Travman 6
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dorbie 0
QuoteQuoteFrom jump #1? 25 jump tickets alone would cost me $500!
Yes, this is the patented "train yourself" program. You tie the corners of a bedsheet together and jump off the roof.
Bedsheet: $15
Hospital bill: $485
The USPA recommends AFF. More expensive but less painful.
Hey don't knock the homegrown rigs, it woulda saved this guy if he'd managed to stay in the harness apparently:
http://www.praning.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=289
firstime 0
WHOA, If that is accurrate even to some degree, that
means "we" are radical. Well so be it, We are carzy
but "NOT" stupid . Come on people, get busy having
a life.
means "we" are radical. Well so be it, We are carzy
but "NOT" stupid . Come on people, get busy having
a life.
Quote...Come on people, get busy having
a life.
Skydiving IS my life now. My new sweetie (IF I ever get one
) will be a skychick because I don't want to have to deal with the wuffo mentality.My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239
Wow...
Did you say it is only about $500.00 to get a license at your DZ?!?
I can tell you that I have definitely spent a whole lot more than that! I figure it's cost me around 2 grand so far!
PS I just got my A in the mail just last week!
LiLa
Did you say it is only about $500.00 to get a license at your DZ?!?
I can tell you that I have definitely spent a whole lot more than that! I figure it's cost me around 2 grand so far!
PS I just got my A in the mail just last week!
LiLa
Jeth 0
Quote[replyIt just doesnt make in any sense to me.
It doesn't make sense to us, here, because we're all junkies to the sky. For other people, it's a square to check off - "been there, done that". It doesn't hold the same attraction to them as it does us addicts.
Ain't that the truth! After my 1st jump, I went through all the possible reasons why I shouldn't keep jumping. But in the end, none of them were even close to enough to keep me from AFP!
And they were pretty major -- no car, no extra money, live far away from DZ, starting grad school...
But I have found a way to get halfway thru AFP, and I'm sure I will get back there in March to finish it. And I know I will be jumping for a long time after that cuz I just bought my first rig!!
God, I love this shit! How can someone not??
"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters."
PFRX!!!!!
Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109
My Jump Site
PFRX!!!!!
Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109
My Jump Site
Iflyme 0
I made it to 5 years ... that makes me "almost normal" ...
Morcyk 0
Finally a post I'm qualified to answer, hehe.
Notice the 4 jumps listed to the left of this post... my first one was in June or July. I was going with the once every 30 days thing until my 3rd tandem, when I did 2 in one week (last tandem 1st AFF). Now I'm finding my funds severely depleted and started to wonder if I should wait a few months to save up enough to do the whole AFF course in a week, so now I'm 45 days past my last jump.
I was probably almost one of those statistics that just vanishes over time, but dammit if I didn't go with a friend that's being a constant ball-buster about getting me back out there anyway. So I tried to go yesterday and was too cloudy, trying again Friday. Just gotta "tweak" the bills a bit for about a month and then I should be all set. I do find that the longer I go without, the less likely I seem to be to go back. I guess the excitement just kinda fades over time cause I start to forget the feeling of my heart trying to jump out of my chest just before the exit.
Notice the 4 jumps listed to the left of this post... my first one was in June or July. I was going with the once every 30 days thing until my 3rd tandem, when I did 2 in one week (last tandem 1st AFF). Now I'm finding my funds severely depleted and started to wonder if I should wait a few months to save up enough to do the whole AFF course in a week, so now I'm 45 days past my last jump.
I was probably almost one of those statistics that just vanishes over time, but dammit if I didn't go with a friend that's being a constant ball-buster about getting me back out there anyway. So I tried to go yesterday and was too cloudy, trying again Friday. Just gotta "tweak" the bills a bit for about a month and then I should be all set. I do find that the longer I go without, the less likely I seem to be to go back. I guess the excitement just kinda fades over time cause I start to forget the feeling of my heart trying to jump out of my chest just before the exit.
