skydiving for a living?? surely a dream!

[buba07 0]

Hi,

I'm about as far off this dream as it is possible to be (4 jumps into life changing hobby). However, i've heard a number of jumpers talk about the fact that they gave up their professions and started jumping for a living?

How? What sort of income can be generated? Surely that is just the best way in the world to pay the mortgage!

Thanks

Freefallphil.

[Scoop 0]

What mortgage!? Most instructors live in caravans!

[buba07 0]

Ha ha I've noticed that.

Is it a given that you have to live in a static? Bit dangerous as one jumper crashed into one at our airfield last week!

Thanks

Freefallphil.

[billvon 2,990]

>How?

By getting your tandem, AFF and static line ratings, your rigger's ticket, a camera helmet and moving to a trailer at the DZ.

>What sort of income can be generated?

At a busy Socal or Florida DZ, perhaps $300 a weekend on average once you get seniority. Rigging perhaps another $200-300 during the week if you have a good customer base, or can get a gig maintaining student rigs at a busy DZ. That's about $30K. Deduct perhaps $5-6K for inevitable expenses (mains, video and still cameras, jumpsuits, sewing machine maintenance etc.) and another $1K for health insurance (pretty important if you're making your living doing strenuous physical stuff.) Perhaps $15K after taxes?

Also have to include up-front costs of rigs, cameras, sewing machines etc to get all this started.

And of course it will be some time before you get seniority, so expect lean years. Also, things like weather, aircraft problems and minor injuries will eat into that $15K.

>Surely that is just the best way in the world to pay the mortgage!

"Mortgage?" I think you may have an unrealistic expectation of what sort of incomes you can expect!

Perris Fury all skydive full-time. They coach, do AFF and tandem etc. One of their shirts says:

LIVIN THE DREAM*
(* - sponsored by Ramen Noodle)

[buba07 0]

Living the dream

It is indeed!

Sorry better explain Mortgage - live in the UK, mortages are the given here! Surprised its not the first word spoken by toddlers here!

Thanks

Freefallphil.

[Unstable 9]

Unstable's Predictions to make skydiving last well into the next century.

1 - Find a good Club-style Dropzone.

2- Refer your friends, word of mouth.

3. Jump your ass off whenever you can.

4. Have a good 8-5 Job, and don't take anything away from the sport. I am a rigger, and all I make rigging, after expenses, goes into skydiving some way or another.

=========Shaun ==========

[buba07 0]

Jump your ass off!

My wife is already starting to comment that this is going to be an expensive passtime! She knows i'm really getting into something!

Cant wait. How much are jumps in US? Here its about £30 plus £5 for packer. (static line).

Thanks

Freefallphil.

[Thanatos340 1]

Attached is a picture that shows the only Mortgage you need to be concerned with if "Livin the Dream".

Wanna make a Small fortune Skydiving?? Start with a Large. It wont take long.

[Unstable 9]

Livin' the Dream....

[can of worms]

I think the sport would be WAAAY better if people stopped trying to make a million dollars and just jumped their asses off...


[/can of worms]

=========Shaun ==========

[jeremy_o 0]

I agree! To the original poster: Don't quit your dayjob and find a good skydiving club!! Give to the sport instead of taking from it.

http://planetskydive.net/ - An online aggregation of skydiver's blogs.

[Unstable 9]

Quote

I agree! To the original poster: Don't quit your dayjob and find a good skydiving club!! Give to the sport instead of taking from it.

High Five to you dude.

=========Shaun ==========

[buba07 0]

"give to the sport instead of taking from it"

If there is one thing I dislike it is patronising comments.

a.This post was out of interest not to have some jump up freak giving me morality lessons.

b. surely professionals dedicating their lives and livelihood to the sport should be commended. Or are you saying that all full time jumpers are leaches?

Thanks

Freefallphil.

[Unstable 9]

Quote

b. surely professionals dedicating their lives and livelihood to the sport should be commended. Or are you saying that all full time jumpers are leaches?

