student taking a break

[FlyMCI 0]

Seeking advice on making an important mental transition as a beginner...

At first, I think I just had something to prove: that I could do a tandem jump. Then I wanted to do the static line jumps. OK, I did them.

Now I'm just starting independent freefall and I feel I need a break. I don't know if it's my recent divorce or my recent job change, but I think I'm stressed out. Can't relax, arch, and pull from a stable position... and I know enough that those are the basic elements for a safe freefall.

Is it understandable for me to want to slow things down and take a few weeks off?

[towerrat 0]

***Is it understandable for me to want to slow things down and take a few weeks off?
------------------------------------------------------------

yes, it's completely understandable. everyone is going to go at their own pace, and that's fine. Just remember that this sport is all about currency. The more you jump, the more you will retain muscle memory, and the more you will be able to relax.

That said, alot of people take a step back and assess priorities and the like. If the sport calls you, you will come.

For me skydiving is a stress release, but I have a few more jumps than you. Do what you need to do.You can always come back, and your friends will be waiting.
Blue skies brother, I hope you feel better.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

[jjiimmyyt 0]

Mate, if you don't want to jump, don't feel happy jumping don't make yourself. If at some point in the future (days weeks months or years) you do want jump then do. At the end of the day this is a sport that we do to have fun. If it aint fun then why jump?

I think it takes more balls to say I dont think I feel happy doing this then to just chuck yourself out and see what happens.

I haven't jumped for a while, I could have got on a lift today but the winds were a bit gusty for me. So, I didn't jump.

This is not a sport to fuck around with, if you don't feel happy jumping dont do it. When you do, go for it.

"This isn't an iron lung, people. You can actually disconnect and not die." -Dave

[Mad47 0]

The short answer - talk to your instructor because he/she will probably provide the best advice. All our tips might not apply to your situation since we do not know you.

The long answer - you might want to try to dissect your problem and understand what exactly makes you stressed. It's possible that you cannot concentrate on skydive because you cannot stop thinking about the problems you experience outside the dropzone. This is actually very common for people of different experience levels. The outcome might be different too. For experienced competitor who has thousands of jumps such problem might simply result in "bad skydive" with less points than expected. For a student it might become a safety issue. If this is a case, I would say you should definitely stop, try to get yourself together and then decide whether of not you want to continue jumping.

On the other hand, at your level you cannot expect to take a brake for a couple of months, then get back and start making great relaxing skydives. The longer the gaps between each of your student jumps the more stressful these jumps will be.

To summarize this, talk to your instructor

[Ruffles 0]

Most of the time I want to jump so bad I'm as "antsy" as a little kid that has to go pee. But there have been a dozen occasions that work has stressed me out (or the old lady) and I go and jump. I end up tense on jump run, tense under canopy, etc. This is dangerous.
Work the things out in your life that need to get worked out and the fire may return. After a brief two years in the sport, I have found that jumping helps keep things balanced in life in general, but what you're going through is totally normal. Don't stress about it. Give it sometime and see how you feel,but don't stress about being stressed. It's the American way...
Blues

[moodyskydiver 0]

I thinks its perfectly normal. I've been in a similar situation.I went through my first 11 jumps fine and then had a few personal non-skydiving related issues come up in my life as well as some skydiving related issues to top it off.At that point in my life I just didnt think jumping was a good choice for me.I left the sport and didn't jump for close to 2 yrs.But since then things have changed and I've gotten my life together as well as resolving alot of old issues.I just did my recurrency jump 2 days ago and had a cutaway.I dont want to walk away from this sport again at this point in my life. I'm still planning on jumping again next weekend.

I truly believe there is a time and place for everything. Take a break if you feel its right for you.The sky and this sport will still be here to welcome you back when and if you decide to return.

Best of luck in all of your endeavors.

"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

[clousseauMinnie 0]

I'm so glad I have found this thread...

I went through AFF quite easily, then just before my conversion to BOC I did a few solo's and suddenly found myself in a kind of anticlimax mixed with a fear I couldn't conquer. I couldn't even get myself to manifest, and eventually just stayed away and became uncurrent.

I flaggellated myself mentally for months about not going out to the dropzone, feeling like a complete failure, until eventually I made my peace with the fact that maybe this is not the right thing for me right now. Skydiving was also on my list of things to do after my divorce, and although it captured my imagination more that I had expected, perhaps it had its time and place in my life.

I haven't jumped for 9 months, and although I watch my skydiving videos regularly, follow the forums here at least weekly, stay in touch with my skydiving friends and have an irresistible flip in my tummy when I see an aeroplane or anything to do with skydiving, I comfort myself with two thoughts: I did 15 freefalls, which is more than most people in the world can claim, and it's a sport I can go back to again one day, if I feel like it.

At the time, what also worried me a bit was the fact that I have poor vision in one eye and that freaked me out on landings, but I have seen a thread on that topic here and know that it doesn't have to deter me next time. What is encouraging to me is the fact that you returned to the sport after a two year absence. There is hope for me, then.

Good luck, well done, stay safe.

Blues.

Clousseau

[freeflyfree 0]

You belong to the sky clousseau!

Felipe.

--
Blue Skies
NO FEARS, NO LIMITS, NO MONEY...
"A Subitánea et Improvísa Morte, Líbera nos, Domine."

[clousseauMinnie 0]

Thank you, I love the sport and the community. Whether I return or not, I'll always be a fan and a supporter.

Blues skies and much envy.

Clousseau

[FlyMCI 0]

Thank you everyone for your comments.

I just got back from a vacation where I did a lot of thinking about skydiving. In fact, I visited Skydive Orange and Skydive Virginia where I went on two observation rides on their Super Otter and King Air respectively. And while I was in the Outer Banks, NC I took a sightseeing ride on a Cessna 182 over Cape Hatteras. Also went on a "high-altitude" (5,000 feet) tandem hang-gliding flight. So, ironically, my break away from skydiving had me in the air four times in a week! I come home with the realization that skydiving opened the door, my eyes, and my heart to these experiences. I know now that I LOVE flying! I will be back to my local drop zone (Maytown) to talk with an instructor soon.

The fun is back!

Q: "Are you ready?"
A: "Let's do it."

Mark