chumps 0 #1 August 18, 2003 i'm not really the brave type but somehow i got the skydiving bug. i don't even know who will want to go with me but i really want to do it during my 3-weeks off from school. hell i'd go by myself if i had to. i will be doing more researching on the topic but it seems like tandems are the way to go for beginners... but i'm wondering if it'd be unwise to attempt aff for the first time? my reasoning is that if i spend the time and money to try to go skydiving it might be more worthwhile to learn something and try and do it 'on my own' (technically incorrect but you know what i mean). i don't know if i'm making any sense. just writing about it makes me nervous :o. thoughts? steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
michaelflying 0 #2 August 18, 2003 Depends on your $$ if you can afford a tandem and then aff won't hurt. tandem is good but under canopy can be less comfy than a solo harness. So don't let the canopy ride put you off. If you enjoyed the tandem you will be really chuffed with aff.www.skydivekzn.co.za Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
b1jercat 0 #3 August 18, 2003 Hi Steve, I went the tandem route and no regrets, at my DZ you save a little money doing a tandem progression. $$$ = jump tickets. I'm sure you'll be fine whatever you decide to do. blue skies jerry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #4 August 18, 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
metalslug 36 #5 August 18, 2003 I would definitely recommend a Tandem jump rather than AFF on your first jump. In my opinion, a tandem is safer, especialy since you dont have to land the canopy yourself and therefore there is almost no chance of a rough landing in a bad spot. On a tandem you're just along for the ride.. you can relax, enjoy the sensory overload and let it mindfuck you. On an AFF Level 1 there is a little bit of work to do.. you have to watch your instructor's hand signals, watch your altimeter, block out panic and fear and focus on passing the level (if you intend to pass it as part of a continued progression). Of course, even if you're hopelessly unstable and freaked on your AFF Level 1 .. your instructors will hold you steady and take care of everything.. opening your canopy at a safe height where its quite calm and peaceful from there on down. Your AFF landing will be guided by either radio assistance or an instructor with batons on the ground.. making your AFF landing pretty much safe and accurate if you follow his guidance. The cost for both is about the same at many dropzones so your decision should be made on how certain you already are of wanting to skydive regularly. If you're less than 90% sure.. I say do a tandem. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Plummets 0 #6 August 18, 2003 Steve, get straight in with the AFF.... you usually wont need to pay for the whole course upfront but can do it on a level by level basis..(in the very unlikely event you don't like it, well sorry, blame me) ,,the first one though is the most expensive !!!, the money left at the end (from not doing tandem) = more jumps. "Life is a bowl of deadly nightshade, stay way way out on the rim brother" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflyfrog 0 #7 August 18, 2003 Hi Chumps, I am a tandem instructor, so I am a bit biased, but I think that a tandem is an excellent way to make your first jump! Most drop zones these days offer a tandem progression program that incorporates two or three tandem jumps into an AFF-style program, after which you move on to single-jumpmaster AFF dives. A tandem is an excellent introduction to the thrill and sensory overload of a freefall, without the necessity of going through a long class beforehand or the fear of forgetting the many points that you have learned in that class. There is plenty of time to go through the class and learn to become a skydiver after your first jump if you decide you really like it... no need to rush it! Whatever you decide, have fun with it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
melissagsc 0 #8 August 18, 2003 every one is right! ONLY you know if you want to skip the guy on your back thing... I didn't hear anyone mention static line...very cheap...if you can find a DZ doing it! I was a Stay At home Mom when I did the course...so I had no Money....but I did it! I like the tandem progression....also...very good instruction there! it's a happy medium...!Melissa Bennae RB#854 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazyfrog 0 #9 August 18, 2003 or maybe date a skydiver... she'll give you the taste of it ;-) go ahead, do as you wish, or as you can, and plan some tme and money for a close future---------- Fumer tue, péter pue ------------- ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
