Coach jumps with world class freefliers?

[CanuckInUSA 0]

I'm hoping to take a week off of work sometime this summer and do nothing but skydive. My preferred week off will be the first week of August (WFFC in Rantoul). But working for a startup software company, I'm at the mercy of project schedules and the whime of a whuffo boss who would rather see me dedicate every second of my existence to the company rather than have fun (but we all know that's not going to happen, I'm a skydiver).

Anyway, if Rantoul doesn't happen for this camper, I was wondering what some of the more experienced freefliers out there think about a newbie like myself taking a week off and doing a bunch of coached jumps with the Flyboyz in Perris or Mike Ortiz in San Diego? At the Eloy holiday boogie I managed to do one jump with Steve Curtis (courtesy of Betsy), but he was on back to back loads and not only did I not get a debrief but I only had about 100 jumps total at the time and I still struggled with my freeflying. Now I'm no freeflying rock star (yet ), but I've done another 100+ jumps since the Eloy boogie and am better now than I was then. So I'm beginning to think that I'm approaching the skill level where I could possibly benefit from some one-on-one training with a world class freeflier. So would my money be well spent taking one week off of work (it would be a very expensive week) and do 50 jumps with the Flyboyz (or Mike Ortiz) or would I do fine just doing the $3500 worth of jumps with friends? Opinions?

PS: Doing some coach jumps in Eloy with Omar or Steve Curtis would also be good. But I don't think jumping in Arizona during August is the best time to be there.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[skybytch 273]

From what I've heard from friends who've done coach jumps with the Flyboyz, you'll learn far more for the money by spending it on coached jumps than you would just jumping with friends. And you may not need to do that many coached jumps since you already have a base skill set.

Oh yeah... Perris in August is better than Eloy in August but it's still damn hot and bumpy.

[PhreeZone 20]

>Perris in August is better than Eloy in August but it's still damn hot and bumpy.

But neither of them are better then the 95 degree and 95% humidity days of WFFC.

I've done some fun jumps with Mike Otriz and a few people with their AD and I learned a lot on those jumps.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[markbaur 0]

Go for the coached jumps. I made 5 last Sunday with Hunter Roberts in Deland -- an excellent instructor. Check out the website, FreedomOfFlight.tv. I jumped with Jimmy T the previous time I was there, too. Thanks for the opportunity to give them a plug.

You learn so much faster with a coach. There's no wondering about who's moving and who's not; the in-air instruction is invaluable, and the ground critique afterward gives a good basis for setting goals on your next jump.

You learn more safely with a coach, too.

Some very good freefly coaches move north for the summer, so don't restrict your search to the traditional Florida-Arizona-Southern California axis.

Good luck!

Mark

[Zenister 0]

AZ in aug isnt bad, you just have to like early mornings
definitely get some coach jumps. i'm not sure i would go for 50 in a week but like 10-20 then jump to practice some between sessions.

I'm sure most FF coaches have a flexible progression set (i know Mike O. does) based on where your skills are now

as i fencing coach one of the things i had to learn was there is a limit to how much you can absorb and retain at once.

A good coach will teach you ALOT in as few as 5 lessons(jumps) that you then have to practice, refine & build on before you can really go to the next level, and that students make the most progress when they are given drills and lessons in manageable chunks to practice on their own. make sure you get some videoed! its great feedback to help you visualize later. One of the other benefits of getting coaching from the recognized best is they also do ALOT of load organizing and once they know your abilities they can assign you fun & challenging slots on some of the "cool" dives.

so i guess the point of this rambling is that if you have 7 days you could probably get 3-5 coach jumps a day and be able to make lots of 'fun' jumps too.There were a great bunch of FFers around when i was at Perris, and there are always some at Eloy.

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

If you make it to Rantoul WFFC, I heard that Spaceland Anomaly were going to be organising some stuff there.
Trent, Ged, and Stevie are cool guys, Trent posts here from time to time, so PM him (username Trent...go figure?). I would be tempted to join them for some organised stuff to try out those honed skills.
Wish I could go play too....

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[JamesNahikian 0]

Free advice often is worth what you paid for it, but . . .

While jumping with a FF guru certainly can contribute to FF progression, I believe you'll find that it's only a part of a successful approach. Like athletic training generally, you probably will progress to your inherent FF limitations most rapidly by eating, sleeping and breathing each targeted move to the almost exclusion of other skills until you own that move.

IMHO, the "recipe" to advancing your FF skillset includes the following elements (1) focus like a laser beam on a particular move, i.e., left head down 360 with crisp stop, until you own it before you attempt another move, (2) mix-in a qualified FF instructor jump every 3 to 5 jumps for the same move, (3) jump with the same patient and consistent friend when you're not jumping with the instructor, (4) get videoed as many jumps as possible and study your video ad nauseum, (5) study video of other people attempting that same move, (6) stay close to a ball on some of the skill dives to gauge your fall rate, and (7) repeat the above fanatically and without mercy on yourself until you've mastered a target move and only then select another skill to master (perhaps taking a break at this juncture). Also, I'm not convinced that dirt diving individual moves really boosts progression.

Once you've got a move down, the learning curve should rise in your favor for similar moves. Continual awareness of the positions of, and ability to fly, your feet is the indispensable ingredient of just about all FF moves, and earned confidence in your direct altitude awareness is crucial to both learning and surviving FF.

So IMHO paying a FF Great a boatload of money in exchange for coaching will only take you so far . Just like having a hall of fame coach doesn't guarantee you'll get drafted, success is mostly achieved via a combined training regime.

Hope you enjoy some breakthroughs irrespective of you choose to proceed.

D. James Nahikian
CHICAGO

[sunshine 2]

Quote

3) jump with the same patient and consistent friend when you're not jumping with the instructor,

It's often hard to find such a freind. I'm lucky that you spent so much time last year jumping with me while i was learning headdown. If only everyone had a freind like you.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[JamesNahikian 0]

Thank you Sunshine. I, a weighty, fastflying, opinionated blob of meat, will be only too happy to serve as your in-flight plumbline for yet another year. Until I see you again please perform some pagan ceremony or something and _make this weather lift_.

Jimmy The Fin
CHICAGO