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SkydiveNFlorida

Why don't you jump?

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My last jump was the first weekend of December. It was cold. I dressed for the cold. Layers and neoprene gloves. Thick neoprene gloves in fact. FYI, thick neoprene gloves take quite a bit away from your sense of touch.

That jump ended with a dropped hackey/floating pud and my 3rd reserve ride, second on my PD126R.

All I want to do right now is jump my Bird Man, but the extreme cold we have been 'blessed' with this year means I must continue dressing for the weather. This means gloves again, and the increased chance of a dropped hackey.

To me, the wait for slightly warmer temps is a better choice than another Birdman wingsuit/heavily loaded reserve ride.
It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

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Not so much money for me as other committments. I'm building all new cabinets for the kitchen and my stepson is going to tile the floor and the countertops. After that, I've got about a thousand bucks worth of work to do to the Sportster, then off to the Tunnel (Orlando - ) in March.

Easy Does It

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hmmm.. i've been jumpin my ass off.. i definitely cant afford it but that doesnt stop me! ha ha. B| made 17 jumps these past 2 months.. i WILL get my A license by the end of this month.. i started AFF like in the middle of december. gonna make like 3 or 4 jumps tomorrow. the ONLY nice day in like 2 freakin weeks. *grumble* :)

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I jump therefore I uhh .....(insert clever remark).

For those of you in rig peril, try this:

1. Go to bank and apply for a $4,000 signature loan payable over 36 months. Interst rates are low right now so your payments should be in the $130 per month category.

2. Tell the loan officer the loan is for "FURNITURE"
Works every time I swear.

3. Pray that you pass the credit check.

4. Get your money, buy your gear...problem solved.

5. What it boils down to is most gear rental is $25 per jump, as long as you make at least 6 jumps a month. Your gear is paying for itself (so to speak)

6. Get an off the shelf model container that fits you (or comes close) $1000.00. New reserve $700 Used Main $800 - 1200, a Cypress $900, and a used noggin cover for hopefully $100. You are now set with all of your own shit.

7. Note: This worked for me, results not guaranteed.

Coming soon to a bowl of Wheaties near you!!

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Well, since my jump tempo was roughly 20-35 jumps a weekend and has now dropped to about 8 jumps a weekend (both including tandem jumps) I feel like I'm not jumping at all. Its due to the weather. Folks are not thinking about tandem jumping since its been crappy and we can't get as many loads up due to the clouds coming and going.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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For those of you that said it is too cold, yer a bunch of weenies





I think it's gonna get crowded here in the weenie basket. :D



Move over, I'm a weenie and don't jump when it's cold;) But, once the weather warms up, watch out.
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

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Just curious as to why some people make a couple/few jumps, then seem to stop for such extended periods of time. Why don't you jump?

Angela.



It's the stupid winter weather. Managed to get about 65 jumps from end of June to start of October - then the winter weather closed in. Three months without jumping, then 3 jumps (1 x-mas, 2 new years eve), and then the weather once again shut it all down. I think we've had about five or six days here where it hasn't been low clouds, rain, wind or snow [:/].

I'm also unemployed, so money is short. Usually I can earn a some jump tickets by packing, but that means I ain't jumping those days.

Now that DrAvalanche (my sister) officially is a medical doctor I'm thinking my already very substantial debt to her is about to grow even more - until I get a job. I just worked out it'll take me two years @ $300 a month to pay her back what I already own her. Or as she puts it: "My rig. Pack it. Now. And Forever" B|

With any luck I am going to Russia this summer. 10 jumps a day for two weeks will be fun. From Mi-8 helicopters and big Antonovs. Just gotta wait [:/]

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

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Just curious as to why some people make a couple/few jumps, then seem to stop for such extended periods of time. Why don't you jump?



I don't really fit in this thread, but I can offer some insite.

People quit/slow down due to:

1. Money. This is expensive. More expensive at the begining with paying instructors, gear rental...ect.

2. Family. Some folks have these things called kids. These "Kids" take a lot of time and money to raise.

3. A Significant other that does not jump. When dating a person that does not jump they don't want you to be gone every weekend. Right now I seeing a Whuffo. She has no plans to jump, and I have no plans to try and get her to jump.

4. Injury. For very clear reasons an injury can ground you for a little while, or forever.

5. Tired of it. From spending all day at the DZ, to doing the same old stuff over and over. Skydiving does get old. It can be you are tired of working with students, tired of the discipline you are doing, tired of the attitudes at the DZ, or you get tired of watching people get hurt. At this point almost anything else is more fun that going to the DZ...This is where I am. I spend more time flying Radio Controled airplanes than skydiving....I still do 200-300 jumps a year, but I could do more. I used to fly R/C planes, then I quit for 10 years. I did martial arts...Then I quit. I used to fly real airplanes, then I started skydiving. I took a break from jumping (after a very close call that almost killed me) and started SCUBA diving. Skydiving has staying power with me...I have been averaging 300 jumps a year for 10 years now. But I don't feel the need to live at the DZ anymore.

