jumpmonkeyUK

i suffer from a sort of vertigo that i can only describe as a flight response dilemma...a sort of fear of throwing myself off or falling off objects...that said when i used to rockclimb when i fly i have no fear because i know thats either impossible or unlikely, but if i was free climbing or hanging over a low railed 3rd floor balcony my legs were jelly. my tandem was a great thrill because i could indulge that flight response...i had total faith in my tandem jumper and the kit, so i felt free to indulge away...total freedom. AFF just gets better because its you doing it, your not a passenger. Its that "this is the me flying though the sky" that is rewarding and a totally addictive experience. grief i wish i wasnt so busy and jumping.....arghhh

how did yours go? i found a new aff level called 3.5...oops (postion went a bit pearshaped, needs ahem, a little polish)...im on the cheaper jumps now anyway, looking forward to 2-3 days jumping in a week or so to screw the nutt on it.

http://jamiefuller.com/flash/goatse.php well thats about as close as i got today...bloody english weather

i've lured in my family and friends slowly, been diving, heliskiing, climbing...when i mentioned skydiving i just got a variety of responses between cool and eyes rolling back in their sockets cart blanche as far as im concerned

donkey...the guy i pm'd you about does a tandem as part of the aff...dunno if its a freebie or how its stacks up cost wise, but maybe you can look around for the same deal.

see... gurning like a pro congrats

congrats on your 1st jump... pm sent

you can look forward to grinning like and idiot and gibbering to anyone that will listen to you for the next week ps...PM sent

ah..i wondered because im doing AFF 3 this friday at south cerney... good luck with your AFF :)

cool, where are you jumping?

my first jump was the most expensive considering its got me addictaed to the sport...(why cant i be happy collecting old matchboes or something cheap ;))

i had quite a lot of time distortion on my first jump...after the practice pulls everything seemed fine for ages (2000ft)..then came to lockout and pull and i went into cloud, paniced a bit, fumbled for my pull toggle...it felt like 5 secs, but the video showed it was barely 1. It may be because there was less work for you to do in the dive you may not have any markers in the jump to recognise the stages and the time involved. Its probably like the opposite of watching a kettle boil...my first tandem and aff felt shorter than it was as well, guess thats the adrenalin doing its stuff. Like someone said, a video helps put it all in perspective. Helped me a lot, and the second time around the time distortion felt less...:) Go for another :D

just booked level 3 for a week next friday...:D cant wait...eyeballs have been glued to the sky ever since the jumps :D cheers rob

Hi, Just done two jumps and im noticing a reoccuring habit, which is me not pointing my toes enough in arch ( i do it in track though automatically )...i've had it pointed out on the ground, and like the instructor says "what you do on the ground you do in the air"...and i did...he signalled me, i corrected...again it happened on the second...he signalled i corrected, its in the logs and i get reminded in the plane as well...just worried about it creeping in. So...i wondered if it was smart to scrawl "T" or "toes" on my hand or something so it reminds me in the door before the exit or before circle of awareness when i check altitude... or would that be an unwanted distraction...?

as a student i would like to see the clarification of the point by perhaps a senior instructor to both instructors if it was serious enough that it could cause me concern...i think if it was well handled, that should be done automatically somehow to avoid the student even having to think about questioning his/her current instructor. Once the student has a clear idea what the debate was about then they can make a choice...personally if something was explained to me well, and it wasnt a safety issue, then i wouldnt have a problem with this really and would continue. If it was a safety issue i would probably question just more than the instructor, and go further and question whether i was at the right DZ altogether if it was a right or wrong scenario...i would be confused if there was a lack of clarity on safety. Doubt in an instructor could perhaps lead to hesitation and doubt on unrelated but important matters, if it was left unhandled. Just thought it might help from the other perspective. Oh and i would think it a little unproffessional in the first place...it happens in lots of lines or work etc, but i think something as serious as aff shouldnt suffer from any ambiguity or loss of confidence in teaching.

hi marky, yep thats the army barracks at south cerney. I was jumping with skydive southwest...i organised it through http://www.skydivezone.co.uk because i was just looking for an early slot anywhere in the south or south west, but I guess you could call them direct :) I had instruction under carl, andy from skydivezone was my second instructor in the air. Carl makes sure you know your stuff, he's strict but very solid and he wont let anything slip. He's focused on making sure you know what your doing at every step of the way. After my first jumps I was rewarded with good feedback and debrief (and a beer from his fridge). I liked the DZ as well, in the air its easy to find and see everything to navigate by on a jump, and the rest of the jumpers there are quite friendly. Both andy and carl ran or were in jump demo teams, dunno about the rest that were there, but i saw a few silver stars badges around the place. The plane used is massive as well compared to what i jumped from at Netherhavon on my tandem. Takes about 10 mins or something daft to get to 13k. The rigs there for aff has done less than 100 jumps, so theres no worries about old gear as well. I cant really compare it with many ofther DZ'd's because i simply havent been around many, but Andy recommended it because it was his home DZ and because of the friendly atmosphere. I havent done 3 yet, but im itching to, and I will be looking to book three on the blower with carl next week.

yep made sure i did that :)...pity everyone else was jumping (no beers for them..cheap dates)...probably on of the best tasting beers ever :D

an interesting topic, heres my second post to go with my second aff jump skydiving is something i have always wanted to do ever since i saw it, but its about the only sport i havent casually just entered into by doing it with friends or family, there's no peer pressure sort of thing or joining in with the crowd, its just me making the decisions. This i think helps with the fear, everything is on my own terms, and i make sure that i can deal with it at every level (helped by a strict tutor). He makes sure i know it the drill, i make sure i know the drill, if theres anything left to doubt, he grills me, if i forget anything i make sure i know it or i stop. I stopped doing my 3rd aff because i was so drained from doing the 2 beforehand. I dont get fear when i lure myself into trusting something. When i used to rockclimb, if i was 2nd or top roping there was little fear, when i lead it was different, and less enjoyable. Skydiving is the same, my tandem was pure enjoyment and little thought past doing the necessary, but my first aff was 110% concentration to get through the fear and still be able to do the work. I'm looking forward to my 3rd aff because to me it seems like consolidating jumps 1&2...correct me if im wrong (i dont count tandem, seems like a tourist trip to me in comparison). I'm apprehensive about 4 because I want to know that my position is good getting out of the door or that i can get it good and stable. I want to cure my faults of not pointing my toes enough or putting my arms out too far. This gives me a target to aim for through the fear. On my first jump I had a good 10 secs of free time, in which i was signalled to relax, and the sensation of enjoyment was like that on the tandem...just simply gorgeous. I also had a fumble getting to the pull cord as i entered the cloud at 5500. It felt like ages, but the video showed me that it was about 1...the video helped me calibrate my fear to actually what was a happening rather than what i was imagining happening. That focused me for the second jump, and i felt it calibrated me as to what i was doing, how switched on i needed to be and how confident i needed to be. This being all my own effort and work i feel its easier to make the choices. If i feel fear to the point that i feel that i cannot control it and think straight and do the neccessary then i wont jump, even if im in the door. But if i know its "just" fear and i know i can do it then i'm ok. Thats probably why i didnt do the 3rd, but after a rest i'll be back up to the dz for that and then i can think about 4. My long term aim is to be 110% comfortable and able to be and get stable and enjoy the dive. If i find i've done aff and passed and got my cat A and i dont enjoy it above my fear then i'll walk away...

Just completed aff 1 & 2, looking forward to 3 and beyond