clearblue 0 #1 January 3, 2006 Hi Just wanted to say that I'm entering the sport quite late (I'm 34) having only done around 7 static line jumps (have done one dummy pull so far). I can't get enough and I've caught the bug... However, I think this web site is great and I'm getting a lot from it. Is there any advice you can give for a first freefall jump (I'll be doing it this year)? I'll be renting the equipment initially at the DZ. All the best. Jason. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daniel_owen_uk 0 #2 January 3, 2006 Best bit of advice you will get on here is not to listen to any advice given on here.... (hang on) But seriously talk to your instructors about anything anyone tells you. My one but of advice would be cheat and do some tunnel time Edit - Oh and this should really be in introductions__________________ BOOM Headshot Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reginald 0 #3 January 3, 2006 QuoteHi Just wanted to say that I'm entering the sport quite late (I'm 34) First get that idea out of your head! You're a pretty typical age."We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scoop 0 #4 January 3, 2006 How old!? Welcome aboard! Erm, freefall tips? Im hardly master of the air but RELAX and ARCH! Just enjoy it mate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites artistcalledian 0 #5 January 3, 2006 i'm 39 and a newbie ________________________________________ drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites julesshrew 0 #6 January 3, 2006 Hey Hey Jason Will we be seing ya at Tilly Saturday then? Only advice from me is listen to the instructors and take deep breaths before every jump Jules Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites clearblue 0 #7 January 4, 2006 Hey Jules Can't make it for another month or so, but Tilstock is a great DZ - the instructor 'Steve' (short guy) is excellent. Am saving up to book another 10 jumps (first freefall is in two jumps time if all goes well!!) so I'll see you guys soon. J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites srsand1960 0 #8 January 4, 2006 I did my first 8 jumps static. Hop - n - pop altitude 3,500 - 4,000. It is a rush and it's easy to get the bug you've got. The DZ's around me are closed for the winter. However, I got some advise from a couple of people on here (like picking up The Skydiver's Handbook by Poynter and Turoff) and printing out and reading the Skydiving Glossary that is on this site. I had no idea that there was so much to learn. Though I am new too, I don't believe that anything can compare to experience, even if it is from other peoples experience. I also agree with the diver that suggested tunnel time. I flew to another State and did 69 minutes and learned a lot about body position control, burble and even did some docking. I understand the feelings you've found because I just found them too. Enjoy the excitement in your heart and happy tracking It doesn't matter how anyone else lives their life.... it matter how you live yours! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites superhina 0 #9 January 4, 2006 Cut on time, and save your soul before you get hooked and start to sale your children's for jump money!!! BSBD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MarcusS 0 #10 January 4, 2006 Hi Daniel, You're in almost the same position as I was last September. I'm also 34 but went through the AFF system so was freefalling from the start. My biggest issue was relaxing. I was told more times than I can remember (on the ground) to relax. Problem was for the first 3 or 4 jumps I exited and went completely rigid, without even knowing it. Stability was a nightmare. My instructor would tell me to relax several times after exit, and it would always take me 10 seconds or so to actually be able to! As soon as I realised that I was tensing up my whole body (after the instructor signed to me several times!) I relaxed and it was like a switch had been flipped....all of a sudden it seemed really easy and natural to become stable. On later jumps, this seemed to cause problems on each of my exits without me even knowing, and I almost always become unstable after each exit as a result. One of the guys offered to video my exit so that I could see what was happenning, and sure enough on exit I went straight as a board (no arch whatsoever) for the first 5 seconds. Now I continuosly tell myelf to relax throughout the dive.....no more problems...having lots of fun. Can't wait for the center to reopen on 14th. Good luck and remember...RELAX !!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites clearblue 0 #11 January 4, 2006 Hi Marcus Thanks for this. Will indeed try to relax - I appreciate the feedback. PS: have a friend who's recently completed his AFF in Spain - he had the same 'rigidity' problems at first. On one of his student video's, he was inverted for over 10 seconds! I sweat just thinking about it... Cheers. J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MarcusS 0 #12 January 4, 2006 No problem. I just thought I ought to add one very useful piece of advice I was given. My main problem seemed to stem from being continuousy told to "arch, arch, arch....pull the biggest arch you can on exit". Of course the instructors were right, the arch is ultimately important. The big problem for me is that I was trying to force out the arch so intensly that I became rigid in the act, not relaxed. For me the harder I was trying the worse it got and the more ridig I became trying. It was actually the guy that videod my exit who suggested that I don't try too hard....completely solved all my stability issues. On the inverted for 10 seconds topic. That's exactly what happened to me on exit, several times Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites artistcalledian 0 #13 January 4, 2006 QuoteNo problem. I just thought I ought to add one very useful piece of advice I was given. My