Personally I would try and do AFF all at one time. (As was suggested to me by people with gazillions of jumps when I first arrived at Eloy for a couple tandems) I did them all in one weekend and it made it seem to go very easy for me. Partially I think because I did not have a lot of time to sit around and over-analyze every aspect of each level.
YMMV
YMMV
NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
op5e 0
These statistics don't suprise me. Out of the friends I have got into skydiving 1 has not jumped again due to money, one broke his arm on a landing so I dont know if he will go back, one is waiting for broken arm to return. My friend jumping this weekend probably will only do it once because its a tick in the box and I have another friend that probably wont have time/money but wants to do aff stage 1. This is probably meaningless but hey.
I also think that the clickyness of dropzones can be a factor why people dont continue. I was fortunate I did mine with a skydiver and hence ppl talked to me. But I can see some people not continuing for this factor. Hence why I make a concious effort to pay attention to aff and tandems standing alone etc..
my 2 cents
I also think that the clickyness of dropzones can be a factor why people dont continue. I was fortunate I did mine with a skydiver and hence ppl talked to me. But I can see some people not continuing for this factor. Hence why I make a concious effort to pay attention to aff and tandems standing alone etc..
my 2 cents
HeatherB 0
QuoteGod, I love this shit! How can someone not??
Some people quit after seeing too many ambulances, broken bones, friends who will never fully recover, femurs sticking through jumpsuits, bounces, etc.
Can't blame 'em. This is some really stupid shit we're doing.
tdog 0
QuotePersonally I would try and do AFF all at one time. (As was suggested to me by people with gazillions of jumps when I first arrived at Eloy for a couple tandems) I did them all in one weekend and it made it seem to go very easy for me. Partially I think because I did not have a lot of time to sit around and over-analyze every aspect of each level.
Interesting thought... I liked doing my AFF over a few back-to-back weekends mixing in a week day or two when my job permitted - about two jumps a day... It took me I think 3 weeks.
Between the jumps each day, the student-instructor conversation really was about the previous jump and the next jump... How to turn, track, etc... Nothing about emergency procedures, malfunctions, etc.
However at the start of each day we had to have a safety briefing where we talked about and practiced safety and other ground school stuff for at least 30 to 45 minutes...
More than once I got weathered out - but still got the safety stuff in since I showed up at the DZ. I learned a lot in those multiple sessions, and think the extra hours of ground discussions were priceless in my training... When I hear people say, "I got AFF done in 36 hours" I think, "did they get to be quizzed and briefed about procedures by five different instructors, over five different days, and have to answer the same core procedure questions until they came naturally and the reasons for the answers were clear too?"
I liked my progression... It gave me more one-on-one time with my instructors talking about procedures not specific to the next jump - all for the same price. I also got to read these forums and books and bring a list of questions to ask them too...
PhreeZone 20
QuoteQuoteGod, I love this shit! How can someone not??
Some people quit after seeing too many ambulances, broken bones, friends who will never fully recover, femurs sticking through jumpsuits, bounces, etc.
Can't blame 'em. This is some really stupid shit we're doing.
For others their priorities change. Relationships start or end, jobs come and go. Money gets tight or studdenly have more surplus. Families are started or grow. Friends get hurt or die. There are 1001+ reasons to get started skydiving and there are 1002+ reasons to quit.
I had issues when I looked back at the money I've spent last year and realized at that point total on everything I had spent $7300+ on gear and $16,000+ on jump tickets in the last 4 years. Figure in my student training and everything else I had spent about $25,000 jumping. Thats a hell of a downpaymet on a house or car I could have made.
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery
Parachutemanuals.com
And tomorrow is a mystery
Parachutemanuals.com
HeatherB 0
QuoteFigure in my student training and everything else I had spent about $25,000 jumping. Thats a hell of a downpaymet on a house or car I could have made.
