Any pointers?

[Pitbull83 0]

Aloha, my first day of training is tomorrow. I'm totally psyched, but a bit nervous too. I'm hoping that maybe some of you veterans out there can tell me about a mistake that maybe you made when you started out, so that I don't make the same mistake. Much appreciated.

[IanHarrop 42]

- Thought/worried too much...
- Over analyzed what I was told...
- Tried to interpret what the instructor told me rather than take it at face value.

Listen to your instructor - do what he says - don't try to second guess him.

Its all good - they don't make bad skydives!

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[Nickkk 0]

Be sure to RELAX!

What do you do when someone throws a big planet at you?
Throw your pilot chute in defense!

[monkycndo 0]

Listen to your instructor. Any advise given here is worth exactly what you paid for it, including mine. Ask your instructor what they think before trying it.

I was stiff as a board my first jump. Here is what I learned. Take a deep breath just before you exit. Remember to exhale. Might sound stupid, but lots of people hold their breath. Wear a big smile. It always relaxes me. The more relaxed the better your arch. As you go through the dive flow, the first step in each sequence is relax (exhale), arch, and then do your maneuver.

Good luck and welcome to the sky.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[azureriders 0]

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Listen to your instructor.
the first step in each sequence is relax (exhale), arch, and then do your maneuver.

Take these two things, multiply how important you 'think' they are by 100 and try to forget most everything else.

[jimmytavino 16]

..Keep the friday Nite partying to a minimum...
Get a goood night's sleep...
Wake a half hour earlier than you planned,,,, so you can have a healthy breakfast...and get an early start to the airport
WHAT to have for breakfast???
I dunno fruit,,, toast...cereal.... go easy on the greasy homefries and sausages though..
You want to be alert and energized for your instruction.....not overfull and gassy!!!!!! hahahahaStay hydrated... have fun..
Repeat every Saturday and Sunday for the next couple of months....see how it goes..... Tandem ?? AFF??? keep us posted...
jmy.........Sept. 16th... anniversary of my first jump

[Frenchy68 0]

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...Keep the friday Nite partying to a minimum...

Words of wisdom!

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[Bandanarama 0]

It's common to see people not listen to radio talk downs due to being unable to hear the radio or just being overwhelmed/distracted by the excitement of their first few skydives.

Radio talk downs take place as soon as you deploy your main chute by pulling your rip cord. Usually you will hear an instructor come online to tell you to flare or practice a canopy controllability check. Then they will have you perform turns to get to the landing zone and conclude by instructing you to flare or put on the brakes right before landing.

Here are my suggestions:

1.) Make sure your radio is on and the volume is turned up all the way. Perform some radio checks with your instructor when you first put on your gear and right before boarding the plane.
2.) When you end up under canopy, place your ear closer to the radio just to make sure you can hear ok. Confirm you can hear ok by performing the instructed commands.
3.) In the event the communication link fails (radio battery dies, etc.), look down to the landing zone as the instructor should have some flags to guide you visually. Have your instructor review the flag signals during your ground training especially for your flare or braking procedure as you come into land.

I was able to successfully land without any problems during my talk down jumps. However, I do recollect having difficulty hearing the radio and having to place my ear closer to it. With all the wind noise up there, it can be challenging.

Keeping such tips in mind, your jump should proceed smoothly and you will have the time of your life. Relax and have fun!

Blue Skies!!!

Eric

___________________________________________________

One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things. ~ Henry Miller

[EvilLurker 2]

Don't wear boots/shoes with open eyelets. I had to come back down from altitude and tape mine over, then go back up for my jump. Wasted a lot of everyone's time and gas and I felt like a moron.
Don't try and talk back to the radio when you get instructions, they probably won't hear you.
Remember to flare when instructed, I've seen a few people forget that part.
When they tell you to go, get with it. The spot is good when they say to go, and the longer you wait, the more you will be past that "perfect" point. If you wait too long, you won't get back to the landing area.

Good luck and relax tonight, you'll be fine. Welcome to world's best sport.

[immanence 0]

Any physical things you learn — exits, reserve drills, etc. — practice, practice, practice. Use all your time at the DZ. Between training sessions, be at the aircraft mock-up, practicing the exit, visualising it, running through the jump in your head. And take a good look at any pictures of the DZ that there are from altitude, so it looks familiar while under canopy. Get video, if you can. It helps to see the jump afterwards. Above all, have good and safe fun

"where danger is appears also that which saves ..." Friedrich Holderlin, 'Patmos'

[gemini 0]

Relax, listen, relax, practice, relax, visualize the jump, relax, ask questions, relax...oh, and one more thing






















RELAX!

Blue skies,

Jim

[Phillbo 11]

Your going to be overwhelmed but try to chill and enjoy learning .Ask ANY question you have, the instructor is there to teach you and will answer ANY question you have. Focus on the dive flow but do not fear it. Ask your instructor to repeat in to you on the way to altitude if you think you have forgoten something ( most likely he will ask you to repeat it to him a few times)... Don't fear the dive. Dive with the confidence that you have a capable instructor showing you how to do it. Study the arial photos of the DZ so there are no suprises once you are under canopy.