main problem seemed to stem from being continuousy told to "arch, arch, arch....pull the biggest arch you can on exit". Of course the instructors were right, the arch is ultimately important. The big problem for me is that I was trying to force out the arch so intensly that I became rigid in the act, not relaxed. For me the harder I was trying the worse it got and the more ridig I became trying. It was actually the guy that videod my exit who suggested that I don't try too hard....completely solved all my stability issues. On the inverted for 10 seconds topic. That's exactly what happened to me on exit, several times that is EXACTLY what happened to me i'm 39 and did my AFF in september last year at Langar, i was as rigid as a board for my first 5 jumps... always spinning up as a result. I was trying to arch too much, resulting in me being too stiff. I went to the Bodyflight wind tunnel at Bedford with one of my instructors, he taught me to relax and it was like a switch being thrown and a light coming on. I'm working my way through my consol jumps doing nothing more than jumping out, getting stable and just holding a heading in a nice relaxed manner. I've got all the time in the world to practice my turns and tracking... i'm just enjoying myself being relaxed and on heading for the time being________________________________________ drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites srsand1960 0 #14 January 4, 2006 Page 14 of Parachuting-The Skydiver's Handbook says the median age for skydivers in the U.S. is thirty-one It doesn't matter how anyone else lives their life.... it matter how you live yours! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites clearblue 0 #15 January 5, 2006 Hi Art What's a 'Bodyflight wind tunnel'? Cheers. J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites artistcalledian 0 #16 January 5, 2006 QuoteHi Art What's a 'Bodyflight wind tunnel'? Cheers. J http://www.bodyflight.co.uk/ great place, with some really good instructors________________________________________ drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BASE813 0 #17 January 5, 2006 Quote Is there any advice you can give for a first freefall jump (I'll be doing it this year)? As others have said, relax... I had a problem during my SL jumps (did 20 in all) then did AFF and had a problem with those, trying to achieve so much and arch like a bastard made me stiff and I kept spinning, so much so that my instructor was getting ready to bin me. I went into one jump thinking it was my last ever and because I was not trying to achieve anything personally and just wanted to look at the view one last time I ended up on heading stable... The light bulb went on, I just had to relax and enjoy the ride... some people find it easy, others dont, just relax and enjoy the ride and it will be a piece of cake... your first taste of freefall will stay with you for ever... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites artistcalledian 0 #18 January 5, 2006 this is how it is for me...... i've done 3 consol jumps after AFF, i know the consol jumps are to practice what you've learnt on AFF, but at the moment, i'm just using them to practice falling stable and on heading... i've got all the time in the world to practice turns and tracking when i feel i want to. I dont feel under pressure to do what others think i should be doing, if i want to take the next 50 jumps doing NOTHING but holding a heading, i'll do it. Stuff what anybody else thinks i should be doing at what ever stage i'm at.... there's no rush________________________________________ drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
artistcalledian 0 #5 January 3, 2006 i'm 39 and a newbie ________________________________________ drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
julesshrew 0 #6 January 3, 2006 Hey Hey Jason Will we be seing ya at Tilly Saturday then? Only advice from me is listen to the instructors and take deep breaths before every jump Jules Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clearblue 0 #7 January 4, 2006 Hey Jules Can't make it for another month or so, but Tilstock is a great DZ - the instructor 'Steve' (short guy) is excellent. Am saving up to book another 10 jumps (first freefall is in two jumps time if all goes well!!) so I'll see you guys soon. J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
srsand1960 0 #8 January 4, 2006 I did my first 8 jumps static. Hop - n - pop altitude 3,500 - 4,000. It is a rush and it's easy to get the bug you've got. The DZ's around me are closed for the winter. However, I got some advise from a couple of people on here (like picking up The Skydiver's Handbook by Poynter and Turoff) and printing out and reading the Skydiving Glossary that is on this site. I had no idea that there was so much to learn. Though I am new too, I don't believe that anything can compare to experience, even if it is from other peoples experience. I also agree with the diver that suggested tunnel time. I flew to another State and did 69 minutes and learned a lot about body position control, burble and even did some docking. I understand the feelings you've found because I just found them too. Enjoy the excitement in your heart and happy tracking It doesn't matter how anyone else lives their life.... it matter how you live yours! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
