Skydive Spaceland San Marcos

Not really a firm believer in other peoples reviews, however, they are absolutely right about the unprofessional and rude staff. I'm a solo diver, decided to take 2 of my female cousins out this morning, ....very disrespectful (especially Jeff). I don't want to go into detail s but I will say that they are nothing but pro tandems. Not going back.

Visited San Marcos for over a year, was an ok time till 14 Feb, then the unprofessionalism and temperment of the staff changed my opinion drastically. I am never going back and highly recommend jumpers (new and old) to go elsewhere. Most issues dealt with the tandem instructors...there were minor issues over the months, but I looked past those because the people that go there to fun jump are a blast to hang out with.

Unfortunately I reached my break point a couple weeks ago. I took some buddies to go tandem while I was making a fun jump. Tom, one of the tandem instructors who is apparrently new, was a complete ass. I heard all about his father owning a DZ out west, but this guy seems to have picked up the skygod complex. He was doing tandem with my buddy who he yelled loudly to several times for not understanding the sequence of exit (by the way he never briefed my friend and first met him at the plane)...hey Tom, when tandems are going jumping they are usually highly inexperienced with no clue what is going on...bear with them.
Same guy then proceeds to yell at me about my gear and how it is messed up and reaches over to disconnect my RSL while 'attempting' to help...my gear was actually fine till he touched it.

I spoke with management about the above instructor and they pretty much blew me off. Other staffers seem to have similar issues, just lack of professionalism and customer service...they only see jumpers as dollar signs. The only exception is Sarah in manifest who is very sweet and tries to keep a straight head about everything.

Overall I am done with San Marcos...I have had minor issues crop up over time but that last experience blew me away. DZ's need to understand that there is more than just money involved and that customer service and professionalism are huge. Even if you are on your 8th tandem for the day, you are still expected to still be courteous and respectful.

I surprised my husband with reservations to go SkyDiving for Valentines Day, we were so excited to get to experience this, however our experience was tainted by my RUDE, DOUCHE BAG of an instructor, JOHN. John did not provide any training until we were seconds from boarding the plane and when he did he BARKED his orders at me, he even COMMANDED that I walk right next to him (HELLO I'M NOT A DOG!) He did not give me any reassurance whatsoever and I had no idea what to expect during the jump. I might have just jumped alone, because there was absolutely no communication at all!
He was so awful, that I almost didn't want go through with my jump, but I was with 3 other people and didn't want to ruin their experience as well.
The overall jump was amazing but could have been 100% better had I had a professional who actually cared and enjoyed what he does.
I strongly recommend making the drive else where to get the full experience, if SkyDive San Marcos is your last and only option, please request you do not jump with John.

Travelled to Texas from South Carolina while my wife was attending a convention in the Austin area. Located SSM on DZ.com and decided to give it a try. As an experienced jumper I had read the negative comment about SSM. I found none of them to be true and everyone was so polite & helpful. I wish to thank Theresa, DZ Manager Eric, Tom (Packer), Nick, and Marcus. I had a great time and was asked to meet several of the employees for beers & a bite to eat after jumping. I wish to thank everyone at the DZ for a great time and for making me feel welcome. I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to jump at a large DZ with the small DZ feel.

I've been to a fair number of dz, big and small and this one takes the cake. Its got a great plane, competitive rates, and quality facilities and still manages to be the worst dz I've ever been to, which is quite impressive actually. Their instructors go out of their way to make sure you know their at the top at this dz and that you don't know $hit. The manager/s&ta, has got to be the rudest manager is Ive seen at a business. He went out of his way to personally insult me after I just politely asked why it took 2.5 weeks to get a repack in their well stocked loft with 2-3 riggers. Even the office girls are hit-or-miss. Its ridiculous. They've driven all the talented fun jumpers away, so if you wanna jump, you're stuck trying to teach someone with 20 jumps how to sitfly, and the only reason these newbies are still there is because they don't know there are WAY cooler places to jump. its sad really.

Upon arriving, I was suspicious of the place after reading reviews on DZ.com. To my surprise, front office staff was really cool and a female tandem instructor inspected my gear -- she was really down to earth. Then I started to hear the jaws theme as a young instructor with an accent creeped up on me and began 20 questions, then giving me random advice that wasn't welcomed...skygod.

The next weekend I brought a load of tandems for the school. Great thing was that they did give me $10 for each one. Bad thing was that every time I even tried to talk to a friend doing a tandem, a couple of the instructors would look at me like he I thought was a complete a-hole.

