Dropzone Etiquette

[JarrydP 0]

Hey guys, as you can probably tell I'm new to the sport. When I found my first dropzone it was more than 3 hours away for a drive. So far they've been very helpful and overall good mentors/instructors for me. Now that I know a bit about the sport, I've found a new dropzone closer to me about 45 min away. They happen to be doing an A license certification night where they're focusing on having several coaches and doing a progression for checking off everything needed for completion of the A License after you graduate from AFF.

Would going to that event and finishing my A License rub the original dropzone I found wrong? I like the people there and honestly don't want to make people grumpy when I'm so new to the sport. I do plan on jumping there as either my full time main DZ or at least a very frequent secondary.

Thanks for any help,

[voodew1 0]

If your not rubbing someone or something raw - you're not a skydiver yet ............3 hrs vs. 45 min umm yeah drive for 3 hrs

The pimp hand is powdered up ... say something stupid

[oldwomanc6 53]

Jump where you want, it's your money, time and life. Jump at both places, a third and so on. Although 2 places right now is probably enough until you get more experience. The key is to find a place and a mentor you trust.

Heck, I've jumped at more than one DZ in a day, lots of us have.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[mjosparky 4]

You are talking about skydiving and skydivers, there is no etiquette.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[brucet7 0]

My guess is the jumpers at the original DZ will think little of it and be glad to start jumping with you once you have that A. My experience, as limited as it is, is that jumpers like to jump. They are happy for you no matter where that is.

POPS #10623; SOS #1672

[kd5xb 1]

Quote

You are talking about skydiving and skydivers, there is no etiquette.

Sparky

I'm thinking there IS etiquette in this sport, and it all revolves around beer!

I'm a jumper. Even though I don't always have money for jumps, and may not ever own a rig again, I'll always be a jumper.

[Divalent 137]

45 min vs 3 hour drive. One way? Even if that is round trip, that's a big difference in your investment of time and money just on travel. IMO, even if there was a big "loyalty and etiquette" factor, this is probably is stretching the limits of it's application.

It might be a different story if you really love the first place and intend to make it your home DZ despite the distance. Although even then I think the convenience factor of this special training session might still make it a reasonable thing to do.

[JarrydP 0]

Well I like the original DZ a whole lot and could possibly make it my home DZ even with the drive, but at the same time it's the only DZ I've been to. Who knows, the new DZ could be 10 times better. But both times are one way so I'm looking at 6-7 hours of driving as compared to an hour and a half.

I just didn't know if stuff like this was the type of behavior that can put you on people's shit lists.

[Krip 2]

Hi JP

Don't sweat the shit list
There are actually 2 shit lists.

Their's and yours
Don't burn your bridges behind you and if you decide to make the extra drive you should be welcomed with open arms,

R.I.P.

One Jump Wonder

[jrmrangers 0]

Don't take this personal but, you have 15 jumps, I bet in a month they'll forget all about you. Plenty of people come and go at every DZ , if there was a grudge held against everyone that jumped elsewhere there would be no friendships left in skydiving!! Besides beer cures all grudges!!!!

Wait , I pull what first?

[popsjumper 2]

Go to the certification night and get the training.

If they get pissed at the first DZ over it, you didn't want to hang out with those bozos anyway.

Nobody in his right mind would argue against you getting all the training you can get.

Please note though...
There's more than one way to skin a cat and the second DZ may do things a little differently than the first one. That doesn't mean either one of them is wrong, it just means they are teaching by different philosophies.

What ever you learn at DZ-2 would be good food for discussion at DZ-1 if you go back there.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[TommyM 3]

It's nice to see a new jumper concerned about stepping on toes, but you'll quickly learn that a drop zone is no different than many other types of businesses and they don't expect to keep you captive. Unless your having great sex with your instructor or someone else at that distant DZ, try out the closer one. Jumping at many DZ's will quickly increase your confidence, independence, and network, which will be very valuable attributes as your jumping career progresses.

Tom,
El Cap #699

[bluetwo 0]

I've definitely always felt like it's a business relationship but it's an odd one in that there's a hint of genuine concern for your well being. And there should be, but it should not be for no other reason than liability, and I guess I should add I've never felt it was only for that reason.

At the end of the day they should just be happy you brought your business to them because most DZ's (probably) need tandems and students to survive.

I feel like my home DZO would be curious to know what I thought about the other DZ and what I liked or disliked about it. That's just the kind of respectable people he is.

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