6. Fear. You can die doing this. Some people don't really grasp that. Yeah, the SAY they know that they can die doing this, but it sometimes never strikes home until someone dies infront of them, or they almost die.

It would be interesting to note that most people stay in the sport for only 3 years. And the Average jump numbers in the US is around 300 jumps.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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I know $$ can be a problem. Hell, I have a nice 7000$ in debt that I am sitting on and paying only interest on monthly while I spend all my $$ on gear/jumps & food. For those w/o a rig... try looking for piece by piece. I didn't have a bunch of cash.. and lord knows I can't save worth a damn... so I first looked for a container.... then I waited around until a used reserve came up on the forums. Then I got a main. I think that when you have no $$, obviously that's something you can't get around. But, when you're spending good jump $$ at Publix... well, that's where ya gotta draw the line and go for Ramen noodles and eggs. lol! I haven't even paid for AFF yet, I still owe Mastercard for that. :P

Airann & VSG, I am sorry you're both sick:(

I suppose injuries seem to be a common problem, too. That sux:(

I was actually wondering if any people started, then maybe got scared or hit with the fact that the could die doing this, like Ron suggested. I suppose there aren't a lot of those people out there, or they just don't feel like they can post for some reason. It is definitely a possibility. I have never seen anyone die or even get seriously injured in this sport. I saw one jumper break an ankle, but that's it. I know that it's inevitable, though.

Angela.

ps... for all those living in crappy weather. I think you should migrate to warmer climates. Leave those cold areas to the whuffos, lol! :P



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Debt catches up to you fast in this sport. You can only live on credit cards for so long before they are all maxed out and you are still trying to come up with jump money. I've started down that road and decided its not one that I want to stay on. I know of a few people that went all out and charged lots of things up to jump. They about lost everything when they got behind on their credit card payments. Is it really worth screwing up your credit rating and losing the chance to ever buy a house, get student loans or buy a new car again for some jumps?

For me... I'm happy jumping 6-7 months of the year. I do about 250 jumps in that time. Thats plenty for me.

The really nice thing about jumping for only 6 months is that I have a nice fat wad of cash burning a hole in my pocket for jump tickets come spring :ph34r:
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

or should I say the lack there of.
Bottomless Beers and Blue Skies!

* Brother_Brian *
D.S.W.F.S.B. #2

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For me... I'm happy jumping 6-7 months of the year. I do about 250 jumps in that time. Thats plenty for me.



I think it's closer to 8-9 months of jumping...but i feel the same way. As much as i bitch about living in the midwest, the winter sure does give me a chance to save up money for the jump season. I've been spending most of my spare time working at my 2nd job and paying off bills. I should be in pretty good financial shape by the summer.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

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No, Phree... it is not worth charging up $$ if you will not be able to at least pay the minimums on it comfortably. I have debt, but I am glad I went this route because if I hadn't, I wouldn't be jumping likely. And, I can comfortably pay my minimums and make jumps. I will pay more when chunks of cash come along. Tax refunds, financial aid checks, lottery (haha!).

You're still making lotsa jumps,... in a short amt of time. I still don't know how you all make it through the winter, I hope I never know:P I love Florida!

Angela.



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Speaking as an employee of a credit card company... Thank you! We absolutly love customers that pay the mins. We make enough money off the interest they end up paying that it pays to stay in business B|

If you pay the mins you really end up paying 3 or 4 times the origninal charged amount in the end.

Keep paying those min's. I need a pay raise :ph34r:
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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Speaking as an employee of a credit card company... Thank you! We absolutly love customers that pay the mins. We make enough money off the interest they end up paying that it pays to stay in business B|

If you pay the mins you really end up paying 3 or 4 times the origninal charged amount in the end.

Keep paying those min's. I need a pay raise :ph34r:




Okay, you guys are really putting a damper on my plans to brainwash the hubby, charge up the cards and get my A :P.

"Excuse me while I kiss the sky..." - Jimi Hendrix

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Speaking as an employee of a credit card company... Thank you! We absolutly love customers that pay the mins. We make enough money off the interest they end up paying that it pays to stay in business B|

If you pay the mins you really end up paying 3 or 4 times the origninal charged amount in the end.

Keep paying those min's. I need a pay raise :ph34r:



I know. Trust me... I know:S

Still... can't take break from skydiving to pay off debt... screw that! :P I'm actually getting a subsidized school loan that will pay one off next month:D Aaaaww yeah!

Angela.



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