Skydiving videos are so expensive at Perris...

[David Wang 54]

This is a kinda interesting story...

I managed to jumped twice at Perris without telling my mom... I'm still a high school student and I'm getting a part-time job.

My mom finally knew this week. I wanna do AFF in next a few weeks and it seems like I have some difficulties talking to my mom about skydiving..so if she doesn't agree I will just go by myself...but I will just do AFF level 1 & FJC without videos. it's expensive!!!!! But it will be a pity bc it will be my first solo jump. 

 

Blue skies.

 

 

[20kN 93]

Everything in skydiving is expensive. AFF cat A and the ground course are nothing compared to the true cost of skydiving. There is no AFF cat A without video. All AFF jumps are videoed, generally speaking. This is to help you learn from your errors in freefall.

[David Wang 54]

14 minutes ago, 20kN said:

Everything in skydiving is expensive. AFF cat A and the ground course are nothing compared to the true cost of skydiving. There is no AFF cat A without video. All AFF jumps are videoed, generally speaking. This is to help you learn from your errors in freefall.

yeah I agree we can learn from mistakes in videos! 

[kat00 11]

3 hours ago, David Wang said:

yeah I agree we can learn from mistakes in videos! 

If I remember right, they do give you video of AFF3 onwards and the coach jumps.  It's not the fancier camera flyer views but they are good for review.  If you stick with it you will be part of many videos with perris organizers and eventually your own.

If you are still in school and worried about money, I would suggest taking a hard look at skydiving.  In skydiving, staying current is really important especially early on. Students need to jump every 30 days minimum to maintain currency.  If you can't do that its a recurrency jump which essentially is like going back a level if still in AFF.

[David Wang 54]

1 minute ago, kat00 said:

Students need to jump every 30 days minimum to maintain currency.  If you can't do that its a recurrency jump which essentially is like going back a level if still in AFF.

Hi! Thanks for your reply. I don't think I need to jump every 30 days if I do AFF at Perris.. maybe I need to maintain currency at Elsinore I guess.... But you are right! Learning to skydive is a big commitment! So sad I'm still in school..money will be an issue if I jump without my family support.

[David Wang 54]

6 minutes ago, kat00 said:

If I remember right, they do give you video of AFF3 onwards and the coach jumps.  It's not the fancier camera flyer views but they are good for review.  If you stick with it you will be part of many videos with perris organizers and eventually your own.

If you are still in school and worried about money, I would suggest taking a hard look at skydiving.  In skydiving, staying current is really important especially early on. Students need to jump every 30 days minimum to maintain currency.  If you can't do that its a recurrency jump which essentially is like going back a level if still in AFF.

Also I'm planning to do AFF level 1 & FJC...not AFF package, that's from level 2. I need to pass level 1 first i think...they are separated. 

[kat00 11]

7 minutes ago, David Wang said:

Hi! Thanks for your reply. I don't think I need to jump every 30 days if I do AFF at Perris.. maybe I need to maintain currency at Elsinore I guess.... But you are right! Learning to skydive is a big commitment! So sad I'm still in school..money will be an issue if I jump without my family support.

You do need to jump every 30 days as a student to maintain currency.  It's not a Perris rule, it's a USPA rule.  So if you do AFF1 and then wait 30 days, you are doing aff1 again and probably an abbreviated FJC.  If you start learning to jump, you need to be committed to seeing it through.  Also, currency applies to everyone from 1 to 20k+ jumps.  It just scales by experience with students needing to jump most often.

[davenuk 8]

10 hours ago, 20kN said:

Everything in skydiving is expensive. 

this is worth saying twice

5 hours ago, kat00 said:

You do need to jump every 30 days as a student to maintain currency.  

https://uspa.org/SIM/5#2

30 days is tough, this time of year where i am you can easily go that with the weather.

 

 

[betzilla 56]

One place you can look for a part time job is at the DZ - they may need ground crew or a dishwasher in the restaurant, for instance. You won't make a ton of money (with this or any part time job), but at least then you will be surrounded by people doing the sport you just fell in love with.

See if you can get your mom out to the DZ to watch some jumping. Maybe she'll chill out a little when she sees how smiley people get when skydiving.

[David Wang 54]

4 hours ago, davenuk said:

this is worth saying twice

https://uspa.org/SIM/5#2

30 days is tough, this time of year where i am you can easily go that with the weather.

 

 

does the USPA website say if students do not maintain currency they need to jump once with direct supervision? but not drop down a level?

[David Wang 54]

3 hours ago, betzilla said:

One place you can look for a part time job is at the DZ - they may need ground crew or a dishwasher in the restaurant, for instance. You won't make a ton of money (with this or any part time job), but at least then you will be surrounded by people doing the sport you just fell in love with.

See if you can get your mom out to the DZ to watch some jumping. Maybe she'll chill out a little when she sees how smiley people get when skydiving.

That is a good idea!! Thanks!!

[kat00 11]

35 minutes ago, David Wang said:

does the USPA website say if students do not maintain currency they need to jump once with direct supervision? but not drop down a level?

Recurrency means you need to show you still maintain the skills you have learned.  If you are on AFF jump 2 but you last did AFF1 over 30 days ago, then you need to demonstrate you have the AFF1 skills.  Once through AFF, you have to do a jump with an instructor to show you still have the basic skills.

I jump at perris and also learned there.  I have seen a number of students go uncurrent and doing so during AFF is probably the worst  We have nice weather here so there is no real reason to go uncurrent.  If you don't have the time and money, I would just recommend waiting because it only hurts your development and costs you more in the end. Think of having enough to buy the A license package, helmet, altimeter, rental gear plus reserves in case you don't pass a level or need extra wind tunnel time. Plan your time and finances ahead of time before you decide to take the red pill and go down the rabbit hole of skydiving

[David Wang 54]

9 minutes ago, kat00 said:

Recurrency means you need to show you still maintain the skills you have learned.  If you are on AFF jump 2 but you last did AFF1 over 30 days ago, then you need to demonstrate you have the AFF1 skills.  Once through AFF, you have to do a jump with an instructor to show you still have the basic skills.

I jump at perris and also learned there.  I have seen a number of students go uncurrent and doing so during AFF is probably the worst  We have nice weather here so there is no real reason to go uncurrent.  If you don't have the time and money, I would just recommend waiting because it only hurts your development and costs you more in the end. Think of having enough to buy the A license package, helmet, altimeter, rental gear plus reserves in case you don't pass a level or need extra wind tunnel time. Plan your time and finances ahead of time before you decide to take the red pill and go down the rabbit hole of skydiving

Thanks! yes maybe I will try fjc & level 1 first. Then I will purchase that AFF A licence package in college! I have some money in another card but right now it's not under my control but it will. In college If I do AFF I will go jump every weekend!!

[gowlerk 2,190]

27 minutes ago, David Wang said:

Thanks! yes maybe I will try fjc & level 1 first. Then I will purchase that AFF A licence package in college! I have some money in another card but right now it's not under my control but it will. In college If I do AFF I will go jump every weekend!!

Being current is everything in skydiving. Especially when you are a student. If you can not afford to do your AFF program in less than one or two months at the most then I would strongly encourage you to save up until you can.

[Phillbo 11]

1 hour ago, David Wang said:

Thanks! yes maybe I will try fjc & level 1 first. Then I will purchase that AFF A licence package in college! I have some money in another card but right now it's not under my control but it will. In college If I do AFF I will go jump every weekend!!

This sounds like you will be paying for FJC and AFF1 twice with this approach. I'd heed the advice given to hold off until you can pay for the A license package and do it all at once. 

Then you'll need to think about how you will pay for the gear you will need. 

I hope you don't mean a credit card when you mentioned a 'card'...  Wracking up debt to get into a sport while in college is not a good idea. 

[Heckin Chonker 5]

14 hours ago, David Wang said:

money will be an issue if I jump without my family support.

I'll have a chat with your mother the next time I see her, don't worry buddy. Go for the AFF, welcome to your most expensive hobby ever (OK, so maybe not THE most expensive but easily a few thou Freedom Moneys a year)

Edited December 11, 2019 by Heckin Chonker

[David Wang 54]

5 hours ago, Phillbo said:

This sounds like you will be paying for FJC and AFF1 twice with this approach. I'd heed the advice given to hold off until you can pay for the A license package and do it all at once. 

Then you'll need to think about how you will pay for the gear you will need. 

I hope you don't mean a credit card when you mentioned a 'card'...  Wracking up debt to get into a sport while in college is not a good idea. 

not a credit card! a debit card, lol. Thanks for the advice!

[David Wang 54]

3 hours ago, Heckin Chonker said:

I'll have a chat with your mother the next time I see her, don't worry buddy. Go for the AFF, welcome to your most expensive hobby ever (OK, so maybe not THE most expensive but easily a few thou Freedom Moneys a year)

lol thanks bro!

[David Wang 54]

5 hours ago, gowlerk said:

Being current is everything in skydiving. Especially when you are a student. If you can not afford to do your AFF program in less than one or two months at the most then I would strongly encourage you to save up until you can.

Thanks for your advice! I will think about that.

[David Wang 54]

5 hours ago, gowlerk said:

Being current is everything in skydiving. Especially when you are a student. If you can not afford to do your AFF program in less than one or two months at the most then I would strongly encourage you to save up until you can.

I can pay now...I can even buy my own rig after AFF.... but the thing is that my mom won't agree with me. that is the problem. 

[kat00 11]

3 hours ago, David Wang said:

I can pay now...I can even buy my own rig after AFF.... but the thing is that my mom won't agree with me. that is the problem. 

If you have 8-10k to blow why are you worried about the video price?  Why don't you just crank out an A license over christmas or the winter?  It doesn't sound like you do have the money which is why I originally mentioned you should wait.  Take your time, the sky isn't going anywhere

[20kN 93]

3 hours ago, David Wang said:

 but the thing is that my mom won't agree with me. that is the problem. 

So what, you're a legal adult. Make your own life choices.

[David Wang 54]

1 hour ago, kat00 said:

If you have 8-10k to blow why are you worried about the video price?  Why don't you just crank out an A license over christmas or the winter?  It doesn't sound like you do have the money which is why I originally mentioned you should wait.  Take your time, the sky isn't going anywhere

I mean I do not have control of that card right now!! So I only have some savings right now lol

[David Wang 54]

46 minutes ago, 20kN said:

So what, you're a legal adult. Make your own life choices.

I always think the same! lol !

[betzilla 56]

15 hours ago, David Wang said:

but the thing is that my mom won't agree with me

My mom was always pretty happy to hear I was too busy to make many jumps ("you haven't been skydiving, have you?"), BUT whenever she introduced me to someone, that person would say, "oh, this is the skydiver!" Parents want their to be safe and live forever, but they also love to brag about the cool things their kids do, and how their kids are more adventurous (or whatever) than all the other kids. And they want their kids to feel joy and passion.

You might talk to your mom about how skydiving will set you apart from the other applicants for college and grad school (it really will, especially if you learn to talk about how what you learn about yourself and human nature in the air, applies in daily life and in school), and that it will HELP you achieve the goals you have that she supports. Then follow through on that.

If your plan is to become a DZ bum once you finish high school, that's going to be a tough one to sell, lol