So how do I convince my irrational wife to let me skydive?

[humbled1 0]

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2007 odds of dying in a skydiving accident, 1:122,222

Odds of dying in a car accident in the year 2000, 1:18,585

Odds of dying as a pedestrian in an accident, 1:46,901

Dying in an ATV accident, 1:17,416

Choking on an item OTHER THAN FOOD, 1:86,384

Drowning, 1:79,065

Building fire, 1:99,174

Intentional self harm, 1:9,380

Assault, 1:16,421

Legal execution, 1:3,441,325

Poisoning, 1:107,668

You can look at the numbers all you want. What it boils down to is, as previously stated, weighing the risk versus the benefit and making a decision for yourself.

I do believe that statistic regarding skydiving fatalites is based on 1 jump per year. So assuming one does 200 jumps a year the odds are more like 1:611

I am married with kids (14 & 20, the older girl jumps too) but if I did not have a good life insurance policy I would not jump. This sport is much more dangerous than going to the store, even on a motorcycle.

"Tell ya the truth, I don't think this is a brains kind of operation."

[bam-bam 0]

Well lets see here. First you have got to give her back her pretty pink panties you've been wearing. Take your man card back from her. Quit thinking about that sex change. Take a pair of vice grips and retrieve your balls from the the bottom of your belly. Although you probably did not graduate from the same school as me. I think they offer a course at Slap A Hoe High. Look into it. The only way is to just jump and pay the fiddler later. As long as you don't take away money from the family where is the problem. She found you if you don't succeed she will just have to look further. So when you get through moping the the house Saturday go out for that ole loaf of bread. Bring back pictures be sure to smile in them and show her how happy it made you and that you will be doing more. Then listen to the music judging on how load she plays it you will know how long to wait till your next jump. I hope this helps if it don't there is always the Slapa Hoe Classes

[skybytch 273]

One really great thing about threads like these? They let all the female jumpers know which male jumpers they should avoid doing more than sport fucking with.

Be honest. How many of you guys going off about man cards and pink panties and growing some balls would not say "you can't do that" if your whuffo wife or girlfriend decided that she's going do a death camp and jump off the Perrine bridge a few times? How about if she's going to do it without you?

[JohnDeere 0]

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Being married to Vskydiver is pretty cool. She only has two restrictions, base jumping and street bikes.

In my experience those are two out of the three funnest things you can do with your clothes on.

[Remster 30]

STFU woman! And go make us some sammiches.

Remster

[bam-bam 0]

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One really great thing about threads like these? They let all the female jumpers know which male jumpers they should avoid doing more than sport fucking with.

Be honest. How many of you guys going off about man cards and pink panties and growing some balls would not say "you can't do that" if your whuffo wife or girlfriend decided that she's going do a death camp and jump off the Perrine bridge a few times? How about if she's going to do it without you?

Sure we are ribbing the man I do nothing without my wife's OK. Trust is everything without it you have nothing. If worry runs your life you are probably just waiting to die at any minute. What fun is that? Would you do what you wanted to do every time you wanted to do it? Hell no just do what it takes to make you happy everything else will fall into place. Is that better Skybycth?

[Remster 30]

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One really great thing about threads like these? They let all the female jumpers know which male jumpers they should avoid doing more than sport fucking with.

Be honest. How many of you guys going off about man cards and pink panties and growing some balls would not say "you can't do that" if your whuffo wife or girlfriend decided that she's going do a death camp and jump off the Perrine bridge a few times? How about if she's going to do it without you?

Sure we are ribbing the man I do nothing without my wife's OK. Trust is everything without it you have nothing. If worry runs your life you are probably just waiting to die at any minute. What fun is that? Would you do what you wanted to do every time you wanted to do it? Hell no just do what it takes to make you happy everything else will fall into place. Is that better Skybycth?

Speaking of whipped!

Remster

[Bolas 5]

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One really great thing about threads like these? They let all the female jumpers know which male jumpers they should avoid doing more than sport fucking with.

Be honest. How many of you guys going off about man cards and pink panties and growing some balls would not say "you can't do that" if your whuffo wife or girlfriend decided that she's going do a death camp and jump off the Perrine bridge a few times? How about if she's going to do it without you?

To all:

Risk factors don't increase, they multiply:

Driving to the DZ
Talking on the phone while driving
Speeding
Formation loads
Freeflying
Camera
Jumping a smaller canopy
etc. etc.

All are different risk factors.

Is skydiving dangerous? Yes.

Is it worth the risk? To me it is, but I'm single with no kids. Should that change, I'll reevaluate.

