Thinking of walking away

[SSkydiver 0]

I have been in the sport 3 full years now and only have 106 jumps. About 60 of those last year. I itch to jump every single day. This year alone i cannot count on two hands the numbers of jump days i've missed because of weather. I can only jump on sundays and it seems every sunday i can jump the weather turns to shit or if i end up having to work on a sunday, its beautiful. I watch training films every single day, mentally train myself everyday. Fly like a pro, breakaway, pack like a pro, etc etc etc. I look at skydiving pics online and it drives me fucking crazy that i cannot jump as often as i like. All i'm asking is 125-150 jumps a year. Thats only 10-12 a month. This 2-3 average right now is nuts. I want to one day be one of the best in this sport and get evey rating possible!!!! It would be awesome to be an instructor one day and teach the newbies, give back something to the sport that ive grown to love!!!! I've sat and thought about this over and over in my mind. One part of me says "walk away". The other part of me says "hell no". SDSM has been great, the people are awesome, Phil has always been there to help me out. Do i want to walk or keep flying with all my brother and sisters?????

[Unstable 9]

Man, I've been in your shoes a few time! Stick with it, I promise you it'll pay off someday.

=========Shaun ==========

[Praetorian 1]

you think if you quit/sell your gear you'll crave it less? ... interiesting logic

Good Judgment comes from experience...a lot of experience comes from bad
judgment.

[lifewithoutanet 0]

I'm thinking of walking away, too... From my career and everything I've dreamt about just to jump every day and really live The Life. I just don't have the balls to do it.
-C.

[SSkydiver 0]

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I'm thinking of walking away, too... From my career and everything I've dreamt about just to jump every day and really live The Life. I just don't have the balls to do it.
-C.

I've got the balls to do it. I've become one of those maniacs that needs to jump 500-600 times a year. I itch to be at 14k every friday, saturday and sunday. My plan is to one day be debt free and skydive for a living. (A small living i know)

[CrazyIvan 0]

Some words of wisdom: SHUT UP AND JUMP!!!

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[ixlr82 7]

Move to Oregon. Then you'll have some weather to complain about! Hang in there. Circumstances will change. Judging from your post, you couldn't walk away if you tried.

__________________________________________

[packerboy 3]

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I'm thinking of walking away, too... From my career and everything I've dreamt about just to jump every day and really live The Life. I just don't have the balls to do it.
-C.

Sounds like a line from the movie Cutaway.

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In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[lifewithoutanet 0]

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I've got the balls to do it. I've become one of those maniacs that needs to jump 500-600 times a year. I itch to be at 14k every friday, saturday and sunday.
SSkydiver

In which case I should have about half the balls you have by the end of the year. I put in about 20 jumps in the last month. Maybe I need to start packing faster so I can get on more loads. :-)

I'm debt-free now (after years of not-so debt-free living) and all the reason I stick w/ the steady gig is to provide a better life for the not-yet-met wife and the not-yet-born kids. Sometimes I think it's sad that I think "providing" has to mean money, but I guess that's just me.

Envious of those who've 'cutaway'.
-C.

[lifewithoutanet 0]

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Sounds like a line from the movie Cutaway.
packerboy

Haven't seen it. I have a long-standing boycott of any movie starring any Baldwin not married to Kim Basinger.

-C.

[nightjumps 1]

So you got 60 last year. How many do you get if you walk away?

[calphoto 0]

Not a Jumper, but a Jump Pilot.
After dumping jumpers on weekends for a while, jettisoned the day job and spent two years flying skydivers full time at half the pay.
Discovered that DZO's can be liars and thieves, as opposed to my first DZO who was a tough but honest mentor.
Discovered again that jumpers are, as a rule, the most wonderful people in the world. They are even better if you enjoy throwing them out. You don't even have to be a jumper to earn the respect of skydivers. Just love what you do.
Discovered that I want to jump more, but I worry about those money-earning ankles.
Discovered that jumpers leave the sport when their favorite DZ folds. Sad sad sad.
Discovered, in a non-jump-flying position right now, where I earn twice the money for only 50% increase in aggravation, that I miss flying jumpers, I miss apre-jump on a Saturday evening, and that I miss saying "DOOR!!!!"
STAY with it. You WILL miss your friends.
Weather problems?
Jump lower.
60 a year?
You've earned your beer.
Want to give back?
Become an instructor.
Blue Skies!
Pilot Dan

Hartwood Paracenter - The closest DZ to DC!

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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Discovered again that jumpers are, as a rule, the most wonderful people in the world. They are even better if you enjoy throwing them out. You don't even have to be a jumper to earn the respect of skydivers. Just love what you do.

-Can I get an 'A-men'? No you don't have to be a jumper to earn the respect of skydivers...I WORSHIP our jump pilots!!! ANSWER: Sad

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[crwmike 0]

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I've got the balls to do it. I've become one of those maniacs that needs to jump 500-600 times a year. I itch to be at 14k every friday, saturday and sunday.
SSkydiver

In which case I should have about half the balls you have by the end of the year. I put in about 20 jumps in the last month. Maybe I need to start packing faster so I can get on more loads. :-)

I'm debt-free now (after years of not-so debt-free living) and all the reason I stick w/ the steady gig is to provide a better life for the not-yet-met wife and the not-yet-born kids. Sometimes I think it's sad that I think "providing" has to mean money, but I guess that's just me.