superhina 0 #9 January 4, 2006 Cut on time, and save your soul before you get hooked and start to sale your children's for jump money!!! BSBD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarcusS 0 #10 January 4, 2006 Hi Daniel, You're in almost the same position as I was last September. I'm also 34 but went through the AFF system so was freefalling from the start. My biggest issue was relaxing. I was told more times than I can remember (on the ground) to relax. Problem was for the first 3 or 4 jumps I exited and went completely rigid, without even knowing it. Stability was a nightmare. My instructor would tell me to relax several times after exit, and it would always take me 10 seconds or so to actually be able to! As soon as I realised that I was tensing up my whole body (after the instructor signed to me several times!) I relaxed and it was like a switch had been flipped....all of a sudden it seemed really easy and natural to become stable. On later jumps, this seemed to cause problems on each of my exits without me even knowing, and I almost always become unstable after each exit as a result. One of the guys offered to video my exit so that I could see what was happenning, and sure enough on exit I went straight as a board (no arch whatsoever) for the first 5 seconds. Now I continuosly tell myelf to relax throughout the dive.....no more problems...having lots of fun. Can't wait for the center to reopen on 14th. Good luck and remember...RELAX !!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clearblue 0 #11 January 4, 2006 Hi Marcus Thanks for this. Will indeed try to relax - I appreciate the feedback. PS: have a friend who's recently completed his AFF in Spain - he had the same 'rigidity' problems at first. On one of his student video's, he was inverted for over 10 seconds! I sweat just thinking about it... Cheers. J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarcusS 0 #12 January 4, 2006 No problem. I just thought I ought to add one very useful piece of advice I was given. My main problem seemed to stem from being continuousy told to "arch, arch, arch....pull the biggest arch you can on exit". Of course the instructors were right, the arch is ultimately important. The big problem for me is that I was trying to force out the arch so intensly that I became rigid in the act, not relaxed. For me the harder I was trying the worse it got and the more ridig I became trying. It was actually the guy that videod my exit who suggested that I don't try too hard....completely solved all my stability issues. On the inverted for 10 seconds topic. That's exactly what happened to me on exit, several times Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
artistcalledian 0 #13 January 4, 2006 QuoteNo problem. I just thought I ought to add one very useful piece of advice I was given. My main problem seemed to stem from being continuousy told to "arch, arch, arch....pull the biggest arch you can on exit". Of course the instructors were right, the arch is ultimately important. The big problem for me is that I was trying to force out the arch so intensly that I became rigid in the act, not relaxed. For me the harder I was trying the worse it got and the more ridig I became trying. It was actually the guy that videod my exit who suggested that I don't try too hard....completely solved all my stability issues. On the inverted for 10 seconds topic. That's exactly what happened to me on exit, several times that is EXACTLY what happened to me i'm 39 and did my AFF in september last year at Langar, i was as rigid as a board for my first 5 jumps... always spinning up as a result. I was trying to arch too much, resulting in me being too stiff. I went to the Bodyflight wind tunnel at Bedford with one of my instructors, he taught me to relax and it was like a switch being thrown and a light coming on. I'm working my way through my consol jumps doing nothing more than jumping out, getting stable and just holding a heading in a nice relaxed manner. I've got all the time in the world to practice my turns and tracking... i'm just enjoying myself being relaxed and on heading for the time being________________________________________ drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
srsand1960 0 #14 January 4, 2006 Page 14 of Parachuting-The Skydiver's Handbook says the median age for skydivers in the U.S. is thirty-one It doesn't matter how anyone else lives their life.... it matter how you live yours! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clearblue 0 #15 January 5, 2006 Hi Art What's a 'Bodyflight wind tunnel'? Cheers. J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
artistcalledian 0 #16 January 5, 2006 QuoteHi Art What's a 'Bodyflight wind tunnel'? Cheers. J http://www.bodyflight.co.uk/ great place, with some really good instructors________________________________________ drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BASE813 0 #17 January 5, 2006 Quote Is there any advice you can give for a first freefall jump (I'll be doing it this year)? As others have said, relax... I had a problem during my SL jumps (did 20 in all) then did AFF and had a problem with those, trying to achieve so much and arch like a bastard made me stiff and I kept spinning, so much so that my instructor was getting ready to bin me. I went into one jump thinking it was my last ever and because I was not trying to achieve anything personally and just wanted to look at the view one last time I ended up on heading stable... The light bulb went on, I just had to relax and enjoy the ride... some people find it easy, others dont, just relax and enjoy the ride and it will be a piece of cake... your first taste of freefall will stay with you for ever... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
artistcalledian 0 #18 January 5, 2006 this is how it is for me...... i've done 3 consol jumps after AFF, i know the consol jumps are to practice what you've learnt on AFF, but at the moment, i'm just using them to practice falling stable and on heading... i've got all the time in the world to practice turns and tracking when i feel i want to. I dont feel under pressure to do what others think i should be doing, if i want to take the next 50 jumps doing NOTHING but holding a heading, i'll do it. Stuff what anybody else thinks i should be doing at what ever stage i'm at.... there's no rush________________________________________ drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