Nice facilities that are clean and they have an indoor packing area.

They have one twin otter. They do two passes; one at 10,500 for tandems and then about 13,000-14,000 for fun jumpers. that was cool getting extra altitude. And they're a little more lenient than my home DZ towards jumping with cloud coverage which was cool.

Not sure if it was because the time of season I was jumping there, but there weather in Texas is totally unpredictable.

I jumped here for the summer of 2008, and it was a struggle for me to keep going. Every weekend I went, people are bullied and ridiculed if they have less than 5000 jumps. I have since stopped going there and I don't regret that decision at all. Most of the people there are cool, but many staff members are egotistical skygods who soak you for every penny you got. A reserve repack takes 2 weeks. It's a total tandem factory and many instructors treat their students very poorly. There is a particular instructor who can't keep his hands to himself and makes uninvited advances to all of the women there. Students have complained but of course nothing changes. If you make a mistake, it's a chance for the skygods to let you know who's boss, rather than helping you learn more about the sport and help you become a better skydiver. I'm not alone in feeling this way; many people, even other staff members feel this way, yet nothing is done. I would not recommend going to this place.

Skygod (ski-gahd): A skydiver, usually high on the drop zone totem pole, who pretends to be safety oriented, but in truth would love nothing more than to see somebody pound in for the excuse to flex his authority and chew somebody a new ass. This sport has no room for skygods. The world would be better if skygods would pull their bottom lips over their heads and swallow.

My idea of a good S&TA is one who uses his skill to build up rather than tear down; one who helps you become a better and safer skydiver, not one who makes you feel stupid and insults your intelligence every chance he gets. This drop zone has no S&TA, only a bully with a rating.

Fun jumpers are not welcome here. Even the tandem students are just treated like another number; dump you out at 10,000 feet, take your money, and strap up the next one. I've even heard instructors openly say "I hate fun jumpers." An AFF instructor's job is to turn students into fun jumpers. I guess after you get their money, they can go run head first into traffic.

The staff members have nicknamed the current manager "Fred Flintstone" for his half evolved, neandrotholic way of doing business; using his 6'4" 300 pound stature to scare everybody into respecting him. I have spent all summer studying the sociological flaws with this place, and have determined only three ways to be treated with respect by the manager and his followers. 1) Be a highly skilled hotshot skygod. 2) Be female and not ashamed to bare it all when you're drunk. 3) Limit yourself to an eighth grade education, smoke a lot of dope, and always have something disgusting to say. If you have one or more of these three things going for you then you'll fit right in. Otherwise, you're a nobody, and they will go out of their way to let you know it.

Even the non managerial staff members admit that this is the most hostile drop zone that they know of. What disappoints me most about hearing them say it is that they are aware of the problem, but don't do their parts to change it. They try to act tough as nails, but if you don't totally walk on egg shells around them, they become the most thin-skinned, sensitive crybabies that you'll ever encounter.

Most of the staff members and fun jumpers (including the DZO and his wife) are some of the nicest people that you'll ever come across. I made a lot of great friends this summer. Unfortunately it only takes a couple of skid marks to turn an otherwise awesome dz into a sludge-caked stinkfest that reminds you of the discomfort you get when the doctor is exploring your nether-region. Skydive 35 south of Dallas now has a Caravan. Tell a friend.

Let me start by saying that there are nice people and staff at this DZ (Lloyd, Kevin, Perry) but a majority wont speak to you unless you have boobs or are a so-called skygod.

I attend this DZ only to keep current. I jump other places for fun. When you first arrive, you may notice nice new facilities and the great aircraft, but that is where is ends. When you start to interact with the staff, you get the vibe of "who are you and why are you talking to me?" (you know they are staff bc they are the only ones with a purple shirt that say staff on the back). I still get this vibe and I have been going there for 7 to 8 months.

If your a student, forget it. Go somewhere else. They will bump you and you have one of the lowest priorities for a ride.

I have jumped from the west to the east coast and this is the worst and is not very skydive friendly.

One last note, they fired their manager a couple of months back, but nothing has changed...TANDEM FACTORY with no concern for others. (Concerned with tandems because that makes the most money)

I would be happy to adjust this review when their attitudes are focused on all skydivers.

WARNING...............This is by far the worst dropzone I have ever been to. If your looking for a drop zone keep driving. This place is not friendly at all. I waited 5 hours at a boggie for a jump we kept getting bumped and lied to as to why. During the Halloween Boggie a lot of skydivers where pissed off by the treatment. I will never give them another dollar of my money. Two jump planes and a Helo and waited 5 hours to jump what a joke. Over all I would not recommend or jump here ever again.

