Push me over the edge....

[Sinkster 0]

I can't find the original source, but bill von knows about this so hopefully he can clarify.
Comment by bill von.

[bbarnhouse 0]

Once you have tasted flight,
You will walk the earth
with your face turned skyward,
for there you have been,
and there you long to return.........
Everybody wants to fly.........
It's better to lose you pride to the one you love,
than to lose the one you love because of pride.

[Snowbird 0]

Robert, yes it would be great to have a friend along, have that support, but the other comments are exactly right. Your friend can't be there beside you at the door, going with you. This is an intensely personal thing.
But the chances of you being the only student are so slim. There will be other people there going through exactly the same thing as you, and they will become part of your mental 'support team'. And almost every other skydiver at the dz has 'been there' and will support you. I've gone alone to the dz since day one; right now there are four of us students at about the same place and we've all got perma-grin The senior jumpers celebrate our successes and reassure us when I mess up; they've all been there! You'd be amazed at how many of those hard core skydivers coming in under kite-sized canopies were nervous wrecks when they started. They understand your nerves and anxiety, and they will support you.
So now, consider yourself pushed!

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[eeneR 3]

There is nothing more exciting then seeing the face of a new student as they learn to fly!! I have been on both sides now....it is wonderful to experience and just as wonderful to watch others go through it...It brings back those feelings and reminds you of why you started...
You are not alone...You may not realize it but once you leave that door you will be entering a whole new realm...one you will never forget..
eeneR

[gale 0]

Congradulations on considering something some people say they would "never do". Recently there was a thread that touched on pushing people into the sport and why this might not be the best idea, so I'm not going to do that. But what I will tell you is this:
I love it.
My friend and I did the first jump course (here you have to do at least 3 IADs - like static line - before going into PFF) I came back, she never did. It really isn't for everyone. If you've made the personal decision that you want to try it, great! Like others have said you can only ever count on you in the air, so get used to that idea. I also say do static line, or a tandem first - don't commit yourself to something you haven't tried.
And don't worry about meeting people. The first time I went out to the dz I knew no one, now I know most of the faces out there. And I can say that some of my friends have 1000s of jumps - they're good friends to have! And I love meeting first jump students too, when I ride up in the plane with them, I look like I'm not afraid!!!!!
Good luck. Have fun.
Gale
Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

[PhillyKev 0]

I made my first jump at 28, wanted to at 18 but could never find anyone to go with me. Finally a group of us from work went. One of my first thoughts after that jump was that I should have just come myself 10 years earlier.
After that first jump I went back by myself. It's a little awkward at first but you quickly meet people, make friends and have people to jump with. Just do it, if it's what you want to do.
cielos azules y cerveza fría
-Kevin

[mnischalke 0]

I have one thing to say: SKYDIVE ORANGE!!!!!!!!
mike
The Lord giveth and the M-79 taketh away. Welcome to the world of zero slack.

[Jessica 0]

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however I can’t find anyone.

Fuck it. I'm the shyest, biggest scairdy-cat in the world, and I showed up all by myself to do AFF. I didn't know anyone. I was barely audible to the people at manifest. I tried to sign up for the AFF Instructor course instead of the FJC. It was the bravest thing I've ever done, showing up out there like that. Braver even than stepping out of the airplane.
Now, selfishly, I'm glad I did it by myself. My skydiving and non-skydiving worlds are separate, and I like it that way.
Waiting for someone to do it with you is an excuse.
That said, looking over your list of reasons, I laugh. If you do it, and it doesn't consume you, you might continue with it, to fulfill the desires on the list. It won't last, though.
If you do it, and you love it, well....re-read Skybytch's post.
It's the Vicodin talking.

[freeflir29 0]

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I'm the shyest, biggest scairdy-cat in the world, and I showed up all by myself to do AFF

Good for you Jess!!! Thats pretty cool! "Here I come to save the BOOBIES!"

[scottbre 0]

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Spend like 3 jump tickets to go on ill-maintained roller coasters that just bore me?

Very few if any rollercoasters in the United States are "ill-maintained." In fact, most are maintained much better than your average jumpship airplane.
And secondly you can go through 3 jump tickets in under 3 hours. That money pays for the whole day at an amusement park.
The 4th paperclip didn't say much, but I could tell that it was still the smartass of the bunch...

[jfields 0]

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Very few if any rollercoasters in the United States are "ill-maintained." In fact, most are maintained much better than your average jumpship airplane.

Some are pretty shady. There are more incidents than most people think. But you're probably right on the jumpship comparison.

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And secondly you can go through 3 jump tickets in under 3 hours. That money pays for the whole day at an amusement park.

True, but I just don't get much enjoyment out of roller coasters. Now, if they were tall enough that you could launch a 4-way out of a car at the top......
Justin

[spinmaster 0]

You want a push? Why? Are you chicken or something? Girly-man!
JK
Blue Sky's
Dan

[hobbes4star 0]

don't wait any longer. If you ask anyone skydiver what is his biggest regret when it comes to skydiver the # one answer is that they didn't start jumping sooner. i wanted to skydive since i was 16 but waited till i was 20. i wish i had started when i was 18. so don't wait any longer. regret is a horrible thing.
"great achievement comes only at great risk" the Dalai Lama

[ee7joa 0]

I'll second that the sooner the better, just do it, be warned though if you are like me you will be addicted from the moment you exit the plane James

[freeflir29 0]

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If you ask anyone skydiver what is his biggest regret when it comes to skydiver the # one answer is that they didn't start jumping sooner.

