1st time - Big or small DZ

[wooli 0]

I live in Clearwater, FL. There are two drop zones about the same distance from where I live. One is a very popular DZ -- Skydive City (Zepherhills). The other is a less crowded DZ -- Skydive Tampa Bay. Both seem to have good reviews. Which would you recommend for Tandem? And then for AFF?

[Deisel 38]

Not familiar with either DZ but it's more about what you want from the experience. If the small DZ is a Cessna DZ then anticipate not being able to fly on the plane with anyone besides the tandem master and video guy. A larger airplane will allow for more folks to jump on the same lift.
For AFF consider that a small DZ will be able to give you more personal attention. Where as at the larger operation you may never see the same instructor twice.
There are several pros and cons for both.

The brave may not live forever, but the timid never live at all.

[mrbiceps 0]

I would take the bigger dz any day of the week. i took the smaller dz choice for my aff and it took me 3 months to finish it. Where as the bigger dz can fast track the aff course in 3 days. I would much rather be jumping out of a skyvan than crammed into a little 182 cesna. After getting my license a few months ago i now jump at the bigger dz. if i go hard i can get 10 jumps in per day where as the smaller dz you spend half of your day sitting on your bum.

[voilsb 1]

I did my AFF and got my A at Skydive City. I recommend them. Very professional, fun, clean, knowledgeable, experienced.

Brian

[peregrinerose 0]

I've worked at both a large and a small DZ as an AFF Instructor..... students got a LOT more for their money at the small DZ. More personalized attention, if/when you get stuck on a level, you have instructors that have the time to patiently work with you to get through those rough spots in training, a lot less 'nickel and diming' you for every little thing, and a greater sense of family.

From a fun jumper standpoint, yes, a big DZ is a blast, big planes, more people to jump with, etc, but big DZs are big because they make money. They make money by not spending quite as much time with students.... the more students jump in a day, the more money you make.

I thoroughly enjoy all jumping, whether big or small DZ, but from a learning standpoint, you'll get more time from each instructor at a smaller DZ... honestly I wish I'd started at a smaller DZ myself.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[wooli 0]

I'll check them out. Thanks. Now I just have to hope for nice weather next weekend.

[voilsb 1]

By the way, I did my AFF and got my A license in 2 weeks there. Probably could have done it faster, but I took a couple of gorgeous Saturdays off to enjoy quietly, too.

Brian

[skymama 37]

DZ.commer "Normiss" is a tandem master at Z-hills. If you send him a pm, I'm sure he can take you on your jump or answer any questions you might have about Z-hills. I can't think of anyone who posts here who is a regular at Tampa Bay, but there are many who jump at Z-hills. It's a fun dz with a big landing area and good safety record from what I can recall.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[BUBLHED 0]

Go with the one that you plan on making your home dz. The training will be fine at either but if you go to the one you'll most likely be jumping at poeple will get to know you and help as you progress. This is assuming that you make smart decisions and don't make a newbie ass out of yourself. good luck

BSBD

ATTACK LIFE ! IT'S GOING TO KILL YOU ANYWAY!!!!

[calledisrael 0]

Exactly. When my sister wanted to jump (tandem), I drove her the 2 hours to my favorite small DZ rather than take her the 30 minutes to the local very large one.

The big DZ is a great place, but she had a much better experience for a first-timer at the small - everyone talked to her, she felt connected, it became a personal thing instead of an anonymous-push-through-the-tandem-machine sort of deal.

If someone wants to become a jumper, though, the previous poster is completely right: start the place you want to stay or would go most frequently. Make friends, build relationships from the start.

Have fun!! There is incredible jumping weather in Texas today, I'm sending some of it your way

life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
(helen keller)

[Croc 0]

learn small; jump big, unless you want to jump with friends instead of other CUSTOMERS. In that case, jump small.

"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

[hackish 8]

I started on a very small DZ but have been lucky enough to travel around a bit and see the larger ones operate. Sometimes I can see that the clients are having a blast at a small or large DZ sometimes they're getting poor service.

I don't think it's the size of the DZ that matters that much. The staff and their attitudes probably have the largest influence. For your first time a larger aircraft will probably be most comfortable. The amount of coaching and attention may or may not be better at either. The coaches at a larger DZ may be more experienced and better but then they may not be.

I haven't jumped at either place so I can't say for certain. I've talked to the folk at skydive city and their customer service was top notch - they went out of their way to answer all my questions and set up some CSPA coaches for me. That is definitely not the anonymous face in the crowd type service associated with some large DZs.

Since you're aiming for tandem + AFF then I think you should visit each place and talk to the people. Pick the one that feels right.

-Michael

[normiss 798]

but only if you have 3 friends.

[ladydyver 0]

Never been to skydive tampa but I just love z-hills; I have nothing but great things to say about the dz and the people there.

DPH # 2
"I am not sure what you are suppose to do with that, but I don't think it is suppose to flop around like that." ~Skootz~
I have a strong regard for the rules.......doc!

[skron 0]

I tell people all the time how glad I am that I started at a small DZ. Being in upstate NY I didn't have much of a choice unless I wanted to drive 3 or more hours, but now I am so glad I didn't.

At my DZ I felt like part of the family as soon a I walked in. I got personal attention from the DZO and my instructors. We don't have sport rig packers, so I learned how to pack before I was even done with AFF (I have seen jumpers from other DZs with 50 or more jumps that needed assisstance packing). I learned better canopy control because of our small landing area. After I got my license I could go to any DZ and be confident I'd be able to land where I was supposed to. I now have over 350 jumps and I still get instruction from my AFF instructors without even asking. The list goes on.

I have been to several big DZ's (including ZHills where I had tons of fun), and yes as a fun jumper its great to get more altitude and a big plane once in awhile. My home DZ will always be a small one. I like the family feel. Everyone watches out for everyone. If 5 go up and there are only 4 canopies in the sky we instantly know who is missing and are panicked until we know they are ok. If you are a visitor at a big DZ, its very possible that no one would notice if you didn't come back.

IMO its better to learn small and visit the big ones on vacation later.

Well behaved women don't often make history.

[normiss 798]

I still don't understand how they call themselves Skydive "Tampa"

Z-hills is WAYYYY closer to Tampa than Mulberry is!


It does seem they have good folks there though.

[keithbar 1]

big or small. 1st time BRING BEER!! BIG!! BIG!! quantities of beer.

i have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am .

[tetra316 0]

Quote

I've worked at both a large and a small DZ as an AFF Instructor..... students got a LOT more for their money at the small DZ. More personalized attention, if/when you get stuck on a level, you have instructors that have the time to patiently work with you to get through those rough spots in training, a lot less 'nickel and diming' you for every little thing, and a greater sense of family.

From a fun jumper standpoint, yes, a big DZ is a blast, big planes, more people to jump with, etc, but big DZs are big because they make money. They make money by not spending quite as much time with students.... the more students jump in a day, the more money you make.

I thoroughly enjoy all jumping, whether big or small DZ, but from a learning standpoint, you'll get more time from each instructor at a smaller DZ... honestly I wish I'd started at a smaller DZ myself.

Agree 100%. I learned at a small dz and have also seen students progress at larger dzs.