selbbub78 0 #10 August 18, 2003 When i went through the student program, i did the Tandem progression. If i had to do it all over again, i would do it the same way."Women fake orgasms - men fake whole relationships" – Sharon Stone "The world is my dropzone" (wise crewdog quote) "The light dims, until full darkness pierces into the world."-KDM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robskydiv 0 #11 August 18, 2003 Quote]"Your'e going to have sensory overload on that first jump..." Skymama makes a good point. I would have to agree with Skymama about making a Tandem jump for a first time experience. You won't regret it. Have fun chumps. Harry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites tomate 0 #12 August 19, 2003 Go for the tandem and forget about technicalities and "passing" the level. It will familiarize you with the experience so that AFF 1 seems the natural next step. I am still a student, which means concentrating on tasks and "passing". I still remember my tandem jump as delightful and am lloking forward to do it all on my own once I finish my AFF course. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mctyeire 0 #13 August 20, 2003 Having only recently completed AFF and the requirements for my A license, I am hardly qualified to be giving advice on skydiving. With the understanding that you are researching many sources and soliciting the advice of skydivers more experienced than myself, I offer the following personal experience and opinion only as a beginner's perspective. (Get used to the disclaimers if you're gonna skydive Do a tandem first. The reasons have been well presented in the posts above. My first tandem freefall and canopy ride were an introduction to pure bliss. During my AFF progression, there was so much "work" to do on each jump I never felt "free" to just relax and enjoy the experience, like I did on the tandem. These were expensive training jumps. Naturally, I wanted to complete the sequence and master the skills without wasting time and money. Each AFF jump was fun, and satisfying, and made me smile for a week, but I was working toward something else. On my first solo skydive after completing the AFF sequence, with no instructor to please, and no dive agenda beyond the essentials (exit, FF with stability and awareness, pull, fly it home ) I drank freely of the bliss I had tasted before. On the money issue: Skydiving is expensive. Training is only the first big investment. Before you get very far into this sport, a couple hundred dollars will seem fairly insignificant. It it all worth it? A tandem skydive may be the best single experience to help you begin to answer this for yourself. So, if you’re serious about getting into skydiving, or just looking for a one-time experience, and especially if you are not sure which, go do a tandem. Have Fun. Then tell us about it ! Chad good friends, blue skies, and sweet, sweet altitude... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites chumps 0 #14 August 20, 2003 wow, thanks for all of the great advice guys. yea it looks like tandem is the way to go. i guess i felt a little weird about having some dude strapped on my back. i'm in the los angeles area, which dropzone you guys could recommend? hoping i don't chicken out, steve kim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites themitchyone 0 #15 August 20, 2003 Hey Steve, I just did AFF 1 on Monday and my first tandem a month before that over at Perris Valley. Everyone there was really cool and friendly. You won't chicken out! After knowing what to expect from the tandem you'll be ready to move on. That's how I feel, and now that I know the experience from level 1 I'm ready to move on and learn more and improve my jumps. -Michele"If the Bible has taught us nothing else, and it hasn't, it's that girls should stick to girl's sports such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing." - Homer Simpson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites tomate 0 #16 August 21, 2003 You won't feel at all that you have somebody attached to your back during freefall. Once you open, you'll feel safe and secure, and your tandem master will explain you many details and have fun together maneuvering the canopy. All in all, having the TM behind you is no deal. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites dmitch31 0 #17 August 21, 2003 Why in the world would you feel weird about having a guy strapped to your back? You're going to be falling at 120 MPH, in which case, you're not really going to care. Actually, you WILL care. You'll want to be strapped to him very securely!!! I've done two tandems, and I can tell you after having done my first tandem and experiencing it, there is no way I would change it and decide to do an AFF first. For me, I definitely needed the tandem just to experience what freefall was like. Freefall is absolutely mind-blowing on your first jump (and preceding jumps as well I'm sure). Anyway, it impacts you much more than you could ever imagine. I know it's hard to imagine not being able to focus and concentrate, but on that first jump, you're brain just practically stops... I recommend the tandem. You won't regret it, I promise. AND, regarding the cost... Hey, If you're going to stay in this sport, you're going to be spending money on it anyway. You're doing this for fun, not to save money. Do it right. In the long run, it won't matter if you paid for a couple of tandems at the beginning... