How to choose a good coach for HD

[freesky 0]

I want to do some coaching in HD.Someone can tell me the thing i need to know to choose a good coach?A lot of people said to me that the coach must be able to hold you headdown from exit to break off (at least for 1 jump) so you can fell it.Suggestions?

[fraja 0]

Hi,

Why not look for a coach to teach you FF ? after you have all control on sitfly, backfly, transitions, then Headdown...

IMHO, i believe that to execute/perform a good headdown its needed the steps above...

But, its my opnion.

Blue Skies,

Fraja.

[hparrish 0]

Spend a year or 400 jumps working on sitflying and head up flying. At 100 jumps most folks have not even come close to mastering head up flying.

It's essential to master your head up flying before moving onto head down. I'd recommend a coach for headup flying as well. There is much if not more to learn there.

Find a reputable freeflyer whom many others feel is a good freeflyer and coach. Make sure they are someone that you can actually learn from, and that can explain things to you in a manner you understand.

Your profile does not list your home DZ so it's tough for anyone to recommend where you could go. Start asking at your home DZ. If No One there freeflies than ask your DZO where you can go.

[bogmaster1975 0]

Theres loads of good freefly coaches both i n Europe and the states.

Check out Babylon for europe and Flyboyz and alchemy in the US.

I did some wicked head up coaching with Eli from Flyboyz. He's the man!

Theyer just after me frosted lucky charms

[Chapsta 0]

Find someone you can casually conversate with... you'll probably learn from them best.

It's hard find neutral on your head... but once you do things start working out quickly. Wih sit flying it's 'easy' to find neutral... advanced development can be extremely challenging though! That's the problem... if you don't develop sit skills early you may find yourself behind the curve later.

Have fun

Chaps

Carpe diem

[Katrinka 0]

he he.......maybe he is a master of headup flying in tunnel, and just conceals it!

Its time to rock&roll.

[CanEHdian 0]

The best coach is not always the best freeflyer on the DZ... being bad-ass in the sky is not the only requirement to being bad-ass on the ground.

Coaching requires intelligence, vision, communication and most of all, a plan (one that fits the individual). Keep that in mind while you search for the right person(s) that could help you. Talk to them, feel them out. Ask around... but in the end, you're looking for someone that you feel will be capable of relating to you. Hopefully, you'll find more than one and benefit from a variety of information and approaches.

Personally, I've always found it insulting when a 'coach' would tell someone to just sign up for the 10 jumps package deal before even talking to the individual, let alone discussing a plan. If he/she is only in it for the money, you'll know... trust your gut and walk away, or you just may find yourself at a point where you need true guidance and all you'll get is "dude, you just gotta feel it man".

A good coach actually cares about the sport and his/her goal is not only to help you learn how to become a great freeflyer, but also to someday be able to play with you up there - as an equal.

Oh, and FYI... this type of coach will probably say "No" up front to someone who wants a HD coach jump without even demonstrating proficiency in a HU environment. If you see this, it's a good thing... he/she is a keeper.
Good luck, keep it real.
Al

Time's flying, and so am I...
(69-way, 108-way and 138/142-way Freefly World Records)

[FFlyer 0]

There's some great advice thats been given to here. The two main things like others have said are:

- How's your headup flying? Can you move forward, backward, up, down, turn, sideslide, take docks etc? If you're doing a jump with others are you able to stay with the base at all times? if not,...then I would hold off on headdown for a while till you've got all of that sorted. Maybe you've got loads of tunnel time, but if not I doubt you've got all that sorted at 100 jumps.

- Just because someone is a badass freeflyer who is able to do all the coolest stuff in the air, doesn't mean they're a good coach. This I completely agree with, and speak from personal experience.

Good luck, have fun

[jasonRose 0]

Contact David Gershfield

Some day I will have the best staff in the world!!!

[hookitt 0]

Where are you located?

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[Vertifly 0]

being "held on to" throughout a skydive is only going to teach you very little of what you will need to know to be a safe head down pilot. i've been freeflying for almost ten years. one of the things a flyer needs in the sky is control over a bunch of things....altitude awareness, your position in the sky and how to maneuver, and a bunch of other safety factors. things are amplified in freefly because of the speed difference. it may be only 40 to 60 mph more, but it is exponential.

my suggestion is to get with some one at your dz, or the nearest large dz, that has a lot of freefly jumps and seems to be the most serious about flying. pay them for a handleful of jumps for a few days if possible. learn all you can about flying....not just head down.

i agree that head down is super fun. feels like being superman. it is totally great; but it requires a lot of precaution. the precautions become more instinct as you get better, but take it one step at a time and you'll master it.

peace.

[SkyTheo 0]

I've choosen Olav Zipser and his school...

[brabzzz 0]

Gotta echo the 'nail other positions first'.

It's just plain embarrassing when freefliers can't fly flat proficiently. Likewise, no end of people want to do head down jumps, and, when they finally settle for a head up, are somewhat sh*te. Being competent is not just holding a sit. That's a given... Likewise backflying, tracking etc. Nail it first - freeflying isn't just head down - it's the whole lot. I've spent a few seasons head up and and only just feeling the benefis of doing more headup will be marginal compared to starting head down... >

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Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club
www.skydivebristoluni.com

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

Your profile shows no info...but if you're close to Zhills in Florida, you might want to set up some time with Pip. He was a really good freefly coach for me and he'll jump all day with you if you have the time and money to do so. His feedback is constructive criticism and relaxed which I do really well learning under.

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