In need of encouragement

[RumBum 0]

I did my AFF ground school last weekend and got a little discouraged. The teacher was very knowledgable but I think we just had different teaching/ learning styles. I really want to learn this but I just need some patience and TLC. I mentally understand what moves I am supposed to be making but sometimes I just have 2 left feet at first! Now, I really want to be a skydiver but I am worried that if I am not a fast learner maybe the sport moves too fast for someone like me. If there is a fast mal, will I be quick enough to handle it? I have never been good at sports and I am a bit coordinationally challenged. Now, I am going to jump again this weekend because I am a very stubborn person and I don't quit easily. I guess I just need some encouragement from anyone else who might have had a difficult time with AFF.

[Mike111 0]

I am also coordinately challenged , lol i can;t even really catch a ball!!!

I had a problem with AFF level 5- i went spinning and tumbling all over the place because i panicked and i aslo thought i wasn;t quik enough for it.

But tunnel time soon shoudl rectify that.

This is a Newbie 2 cents - take with a pinch of salt!
With yourself, i would wait until you have jumped before you start worrying too much about leaving because these are probably just very normal pre jump fears.

you will be fine, that fact that you are worrying about this shows you have the maturity and capability to realise what needs atention and working on - if you can do that and with perseverence you should be totally fine.

it all takes practice.

Just relax and enjoy it. Good luck

And im sure you will be fine,

Mike

[Macaw 0]

Don't worry and take your time. In the end it doesn't matter how long it takes you to learn, although I do agree that it may be embarassing sometimes.

Last Saturday I was doing my AFF 5 four times! I just couldn't gain control over spinning and over my emotions. I've got an awesome instructor but by the end of the day I felt like he was ready to kill me for not doing "simple" things. We talked a lot and practiced on the ground. Honestly, I was a bit discouraged and decided to take a break till the next day. And guess what? On Sunday everything worked just fine.

Trust yourself, take your time, believe your instructor, do mental practice of your jump over and over again and it will work.

You will definetely get there, that's for sure!

Blue skies and good luck!

________________________________________
Life is a series of wonderful opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.

[immanence 0]

Develop as much familiarity as you can with your emergency procedures
I had some horrible jumps in the air. Horrible, not relative to malfunctions, but relative to my inability to feel the air and do what I was instructed to do. Whatever. None of it matters. I can see, though, the incremental improvement that time in the air allows. You will be the same.

Me, I never had interest in normal sports. I can stand beside a hoop and throw the ball 30 times and miss every time. I don't give a shit. Last summer something happened in the air. Coming down to around 4500ft (a time when I'm thinking of separation and tracking) I had to get down to someone around 200ft below me. For the first time ever, I didn't think. In fact, before I thought "I have to get there," I was already head down diving, and upon him. It took over 120+ jumps until this happened once: until muscle memory started to gel with my will ahead of my mind. Perhaps it will take you some time, as it did me, to just get the body and mind together, but that too will come.

I think I've been one of the slowest developers in the sport. Partly because I've been out for many years for various reasons, and partly because I'm not the most coordinated of people. But I know, too, that as important as physical coordination is, you also have to feel the sport inside. You have to not lose sight of the beauty of this sport: something that many of the "bitchin" yet arrogant as hell "skygods" who used to stomp around DZs I frequented when I was starting seemed to overlook. That beauty will keep you going through the frustrations and the fear.

Do it for the right reasons - reasons inside you and your heart - and you will be fine.

It's a beautiful world. Blue skies,
ian

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

[calledisrael 0]

hey, for real... be encouraged. i had an instructor (i've had two actually) who were not that encouraging, although they were technically incredibly proficient and knowledgeable skydivers - and i felt just like you. i would relax and give it a couple of jumps. i would talk to some other jumpers (not in place of your instructor... but if you need encouragement, go out and find someone to give it to you.) i like to go and hang out and watch students just to cheer for them; it helped me when people did that for me.

talk to your instructor, and be patient with yourself. ask questions, alot. and have a thick skin about it. PM me if you want to talk more specifically about circumstances. aff was really hard for me, and i knew i wasn't going to quit, even when i sometimes felt like my instructos really wanted me to. in my case, in the end i went to a new dz and got a new instructor, and it changed my whole outlook on jumping. i hope you don't end up doing that, because i imagine your instructor really does want to help you.

but in skydiving, it is worth it to get what you need. you can do this.

life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
(helen keller)

[AMax 0]

A person who introduced me to competitive skydiving also had a bad start. She was scared of planes, slow learner and even rode the plane down several times.

Now (only a few years later) she is an amazing 4-way flyer, canopy pilot and world record holder.

[jlmiracle 7]

Quote

I am a very stubborn person and I don't quit easily.

You will do just fine.
I am a big klutz. I fall down at least once a week (not skydiving). Once I figured out to relax, I found skydiving to be, not so much easy, but since I'm not walking (except to the plane), I seem to have more coordination in the air. (although I did trip myself once on exit.

Quote

If there is a fast mal, will I be quick enough to handle it?

Practice your emergency procedures over and over and over and never stop. Do it before every jump and on the way to altitude. Build muscle memory.

Blue skies and soft landing to you...
Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[goose491 0]

Hey, you'll meet a lot of cool people in this sport... and the sense of community and belonging is overwhelming... but it's not a team sport.