Yeah, I've avoided doing that math.
Considering gear, jumps, tunnel....yikes...
I was one of those students who almost quit. For me, it wasn't the money, I was just scared! Jerm would try to get me out of bed to go to the DZ and most of the time I made excuses.
tdog 0
QuoteFigure in my student training and everything else I had spent about $25,000 jumping. Thats a hell of a downpaymet on a house or car I could have made.
Considering a new car costs $25,000 over the same 4 year period - would you say that you enjoyed jumping more than you would have enjoyed driving a new car??? I used to be too cheap to jump - then I said, "shit, I spend $500 a month on my car - and it just gets me to work and back." Now that it is paid in full and I plan on keeping it for a while - this became a no-brainer, and my monthy spending will not even go up...
However, I do admit, paraglidng was very difficult for me after someone who trained with me died doing everything right. That still makes me think real hard before each drive to the DZ, knowing there are similar risks...
There is, in my opinion, only one word that sums up this whole discussion: Priorities
Morcyk 0
Hehe, I'm usually excited about going out there, then when I get to the DZ, I get nervous. By the time I'm on the plane on the way up, I'm shaking in my boots. Of course once I exit, it's all good and it's just pure excitement. It's just getting up the courage to do that first jump of the day after almost a month of not doing any. After that first jump, I just wanna keep going back up.
QuoteQuote
QuoteThe majority of posters on dz.com are just not normal.
No. Really?
The few normal ones are in Speakers Corner.
For others their priorities change. Relationships start or end, jobs come and go. Money gets tight or studdenly have more surplus. Families are started or grow. Friends get hurt or die. There are 1001+ reasons to get started skydiving and there are 1002+ reasons to quit.
I had issues when I looked back at the money I've spent last year and realized at that point total on everything I had spent $7300+ on gear and $16,000+ on jump tickets in the last 4 years. Figure in my student training and everything else I had spent about $25,000 jumping. Thats a hell of a downpaymet on a house or car I could have made.
-----------------------------------
Phree,
In the last 4 years I have made 2025 jumps,bought 5 rigs(1 new), bought 9 canopies(3 new), 2 new Oxygn A3's and a Sidewinder, three RW suits, Sony pc 9, 2 cypres'. Just averaging the the jumps at $18 thats $36,450 not including gear! Ouch, why did you make me add that up
Also not including travel, Airspeed tunnel camp, state record jumps,misc............
I had issues when I looked back at the money I've spent last year and realized at that point total on everything I had spent $7300+ on gear and $16,000+ on jump tickets in the last 4 years. Figure in my student training and everything else I had spent about $25,000 jumping. Thats a hell of a downpaymet on a house or car I could have made.
-----------------------------------
Phree,
In the last 4 years I have made 2025 jumps,bought 5 rigs(1 new), bought 9 canopies(3 new), 2 new Oxygn A3's and a Sidewinder, three RW suits, Sony pc 9, 2 cypres'. Just averaging the the jumps at $18 thats $36,450 not including gear! Ouch, why did you make me add that up
Also not including travel, Airspeed tunnel camp, state record jumps,misc............JumpRu 14
I think one of the reasons new jumpers quit sport is luck of motivation. They spend huge money to get “A” license and suddenly they are in a totally different world. All instructors who were so patient with them are occupied with new students and more experience jumpers are doing their own stuff so people have nobody to jump with and to learn from. Unfortunately many new jumpers quit at this point.
.
I'm taking a break from my AFF whilst I concentrate on staying sober. I must admit that lately, though, I've been feeling like getting my knees in the breeze once again.
I must admit that lately, though, I've been feeling like getting my knees in the breeze once again.
froglady 0
Myself and 9 friends celebrated my 30th birhtday with a tandem. 3 signed on for AFF, 2 graduated, those 2 are close to the 1500 mark.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the the things with a dropzones control which can be improved to increase retention. Some DZ's have a snotty attitude which can put people off, especially static line students.