Have fun, smile, relax, and focus.

[Trae 1]

in rep 2 '...can tell me about a mistake that maybe you made when you started out, so that I don't make the same mistake.'

I didn't like PLf's for some reason as a student and found them a bit brutal....so I developed my own 'NEW' landing technique. This invloved absorbing the landing shock with my legs and if necessary going down onto my knees.

This new technique worked well for a time ..UNTIL....I had a heavier landing. My legs couldn't absorb all the force and when I fell down onto my knees I burst a fluid sack in one of them.

It was an amazing thing for me to see the egg that grew out of one of my knees...it looked as if a chicken egg was under the skin.
It took a while before I was OK to jump again ( a couple of weeks) and this gave me enough time to ditch the 'new' technique and realise that perhaps the PLF wasn't such a bad landing style after all.

Now PLF's are still in fashion for all us fashion conscious look after you body type skydivers.

ps...... don't let any-one teach you their bum sliding technique as its a surefired way to break your tailbone or worse yet break your back.

happy tumbling

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[Andy9o8 2]

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Don't wear boots/shoes with open eyelets. I had to come back down from altitude and tape mine over, then go back up for my jump. Wasted a lot of everyone's time and gas and I felt like a moron.

You weren't a moron; you were a new student. That should have been part of your JM's final gear check of you. If you were a new student -even if that subject might have been covered in your training and you simply forgot - the final fault of missing that before boarding the plane was mainly your JM's.

[EvilLurker 2]

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You weren't a moron; you were a new student.

I was 41, I should have figured it out before I chose those boots. Believe me, the JM felt like a moron, too, and yes, he should have caught it on the ground. That was also the one and only time I landed at the airport. Scared me worse than the jump.

That said, I didn't agree that the eyelets would have caught a line, they were those Danner ultra-small eyelets and the laces filled them up. The JM insisted we get some duct tape (which should have been in the plane, too). Not our finest hour, but I got to do a sunset load on my first jump, so it ended up being pretty cool.

[Mike111 0]

relax and enjoy yourself.

ASk your instuructors if you are unsure about something.

[EvilLurker 2]

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ASk your instuructors if you are unsure about something.

Yes, being in the door with unanswered questions is not ideal. Don't worry about "sounding stupid", they've heard it all. Also, the pointer about looking at the DZ aerial pictures so you can find the landing area easily is good, and I'd add, if at all possible, have someone point it out to you in the plane before exit.

[Mike111 0]

"sounding stupid"

lol must add this - when going through the malfunction pictures, i was asked what to do when you get a slider hang up.

Lol i said pull it down!!! litle did i know i would need 100m arms!!!!

to the original point, should add, we all ask stupid questions, its part of learning.

[JohnMitchell 16]

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Don't wear boots/shoes with open eyelets. I had to come back down from altitude and tape mine over, then go back up for my jump. Wasted a lot of everyone's time and gas and I felt like a moron.

Not your fault. They should have checked for that early in the class and fixed it on the ground. Most common term for those is "hook laces."

[Jackpunx 0]

Im new too.. my first jump was a rush ... and I put a lot of presure on myself to do all the procedures..
then I went home and dreamed about it.. really gave it a lot of thought ... the next jump was way more fun.. and felt a lot longer..
what ever advise that you get other than what to eat the day before will go right out the window when you get to the door.. Trust your instructors.. ask lots of questions.. practice on your breaks.. dont feel stupid for going over the movements on the ground .. it looks funny.. but I attribute that to having a clean jump where some of the other students who didnt take it seriously fumbled their first jump..
the other thing..
test your radio.. the JM will come in your ear and give you some guidence as you decend..
TRUST your JM.. dont flare till they tell you too.. You body will tell you to flare early... Just wait.. they will tell you when to do it.. I would have flared early if I didnt listen to my JM..
as you can tell.. Im a really excited new guy.. Hope you have half as much fun as I am..
good luck and report back with us
Mark

[bob.dino 1]

Relax. Smile

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[Jackpunx 0]

so .. how did it go?

[GrendelKhan 0]

I'm making my first jump on Saturday and I really appreciate all the tips. I was going to wear boot swith open eylets, and Im REALLY glad I know better now Keep the good advice coming!

Grendel Khan-The Official DZ.Com Newbie Forum Nuisance
"They sicken of the calm, that know the storm."

[Jackpunx 0]

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I'm making my first jump on Saturday and I really appreciate all the tips. I was going to wear boot swith open eylets, and Im REALLY glad I know better now Keep the good advice coming!

where are you jumping?

[GrendelKhan 0]

Was wanting to go out of Coulter Field in Bryan Texas, but with the storm coming our direction it probably wont happen This jump was going to be my birthday present to myself, but oh well. I'll have to try again some other time. aggieland skydiving offers a progression package that I want, so hopefully within the next month or so I can get going on that.

Grendel Khan-The Official DZ.Com Newbie Forum Nuisance
"They sicken of the calm, that know the storm."