skydive training

[FFAddict 0]

I have just completed my AFF at skydive Sebastian florida and have now completed 20 jumps.
Firstly i want to thank everybody at the DZ for making my holiday so perfect. I want to give a special thanks to Mick who, other than L7 & 8, did all my training and jumps with endless amounts of enthusiasm.

I enjoyed my time so much that i have made the decision to pack up my life and skydive for a career!

My first choice would be to go back to sebastian and work locally until ive got enough jumps to get a job packing or as a cameraman... but as a Brit i am prityy sure i wont get a works visa (although im still trying)

So as a second resort i am looking for another DZ i could go to in a more welcoming country that wants to give me a visa.
New Zealend is an obvious choice for me as i have family there and will find it relatively easy to get a visa

I have found the New Zealand Skydiving School which offers a 32 week 200 jump course with a work placement at the end of it.

Fisrtly what do you guys think of what they have to offer (before you all say it i realise that the diploma isnt really worth much but the skils it represents should be)

Secondly do you know of any other similar courses or programmes that i could look at.

[Zeemax 0]

Dude its awesome that your loving it so much and who wouldn't jumping at sebastian (i did my AFF there), but maybe just take a breath for a moment.

I think most of us would agree that when we first started we wanted to jack everything in and go live from skydiving, but its not that easy.

First thing to think about, the aff was great, but you could afford that as you (i assume) are working right now. If you go to work on a DZ your money will become very limited and you'll need to spend it on living rather than jumping. Also, you'll be working during the day rather than jumping.

Why not hang out for a year, jumping at weekends/holiday etc, keep working, save up a capital then see if you still want to do it.

I'm not saying you will, but you may find 6 months down the line skydiving isn't for you.

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[Belgian_Skygirl 0]

Just do everyhing at ease... I just want to say that it is great what you say and it i fun to hear how much you enjoyed it. But to be able to work as a skydiver you must have some jumps.... f.i. here in Belgium you are only allowed to fly with a camera starting from 200 jumps.... to become an instructor... I don't know the amouts, but they are quiete a number of jumps!!! I don't know how many... but I guess much more than 200 jumps. You must buy materials and pay for your jumps, pay for coaching, to practice what you learnt... You just finished your course, but even if you land well now, you don't know how you will do in the future with another canopy... I just want to say that is great hat you feel this way, but if you see things to great and too big and when things don't go that smoothly, you may get disappointed.

However, it makes me smile to read about aother people's enthousiasm and when you will controll all the skills you need, I am sure a skydive career may be waiting for you. ...

It is not a bad idea to continue jumping for 1 year and to think things over...

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No dive, like skydive... wanna bet on it?

[yoink 321]

I second what Zee said! It's great that you're so enthusiastic, but you've got ages to skydive... Take some time to jump and talk to people at DZs who do make a living from it... try and get their advice.

If it was that easy and that lucrative, we'd all be doing it!

It's worth remembering (In the UK anyway) that to do any instructing you need at least 2 years in the sport... I don't know about any the regulations in any other country...

good luck dude!

[FFAddict 0]

I realise that my initial post may sound like im rushing into this, and maybe i am but i have no reason not to. I am 19 and have just dropped out of uni after a year with a course i hated and have been planning to travel until i decide what to do with my life anyway.

i realise that i have neither the skill or number of jumps i need to work in the industry, and as such i was planning to move to sebastian (or another dz) to work outside the dz whilst i build up both.
I feel stringly that by staying in the uk with our poor weather i stand very little chance of building up any number of jumps and at 19 if i move away for two or three years and then decide its not for me then i have had the chance to experience things few ever do.

[drdive 0]

Just go for it, and enjoy.
Enough time for other stuff later. But life is short.
I often wish I had taken time for fun and adventure at your age, but it was college, med school, marriage, work, kids, more work, divorce, alimony. Started Scuba at 40 and skydiving at 52 - and wish I had done both a lot sooner.
Have fun, be safe.

Ed in Spokane

"We saved your gear. Now you can sell it when you get out of the hospital and upsize!!" "K-Dub"

"

[FFAddict 0]

thanks a lot for your support, i never expected to get so much negativity when i posted and its good to get some positive feedback.
I know im only young but i already feel like i need to start really living my life or i am going to look back and be wonder what could have been

[bighonestjohn 0]

Well what ever you decide to do, i wish you all the best and luck. Enjoy life while you can. I know i would go for it being young myself, but i have too many things that tie me down at the moment.

Good luck and hope it turns out good for you.

[orbitjunkie 0]

Dear addict,
What you percieve as negitivity is not. Listen to these people that are giving you great advice. And listen to mine. I was about your age when I ran off and joined the army..a bit younger but who's counting. so I understand your zeal.I went airborne for the first few years but I did not start skydiving till I was 35. You will be a better skydiver than I can ever hope to be. you have the eyes, ears and reflexes etc. etc. Skydiving will always be there, you will always be a skydiver, but the choices you make now will affect your finances for life. use these peak years to make your mark, skydive every weekend if ya can, but focus on a future. skydivers are poor enough because of thier addiction, so get back in school, work harder and keep your eye on the prize
orbit

[Nightingale 0]

think about going back to uni and jumping on the weekends. That way, if for some reason skydiving doesn't work out, you'll have your uni degree to fall back on. I'm not sure how it works in the UK, but here in the US, most jobs don't really care what you got your degree in, just that you got one.

[Belgian_Skygirl 0]

Well, I didn't mean to be negative... but your first post sounded rather naïve to me...

I am 28 years old now... and I think it is great to go abroad, to travel, .... if you would have said that you are wanting to travel from dz to dz... it is not the fact that you have great plans which caused my reaction... it is the fact that it sounded naïve.

Please don't forget that education is very important. Imagine that you are involved in a skydiving accident and you are no longer able to jump... or you get older and you can't do anything else but skydiving... how will you earn your living than?

To make a career in the skydive business sounds very interesting to me, and if you want to do that, go for it... maybe once I will get some coaching from you ;)... I just want to say that you should consider all the options.

I saw that last year you went to college and failed. Well... maybe you were very eager to learn in the beginning and wile doing those studies, you realized you did not like it. This might happen in everything you do.

Of course, if you have the mone or your parents are willing to pay for your skydive expenses abroad, than you should go for it.

Many people want a skydiving career, but only few are that talented to make a propre living out of it.

I hope you understand what some of us mean. I am the first to encourage someone to make a skydiving career, but if you had bout 100 jumps and started to think about it, te post wouldn't have sounded that naïve.

Of course, you ar young and enthousiastic and keep it that way... Jump as much as you can... find a job or go back to college or to the university... in the meanwhile get information about the skydive degrees you can obtain, what you have to do to get licensed to do some skydive jobs, .... nothing is for free, so know that you have to jump and that it is expensive... (unless you are a rich son of a bitch ).

BTW: my post was not ment to critizise you, but to make you think about different options.

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No dive, like skydive... wanna bet on it?

[Scottyskydives 0]

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