That is, we all progress at different paces, in different aspects of the sport. NEVER gauge how well you are doing by comparing to another jumper and NEVER think you're just not going to "get it".

You'll get your head around the ground school stuff, don't fret it really. And the more exposure you have to the sport, the more that stuff will make sense to you.

Really, just try to keep having as much fun as you can, while staying safe, and you'll be on the right track

Hey! BTW, your avatar picture... is that in San Juan, Puerto Rico?

Nick

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[RumBum 0]

Quote

Hey! BTW, your avatar picture... is that in San Juan, Puerto Rico?

Nick

As a matter of fact that picture WAS taken at the Bacardi factory in PR! I am so glad to know someone recognized it! I went on a scuba trip there last year. The rum was great and supercheap!!!

I am still nervous about tomorrow but it feels good to have e-support! I guess I'll just nonchalantly throw up before getting on the plane and then do the best damn jump I can do.

[Skykat108 0]

Quote

I am still nervous about tomorrow but it feels good to have e-support! I guess I'll just nonchalantly throw up before getting on the plane and then do the best damn jump I can do.

I'm at 24 jumps now, and yeah, still get sick to my stomach and way nervous. I just know I'll be sick to my stomach each time, till maybe 100 jumps.. maybe more. I dunno, still get a bit of "door fear" I am handling it a wee bit better. So don't worry about being nervous, we're all there with ya!!

[bigern13 0]

I could not agree more. The one thing I have noticed for sure about this sport is that EVERYONE progresses VERY VERY different. From finishing AFF in just 2 days to those who have taken 2 years for one reason or another. So dont judge yourself by comparing to others.

Also, I could not believe (how goose put it) the sense of community and friendliness in the sport overall. Of course there are always exceptions but for the most part, everybody is super cool, and super encouraging. Since day one of my AFF i have spent EVERY single weekend at the dropzone. ITS AWESOME

Good luck, be safe, and of course BLUE SKIES!!!

"I love 'lamp'."
-SKYMAMA

[luckky 0]

i didn't do AFF,,i did s/l,,but i know how ya feel..i had a really good fjc instructor that was very god at reading ppl,,what i mean by that is that he knew that what worked for one might not work for another and once he figured out what it was that u could relate to he used it to the upmost effectivness..My jm will tell ya that i was the worst student he ever had,,grinn(actually i wasn't but since i am married to him he will say that)...I guess my biggest fear is being able to do my ep when and if it ever comes time to,,sometimes i wish that it would happen so i could get it over with..even though i fear having brain loc i am also very confident that i could do what is nessary..came close to it one time with some nasty line twist..I gave myself confidence that i could iffin the need arose to be able to do ep's cuz i was already,,from training/brainwashing without thinking to much ready to do what i had to do,,fortunatly i didn't,,but i was ready mentally even more that i thought i was,,brain washing.... Have been told by some that are close to me that i over think things which makes me very nervous.. I make many trips to the bathrooms,lol before my presecond jump..any one wanting to find the bathrooms was told to just follow lucky's path it is well worn..any who just try to think about how good it feels in the air,,and how good it will feel when u get on the ground and ready to go again..don't overthink have FUN and don't try to be perfect..perfection is for the skygods..HAVE FUN

pm me iffin ya wana

__________________________________________________

If there are no trials in life,how will u know what is really imprtortant
liv2luv
luv2liv,,,SUMMOOO 1

lucky

[thesaint 0]

Don't worry about it too much. Train hard on your emergency procedures and try as best you can to RELAX. I used to get sooooooooo tense when it was my turn to get out the door. One of my instructors made me start doing that thing you do with your finger and lips before we got out. That made me laugh and laughing made me relax. I still do it sometimes, either for myself or for someone who just looks tense. Also I started just yelling at the top of my lungs right before leaving the plane. That got rid of alot of tension. For a skydiver tension is the enemy. We all know how important it is to relax but the very act of leaving a functioning aircraft at over 2 miles up can be quite unnerving even when you want to. Anyway I concentrate on what Im doing on the jump on the ride up and it also helps me relax and enjoy my skydive. I LOVE JUST LOOKING OUT THE DOOR. ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M SPOTTING ON JUMP RUN. Only freefall is better than that feeling of knowing in a minute Im outta here! I guess what Im saying to you is with time I think you will get better and do fine. Best Wishes.....

"If a thousand people agree on a dumb ideal, it's STILL a dumb ideal."

Skully Bro #1 - POPS# 10440

[StephZ 0]

I get to make that skydive again
And remember, you're doing what few people will ever try. Keep going, keep testing your limits, and you'll find a whole new confidence in yourself and you abilities - I did.
Let me know how things go!

I am not afraid . . . I was born to do this
-Joan of Arc-
But what do I know, I'm only 19

[immanence 0]

Quote

I'm at 24 jumps now, and yeah, still get sick to my stomach and way nervous. I just know I'll be sick to my stomach each time, till maybe 100 jumps .. maybe more

It's all to do with being current and jumping a lot.

Last year I showed up at Empuriabrava with exactly 100 jumps but most of them done in 1993 and 1994. I was crapping it for the first two or three, wondering why the hell i do this, thinking of selling my rig, throwing in the towel, etc.

Over the next 7 days I put in 34 jumps. At the end I felt not a single twinge of fear.

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