kerk1v 0 #1 July 26, 2003 Hi, I've been living close to a DZ in Spain most of my youth. At the time it was a (seemingly) poorly-run venue, eventually it startet attracting more people and seemed to get more popular, but then they held a world championship there, and things really took off. I'm talking, of course, about Ampuriabrava. At the tender age of 21 my curiosity about skydiving needed to be satisfied, so I went for a tandem, and I really fell for it... AFFs were cheap at that time, at least cheaper than now, but still I could not afford one. Imagine that almos 6 months savings went on the tandem, so figure... From then on, when I went to see my mom I always looked up whe I heard the familiar humming of the Otter or the Pilatus, watching the dots fly in the sky and the colorful canopies deploying for the final smooth ride to the ground. She also rents part of her house (actually a spare flat and a studio she has there) and of course ocassionally there are skydivers renting from her. Incidentally, she always happens to be very effective at keeping me away from her place when there are skidivers there... Just today she called for my birthday, and as a side-comment she mentioned "ah, yes, and I just had skydivers at the flat for 2 weeks, but they're leaving today". GRRRR! Anyways, the last 13 years jobs, marriage, a kid and life (and associated expenses ) got in the way of getting things done, but things are settled enough to go for an AFF before the summer ends. The DZ of choice, also nearest to where I live (Barcelona) is going to be Ampuriabrava, naturally. By what I've heard and read, that still seems a good choice, except for the eventual Tramuntane winds ruining a couple of days, but since it takes me a scant 2 hours to get there, there isn't much at loss. My plan is to start AFF part I (they require a Tandem first, possibly to check your "airwortyness" ) Tandem and Level I mid-August, and then try 2 levels on each subsequent Weekend, so I'll be done and can start my consolidation jumps mid-september and get me my first gear for christmas. I hope that sounds all sensible enough. See you at the DZ, and up there! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrenchyDiver 0 #2 July 26, 2003 Welcome to Skydiving. You will find out that it was worth the waiting. You will love it. Happy Blue Skies JM Hispas Brothers President HISPA #2, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robskydiv 0 #3 July 26, 2003 Go for it Kerk. You can do it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #4 July 27, 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
katiebear21 0 #5 July 27, 2003 Nice to hear you're pursuing your dreams! Keep us posted on your progess!Blue skies! Katie Get your PMS glass necklace here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeTJumps 4 #6 July 29, 2003 Welcome to our world! You will enjoy yourself tremdnously in learning skydiving. FYI, the book listed in my signature was translated into Spanish many years ago, but by the look of your sentence structure, you can read English just as well as us natives. Your library should have copies of skydiving texts available for you to learn from prior to your courses. Avail yourself of all of the information you can get hold of! Enjoy!Mike Turoff Instructor Examiner, USPA Co-author of Parachuting, The Skydiver's Handbook Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kerk1v 0 #7 July 29, 2003 Thanks, Mike, looks like I need to get me that book like now. Such a luck for all of us that Amazon exists because the spanish translation, the only one I would stand a realistic chance to get here has been out of print for quite a while. You're also putting too much trust in spanish town libraries... All I found on skydiving here was an old book (from the 60s) on aerodynamics which had a chapter on round parachutes (shudder) in it. Thanks for the flattering remark about my english! Blue skies, Volker Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeTJumps 4 #8 July 29, 2003 If you don't find the Spanish translation on Amazon.com, check with www.parapublishing.com, I imagine that Dan Poynter would have a few copies in Spanish around his office. Mike Turoff Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
b1jercat 0 #9 August 1, 2003 Hi you have a good plan, as we say in skydiveing, plan the dive, dive the plan. good luck on diveing the plan! blue skies jerry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kerk1v 0 #10 August 1, 2003 Mike, Ordered from Dan's place, but in English, as it sold out on Amazon as I was looking around in town, without luck, and the latest edition will not be available from them until september. :-( Why english? Well, I'd always read "originals" rather than translations, especially when it comes to a language I feel acceptably comfortable with. And since the JMs at Ampuriabrava seem to be from all around Europe, I think I can take my pick at one who speaks english, so I don't have to change the "vocabulary" after I've read the book. :-) Now, which me luck that this sinusitis I've been struggling with this week goes away completely in the next 2 weeks, yes, I'm beeing a good boy and taking my antibiotics, all the pack right to the end, but I'm not taking a chance if I feel it has not cleared away completely. The pain is already *highly* unconfortable in an airliner, which pressurizes at (I think) 8.000', and I don't want to find out what it's going to be like at 18.000' See you, blue skies! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slotperfect 7 #11 August 6, 2003 Wow! What a place to start! I have never been there but have seen pictures and heard others rave about it. I have a friend who takes skydiving vacations there and loves it. Best of luck in your training - make sure you let us know how it goes.Arrive Safely John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alanab 0 #12 August 6, 2003 welcome to the forums!! keep us posted on your progress. it's great to have a goal set for yourself... sounds like you'll be done in no time. have fun!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kerk1v 0 #13 August 6, 2003 Well, it's definitely postponed till September, by my doctor's reccomendation and also because she can't issue the compulsory medical certificate I need here in Spain before I'm fully cured, because she needs to do a blood test for that, and the antibiotics I'm still taking (the third one we tried seems to help al last, it seems like I got some nasty resistent bacteria strain) would distort the results. I hope Mike's and Dan's book gets delivered soon so I can at least do some reading. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alanab 0 #14 August 6, 2003 hope you get better soon! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
digurman 0 #15 August 7, 2003 Get ready for the most fun you've ever had in your life. I just finished my A license and had the time of my life. I'm at Spaceland in Houston, Texas. We have an 18 jump A license program. I did the 18 in four days and another 10 the next weekend. Words aren't real Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
