Stuck in the middle

[newguy1979 0]

First off, hello everyone.

I am a bit frustrated and need to vent. I got my A license 2 weekends ago. The instructors were excellent, the DZ was excellent, everyone was extremely friendly. Until today.

I sat at the DZ for 5 hours waiting to jump, never did. I admit it was a busy day. I couldn't rent gear because it was all used by students and they get first dibs.

Finally it slowed down enough where I was able to get a rig but noone wanted to jump with me. There were plenty of groups going up but all were doing freeflying and other advanced stuff. The coaches who all said they'd be so happy to jump with me once I got my license were all too tired from jumping with students. I didn't want to go solo after completing 5 solos in a row to get my license.

I'm not blaming anyone, I guess I'm just trying to say it sucks being stuck between being a student and being experienced. It also really sucks not having my own gear but I just can't afford it now. Maybe I was spoiled while a student having so many instructors and coaches ready to jump whenever I wanted.

In no way am I giving up I just hope next time there is gear available and some people willing to jump with me or this sport could get real boring real fast.

[medic001918 0]

Having just gotten my A-license myself, there's still a lot to be learned by jumping solo. Can you side slide already? Can you adjust your fall rate adequately enough to stay in a group? Can you do a diving exit without tumbling every time (that way when you dive after a group, you can do it without tumbling into them)? Can you keep your heading while tracking? I know sometimes solos can be boring, but there's always skills to be accomplished and let's not forget...you get to jump instead of watching everyone. Keep your head up. Find people at your DZ that are willing to include new jumpers in the RW jumps. I know we have a few at my DZ that kind of "specialize" in planning their RW's around newer jumpers and everyone jumping knows what may happen. And sometimes a simple two way is a great jump to really work on skills. I did a couple of "around the world" jumps today. Certainly a challenge that sounds easier than it is for a new jumper. It might have been a busy day. It sounds like it was. That probably has a lot to do with why it was harder to find someone to jump with. Keep at it...

Shane

[deltron80 0]

Not to be rude, but if you're as much of a brat as your post suggests I'm not surprised no one wants to hold your hand.

[virgin-burner 1]

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Not to be rude, but if you're as much of a brat as your post suggests I'm not surprised no one wants to hold your hand.

says the guy with 28 jumps in 3 years; i bet people are all over the place to jump with you..

to the OP: the suggestion about tracking is a good one! i find myself doing lots of hop n'pops lately that i really enjoy,, work on your accuracy and learn about canopy-flight!

and if they have so much students, i bet there's the one or other lowtimer that is in the same boat as you..

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[chutem 0]

As was mentioned there is a lot to learn on a solo. I think you'll also find that if people see you on the plane they will be more likely to "bring you in".

Remember this time in your jumping progression when you have some jumps under your belt and see the new guy with no one to jump with.

If you can jump on less busy (week) days it will be easier to get the gear and the coaches that said they'd jump with you shouldn't be as busy.

One more thing, hang around after the jumping for the bonfire/party and become friends with the regulars. Bringing beer never hurts.

Hope this helps,
James

[darkwing 5]

At a busy DZ there is likely someone else in your category. FInd them. Do simple skill-building 2-ways.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[theonlyski 8]

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Having just gotten my A-license myself, there's still a lot to be learned by jumping solo. Can you side slide already?

How do you propose he learn to sideslide, if he has no stable reference point?

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Can you adjust your fall rate adequately enough to stay in a group?

Again, you dont know this, unless you're jumping with a person/group. I can change my fall rate every 200' but if I have nobody to base the change off of, how will I know its changing at all?

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Can you do a diving exit without tumbling every time (that way when you dive after a group, you can do it without tumbling into them)? Can you keep your heading while tracking?

Those are good solo suggestions, just make sure you're tracking 90* off of jump run, not up or down it



Not trying to be a dick or anything, so dont take it that way.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[jsaxton 0]

read this
http://makeithappen.com/spsj/newbie.htm

[CornishChris 5]

It can be a frustrating time and I remember the gear hire issue well. Many people have been in your position so try and stick with it. Have you done your relative work progression - in the UK it is FS1? Jumping with a coach up to a 4 point four way. These may be the coaches who were too busy but push to get this done then not only will you be more confident but others will be more happy to jump with you.

I also must re-echo - solos are good!

CJP

Gods don't kill people. People with Gods kill people

[popsjumper 2]

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I sat at the DZ for 5 hours waiting to jump, never did. I admit it was a busy day. I couldn't rent gear because it was all used by students and they get first dibs.

This is common. Really no need to get upset about this. It's just the way it is and it's something that we go through at many DZs. Not every DZ has enough gear to accommodate everyone and we have to make allowances for that.

