Beckuboo

Cool picture!

Hi! I am considered even lower than a sub-low timer as far as jump numbers go, however, I would like to add just a thought here, please. As a beginning student, I am still struggling with landings, wind pattern changes, etc. Now to the humble point I am trying to make here: From reading these forums I continue to learn more from posters who are at a variety of skill levels. I do not take to heart every post that is written, albeit, I am quite capable at recognizing and discerning other points of view and differentiate between the ones that can either help or hurt me. For example, a couple of weeks ago I was reading a poster's experience with regard to a bad landing, their experience was almost exactly as mine had been. After reading several postings from others who were giving advice, bingo! There it was! Someone was able to pointedly provide advice that made sense to me. It was my epiphany-moment where the information just clicked. I guess what I am trying to explain is that there are occasions when someone else's personality, experience, or even their thought process will match with another's and it just clicks for them. In addition, the DZ's are so busy on the weekends, it can be rather difficult to find the one-one time with the instructors. Whenever I find some tidbit of information that I think is helpful for me, personally, I always mention it to my instructor for their input, but our discussion might not be as timely as reading DZ.com. Edited for clarification - it's late - good night all! Stay safe!

I agree, Shrink DVD is quite impressive. I recently was turned on to it by a co-worker of mine when I was relating to her how I was trying to figure out how to decrease the size of my personal skydiving video. I enjoy reading this particular forum as I have a keen interest in photography. I am an amateur photographer who occasionally lands a paid gig, ha ha!

My home DZ is adjacent to the Ohio River. As a student, we use the same type of flotation device that JHeadley commented on using. I tried to attach a picture but it will not upload. The size is too big, I guess.

41 & loving it!

I am a Christian, saved by the grace of God. I, too, have a personal experience. Unless one has been converted, it is extremely difficult to explain to non-believers how I believe with regards to faith, being spiritual, or even blessings that I have personally received. I would like to offer this for consideration: For those of us who enjoy skydiving, did you not find it trying to explain to those who care about you why you enjoyed your skydiving experience so much? I propose a similarity of why it is so difficult to explain something that means so much to one that words alone doesn't seem to be sufficient enough to fully describe it to others. A personal experience is just that, an experience that is truly personal to the individual. I don't recall if it was in this thread or another one, but from the words of another poster, "it works for me". Best regards

Awesome video!!

So sorry. I know how it feels to get a "fast driving award", that's what my hubby calls them. It sort of takes the sting out of saying you received a ticket. Bummer!! Hope you have a great night despite your bad luck today. PS My dad is a retired trucker - he always said that most of the time one can drive around 9 mph over the speed limit without being pulled over. Not always and not in all situations, but mostly.

Those were some great pics! Thanks for sharing!

Congrat's! I hope I can do as well when I reach that level!! You flew great and landed beautifully!

I am sure you will enjoy your time there! It really is a beautiful place to jump! Feel free to send me an e-mail to my Yahoo account - I will provide you with more info.

Hi! If you have some free time, I would highly recommend jumping at Skydive Coastal Carolinas while in NC. It is an absolutely beautiful place to jump! The Oak Island Beach is just a mile away, I believe. When you are in the air, you can see see Bald Head Island to the south and the Intercoastal Waterway just to the north. The DZ is a small operation with very friendly staff! It is located in Southport, NC in Brunswick County. I did my first jump there (tandem) and was so impressed that I am now working on my A license here at home just so I can go back and jump there again (while vacationing in MB). Stay safe!

This was hilarious!!

I totally agree. Very courageous of the poster to express her thoughts/opinions/beliefs in this type of forum. I enjoyed reading her personal experiences.

I laughed so hard I was crying while listening to this one!!

Hey, take a deep breath and "just do it!" Trust me, you will be glad and proud that you did it! Let us know how it goes....

This was too funny! I swear I can't keep grinning about this one!

That is so cute!