I've seen loads do 3 or 4 S/L jumps and have the intention of carrying on but they get ignored especially when the wind limit is broken, they sit on a bench on their own with no one taking much interest in them, they wear a boiler suit which makes them stand out from the regular skydivers, they come week in week out to jump, they lose currency, they get discouraged, they disappear....
I don't know how much it 'costs' to recruit a prospective skydiver (peer pressure, film/tv clip, tamden jump for charity, local press advert etc), but it must be cheaper to keep someone in the sport by making a little bit of effort than to continuously recruit new participants. Free or cheap recurrency training, a more welcoming attitude, a more can do attitude to jumping all would go a long way to retaining students.
Compare S/L with AFF. With AFF you basically get your own instructor who pretty much can concentrate on you. The progression is much faster with less breaks due to weather holds, you look like a skydiver from jump one (wearing a jump suit rather than a bolier suit helps), the financial outlay up front is also greater meaning that people are more likely to stick with it until at least they have their A.
I'd love to see someone doing some serious research into retention rates and how to improve them. I'm sure that all DZ's would benefit by keeping more of their 1st jump S/L or even AFF students by improving the conditions within the DZ's control.
I've seen loads do 3 or 4 S/L jumps and have the intention of carrying on but they get ignored especially when the wind limit is broken, they sit on a bench on their own with no one taking much interest in them, they wear a boiler suit which makes them stand out from the regular skydivers, they come week in week out to jump, they lose currency, they get discouraged, they disappear....
I don't know how much it 'costs' to recruit a prospective skydiver (peer pressure, film/tv clip, tamden jump for charity, local press advert etc), but it must be cheaper to keep someone in the sport by making a little bit of effort than to continuously recruit new participants. Free or cheap recurrency training, a more welcoming attitude, a more can do attitude to jumping all would go a long way to retaining students.
Compare S/L with AFF. With AFF you basically get your own instructor who pretty much can concentrate on you. The progression is much faster with less breaks due to weather holds, you look like a skydiver from jump one (wearing a jump suit rather than a bolier suit helps), the financial outlay up front is also greater meaning that people are more likely to stick with it until at least they have their A.
I'd love to see someone doing some serious research into retention rates and how to improve them. I'm sure that all DZ's would benefit by keeping more of their 1st jump S/L or even AFF students by improving the conditions within the DZ's control.
masher 1
QuoteCompare S/L with AFF. With AFF you basically get your own instructor who pretty much can concentrate on you. The progression is much faster with less breaks due to weather holds, you look like a skydiver from jump one (wearing a jump suit rather than a bolier suit helps), the financial outlay up front is also greater meaning that people are more likely to stick with it until at least they have their A.
Where do you jump?
Progression may be faster in AFF, but do to less weather holds? What happens when the ceiling is 5k? AFF abies are stuck on the ground, SL students can go out and do jumps. Wind? They're both students, they're both limited to 15 kn. All of our SL students wear the same jumpsuits as the AFF students. Finacncail outlay may be greater, but that may promote people to cut their losses, or they may never start. SL is cheaper, but longer, AFF is more expensive but shorter.
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Arching is overrated - Marlies
Arching is overrated - Marlies
QuoteI think one of the reasons new jumpers quit sport is luck of motivation. They spend huge money to get “A” license and suddenly they are in a totally different world. All instructors who were so patient with them are occupied with new students and more experience jumpers are doing their own stuff so people have nobody to jump with and to learn from. Unfortunately many new jumpers quit at this point
Yup! I consider this the "shit or get off the pot" point of a skydiving career, and it also happens to be the place I'm in right now. I continue to jump and enjoy it, but I haven't really added to my skill set since getting my A, and don't know if it makes sense to spend money on my own gear and additional training. I think I need to take an inventory of the things and either go all in or walk away.
It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.
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