lootcorp

Hello all, I found the attached pic on dz.com and have been using it as my desktop wallpaper for awhile now. It sparked a debate at work over where it was taken - some people think it is in S. America somewhere, while others swear it looks like the western US/Canada. If someone could identify the location, I can put this argument to rest! Thanks!!

I agree 100% - I did not mean my post to imply that I thought the dealer's behavior was acceptable. I agree with people trusting too much - you see this in many aspects of life. Scam artists make a living off of other people's trust. I wish it wasn't that way.

Disclaimer - With 4 jumps, I know nothing and do not claim to. Personally, I think the responsibility has to be on the person buying the gear. This is NOT to say it is ok for a dealer to try and sucker some newb, but salespeople do that in every industry, don't they? It's my ass up there under the canopy, and I don't trust ANY info I get from anyone unless I can verify it is true from a few different sources. That's what makes a site like dz so great - I mean, I know very very little about skydiving, but I already know not to downsize quickly and not to low-turn, etc..., thanks to the great minds on here who take the time to share their experience. I've taken the time to pore through this site as well as books, etc... in an effort to protect my life and the life of others who are around me when I jump. No dealer in the world could convince me to purchase a smaller size chute than I wanted. No one could convince me to use a chute in a container it was not designed for. I have taken responsibility for my own decisions and don't expect anyone to protect me - there's no excuse for jumping out of a plane if you are not willing to take the time to know wtf you're doing. I might be wrong, feel free to tell me so, but I'm a big proponent of personal responsibility and not letting yourself get taken advantage of by shady guys like the dealer in discussion. -loot

As a newbie student, here's my take on it. I went on my first skydive on a whim, after being asked by my gf's family because they needed one more person to get a group rate. I've always felt life is about racking up as many experiences as possible, so that fit the bill. I don't know what brought me back - was it the adrenaline rush of freefall, or just the newness of it all? The fact that there was this whole community of people out there doing stuff I had no idea about? I'm not sure, but all I knew was that I wanted to jump solo. I didn't feel a tandem really counted as skydiving - it was more like observing skydiving. I wanted to save my own life while plummeting from 13K. Now, why have I had a two-month lapse since my last IAD jump? Mostly money and time. I have a pretty busy life what with work and gf and all. For me, skydiving does not easily fit into my lifestyle - it is something I have to dedicate time and money to. It makes me a bit sad that I will probably never have the time to rack up thousands of jumps like some of you have. So, I think many people go tandem for the experience. Those who like it may come back for more. Only those who really love it will be able to spend the time and money to continue. There's one other factor which comes into play: FEAR. When I went on my tandem, there was very little fear. Sure, I was scared jumping out of a plane, but I knew nothing about mals or what could go wrong on the way down. I knew nothing about incident numbers or safety regs or any of that. Once we were out of the plane, it never crossed my mind that there would actually be a problem. Now, after ground school and much studying, I know a lot more about what can go wrong. Reading the incidents forum and seeing very experienced divers die because of a small mistake makes me nervous :) After all, I make mistakes all the time. I consider myself a good driver, but I have had an accident. In skydiving, a mistake can be and often is fatal. This might be enough to knock out the rest of the students. Personally, I don't think AFF prepares you enough to jump solo. Students might make it partway or all the way through AFF, realize they don't really know all that much, and without the security of having a JM there might not have the confidence to jump. Sorry for rambling, just my $0.02

hi all, Recently jumped my first tandem at DeLand while visiting my gf's family in Florida. Now I'm hooked and can't wait to start my IAF training here in NY (either Blue Skies Ranch or Skydive Long Island) Has anyone had any training experiences at either of those DZs? Any instructors that come highly recommended? My other question concerns seasonal timing - I won't have the money to start my training for at least a month, and I doubt there's any way I'd complete it before winter hits. I'm assuming that there is no jumping in the northeast during winter months due to the cold and weather conditions - if that is in fact true, would I be better off waiting until after the winter to begin my training? All thoughts/comments are appreciated! -Loot

I went for my first skydive at DeLand - it was a tandem with Nat as my tandem master. I realize now how critical this first exposure to skydiving was, and Nat totally made it a great time. I think my decision to continue in the sport and start my training speaks for itself. Next time I'm in the Daytona area I will definitely be back.

Argh, just checked the websites for both Skydive Long Island and Blue Skies Ranch and then don't offer AFF - so looks like I will need that log unless I want to repeat that jump - or will the certificate suffice? Thanks for the info -loot

Hi everyone, My name is Jim, and I completed my first dive last week @ DeLand while visiting Florida. It was a tandem with Nat. I've now decided to go for the AFF - I'm probably going to go to the Blue Sky Ranch in upstate NY. I'm now trying to digest as much info as possible about the sport before continuing with my jumps in the next few weeks. This website is a great resource! Unfortunately, I did not get a logbook when I made my jump - didn't even know about them at the time. I'm going to try and get in touch with Nat and see if I can purchase a logbook from DeLand, have him sign it, and ship it up to me in NY. Look forward to posting! -Loot