Seriously, you can't relate to the description of feeling freedom? Perhaps the reason I can relate to it is because the word I came up with to describe it to my friends was "liberating". Free falling is the most liberating experience I have ever felt, naturally speaking. Maybe it is because I have been through some stuff in life. Free falling feels like there are no ties holding you back, no pain, no negativity, just pure joy! However, your description of hanging in the air is a really good one! It really doesn't feel like gravity is pulling you down! Dontiego, me thinks you will have the time of your life!!

Amazing story!

Thanks, SkyMama, for the info. I followed your advice and stopped by the local DZ this afternoon on my way home from church. I believe it will be a good fit for me there. Everyone was having a good time and they were very willing to share their own experiences with me. I will be calling them soon to schedule my training classes. I came right out and asked them if they could give me some information about a fatality that occurred there some years back. Two of my closest friends told me about it as soon as I began expressing my interest in skydiving. I felt at ease with their reply as they explained the fella did it to himself purposely. I won't go into details except to say I am comfortable now with my decision to train there. A phone call wouldn't have provided me with the same sense of openness as actually being there. I am not worried about bruising as much as the jolt of force upon opening. Hopefully, that was as you said, more of a result of being in a tandem rig. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me!

Chris, thanks for the welcome. I am planning on enrolling in a program as a student soon. I can't wait! I browsed this site when I began my initial research but I didn't register until just a few days ago. When I began reading some of the forums, I told my husband how cool the people are in this very exciting sport! They just seem to get it when those who haven't experienced freefall can't even fathom it. "Crazy" is probably the most frequent word I have heard being described as when others hear about my adventure. Thanks again!

Thanks, Jake, for the welcome and for your input. I know you are right and it makes sense to me. I just wish I knew what the variable in this situation was so I could adapt to it in the future. I thought, perhaps, that maybe it could have been a result of me hanging off of my instructor. In the video, he did not seem to be affected by the jolt. However, he also is the professional and may not have been affected by the force. I didn't realize it was called hard openings, thanks for the insight!

Hi all! I have always wanted to try skydiving, at least once. I am in such a happy place in my life that I believed I had the courage to "just do it!" I began asking my husband a few months prior to our scheduled vacation this year if he would like to go with me and watch. Anytime I broached the subject, he would attempt to change the subject. Finally, I decided to ask him one more time if he would like to accompany me on my adventure. He said no, that he wasn't going to go with me because I wasn't going to jump from any airplane. I decided then that I would jump without his knowledge so I worked out a plan. As it turned out, I didn't have to utilize this plan because he was unable to go on vacation with me. I did some research on the internet and made my decision on which DZ would best fit my needs, especially in relation to my vacation area. I made my reservation a few weeks prior to the week of my vacation and was set to go. I had the most fun I believe I have ever experienced in my life. I felt so exhilarated, giddy, and liberated from my tandem jump that I don't think I could have even identified myself to anyone afterwards. There are no words in my vocab to correctly describe everything I felt and experienced. I was so happy that my two boys were able to take leave from work and be with me on this awesome trip, too! My jump occurred on July 3, 2007. Since I have been back home, I cannot think of anything else. My mind and my dreams are always in the sky. I know that I want to experience this complete and unadulterated joy again, hopefully soon. Oh, and when my husband viewed the video, he couldn't have been prouder of me! The closest DZ in my area is called "Tri-State Skydivers ", located in Southpoint, OH. I do plan on calling them to inquire regarding their facility, stats, etc. Does anyone know anything about their reputation? It is probably a much smaller organization than most. Also, how hard is it to trust another coach/instructor than the one who took me on my first ride? Please bear with me - I have one more issue I need help with. The only negative aspect of my tandem jump is when the canopy opened. I expected to feel a jolt upwards but it felt like I was riding on a very fast moving train and then hit a brick wall. Shock waves went through my body and I actually felt my body go limp for just a couple of minutes, maybe not even that long. I think the leg strap on my right leg may have been the culprit. I discovered later the strap had caused some slight bruising. Is there something I could have done to prevent such a force from happening? Was my short stature (5'1" height) a reason for it to jolt me so forcefully? Thanks in advance for any light shedding advice you may have.