And just having insurance? C'mon. Here kid, you don't have a parent anymore, but here's some $$$. If you have responsibilities, they are more than just financial.

If people understand and accept the risk, great. If you try to BS yourself or others saying it's safe...

Then again, if you're straight with yourself and others and answer all their questions and they try to just say "no" then you may have some decisions to make.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[JohnMitchell 16]

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Being married to Vskydiver is pretty cool. She only has two restrictions, base jumping and street bikes.

In my experience those are two out of the three funnest things you can do with your clothes on.

Did the bike thing for a while, including some drag racing. Fun, but not as fun as skydiving. As for Base jumping, so far I'll have to take your word on it.

What's the 3rd thing?

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Being married to Vskydiver is pretty cool. She only has two restrictions, base jumping and street bikes.

In my experience those are two out of the three funnest things you can do with your clothes on.

Did the bike thing for a while, including some drag racing. Fun, but not as fun as skydiving. As for Base jumping, so far I'll have to take your word on it.

What's the 3rd thing?

Back country snowboarding (or presumably skiing) especially with a helicopter for lift service.

[mcordell 2]

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I do believe that statistic regarding skydiving fatalites is based on 1 jump per year. So assuming one does 200 jumps a year the odds are more like 1:611

I am married with kids (14 & 20, the older girl jumps too) but if I did not have a good life insurance policy I would not jump. This sport is much more dangerous than going to the store, even on a motorcycle.

Eh, statistics are just numbers. I don't put much faith in them. I posted the numbers because you can make anything look any way you want with statistics. The fact of the matter is, what we do IS dangerous, but so are so many other things we do. I don't believe skydiving to be more dangerous than riding a motorcycle, yet I do that. Looking at the number of jumpers in my area compared with the number of fatalities at my home DZ, (0 as far as I know), then looking at the number of bikes in the city and the number of fatalities on motorcycles since the DZ opened (for the sake of comparing the same time line) I think it would be apparent that riding the motorcycle is inherently more dangerous.

The skydiving fatality statistic IS based on one jump a year because with the entire skydiving community taken into account, this is the approximate statistic PER JUMP, however as with any statistic, this doesn't take into account the higher risk population of skydivers. Because of that, the statistic you quoted is equally as wrong. If you don't agree, look at it this way; you stated that statistically, for every 611 jumps at your DZ there would be one fatality.

I think if you look at the grand scheme of things, for a jumper who jumps a reasonably sized canopy, doesn't do big formations, jumps at a relatively small DZ (minimizing people in the air at one time), doesn't swoop, uses an RSL, AAD, helmet, audible, etc, the risk is relatively low. You can call it "inherently dangerous" all you want but MOST fatalities were absolutely avoidable. I have no interest in swooping, downsizing, freeflying, etc because I don't feel the increased risk associated with each activity is justified in my situation. I enjoy jumping without doing these things and don't need to increase the risk of a jump.

I also don't think it would be fair to say it's irresponsible to jump without getting some enormous insurance policy first. If a jumper goes about jumping in a conservative manner, then there are many other activities that person will do in their daily life that are more dangerous. I'm not minimizing the risk, just stating the facts. You drive far more than you jump and there is a great risk of personal bodily harm associated with that based SOLELY on the frequency with which you do it.

I just don't think it's fair to say someone is selfish or irresponsible for jumping because they didn't do the things YOU felt you needed to do in case you died. Just about everyone here engages in this sport while some others are contemplating it. If you don't want to scare people away and you want our sport to grow, then why don't you just tell them that yes, there are some risks associated with it as with any sport, but if you go about it safely and conservatively then you can do a lot to minimize that risk and enjoy the sport for a very long time.

www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

[JohnMitchell 16]

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If you don't agree, look at it this way; you stated that statistically, for every 611 jumps at your DZ there would be one fatality.

No, he meant if 611 jumpers made 200 jumps a year, one of them would die. That's not far fetched. Another way to look at it? About 30,000 USPA members. About 30 fatalities a year. About a 0.1% chance of dying each year, or 1% per decade. I hope to jump for at least 50 years overall. I figure I have a 19 in 20 chance of surviving it.

Now that's leaving it to chance. You can do a lot of things to improve your odds. I try to avoid all the stupid stuff I see killing others, but fate is the hunter. Besides, I'm a sitting duck for any swooper looking to hit a lower canopy.

[mcordell 2]

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If you don't agree, look at it this way; you stated that statistically, for every 611 jumps at your DZ there would be one fatality.

