mamajumps 0 #1 March 19, 2007 So this is probably a stupid question coming from someone who has been jumping since '03... but I need help so I am asking. Before my accident in 2005 ( that led to a 19m layoff from jumping) I had good body position, good arch, etc... I had lots of time in the tunnel with a coach etc... but I've now made my 3rd jump since getting back into it at the end of jan this year. Problem, my arch is once again non-existent, my legs are on butt and I find myself having to concentrate 200% to maintain a good arch...this makes it not so fun for me. I know what the problem is, I just don't know how to fix it. My accident wasn't bad by any means but it destroyed my confidence which is what kept me grounded for so long. I love jumping with all my heart and I feel so invigorated and full of energy after each jump, but I wanna be back where I was. Any suggestions on fixing this. My goals for skydiving are to evetually compete in 4 way and to fly video when I have around 500 jumps. I can't really afford more tunnel time right now and the dz I jump at is 3 hours away and I'm lucky to get there once a month. I feel like I should be so much better than I am after the number of jumps I have made. Sorry if this is stupid, but I need help. Thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #2 March 19, 2007 I was going to say "tunnel time" until I read that you said you can't afford it. Well, I'm going to say it anyway. So many jumpers have preciously little chance to get to a tunnel simply because they live too far away, and would kill to live near one. You live within an hour's drive of the Orlando tunnel. A controlled, lower-pressure environment like the tunnel could be just what you need. You might be better served by saving your money for a little tunnel time than spending it on high-anxiety jumps which might add to your frustration. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy_Copland 0 #3 March 19, 2007 What Andy said, maybe try and arrange friends/family/jumpers to go with you and share the air time to make it cheaper 1338 People aint made of nothin' but water and shit. Until morale improves, the beatings will continue. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brettski74 0 #4 March 20, 2007 Not to mention that tunnel time is cheaper than time in the sky. What do you pay for a minute of freefall in the sky? Around $20-22. Get together with 3 other friends and buy an hour of tunnel time between you and you will get tunnel time for around half that price per minute. Add another $50 for coaching and you're still way ahead of the cost of 15 solo jumps without coaching, and I'd expect that you'd learn more about body flight from the tunnel time than you would from 15 coach jumps, anyway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mamajumps 0 #5 March 20, 2007 Thanks everyone for your advice... we are booking an hour for next month amongst 4 people.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #6 March 20, 2007 Don't think about what is going wrong, but instead focus on what you want to fix. Visualize in the plane what you want to do. Then go do it. Are you cleared for solo jumps, or are you still in some sort of instructor recurrency? If you are working with instructors, you need to work with them, not us. If you are cleared for solo - perhaps do a few jumps where the arch and legs don't matter much - like front flips, back flips, or even just holding heading and enjoying the dive... Get comfortable in the air. If you are cleared for solo - here is a drill that will build leg awareness.... Track as hard as you can, focusing on putting your legs straight out. Hold for 3 seconds. Backslide as hard as you can, feet on butt, for 3 seconds. Don't worry about your hands, just focus on your feet... Once you feel your feet moving full range, add your arms. By moving your feet, your brain will reconnect to them. When I have helped some people in the tunnel with no leg awareness, I have used this drill successfully to build leg awareness. About the arch... Same thing. Punch an arch, over do it, for a few seconds. Then de-punch it into a slow fall... Just remember chin high, pelvis low for the punch - and it should come natural eventually. But all things aside, when I read your post - it is clear you have a confidence problem, not a skydiving problem (in my opinion). You have to have the attitude, "I am going to nail this", and it will happen... Don't do jumps focusing on fixing a problem... All it will do is build frustration. Example, when I coach, the second I see a student struggle to the point they are getting frustrated, I change gears into something they are successful at so fast that they forget they even struggled... Then we come back to the struggle point as soon as I have a chance to debrief and retrain. How this will appy to you - don't do jumps where you are strugging with the same thing over and over again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mamajumps 0 #7 March 20, 2007 Quote Are you cleared for solo jumps, or are you still in some sort of instructor recurrency? yes I am clear, in fact my b card was signed off on, all I had to do was mail in it, then I got stupid and hurt myself and never mailed it. I did a recurrancy jump with my hubby (he's an instructor) at the end of January and all was good to go, then on this jump, my 3rd one back... this happens. UGHHH... I want to be good so bad, I just feel like I am spinning my wheels. This was absolutely amazing advice!!!!! Thanks so much for taking your time to type all that out. Im gonna definitly try your suggestions, it makes so much sense. and your right, I do have a confidence problem. I totally love jumoing with my hubby, but thats where my confidence issues come from, he has never said anything bad and has always been encouraging, but at 100 jumps, he was freeflying jam on it and here I am still flailing around like an idiot.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #8 March 20, 2007 Currency also plays a factor in the learning curve. Being uncurrent makes it harder to rememeber the little things to advance your skills. If I ride a bike only once a year I can't go out on mountian biking trails that I once used to do.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jbanning 0 #9 March 21, 2007 You are only less than half an hour from skydive tampa bay in mulberry, right outside lakeland. Come on out there it is a small DZ with some great people. myspace.com/skydivetampabay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mamajumps 0 #10 March 21, 2007 I've thinking about that for some time, once I get my rig squared away (building it piece by piece) I might. I'm also pretty shy, it takes a lot of courage for me to go some place new... but the invite helps... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #11 March 21, 2007 QuoteThanks everyone for your advice... we are booking an hour for next month amongst 4 people.... Problem solved - guaranteed...no additional comments needed.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
