npgraphicdesign 3 #1 September 9, 2008 Let's share some experience and lessons learned throughout your skydiving AFF training. Whether you just started, are a few jumps into it, almost done, or just fresh off your license completion, share what we've learned so far. It might help everyone, and personally I am curious how differently everyone experiences skydiving. My lessons learned so far, in no particular order: 1. Don't expect to pass every jump on your first try. And don't beat yourself up if you don't pass. 2. The radio is your backup only. Assume that there's always a possibility that it might not work, and be mentally/physically prepared to land on your own 3. The nervousness will disappear with time. A great advice that someone gave me at my home DZ: "Remember, although it's extreme, it is a fun sport! So relax, smile, and remember your training." That advice worked on my last jump. So, fellow AFFefers, what have you learned? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cjsgrlsx3 0 #2 September 9, 2008 Ok, the hardest thing I have had to learn is do not reach for the ground. I have a tendency to bend my knees on landings now. My landings aren't too bad anymore! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuna-Salad 0 #3 September 9, 2008 My hardest thing in AFF was to stop swimming in the air and realize that I was jumping into nothing and there was nothing to grab a hold of. - Friends of mine laughed at me on my AFF videos until I saw thiers and they were doing it too Not in AFF but I figured that was a good one. Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jclalor 12 #4 September 9, 2008 Good advice about the radio, my AFFI landed out on one of my first jumps so I had no radio. If it's been a while since you were last in the sport (25 years for me) Forget every thing you knew, Relax Relax a little more Try and breath in FF Have fun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrbiceps 0 #5 September 9, 2008 i had a bit of trouble arching. I learned to kind of forget about the position of my legs and arms and concentrate on pushing my hips out. you can have legs and arms perfect but if your hips arnt out you will potato chip like buggery and be unstable and fail the jump. push those hips out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BDashe 0 #6 September 9, 2008 Just a fun story from my lvl 7: After getting through the work of the dive, the following occurs. did an alti check- 7 grand few seconds later another alti check- 7 grand. I think, hmmm, maybe its cuz im new i just checked really fast. I count 5 seconds in my head expecting 6 grand at the highest. alti check indicates 7 grand. somethin aint right! I look up at my instructor and he has a big grin on his face realizing my alti is frozen and watching my gears work... slowly. I look down and realize the runway looks HUGE. I look up and my instructor has started to move into position to deploy for me. i do a VERY quick waive off and dump. I get settled, do my checks and look at my alti... 7 grand. I tap it, nothing, then i bang on it hard with my fist and the needle drops rather frantically down to 1800 ft Landed uneventfully and passed So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anthonyfellows 0 #7 September 9, 2008 Don't land on the runway :)Serious relationships turn into work after a few weeks and I already got a fucking job :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ H.A.F. = Hard As Fuck ... Goddamn Amateurs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #8 September 10, 2008 I've got all my AFF jumps blogged on my website, but my most important lesson learned was: don't be afraid to ride the plane down if you're not in the right state of mind to make a safe jump. The website is at www.nightingalesnest.net if you want to read the blog. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeregrineFalcon 0 #9 September 10, 2008 Great idea for a thread. Here are my lessons learned. Some from mistakes, others just by doing it right the first time. 1. When doing your first release dive, take your time with the wave off and pull. In fact, do it like this. Wave off...ARCH...slow pull. 2. Don't try to do what you see the pros do. I saw them doing a couple of staged flairs, so I tried it. Heh. With the big canopies they give you for AFF, staged flairs are not such a good idea. 3. Try to spring for a video on your later stages to watch your form and see what you're doing wrong. Sometimes you can find an AFF instructor who has a helmet camera and will film it for you for twenty bucks, maybe less. Then watch your form!!! 4. After each jump, be ready to admit every little mistake you made to your JM. When JM sees that you know what you did right and wrong, he's more comfortable jumping with you next time and may let you progress a little faster than the average student. 5. This is the biggest one. Don't be afraid to ask questions...from anybody at the DZ who will listen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #10 September 10, 2008 Quote 5. This is the biggest one. Don't be afraid to ask questions...from anybody at the DZ who will listen. Depends on what kind of question. If it's a technical question, you should be asking your instructors rather than just a random jumper. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeregrineFalcon 0 #11 September 10, 2008 I'm doing both. I've found that even AFF instructors have different opinions on things. I did AFF 1 14 years ago in Perris Vally. Long story, but after four jumps, I quit and got back into it this year. I did AFF 1 again in Byron. When the winds wouldn't let me jump for a while, I went to Hollister to do AFF 2, the instructor asked me if I wanted to sit in the AFF 1 instruction with the 3 other students. I said, sure. In those three events, there were quite a number of surprising differences in instruction. So, whenever I have a technical question, I'm asking multiple people. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #12 September 10, 2008 There can be different opinions, and then there can be just plain bad advice. You're unlikely to get bad advice from an instructor, so stick to asking them, even if you ask several. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jephprospect 0 #13 September 10, 2008 I finished AFF 2 weeks ago. I learned to be slow with everything and relax.