Calm down, killer, I didn't mean anything of those sorts, nor was I attacking you or saying that you shouldn't be a full-time jumperI guess I have a bad taste in my mouth because here in Kansas, we have nothing like So.Cal or Arizona or Flordia. We have no turbines, and our dropzones are usually open 2 days a week. In Kansas, those who try to make a living off jumping somewhere with weather as unpredictable and Kansas, and with such a small population base, usually Fu#* stuff up. I've seen it 1 million times. Now, if you have access to a Big dropzone or somewhere you have enough business to make a living, then by all means GO for it!

=========Shaun ==========

[buba07 0]

Just read that back (jumped up freak)-maybe a bit harsh. Apologies!

I agree. was just interested in how feasible it is to just jump and live life to the full.

Wow I need to chill!

Thanks

Freefallphil.

[buba07 0]

Major apologies Unstable.

No i've only started my training. The DZ I have been trained at is run by a small partnership of 3 blokes who all quit their full time professions to start the club.

I am completely jealous of their life style its ACE. They took out a 700k mortgage for the plane and are livin the dream.

Apologies for the onslaught, I need to lay off the red wine!

Cheers for the advice.

Thanks

Freefallphil.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

For most of us it is a dream, for others it can be a reality. They are out there, some even post here (the professional full time skydivers). But rest assured it is a fragile reality where injury and/or sickness can be their demise since in many (not all) cases there is no safety net once the income stops coming in.

Questions to ask yourself:

- Do you have the financial means to pay for your own jumps to build the appropriate experience?
- Do you have the financial means to buy your own gear to build the appropriate experience?
- Do you live (or can you relocate) in a climate where you can jump year round?
- Do you live (or can you relocate) to a spot where skydiving is in demand.
- Can you live on less? Can you live in a small trailer?
- Can you handle the physical demands of jumping everyday?
- What are your plans if you can't skydive? Do you have other skills to earn a living?
- What are your plans for when you get older?

These are only a few of the many questions to answer. Many of the world class full time jumpers (not all) started off with money and/or came from affluent families. This is not a cheap sport and it's only going to get more expensive with time.

I am jealous of my full-time skydiving brothers and sisters. I got to jump full-time in the summer of 2005 and it was a lot of fun. But there are a lot of wild cards that you must answer. We're all different and some people choose to sacrifice more than others and some are willing to risk more than others to live the dream. Are you made of the right stuff to live the dream?

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[buba07 0]

Great advice and a great forum.

Cheers to both of last posters. I just want to gain experience to your levels and enjoy something which I had never imagined taking part in.

A recreation not a job.

Cheers and happy jumpin!

Thanks

Freefallphil.

[Acoisa 0]

A friend of mine started out as a video guy, did all his instructor ratings, and is doing exceptionally well!
He just moved to Hawaii and even bought an extra pad close to the beach with amazing views which he rents out to people on holiday.

He sent me a pic and told me I could visit and live there for free while jumping!! Yay.. Here's a pic (sorry it's embeded into a word file... couldn't get it out)

[johnny1488 1]

Don't plan on it, but it can be done.

I have a mortgage and somehow I do it. Many people I see in this sport "fulltime" just dont wanna work hard.

But for you, being new, give yourself a few years of having fun before you start thinking about jobs.

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[JohnMitchell 16]

Get 100 jumps or so, keeping your day job. This sudden rush of love for our, and your, great sport may not be the all consuming passion by this time next year, but may have settled into a long term, serious relationship. I've got 33 years in the sport, plain old weekend jumper with the occasional boogie trip. I think that's kept me from burning out when others went all hard core around me and then abandoned jumping a few years later, frazzled and disillusioned.

Best money is in being the DZO, but that's still a very risky startup business. I don't think skydiving will ever appeal to the masses like golf or Nascar. I don't ever expect HUGE money in it. Still, I'm quite happy being a weekend instructor and jumper.