Nooooo shit!!! In 1995 I was stationed at Ft Campbell, Ky. Well they have a pretty cool skydiving club there that basically gets FREE lifts in a UH-60. All you pay is a couple bucks to buy lunch and maybe a couple beers for the pilots. You jump just about as fast as you can pack. I spent almost 3 years there and never did any fun jumping. Just jumped for work. Did I ever regret that when I started fun jumping in 2000 at Ft Bragg and paying $18 a load. I might as well have just given away a couple thousand bucks....
"Here I come to save the BOOBIES!"

[skydivehigh 0]

I agree with the tandem approach.....you will have almost no responsiblility aside from trying to take it all in.Spend the day at the DZ, talk to people, watch , listen , learn.
Who knows, you may hate it.........yea right.
When your eyes are finally opened you see how blind you were.
It's like the matrix bro....eat the red pill and you will understand the love....eat the blue one and you'll wake up at home clueless.
eat the red one...........
B

[Muenkel 0]

I did 2 tandems. When I booked the first one, it was supposed to be a touristy thing and I would have the experience and that would be the end of it. I went to the DZ completely by myself. For some reason the timing was right because I experience very little anxiety. I also trusted my jumpmaster. He had the ability to put me at ease immediately. I am also very observant. While waiting to load the plane (and the weather to clear) I was watching the skydivers at the DZ hanging out also waiting. They were all so calm. This helped me to trust them. Now that I think back, if my first jump was to be AFF level 1 or static line, I think I would have freaked out. There is no way I would have had the confidence to be on my own under canopy.
The experience of the first tandem changed me. I could not get the excitement out of my mind. I booked a second tandem for a week later. That one was even better. I had the same tandem master who talked to me about AFF. Now I feel ready for AFF.
I say go for it! If it's not for you, you will know and find some other extreme sport.
Good luck
"JANE, HOW DO YOU STOP THIS CRAZY THING?"
Chris

[jfields 0]

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Now that I think back, if my first jump was to be AFF level 1 or static line, I think I would have freaked out. There is no way I would have had the confidence to be on my own under canopy.

For me, it was like when I learned to swim. I didn't wade in from the shallow end. My dad chucked me in the deep end and yelled, "Swim! I know you can do it." Sure enough, I did. Likewise, my first jump was a solo (static line) and I wouldn't have had it any other way. But that was me. Do whatever works for you.
Justin

[rhino 0]

My first 3 jumps were tandems.. Only way to go baby Blue Skies .....

[vipergts 0]

I love this forum. Talk about a response, this thread is not even 12 hours old and tons of input already. Some well made points:
"If you weren't prepared to do it, you wouldn't have gotten onto this site!!" Your right.
Taking it a little out of context, “You don't conquer skydiving....it conquers you.” Jasmin, I completely agree, I did a poor job of conveying the conquering part, what I really meant was conquering that little inner voice that says "YOUR NUTS." I do not think that you can truly conquer any sport, once you start thinking you have conquered it, that indicates you have closed your eyes are not open to new and different ways of looking at things.
I really appreciate everyone's replies. I have decided to take the tandem route, I want to be able to take it all in on the first jump.

[hohonukai 0]

Hey wait!!!!!!!! I didn't get to push yet!!! I got sidetracked with work.

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I am just having trouble pulling the trigger, I would prefer...

"you're a grown man, you made a decision. shit, it's not like anyone had a gun to your head." - Training Day

[FallingILweenie 0]

Whenever I try to do RW, i get that little inner voice telling me i'm nuts.....
"Marge, it takes 2 people to lie. One to lie and one to listen."
-Homer

[sitflyr 0]

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Likewise, my first jump was a solo (static line) and I wouldn't have had it any other way. But that was me. Do whatever works for you.

I know what you mean. My first jump was a static line, and I wouldn't take anything for the experience of having climbed out there all by myself on my first jump. I never felt so alone, so scared, or so amazed at/proud of myself for having left the security of the plane and my jm to hang all alone out there---then let go. I'll never, never forget the thrill of that!
Julie

[lazerq3 0]

Dont wait to find another "friend" to go start jumping with... just take the initative and get going and believe me by the time your done with your training you'll have plenty of "NEW" friends to jump with!!
jason

[Snowbird 0]

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I wouldn't take anything for the experience of having climbed out there all by myself on my first jump.

There is something about knowing that you went through it all on your own, isn't there? Although I wanted to do PFF, the option wasn't available to me and I've had to do the IAD progression. Every jump until the 10 second delay was alone, and there is a wee little voice inside that's kinda proud of having done it that way.
That's not to say it isn't entirely cool having someone else there. On a jump last weekend, my jumpmaster came right up to me to stop a spin (I got control before he had to) and that was way cool!
vipergts, can't wait to hear back from you, on how it went! And don't bother trying to wipe the perma-grin off your face afterwards, it just keeps coming back.