I wanna get certified.

[shveddy 0]

So I would like to get USPA certified so that I can start jumping on my own whenever I can scrounge around fifty bucks or so. Problem is, I am somewhat poor, and would like to find an economical way to do this.

My plan is as follows: find the cheapest place to learn to skydive within a thousand or so miles from Madison, Wisconsin, get a bunch of friends to cram into my reasonably fuel efficient car, roadtrip to the cheaper dropzone, and hopefully get a better deal and a fun week out of the experience (I will then proceed to scrounge for my own rig). All the places I've found near where I live now cost about 1700 or more to get certified, so I'm looking for someplace that'll do it for around 1000 (give or take 200... most likely give).

So all this to say, I would appreciate it if you, those who frequent dropzones around the country, would tell me what the going rate is in your neck of the woods.

I don't really care if I learn static line, aff or instructor assisted deployment; as long as I am well trained, and am at a point where I can continue to safely develop my skills on my own, I'm happy.

Or you can just tell me this is a dumb idea and I should just save up a little while longer. Anyway, I'll be looking myself on google as i wait for your reply.

[LongWayToFall 0]

You should figure out a way of ensuring a solid income, because the money that you are going to be saving every month on training and a rig is going to turn into tickets once you have everything. If you can't be sure that you will be able to do at least a few jumps per month its not worth it in my opinion. It would be like buying a race car but only having enough gas money to drive it for 10 minutes every once and awhile. You should save up enough to do training and buy gear at the same time, and just do a tandem occasionally until then. If you aren't jumping while saving for gear, by the time you have enough for a rig you will need to do training again.....

[shveddy 0]

Says the dude with 67 jumps, an A license and five years in the sport? Or are you speaking from experience.

Anyway, I do have income, it just breaks even with school expenses. So basically if I take on skydiving, I will be taking out student loans to do so... i would like to make these loans as small as possible.

[peregrinerose 0]

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Says the dude with 67 jumps, an A license and five years in the sport? Or are you speaking from experience.

Anyway, I do have income, it just breaks even with school expenses. So basically if I take on skydiving, I will be taking out student loans to do so... i would like to make these loans as small as possible.

Trust me, you will completely regret taking out student loans to skydive.... either pick up another job, or just wait until you are out of school (the sky isn't going anywhere!!)

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[kkeenan 14]

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Says the dude with 67 jumps,

Dude - You're the one with no jumps asking how to get by for free in an expensive sport that we all have figured out ways to pay for. And you're insulting the first guy to give you some advice ??? He's got 67 more jumps than you do. I think that you can take your comment about his 5 years in the sport and shove it. This site is full of internet skydiver wannabees, and you're just one more.

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[labrys 0]

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I will be taking out student loans to do so... i would like to make these loans as small as possible.

Unless those are private loans, you're telling us that you want to use our tax dollars to learn to skydive?

Owned by Remi #?

[Hausse 0]

Go to Skydive Wissota!

They are incredibly inexpensive. I drove from Detroit to up to Eau Clair because it saved me a bunch of money.

A complete A license (25 jumps, gear and coaching from really good people included) costs just $750. Probably the cheapest DZ in the country.

[jsaxton 0]

try and find a place that does static-line or IAD methods.
These progression methods are usually less expensive.

[CazmoDee 3]

"A complete A license (25 jumps, gear and coaching from really good people included) costs just $750. Probably the cheapest DZ in the country."

This CAN'T be true.

I'm behind the bar at Sloppy Joe's....See ya in the Keys!

Muff 4313

[Hausse 0]

The price is true (or at least was last September) so I have to assume you mean the cheapest part, but I'm pretty certain there too

[Hausse 0]

Here's the link:

http://skydivewissota.org/

[ryoder 1,590]

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My plan is as follows: find the cheapest place to learn to skydive within a thousand or so miles from Madison, Wisconsin, get a bunch of friends to cram into my reasonably fuel efficient car, roadtrip to the cheaper dropzone, and hopefully get a better deal and a fun week out of the experience

Ahhh...you want Pecos Parachute School in Pecos, TX.
Just ask for "Truman".

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[lippy 918]

If there's a DZ close by that does a lot of SL or IADs, they might have a lot of student rigs that need packing. Go hang out there, get to know people and learn to pack. I was in college with NO $$$ when I started and I subsidized my student jumps by packing parachutes.

IF it's possible for you to become a packer it will probably take a while before the DZ is comfortable with you packing student rigs for $, and it's hard work and doesn't pay a lot, but if you really want to skydive this is a method that's worked for a lot of people.

Does 'the absolute cheapest DZ I can find' really seem like a good search criteria when you want to learn how to save your life?