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. 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tomate 0 #12 August 19, 2003 Go for the tandem and forget about technicalities and "passing" the level. It will familiarize you with the experience so that AFF 1 seems the natural next step. I am still a student, which means concentrating on tasks and "passing". I still remember my tandem jump as delightful and am lloking forward to do it all on my own once I finish my AFF course. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mctyeire 0 #13 August 20, 2003 Having only recently completed AFF and the requirements for my A license, I am hardly qualified to be giving advice on skydiving. With the understanding that you are researching many sources and soliciting the advice of skydivers more experienced than myself, I offer the following personal experience and opinion only as a beginner's perspective. (Get used to the disclaimers if you're gonna skydive Do a tandem first. The reasons have been well presented in the posts above. My first tandem freefall and canopy ride were an introduction to pure bliss. During my AFF progression, there was so much "work" to do on each jump I never felt "free" to just relax and enjoy the experience, like I did on the tandem. These were expensive training jumps. Naturally, I wanted to complete the sequence and master the skills without wasting time and money. Each AFF jump was fun, and satisfying, and made me smile for a week, but I was working toward something else. On my first solo skydive after completing the AFF sequence, with no instructor to please, and no dive agenda beyond the essentials (exit, FF with stability and awareness, pull, fly it home ) I drank freely of the bliss I had tasted before. On the money issue: Skydiving is expensive. Training is only the first big investment. Before you get very far into this sport, a couple hundred dollars will seem fairly insignificant. It it all worth it? A tandem skydive may be the best single experience to help you begin to answer this for yourself. So, if you’re serious about getting into skydiving, or just looking for a one-time experience, and especially if you are not sure which, go do a tandem. Have Fun. Then tell us about it ! Chad good friends, blue skies, and sweet, sweet altitude... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chumps 0 #14 August 20, 2003 wow, thanks for all of the great advice guys. yea it looks like tandem is the way to go. i guess i felt a little weird about having some dude strapped on my back. i'm in the los angeles area, which dropzone you guys could recommend? hoping i don't chicken out, steve kim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themitchyone 0 #15 August 20, 2003 Hey Steve, I just did AFF 1 on Monday and my first tandem a month before that over at Perris Valley. Everyone there was really cool and friendly. You won't chicken out! After knowing what to expect from the tandem you'll be ready to move on. That's how I feel, and now that I know the experience from level 1 I'm ready to move on and learn more and improve my jumps. -Michele"If the Bible has taught us nothing else, and it hasn't, it's that girls should stick to girl's sports such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing." - Homer Simpson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomate 0 #16 August 21, 2003 You won't feel at all that you have somebody attached to your back during freefall. Once you open, you'll feel safe and secure, and your tandem master will explain you many details and have fun together maneuvering the canopy. All in all, having the TM behind you is no deal. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dmitch31 0 #17 August 21, 2003 Why in the world would you feel weird about having a guy strapped to your back? You're going to be falling at 120 MPH, in which case, you're not really going to care. Actually, you WILL care. You'll want to be strapped to him very securely!!! I've done two tandems, and I can tell you after having done my first tandem and experiencing it, there is no way I would change it and decide to do an AFF first. For me, I definitely needed the tandem just to experience what freefall was like. Freefall is absolutely mind-blowing on your first jump (and preceding jumps as well I'm sure). Anyway, it impacts you much more than you could ever imagine. I know it's hard to imagine not being able to focus and concentrate, but on that first jump, you're brain just practically stops... I recommend the tandem. You won't regret it, I promise. AND, regarding the cost... Hey, If you're going to stay in this sport, you're going to be spending money on it anyway. You're doing this for fun, not to save money. Do it right. In the long run, it won't matter if you paid for a couple of tandems at the beginning... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