No, he meant if 611 jumpers made 200 jumps a year, one of them would die. That's not far fetched. Another way to look at it? About 30,000 USPA members. About 30 fatalities a year. About a 0.1% chance of dying each year, or 1% per decade. I hope to jump for at least 50 years overall. I figure I have a 19 in 20 chance of surviving it.

Now that's leaving it to chance. You can do a lot of things to improve your odds. I try to avoid all the stupid stuff I see killing others, but fate is the hunter. Besides, I'm a sitting duck for any swooper looking to hit a lower canopy.

Go out last, open at 6k, wear an extra chest mounted reserve and a tertiary if you can fit them both, and wear all the protective gear you can fit on the plane with. That should lower your chances

Thanks for the reply, there are some on here who manage to contribute constructively with every post and as far as I have seen you are one of them.

Blue skies

www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

[skybytch 273]

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I think if you look at the grand scheme of things, for a jumper who jumps a reasonably sized canopy, doesn't do big formations, jumps at a relatively small DZ (minimizing people in the air at one time), doesn't swoop, uses an RSL, AAD, helmet, audible, etc, the risk is relatively low. You can call it "inherently dangerous" all you want but MOST fatalities were absolutely avoidable.

Most. But some aren't. The student who died last year while he was doing everything right under canopy last year? Wasn't much he could've done to avoid the collision that killed him, he didn't even see it coming. Or James Martin, who went in back in 2000 after a line from his main snagged on a grommet and his reserve had no clean air to deploy in? He did everything right and yet he still died. Or the (far too many) people who have died in skydiving aircraft accidents recently. They weren't doing anything different than you do.

You can quote numbers all you'd like. None of them change the fact that we can do everything right and still die.

[robskydiv 0]

You mean that you actually tell her about it when you take off for the DZ?

[skybill 22]

Hi Scy,
Well, as AD says,"You won't!!" Would you really be at the DZ with credit card in hand to sign up for the FJC "IF" you were "NOT" "Married with Children????" That is the $64.00 ???? The wife is "NOT" going to change her mind and statistics and rationalizing ain't gonna' help either! So, there ya' have it, the decision is yours. 'Kinda funny, I have a Skydiver friend whose wife won't let him go to "Hooters!!" He knew she was like that before they got married!! So, I guess it takes all kinds?? There it wasn't about pink panties but orange shortie shorts and tanktops!!! BTW, will your wife let you go to "Hooters??"

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[JohnMitchell 16]

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BTW, will your wife let you go to "Hooters??"

Yeah, I have to pick her up from work.

[squarecanopy 0]

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BTW, will your wife let you go to "Hooters??"

Yeah, I have to pick her up from work.

Dude, she is going to see this and you will be sleeping out in the hammock for the next month....

Just burning a hole in the sky.....

[JohnMitchell 16]

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Dude, she is going to see this and you will be sleeping out in the hammock for the next month....

Maybe not.

[jf951 1]

pull a joeyfusco (me) and dont tell them, in my case my parents.
theres nothing wrong with "hanging out with friends" all day every weekend.

Jump more, Bitch less.

[airtwardo 7]

Be honest. How many of you guys going off about man cards and pink panties and growing some balls would not say "you can't do that" if your whuffo wife or girlfriend decided that she's going do a death camp and jump off the Perrine bridge a few times? How about if she's going to do it without you?

[Orange1 0]

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You don't have to immerse yourself in the sport to that degree. When I was raising a family, I jumped one day every other weekend. That was Dad's time to do what he wanted. The other 13 days out of every two weeks were devoted to family. You can have a family, and skydive. You just need to balance the two, and not let skydiving work to the detriment of family. The two can indeed be compatible.

I agree, and that is pretty much the way I personally have jumped (luckily with supportive spouse), and when my new baby is old enough it is how i plan to continue jumping.
However, if you read some of the threads on currency in these forums, you might believe you are placing yourself at death's door by not getting in 20 jumps every weekend.

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

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Well maybe shes not completely irrational. Throwing yourself out of an airplane isnt exactly normal.

I REALLY want to do it, and get my license but she keeps freakin out and saying I dont care about the welfare of her and the baby (4 1/2...i guess shes still a baby)

Dude, don't even try. You're no longer a free spirt. You were not the second you put that ring on your finger.

Don't even bother trying taking her to a DZ. It will just turn into a fight and if, by chance, an ambulance shows up to pick someone up that got hurt or killed, you'll just have to listen to her calling you a, "Dumbass! I told you so!!" the whole ride home... hopfully its a short one.