I got nuthin

[Jeff.Donohue 0]

"O.K. now you'll be coming out here and you'll be doing a stable fall face down frog modified. Now out here comes the static line 'cause it goes like from this to here see, and then the pilot chute will open and it'll pull the bridle out and then the main canopy will be open see, 'cause they're all connected, and then you'll be down here and you'll be looking up here at the WDI indicator and you'll also going to check for Mae West and if that's not there then you need to check here for 4 panels and a hole. Then when you come down you're gonna find the piece and you're gonna land over here and you're going to get in this position - except you don't wanna do that - because that means you in trouble, so what you want to do is you wanna get right here and then you're gonna come round here and you're gonna fold up and you're gonna do a toggle and jettison and always watch the horizon O.K?.."

(If this makes no sense to you, move on... Those in the know will get it.)

[millertime24 8]

Fuckin Fandango man! ROFLMFAO!!! That was just the pick-me-up I needed on a Friday afternoon.

Muff #5048

[BlueHaze 0]

Ahhh, the cheapest skydiving training ever....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8F5MkP484E&feature=related

[BillyVance 34]

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Fuckin Fandango man! ROFLMFAO!!! That was just the pick-me-up I needed on a Friday afternoon.

You ain't kidding with that one!

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[millertime24 8]

I'm still trying to figure out how to do a "frog modified".

Muff #5048

[lippy 918]

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Hey man, if you're into playing it close that's cool, but we're talking megga malfunction here!

And....

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Turn left at.....Band Aid????

I got nuthin

[shveddy 0]

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Unless those are private loans, you're telling us that you want to use our tax dollars to learn to skydive? Mad

hehe... i you look at it that way, I guess I am. The way i look at it is that I am using less of my personal income for school and more for fun. By the same logic, I guess I am taking out government subsidized loans to pay for beer as well. But still, thanks for putting me on a guilt trip.

[shveddy 0]

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Dude - You're the one with no jumps asking how to get by for free in an expensive sport that we all have figured out ways to pay for. And you're insulting the first guy to give you some advice ??? He's got 67 more jumps than you do. I think that you can take your comment about his 5 years in the sport and shove it. This site is full of internet skydiver wannabees, and you're just one more.

Sorry for any offense I may have caused. First off, I'm the first to admit that I'm a wanna be (as in I would like to be a skydiver); and this is fine, assuming I don't talk shit. Second, I don't really see anything wrong with looking for some sort of way to cut down on expenses so that it is feasible for me to enjoy what you guys do (and judging by the responses, it seemed to have worked); I'm not looking for a free way in, just a cheaper way in... Am I not supposed to buy used gear too? Also, I didn't mean to talk shit in my response to the other guy. It was more intended to inquire as to whether or not he, personally, feels that skydiving infrequently (something he appears to do) is not worth it based on personal experience. And if you cut off the quote at the comma and omit the "or are you speaking from experience?" part, of course I sound like a douche. Basically, I just think that if I would have said the same thing in conversation where I had available to me the tools of body language and intonation, nobody would be offended. Anyway, I wrote the damn thing late at night, I certainly respect his 67 jumps, and I'm sorry about the perceived malicious sarcasm in my response (it was more like friendly sarcasm that didn't go over well), I'm a newbie, I'm scum, I should just stay home. I'll delete it.

[shveddy 0]

Ok, I would delete if, but apparently I can't anymore because it's been on there for too long. Sorry.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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"A complete A license (25 jumps, gear and coaching from really good people included) costs just $750. Probably the cheapest DZ in the country."

This CAN'T be true.

Sure it can, there just isn't much room for profit which isn't an issue in a not for profit club. Skydive Wissota is a club.

$750 is $30/jump.

Cessnas are not that expensive to operate. Even with today's gas prices there are not for profit flying clubs renting 182s for under $100/hour wet. If it takes 15 minutes round rip for a static line load with three students that's under $9 each per jump Gear only depreciates a couple bucks a jump.

Or start with the $10 to 4K / $15 to 10K feet Skydive Wisota charges experienced jumpers, add a few bucks for gear rental, a few more to pay instructors & riggers, and you're still at less than $30/jump.

[shveddy 0]

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Does 'the absolute cheapest DZ I can find' really seem like a good search criteria when you want to learn how to save your life?

yea, I kinda hope there isn't much of a negative correlation between price and mortality rates. But I don't think there is... Right?

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Does 'the absolute cheapest DZ I can find' really seem like a good search criteria when you want to learn how to save your life?

yea, I kinda hope there isn't much of a negative correlation between price and mortality rates. But I don't think there is... Right?

Everybody follows the same FAA regulations. Even most non USPA dropzones have USPA rated instructors. There's no connection.

More likely you get lower prices from a club (no profit involved), where you have smaller+slower but less expensive aircraft, in a less urban area where land and hanger costs are more reasonable.

Safety shouldn't be an issue.

If anything, the small club is likely to be safer because the members have more time to deal with the students than a busier commercial operation running 100+ students through the system each day.