Envious of those who've 'cutaway'.
-C.

Ahhh, building a nest so that your not-yet-met-ex-wife will have a nice house to fuck her new boyfriend in. Why don't you just get it over with now ... find some woman you really hate and buy her a house and get on with skydiving.

Michael

[Romolus 0]

Keep going. I think every skydiver no the feeling of not being able to jump enough. Even if you'll get 80 or 100 or even more a year. There will always be periods where every thing seems to go wrong. Where the weather is only good when you ain't able to jump. So what? If you don't get'em this month you'll get them next month. One of the tricks to get as many as possible is to go to the DZ whenever possible. even if the weather looks bad. With a bit of luck even the worst days make a lift or 2 possible. And if the weather don't get better have so beer with all the other frustrated skydivers!

So stay in the sport!!

[NoShitThereIWas 0]

Well, I think Jump Pilots RULE and KICK ASS!!!!!!

Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires."

Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

[TrickyDicky 0]

Hail to the bus driver, bus driver, bus driver,
Hail to the bus driver, bus driver man.

UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

[mark135 0]

LOL. Sounds like a self imposed problem.

First thing you have to do is get a job that allows you to jump more often, earn some ratings then you can quit your real job alltogather.

Of course you have to realize that you can be poor and happy at the same time.

And remember when you interview at a new job that you have to tell them that you wont work weekends and you need the 2nd week of august off. ive never had an employer that had a problem with those demands.

take it from someone who has a wife who also jumps, 4 kids, a house and all all that stuff. you can have everything. your just a little cash poor. hehe.

_______________


"It seemed like a good idea at the time"

[Ron 10]

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I have been in the sport 3 full years now and only have 106 jumps. About 60 of those last year.

Wel you are in a rough situation. 160 jumps over three years is not what I would call current. (Yes, others will, but I don't.) Fact is you are never really getting comfertable. But I understand that life can get in the way.

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I can only jump on sundays and it seems every sunday i can jump the weather turns to shit or if i end up having to work on a sunday

why can't you jump Sat? And why do you "have to" work Sunday?

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I watch training films every single day, mentally train myself everyday. Fly like a pro, breakaway, pack like a pro, etc etc etc. I look at skydiving pics online and it drives me fucking crazy that i cannot jump as often as i like

Here is the bitch of the situation. You really don't jump much so you need to watch videos and think about it. But watching videos and thinking about it is driving you crazy.

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I want to one day be one of the best in this sport and get evey rating possible!!!!

Then you need to jump more.

Move to a place with better weather.
Find another job that does not involve weekend work, or move to a DZ that flies during the week.

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Do i want to walk or keep flying with all my brother and sisters?????

Thats a question only you can answer.

But if you want it...you have to make choices that make it happen.

Either:
1. Shut up about your situation and deal with it.
2. Decide to do something (Such as move to FL.) and do it.
3. walk away. Nothing wrong with it.

The choice is yours to make. No one else can make it for you.

If you choose #2 ask HOW to make those life changes. Several on here have done it.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[adrenalinejunki 0]

Ahhh, building a nest so that your not-yet-met-ex-wife will have a nice house to fuck her new boyfriend in. Why don't you just get it over with now ... find some woman you really hate and buy her a house and get on with skydiving.

Michael

[ryand96 0]

I think you already answered your own question. If you love this sport stick with it. I walked away from the sport 3 years ago due to financial and other reasons. I just started jumping again this past October. It was the best thing I could have done. I am the happiest I've been in a long time. Keep jumping and get out to the DZ as often as possible.

[weegegirl 2]

hahahha... this guy thinks he can just walk away.

Dude... It's in your blood. Your screwed. If you hated jumping and never had the urge to jump, I'd say sure... walk away... But not you. Hang in there... eventually things have to go your way.

[cocheese 0]

Anyone sick of these "oh i'm quiting" threads ?
We all want to cutaway
we all need more money
we all want to jump more

[zulu 0]

Bro,

I can tell you and some of you who know me can attest to this. Im gone 200-250 days out of the year and jumping is one of the cornerstones of my life. Its very hard and frustrating. Ive been there more than I can count. However I will tell you that persistance and patience pays off in ways you cannot imagine. My peers who have started with me have all kind of crazy ratings and are in the thousands, its okay. The wheather will suck at times and not every day will be a day to jump. Stay with it, dont give up. We are all here to support you on this. Stay with it, if nothing else but to prove you can persevere.
zulu

[rehmwa 2]

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Haven't seen it. I have a long-standing boycott of any movie starring any Baldwin not married to Kim Basinger.

That's a good rule except for that last bit. (I'll except Red October, but it would have been better without any Baldwin)

On the other hand, if our poster leaves the sport, that'll pretty well guarantee nice Sunday weather for at least 4 months in a row for the rest of us. It's much like the beer enigma.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants