BDashe

The staff is top notch and know what they are talking about. Very friendly to new comers and tandem students. The majority of the time it is crystal clear when other DZs are fogged in, can see halfmoon bay and the sierra nevadas while in freefall. Sunset loads here are AMAZING, i always make sure to get myself on it. The staff is always around and give great tips when just relaxing as the DZ bum. They have all been great mentors for me, and always remember who i am, even though ill be gone for 6 months at a time. Their coaches are great and have helped me tremendously. They really make me feel like they truly WANT me to be a great skydiver, and i always leave this place feeling highly motivated. I really love this DZ and the staff, I can't wait to get back to cali!!!!!

I drive 3.5 hours to get to this DZ as often as I can (which is about every other week) even though there are a couple within an hour of where I live. My first visit I had a wopping 1 tandem jump and my first AFF under my belt. My first time at ASC, I walked in about as new as you can be- very nervous and intimidated by the experience level of the staff. The wind shut everyone down by 2PM, by 2:30 I was out to lunch with some of my instructors. I spent the rest of the day and most of the night with a bunch of the staff. They were all extremely friendly and welcoming. Basically the staff is about as good as you can find anywhere. They have some of the best swoopers in the country as well. The twin otter runs 95% of the time, people actually complain when the king air runs which is beyond me, a king air is a bentley compared to cessnas. There are a lot of tandems, but it doesnt matter much because the otter fills loads of 23 and is still comfortable. On nice days they get 15+ loads easily when running just one of their planes with no back to backs, this means 15 or more jumps in a day is VERY doable, the only restriction is the wallet. The LZ is kind of small for the amount of jumpers, it does have trees around it, but it is very manageable. If AFF 1's can land there daily with a load of 23, anyone can. The equipment is in perfect condition whether it is the rental stuff, the multitude of planes, or the packing room(s). The climate controlled packing area is awesome. In regards to the negative reviews I've seen, most of the people have other area home DZs (even if they claim to be from elsewhere, check their profiles) that get chewed up by ASC. That safety post is bogus, everytime i've jumped there I usually get two gear checks from the staff without even saying anything, and always by someone behind me in the plane. This may be because I am a regular, but it's been like that from day one for me there. Aside from that, if you want/need a gear check, all you have to do is ask! AND, I always here the clacking of sealtbelts coming undone at 1000' ALWAYS. The negative vibe that has been described I have never personally experienced. The place is BUSY, there are a lot of jumpers there all day every day which may be part of the reason, because the staff can't physically pamper 50 upjumpers and X number of tandems students all day long, but they try their hardest. Since day one I have always gotten personal attention from the staff, and I always go there by myself, not many people where I live are skydivers. They are always welcoming to tandem students, show them a great time as well as the family members that come to watch the exciting first jump! If you watch a video, you know and can easily tell they make the tandem student feel great and accepted to the community, even though they are just along for the ride. If you have any social skills whatsoever or a passion for jumping, you'll fit right in. My best friends in the skydiving community are the ASC staff, and they always watch out for me, and we have some seriously great times after the beer light is on. Everytime I go I am greeted with smiles and usually crash on a couch or in the bunkhouse for FREE. The first time I was ever there, they were upset that I wasn't staying at the DZ, and spending more money by putting myself up at a motel, since then I'll never miss a night at ASC! They are real cool and real open to everyone. Now that I have more experience, I've been to several other DZs that were not nearly as professional, fun, experienced and welcoming as ASC is. I would recommend this place to anyone and everyone. This place is loaded: landing area next to the packing room, runway next to the packing room, swoop pond, observation deck, quality eqiupment and staff, the list goes on. And by the way, the riggers/rigging loft are absolutely top notch and extremely experienced, they have recorded an enormous number of saves. TWO THUMBS UP ASC, CANT WAIT TO BLOW THE REST OF MY CASH WITH YOU GUYS, SEE YOU IN AUGUST!!!!!