Gato 0 #1 November 12, 2006 Hey Skyhumans - Well, I had my 4th jump today, the second PRCP, and I could not be happier! This is the first jump where I felt everything went as well as it could, and I'm convinced it's because I practiced my moves and audible for the last two weeks (See privious thread on PRCP Practice.) All I had to do was climb out, and my training took over. I added a smile to the sequence, and it actually helped! I was a bit scared on the way to altitude, but just as I began to notice I was scared, I also noticed the muscle tension I was carrying. Focusing on breathing, relaxing, and releasing the tension kept me plenty occupied during the plane ride, so I was too busy to be scared. By the time I had to exit, I was actually happy about it! (Normally when the door opens, I just sit there and think, "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck I'm scared." This new way is much more fun. Having found my sacred rhythm, I will now pay tribute to the lord of malted barley . . . . . . Later, GatoT.I.N.S. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
angrypeppers 1 #2 November 12, 2006 Nice job, Gato! The deep breathing helps me too. So does a piece of gum on the ride up. I think the dry mouth was contributing to my nervousness. I also try to keep my mind occupied during the plane ride: checking altitudes, visualizing the dive, asking myself "what ifs". If I don't keep my brain busy, I start to tense up and get nervous, and then my version of "fuck fuck fuck..." starts in. Cheers!Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,489 #3 November 12, 2006 QuoteI added a smile to the sequence, and it actually helped! So they do tell people that for a reason! Sounds like you're getting things pretty well figured out, so, carry onDo you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LloydDobbler 2 #4 November 12, 2006 Congrats on the fourth jump, Gato! It does get easier as it goes along...but every person has their own rate of getting adjusted, and their own way of dealing with it. To that end, I'll just share: I've always found it works best to have a trigger point. To elaborate, if I was feeling really nervous on the way up to altitude and telling myself, 'No, don't feel nervous' the whole time, for some reason the nerves would stay with me up 'til I was already standing in the door. Perhaps my nerves are just as stubborn as the rest of me. It wasn't until I changed my approach that my skydiving really started to kick into high gear. I started saying, "Okay, you have permission to be nervous on the way up, you have permission to be telling yourself that this is the LAST time you'll ever do this...go ahead & get it out of your system. "But when the door opens, that permission is gone. You've got a job to do, and you've got to do it well." Or if we were riding up in the 206 instead of the Otter, I made my nerves shut off when we got to 10 grand (since, as a student, I had a little bit more wait time when the door opened on the Otter). Nerves are ultimately a good thing - you're jumping out of an airplane, which is a pretty good reason for something in the back of your mind to say "Excuse me. We have a problem here." So don't suppress the nerves - they're justified. But they have their place, and they need to shut up when you tell them to, so they don't distract from the situation at hand. Again, sounds like you're already winning this battle, but just thought I'd share. Blue skies & all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erroll 80 #5 November 13, 2006 QuoteNerves are ultimately a good thing -....So don't suppress the nerves - they're justified. But they have their place, and they need to shut up when you tell them to, It's ok to have butterflies in your stomach. Just make sure they are flying in formation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lindercles 0 #6 November 14, 2006 QuoteI started saying, "Okay, you have permission to be nervous on the way up, you have permission to be telling yourself that this is the LAST time you'll ever do this...go ahead & get it out of your system. I'm sitting at just over 200 jumps now, and still on about every third jump or so I get the "what the FUCK are you doing? Never again!" feeling in my stomach. On the other two it's a much more subtle "this is a stupid thing to do" feeling. I don't know if that will ever go away, but I kind of hope it doesn't. It keeps you on your toes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