(or try your best). The best advice I got after being off student status is try new things up high and stick to the basics when ur getting low :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gerhards 0 #14 September 10, 2008 Hi Guys Did my level 1 and 2 the past weekend. Less is more, slow is faster and ARCH!!! Weeknd coming 3 and 4 Enjoy G Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steveorino 7 #15 September 10, 2008 Quote So, whenever I have a technical question, I'm asking multiple people. And how do you decide which answer you take? Kris is not an AFFI but she is giving you very good advice. I am an AFFI and I say the same. Take your advice from the AFFI at the DZ. Are their subtle differences in techniques? Yes, but if you spot a glaring contradiction ask the AFFI why. Personally, I would not want to take up a student who is asking and getting advice willy-nilly. steveOrino Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #16 September 10, 2008 Ah, you blew it Steve . . . We had a nice little thread going here involving only students until you waded in. Sometimes it's good for us more experienced jumpers to just sit back and listen to students talk among themselves. They don't always catch things the way Instructors pitch them and this was our little window into their world. I suggested once there be a topic heading just for students like the "woman only" one. And maybe cap it at a 100 jumps. Everybody panicked and jumped on me saying they'd be giving each other dangerous advice. But students are smarter then we give them credit for and there is dangerous advice all over this site. Once an Instructor joins the conversation like you did they are all going to clam up now . . . NickD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
npgraphicdesign 3 #17 September 10, 2008 Quote Ah, you blew it Steve . . . We had a nice little thread going here involving only students until you waded in. Sometimes it's good for us more experienced jumpers to just sit back and listen to students talk among themselves. They don't always catch things the way Instructors pitch them and this was our little window into their world. I suggested once there be a topic heading just for students like the "woman only" one. And maybe cap it at a 100 jumps. Everybody panicked and jumped on me saying they'd be giving each other dangerous advice. But students are smarter then we give them credit for and there is dangerous advice all over this site. Once an Instructor joins the conversation like you did they are all going to clam up now . . . NickD Well I'm not clamming up...HA! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #18 September 10, 2008 Good . . . Carry on you guys! NickD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Melt16 0 #19 September 10, 2008 Hey Guys, I'm doing my AFF 5, 6, 7 & 8 this weekend, I can't wait While I can't give much advice at this point all I can say is when going up in the plane look forward to your jump and focus on the things that are going to go right not the things that could rarely go wrong. When that door opens I still crap myself taking some deep breaths helps and try and put a smile on your face. I've been doing a lot of research on canopy control/wing loading and I suggest get yourself a book and that 5 in 1 DVD. The more knowledge you have the more comfortable you will feel. I've read a lot online and if I have any doubts about something I've read or heard my instructor as my go to guy for everything. After all he is the one who knows what I'm doing right, and what I'm doing wrong, he is the one jumping out that plane making sure I'm going to climb in another plane and do it all over again. Take care and blue skies... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MomDaBomb 0 #20 September 13, 2008 I've learned that I need to stop overthinking things. I make things so much harder than they really are. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeregrineFalcon 0 #21 September 13, 2008 Quote Quote So, whenever I have a technical question, I'm asking multiple people. And how do you decide which answer you take? Kris is not an AFFI but she is giving you very good advice. I am an AFFI and I say the same. Take your advice from the AFFI at the DZ. Are their subtle differences in techniques? Yes, but if you spot a glaring contradiction ask the AFFI why. Personally, I would not want to take up a student who is asking and getting advice willy-nilly. The multiple responses are coming from multiple instructors. I'm asking the best and still getting different answers. I'm taking the advice that sounds the safest. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steveorino 7 #22 September 13, 2008 Quote The multiple responses are coming from multiple instructors. I'm asking the best and still getting different answers. I'm taking the advice that sounds the safest. Can you give an example of where multiple AFFIs gave you different answers? steveOrino Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The_Don 0 #23 September 13, 2008 I'll give the answer. TROLL!I am NOT being loud. I'm being enthusiastic! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeregrineFalcon 0 #24 September 13, 2008 QuoteQuote The multiple responses are coming from multiple instructors. I'm asking the best and still getting different answers. I'm taking the advice that sounds the safest. Can you give an example of where multiple AFFIs gave you different answers? Ok, it's minor stuff really. Nothing major. One DZ told me to extend my arm straight out while pulling and the another one told me to bend the arm over my head. One tells me to flair at 10-15 feet, another one tells me to flair at 6-10 feet. Maybe it's a wind thing in different locations. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steveorino 7 #25 September 13, 2008 And you know which is "safer" about arm bent vs arm extended when pulling? I'd ask them why the diff. Most likely one will tell you how one is more stable, the other will likely tell you it is the way we always have done it. So which way did "you" decide was "safer"? About flaring 6 feet above the ground??? I'd certainly ask why they say that over the typical 12-15 feet. steveOrino Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