Not so much fun, very much a tandem factory. Didn't like the staffs attitude towards fun jumpers or guests. If they don't know you, then you don't even matter to them. Been there multiple times and get the same feeling every time I go there

The feature about skydive san marcos that stands out most is the unprofessional and unfriendly attitude of the management and staff. i did my AFF there and jumped over a period of almost a year. if you're popular or a skygod, you won't have too much of a problem. but if you need extra hands-on help with a basic skill, you have to look hard for someone who doesn't mind helping you if you're an average joe; no one will offer hands-on help unless you're cool or a hot chick. i've seen loyal fun- jumpers treated like sh*t-- put down in public, ridiculed, or totally dissed like they don't matter. i've even seen a couple of staff make people cry. even some of the staff realize it's an unfriendly place and eventually leave. too bad, because the ones who leave are usually the GOOD ones. this dz has the reputation for being a tandem factory, and it is. but i've also seen first time tandem customers treated rudely or made to feel unimportant or stupid. it's hard to believe that they have return business. the dzo when he's there seems somewhat approachable but usually blows people off. there are friendly dz's in central texas, but unfortunately they don't have comparable aircraft. AFF students spend a lot of money at ssm, especially if they have to repeat levels; they are taken advantage of.

This dropzone caters to tandem jumpers; those seeking a one-time thrill. The tandem instructors are safe and courteous and there are a sufficient number of them to meet the amount of business they receive. The wait time is reasonable short (under 90 mins) and the price ($189) is compartivly good. A friend of mine recently made a tandem jump and completed training and the jump in under an hour. If you seek a tandem skydive, this place is for you. Unfortunately, this dropzone does not employ a sufficient number of AFF and advanced level instructors. If you wish to make an AFF, re-cert, coach, or A-license dive your wait could range from several hours (3 or 4) to several days ("Come back tomorrow/next week") based on my experience. There is never more than 2 AFF level instructors on the DZ at any one time while the number of AFF/advanced students at any one time is much greater than they can tend to. I have visited this DZ three times in the last three weeks (once each weekend) and have only made 1 jump! They are also a bit short on coaches so completing your coach jumps prior to your A license "check dive" may take a while. If you plan to attend an advanced course here be prepared to spend the day there or come back the following day/weekend. The staff are also short on courteousy. They are all too happy to smile and cater to the every need of the tandem students who fork over large amounts of money and pay the bills. But AFF students and those seeking a license are treated as inconveniences. The staff never directed me to an instructor; I was expected to comb the DZ and find a him or her myself to schedule training and a jump. When I finally did, he or she was never thrilled to see yet another student while preoccupied with a few others. However, the instructors are certainly safe and do not cut corners when it comes to instruction. Each briefing I had with the instructors was thorough and helpful. Though the experience could have been more respectful and expeditious. It's no fun sitting on the ground for several hours or days at a time waiting in line.

I'm modifying a previous entry because upon reflection I believe the rudeness I perceived was actually due to the amount of customers they were dealing with.

There were a few extremely nice staffers and some very friendly fun jumpers (and some not so friendly fun jumpers). A bit cliquish but I'm sure that's probably the norm at many dropzones (as opposed to where I normally jump which is super mellow).

All in all, I'm going to go back and give it a few more jumps and might update this further. There's no denying that the organization and twin otter make this a place to try.

The AFF course is tough and I didn't know if I would make it through it or not but now I have and I'm having fun! I'm still not sure if I'm ready for this or not but I keep trying and I'm getting better thanks to the experienced coaches at SSM.

I went up with Jeff McVeigh today and we had a blast! Started out doing back flips at 12K and then proceeded on to practising my much needed docking skills.I think I did pretty good, no ass chewing when I landed :) Jump #26 goes down in history.I love you SSM!

Ben

1. Reserve Repacks: First DZ, I've heard of, where the main has to be removed (disconnected) prior to turn-in.

2. Packers and staff treated my girlfriend as an outsider (senical and disrespectful).

3. Once an individual comes off Student status (i.e. DZ money maker)they should be treated with the same respect/courtesy as a TANDEM & or AFF student. Contrary to popular belief, Fun Jumpers are paying customers to.

