turbulentmia 0 #1 July 8, 2003 hello everyone, I am new to this forum, I am a 32 female from michigan, and have one 7 year old son.. A friend wants me to go sky diving with her...but quite honestly, I'm too chicken!! Help anyone? Mia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hooked 0 #2 July 8, 2003 Welcome to the forums. The fact that you are here and doing some research might suggest....you might not be as 'chicken' as you think. If it's something you really don't want to do, then don't do it. On the other hand.....what an experience! Is your friend a skydiver, or does she just want someone to join her in doing a tandem? J -------------------------------------- Sometimes we're just being Humans.....But we're always Human Beings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
feuergnom 28 #3 July 8, 2003 maybe this is of some help: it's perfectly normal to be afraid of a first jump. even considering to jump takes some guts. just take a look into the forums & you will realise, that this is very common. doing the first jump – a tandem some two years ago – scared the ***** out of me although i wanted to do it for years! on the other hand: don't do it just because of peer pressure. If you want to jump you will. if you really don't want be proud that you can name your fears. generally i think you should join your friend and go to the dz with her, spend the day there, feel the atmosphere & watch the beauty of the sport. and if you get the urge to do it there u might as well set a date for a tandem. blues - feuergnomThe universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle dudeist skydiver # 666 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #4 July 8, 2003 Welcome to the forums! She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FliegendeWolf 0 #5 July 8, 2003 Hi Mia, Welcome to the forums. I'm wondering what part of Michigan you're from. There are some great dropzones in Michigan, even if they are seasonal... You may want to go ahead and fill out your profile with some more info about yourself. It's nice to know who we're speaking to!A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
groovychic 0 #6 July 8, 2003 Skydivig is the most amazing thing that you will ever do. There are no words for it. I recommend doing a tandem for your first jump, that way your just along for the ride. That first step outta the palne can be a bit intimidatting, but afterwards you will be hooked. Welcome to the forums's & I can't wait to hear about your first jump! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
katiebear21 0 #7 July 8, 2003 You're not alone... there have been many posts about overcoming initial fears - including those for folks that have just taken a long vacation. You're not alone. You won't know if you like it if you don't try it! Katie Get your PMS glass necklace here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GigaBuist 0 #8 July 9, 2003 You're obviously somewhat interested, as others have pointed out, just be asking a question here. I'm just a newbie to the sport, but I'll post my introduction to it in hopes that it'll help you make up your mind about the matter. I was flying back from Orlando on business in late May and realized during flight that I'd kind of like to know what it's like to be -outisde- the plane. The view was kind of fun from the window, but I realized it'd be much much more fun having a 360 view than that little portal. However, I hate heights. I've been known to be slightly jittery on a 10 foot ladder at times. After a while I get used to it, but 10-14 feet off the ground makes me nervous, or at least it has in the past. Anyway, about 3 days after I land back home I get a call from a buddy who's put together a group that wants to skydive and wants 1 more guy in the group for the reservation. I think about it for a moment and give my okay. We show up at the dropzone with 7 of us that have never taken a dive before. We do the class and board the plane in groups of 3. It's just a Cessna, so we get 3 jumpers 1 jump master and the pilot in there. I'm jittery a bit, perhaps a lot. You'd have to ask the JM for a real evaluation of my reaction at that point -- I was a bit "out" of it I'd imagine. I'm in the position to be the 1st out the door; the door opens and I get a bit of a jolt when I stick my feet out the door doing 80. It's different than I expected, as I was told. I've stuck the upper half of my body out of a car doing 80 before but never my legs and arms with the body still inside. It's different, plus being at 3500 feet makes it a totally different experience. Feet out on the step, hand on the wing support, and I get the "hang" command. As soon as my body's all the way out I feel a bit more comfortable. I suppose I'm a bit closterphobic so being outside the plane suddendly makes me feel better. I hang and feel pretty much free. I look at the JM and I get a "Go!" and took a moment to look around. I'm seriously thinking "Wow, great view, I'll enjoy this for just a second until I drop to my death." I look back at the JM who's probably slightly amused by my hesitation and she gives me another "go" so I release and arch, or something close to an arch. It takes about 2 seconds before I look down and throw my body slightly more head-down than you should get in a static line the the cord pulls, the chute opens and I'm stunned. Absolutely stunned. I'm -floating- around at 3000 feet in the air. Pure rush. I float down, land (not standing), but I'm grinning from ear to ear. The resident packer comes out to help me gather the chute up and he's grinning from ear to ear too, but he always is it seems. I couldn't tell you what I said but it was along the line of "That was friggen great!". I nab my buddies camera after the gear is off to take pictures of the rest of our group as the rest land and he gets on his plane. The 7 of us land. The guy who organized the whole thing is -pale white- when he lands, obviously scared stupid. He loved it though. I forget who told me but I didn't realize you could actually jump twice that first day so I talked him into it. I didn't take much. We jumped again that day. BIG! mistake! You've probably heard the just-say-no-to-drugs line that if you never do it you'll never get addicted. Well, technically if you never do it more than once you'll never get addicted. Same goes with skydiving it seems. I was hooked. I'm back down there the next week to do another, and back the next week, and back again. Okay, so it's not a mistake, but it is an addiction. I can live with that though. To me, if you're worried about actually letting go and making that jump you needn't worry at all. It doesn't seem real. The back of your mind, that part that controls fear and basic responses to such things, has no idea how to deal with 3500+ feet. It's clueless. It says "bad idea -- but I don't know why.". The forefront of your brain, the logical part, can't really grasp what's going on either. I think that pretty much nullifies the fear response once you've gotten that high up and are looking into open space. If you have the inkling to do it, I hope you do. I'm sure as snot glad I did. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomate 0 #9 July 9, 2003 Let me tell you about a friend that did not want to jump: 1) I just did my first tandem jump nine days ago, and decided immediately to have a second jump the same day. He went with me to the dropzone and did not want to jump because of simple fear. Of course I tried to convince him and maybe I was somewhat boringly pushy. 2) Last Saturday I jumped again as part of my first level AFF course (which I passed !!). 3) He saw me today so happy and engaged when I told him how everything went last weekend that he wants to jump now. It seems that we believe that what is good for our friends MAY be good for us too. So just follow your feelings and maybe we'll have a new story of a first jump very soon . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hooked 0 #10 July 9, 2003 This post of yours about your first jump........just wonderful and great writing in capturing your feelings! Thanks sooooo much for sharing it with us! Jan -------------------------------------- Sometimes we're just being Humans.....But we're always Human Beings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flygator 0 #11 July 9, 2003 Hey Mia! What's to be chicken about? I think you really want to jump or you wouldn't be in here. Go ahead and do it! The secret to life is not arriving at the grave in a well preserved body but sliding in sideways completely worn out yelling "holy crap" what a ride!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casie 0 #12 July 9, 2003 Welcome to the forums! Keep us posted on how your jump goes........cause I think you're interested enough & will go ahead & make that leap. I still get nervous on the plane ride up.....it's only natural. Go have a blast & blue skies!~Porn Kitty WARNING: Goldschlager causes extreme emotional outbursts! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
outofit 0 #13 July 10, 2003 welcome and don't worry about the fear it is normal. just learn to overcome it. it will be a very rewarding experience! It is better to be dead and cool than alive and uncool! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
