!

jmy
A 3914
D12122
nscr1817