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... noone wanted to jump with me... I didn't want to go solo ...some people willing to jump with me or this sport could get real boring real fast.

I can absolutely understand wanting to jump with others but this sounds as if you are dependent on others to provide the "fun". I hope that you know that the "fun" comes from within oneself and not from others. Solos and group jumps are two different animals having each their own elements of fun. One example is how about canopy flight? Are we not having fun flying our own canopy or must we be doing CRW to have fun?

As mentioned earlier, doing solos provides a good opportunity for honing some very important skills that you'll need when you jump with others.

And face it...it's not uncommon...some people just simply do not want to jump with young jumpers if for no other reason than a fear for their own safety. Right, wrong or indifferent, you have to allow and accept their feelings.

And also, some people are at stage (and most of us, by far and away go through it) where the main focus is advancing skills that can only be done jumping with other, more-skilled flyers. Fact of life, no need to get upset about it. You'll go through that stage yourself later, I'm sure.

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The coaches who all said they'd be so happy to jump with me once I got my license

THIS is worrisome. Maybe those "coaches" are altogether missing the point of their rating. I would like to sit down and talk to them about what the rating means and how they can better use it to contribute to the sport.

And to be fair, there are coaches out there who focus strictly on advanced skills....and that is all well and good...it's a needed function in the sport.

Maybe in the meantime, you could get them to give you some pointers on the ground that you could practice in the air and under canopy. There's LOTS to learn that HAS to be learned on your own time...canopy flight is one prime example.

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I guess I'm just trying to say it sucks being stuck between being a student and being experienced.

While I wouldn't quite go so far as to say "sucks", I do understand the feeling of not yet having the skills to do what I want with whom I want. But, you can think of it this way: It's a progression...a learning progression. I can safely bet that there is nothing you've ever undertaken that you've nailed down right off the bat.

Take pleasure in the progression process...look at the things you've already accomplished. Compare where you are today against where you were right off AFF. I'm sure you can take pride in your growth in your skill level...and guess what? It won't be long before you'll be able to look back at this point in time and laugh at the worrying you're doing right now.

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It also really sucks not having my own gear but I just can't afford it now.

Yep...THAT sucks. Meh, it'll come if you make it your goal and actively pursue the goal of obtaining your own.

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In no way am I giving up

Now THIS is a good attitude. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Believe it or not, there is some great fun to be had on the journey towards "experience". One cool part is that the journey never ends.

I hope you can get over this hump and your "not giving up" attitude tells me you will.

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

[cocheese 0]

Give up now. It's not worth the effort to continue. It's all big waste of time and money.

[chuckakers 425]

Buy gear.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[timmyfitz 0]

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Buy gear.

From the OP

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It also really sucks not having my own gear but I just can't afford it now.

Are you going to buy it for him?

[apt3studiodiver 0]

I jump at two different DZs with completely different vibes, the one is outstanding I always get to jump with groups every jump and I learn something new all the time. At the other DZ I am mostly load filler with a tandem in a 182 going solo most of the time and typically have the whole sky to myself. What I love is after a weekend of jumping in groups, during the week I jump the other DZ solo and work on any areas that I feel need worked on. On a solo there is not a point of reference but pretending someone is there and going through the motions does seem to help. And when you vary your fall rate you should FEEL yourself flying faster or slower, I do a little.

For me it just a great chance to practice different techniques that I'd like to employ in my weekend group jumps. Seems the weekday solo jumps improved my RW incredibly and I also learned to do a controlled Sitfly that I can fly in groups and am currently working on cartwheel transitions to head down solo. Also if the winds are right I love to pull high and just take up the whole solo with canopy work, really see how far I can push that canopy up high. There is always plenty to do on a solo jump!

www.apt3studios.com
www.musicpromotiononline.com
www.internetcafegaming.com
D.S. # 4321

[Andy9o8 2]

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I hope next time there is gear available and some people willing to jump with me or this sport could get real boring real fast.

Gear issues aside, there seems to be, far more now than back when I started, a cultural mentality that solo jumps are somehow "boring". Maybe this is the prevailing popular attitude at your DZ and you've assimilated it; I don't know. (It probably represents a cultural shift from when AFF became a more prevalent training method than S/L.)
But from my perspective: You're skydiving, for pete's sake. I cannot for the life of me conceive of someone with less than 50 jumps thinking of any kind of a skydive, even a solo one, as a boring event.

[apt3studiodiver 0]

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But from my perspective: You're skydiving, for pete's sake.

+1

www.apt3studios.com
www.musicpromotiononline.com
www.internetcafegaming.com
D.S. # 4321

[jimmytavino 16]

Great Post popsjumper !


o.p. ------
just jump



jmy
A 3914
D 12122
NSCR 1817

[chuckakers 425]

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Buy gear.

