level-3 is killing me

[priyohere 0]

I am amazed by your perseverance to follow through and keep trying till u get it right. You are my hero (after Chuck Norris though :=) )

very inspiring for someone like me who is yet to start

[erdnarob 1]

A trick which can work for you.

In freefall, tense or flex your fingers and your toes as well. That will let you know where are actually in 3D the ends of your members (arms and legs). Therefore, you will be able to correct your body position. For your arms, think about your ears, and put them at their level while looking at horizon with chin up.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[mjskiii 0]

I think you are 100% spot on. My arch sucks and while I'm fairly flexible overall, I'm a bit tight in that area. I've started working at home to really loosen things up. Going to give level 3 another shot as soon as the damn weather clears for a day at the DV. The NW weather is tweeting in.

Thanks!

[mjskiii 0]

Thanks for the reply. Love to hear about how others got through the program. I have no doubt that relaxing is key and clearly somethings I must work on. Fortunately, the one skill I do have is tenacity. I'll get it eventually, albeit a bit poorer in the end:)

[mjskiii 0]

Right on! I have not heard that tip before and am going to try it. I really want to get past level 7 so I can jump at will, but you're correct, even if you don't pass a jump, yo are still figgin skydiving:)

[mjskiii 0]

Thanks a ton for the advice. To some degree, I've felt pretty rushed with the jumps I've done so far. The folks are great, but usually I'm there on busy days and they don't have a lot of time to give tips, etc. I'll get it. Relax, relax, relax:)

[mjskiii 0]

Thanks! I'm sure we'll both get it in time. Nothing to it, but to do it! Or, keep trying over and over and over until it clicks:)

[mjskiii 0]

Absolutely going to try that one. Thanks!

[Ron 10]

1. You are not dead, so you didn't fail. You didn't meet all of the targeted learning objectives.... But you didn't die, so you did NOT fail.

2. Don't try to learn to skydive on the internet. Well meaning people will try to give advice, but you don't really know the issue (or you would not be having it), so they can't really fix it. And even if they tell you how to fix it, you may not totally understand it. Things like "relax" are good, but anything technical... Leave that to the people who have actually seen the jumps. Not saying anything about the advice given so far... Didn't read any of it, but you know nothing about the person giving advice. Some guy with 2 tandem jumps can come across as an expert, and the top competitor in the world might look like an idiot when he writes.

BTW, you don't know me either... So take my advice and be suspect of it.

3. Know how many level 3's I had to do? No one knows, no one cares. For example, you don't know how many it took, and I don't care! 10 years from now when you have 2k jumps, you will not care either... Start not caring now, enjoy the ride.

Wanna know how many L3's I had to do? I'll tell you in 10 years if you still care... And remind me, cause I will forget about it by tomorrow.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[awdordie 0]

Surprised not many people mentioned this, but the best advice one of my coaches gave me was not to relax, but to breathe. He said he wanted me to try and remember a point during the dive I was breathing. I couldnt and then he said on the next dive he wanted me to focus on breathing on the exit and dive and at that point is when I was relaxed on exit and during freefall. I only failed my cat b due to forgetting my practise touches. My cat c was my first cutaway which was definitely tense and made my e1 very nerve racking but the breathing is what helped the most. You will get it eventually just try to breathe and relax.