4. Next time I come to San Antonio I think I'll try out the Austin area.

5. Last, but not least: Parachute Center (Lodi, CA) still rules; $12 Jump Tickets, $5 Hop "N" Pops. A Beech, a King Air, an Otter, and a Cesna

I am a fun jumper and I've only been there once, but it was awesome. The atmosphere is very fun and I was able to run into other belly jumpers to have fun with.
My initial impression of the staff was outstanding because of people like Perry (an incredible friendly skydiving guru) and Wendy (the Blue Sky Cafe chef!)
I love the practice of the two pass jump runs for tandems and up-jumpers because it pleases everybody while keeping the landing area clear and safe.
I am definitely going down for the Halloween boogie and run into some old friends.
Overall, San Marcos is best DZ that I have been to.
Blue Skies everyone!!

There are MANY things that I find great about Skydive San Marcos, but I will just list a few:

- Excellent staff. Perry, Voodew, Juju, Hank, Jeff, JL, girls at manifest (and more) are all really cool and helpful. They want to make sure you understand EVERYTHING at the end of the day. Wendy in blue skies cafe seems to be very nice. She makes excellent lunchs/dinners and is super nice when dealing with people. Girls in Manifest are pretty funny. They handle everyone very well.

- Instructors are soooo helpful. You ask a ten second question and you can get an hour explanation. They are very concerned about everyone safety.

I feel lucky to have found Skydive San Marcos at the beginning of my skydiving career.

Keep up the great work, Skydive San Marcos -- it was a pleasure to jump there and I will definitely be back!
RJ Mack
Jupiter, Florida

From the moment I arrived I felt as though I was at home! The staff bends over backwards to make your time there as fun and safe as possible. Never once did I feel like a newbie, ( these people have alot of class)Even though the weather wouldent cooperate the day I was there and I had to re-schedule my firts jump,I'm hooked! I plan on starting class next week and my goal is to get my A lisciense.If not for the staff and one person in particular (Lloyd Lee)I probably would have asked for my money back and gone on my way. A great big THANK YOU!!! to Skydive San Marcos, it's made my life much more enjoyable.

i am almost done with my AFF, levels 13 and 14 this weekend (this will be my 3rd attempt at my hop and pop :-( ) The instructors and coaches have been great with their patience and willingness to share their knowledge of the sport. Not to mention the DZ Owner and Manager always have time to talk and have even offered to do coach jumps with me if I get stuck on something.

I made my 1st jump on 5/20/06 and T2 on 7/4/06. I have since been back to attend the AFF ground school and my AFF 2 level jump. I passed and am excited in continuing my path to my A license. The first thing that impressed me about this DZ is the staff. They have been great every step of the way and have always taken the time to spend with a newbie to help me in learing the sport. They are focused on safety and training at all times. I didn't have time to jump today due to work, but was in town and stopped by to ask them a few questions about the next dive flow. Dennis took his time out, eventhough I couldn't jump, to go over everything and walked me through the AFF 3 dive flow and helped me really understand the landing pattern. That tells me that they are there for the right reasons. If you are in the area and do not select them for your DZ you are really missing out.

First and foremost, the one part of this dropzone that can not be matched is the vibe. All levels of experience are welcomed and encouraged to be safe and have fun. The staff isnt money hungrey, and if they spend time giving you a ground lesson they dont expect anything from you, nor do they act as if their time is wasted. Esp Perry, who truely is in this sport to bring others to this sport and to help them progress safer.

Aircraft... Twin otter... we all know how awesome those are. Yes there are alot of tandems the best part is , tandems get the first pass and we get a second pass. That last min or two is spent spred out and relaxed. Its not the fastest plane in the world but it is comfortable.

In door packing, clean restrooms, and nice bunkhouse = great facilities. There is a resturant with the chef making some incredible dinners (at least when I have been there)

This really is a great dropzone, where newbies are treated as the future of the sport, not the rejected students that some DZs make one feel like. They always have time to lend a hand in regards to learning. It is a very smoothly operating place and I am pleased to have finally found a DZ in my area to call home....

Last but not least... one of the instructors is a certified massage thearpist... have a hard opening and he is right there helping you work the tension out inbetween loads.

Jumped my first one with Alby - apart from the fact he "forced" me to sit on his lap he did a really good job...Liked his and the cameraman's (Perry I think) relaxed attitudes.
The "locals" around the DZ was all "down2earth" (when not jumping - why state the obvious).We also managed to get through from I-35 without meeting any cops as earlier posts mentioned.
I'll be back (said with a Danish accent)
Hopefully for my jump 100 one day - then you will see boobies after all "danwayland"...
Cheers, Martin

This DZ is extremely newbie friendly, coaches teach patiently and never make students feel like morons. Other jumpers very friendly, layed back atmosphere.