From the OP

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It also really sucks not having my own gear but I just can't afford it now.

Are you going to buy it for him?

Everyone says they don't have money to buy gear - until they do.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[timmyfitz 0]

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Quote

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Buy gear.

From the OP

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It also really sucks not having my own gear but I just can't afford it now.

Are you going to buy it for him?

Everyone says they don't have money to buy gear - until they do.

Yes, until they do. At a later date when they have saved money.

[chuckakers 425]

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Quote

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Buy gear.

From the OP

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It also really sucks not having my own gear but I just can't afford it now.

Are you going to buy it for him?

Everyone says they don't have money to buy gear - until they do.

Yes, until they do. At a later date when they have saved money.

Guess you don't get it.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[davelepka 4]

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I didn't want to go solo after completing 5 solos in a row to get my license.

I sat at the DZ for 5 hours waiting to jump, never did.

So you waited 5 hours for a rig, and then just left without jumping becasue nobody would jump with you?

You've got a lot to learn. One third of the jumps I made this weekend were solos, and from a 5000ft. How is it that I put my time into learniing to fly my canopy better, but you would rather just go home than do a solo?

You might be missing the point here, freefall is a game. It's a thing you do to pass the time before you get down to the business of saving your life. Making a safe parachute descent has very little to do with freefall aside from the fact that you need to be stable for deployment (and even that is negotiable). Not matter how poorly you perform in freefall, if you pull at the right altitude, and fly your canopy down to a safe landing, that would be condsidered a good jump.

In the last week alone, 3 jumpers have died trying to safely land a canopy. Two of them were in a canopy collision, and one of them made a low turn. Both things you need to learn to avoid, and both things you could have worked on doing a solo.

Just quit jumping now. What a tool, "Nobody would jump with me, so I went home". Get a spine, and stop looking to others to instill purpose in your life.

[deltron80 0]

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***Just quit jumping now. What a tool, "Nobody would jump with me, so I went home". Get a spine, and stop looking to others to instill purpose in your life.

+1

[stratostar 5]

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I sat at the DZ for 5 hours waiting to jump

Tell us how you spent your 5 hours on the dz? I beat you sat around talking and watching others jumps.... But did you work on your packing skills in an effort to get to a point where you can pack for money you'll need for gear or jumps? Did you do anything to help out, like go out to the landing area and help other new students pick up thier gear and walk back to the packing area? Did you buy the pilot a cold drink and burger to eat? Did you ask the owner if he could use some extra help around the place?

Or did you just sit on your ass getting pissed you couldn't get the gear and go up right away? Then after you could jump got pissed you had to do a solo and went home without jumping.

I got to the DZ and helped open it, open hanger doors and push out two planes, roll out carpet, sweep out hanger etc. Then did load one as a hop in pop to make the H&P load fly........ Then refreshed in the hanging harness & aircraft, two guys and then took them and a clear and pull up and dropped them.... guess what, another solo hop in pop...... Then I packed my rig and the two S/L's and took them two guys up again with a person wanting to test jump a canopy...... guess what, another solo h&p....

Then I helped close up the place and push back inside the planes and clean up the trash and put all the gear way too...

1. Teach refresher (free)
2. Packed two student rigs (10 bucks)
3. dropped two FJ Students (15 bucks)
4. Dropped first C&P student (free)
5. Dropped the two students again (15 bucks)

And thats not counting all the other stuff like questions and info provided to other students and general helping out..... All in 107 degree heat with no AC.

Try changing your outlook and attitude & expections dude and work on learning to learn, help out you'll learn stuff and make your solos, you learn stuff!

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[timmyfitz 0]

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Buy gear.

From the OP

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It also really sucks not having my own gear but I just can't afford it now.

Are you going to buy it for him?

Everyone says they don't have money to buy gear - until they do.

Yes, until they do. At a later date when they have saved money.

Guess you don't get it.

I get what you are trying to imply. What you don't get is some people truly can not afford to spend several thousand dollars to buy a new rig. Some people don't have that much saved and others don't use their credit cards so frivolously.

[chuckakers 425]

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Buy gear.

From the OP

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It also really sucks not having my own gear but I just can't afford it now.

Are you going to buy it for him?

Everyone says they don't have money to buy gear - until they do.

Yes, until they do. At a later date when they have saved money.

Guess you don't get it.

I get what you are trying to imply. What you don't get is some people truly can not afford to spend several thousand dollars to buy a new rig. Some people don't have that much saved and others don't use their credit cards so frivolously.

So using a credit card to purchase gear is frivolous? Sure are a lot frivolous skydivers out there.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX