Which NY drop zone?

[guidosorrentini 0]

Hi ,
I was trying to decide between jumping at "The Ranch" or "Skydive Long Island" both situated in New York.
Has anyone any feedback and / or comparisons?

Cheers

[extreme78 0]

I like SDLI a lot, easy to spot from above, great landing area, friendly staff and fun jumpers. Some say its a tandem factory but I never felt that way and always get as many jumps as I want.... With that being said, I never jumped at the Ranch and SDLI is 15 min from my house :-)

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.

[BobMoore 0]

The Ranch has a good reputation also. I would pick the one that is the shortest drive for you.

"For you see, an airplane is an airplane. A landing area is a landing area. But a dropzone... a dropzone is the people."

[guidosorrentini 0]

Thanks for that... I think the FF view must be awesome from SDLI, so I will definately have to stop there for an exit or two :)

[guidosorrentini 0]

Cheers, that's good news!
I'm buying a rig friom The Ranch Pro Shop, so I guess I'll be spending most of my time there...
Good to hear positive things!

[Scrumpot 1]

Quote

Has anyone any feedback and / or comparisons?

Other than each is in an entirely different "country" from the other?

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[deltron80 0]

Sky's the Limit, East Stroudsburg, PA

same distance, better DZ, huge landing area, and you won't get hair gel all over your rig like you would in Long Island.

[SRI85 0]

Quote

Hi ,
I was trying to decide between jumping at "The Ranch" or "Skydive Long Island" both situated in New York.
Has anyone any feedback and / or comparisons?

Cheers

Its easier to get more jumps in at the ranch. they typically fly 2 otters and jumps are cheaper at $23. I think an average weekend day they put up around 40 to 50 loads

[guidosorrentini 0]

Cheers mate, You've convinced me...
The Ranch it is then :)

[cbuffalino 0]

I've jumped at both and currently doing my AFP levels at SDLI. PErsonally I think the Ranch is better in terms of organization, quality and knowledge of staff, the facility although much smaller than SDLI has showers, a cafe, indoor hangar, camp grounds and the number 1 plus is definitely the staff and if you're in the city I is about the same distance than to long island.

On the contrary, SDLI is a much larger airport, very easy to spot and land on. There are some pretty cool instructors there but the company's disorganization is something that makes it a drag sometimes. Often times when I go there there is a large gap of time before they will assign me an instructor or have someone do pre jump training with me. Also the instructors are much less helpful and willing to give new skydivers knowledge and make them feel part of a family and comfortable.

Inwent to SDLI before work this week and they had no updates on their website or one of nearly 10 (no joke) Facebook pages letting students or tandems know they would be closed for maintenance. When myself and a friend arrived there were two tandems there that had allegedly been schedules on a day when they were closed.

Bottom line is I believe the Ranch is better with a better reputation and skill set between instructors and specialists. It is a harder spot but that should help to make you more accurate in the future. SDLI isn't all bad but it's disorganization after weeks of dealing with I could persuade one to transfer schools.

Hope that helps.

Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about.

[jrmrangers 0]

i recently got my license and jump at the Ranch. I havent been to SDLI but ive heard good things about them too but i can tel you anything you want to know about the ranch. The instructors are top notch and care about the students even after you get your "A". I often go over to the student section and talk to them still. There are almost always two otters flying on the weekends so making a load is never a problem. Any questions feel free to PM me. Hope to see you at the Ranch!!

Wait , I pull what first?

[guidosorrentini 0]

I've just got my A- licence and I'm flying to Newark from Norway in October... I'll be skydiving The Ranch from 3rd until the 10th and looking to meet new people and practise some relative work....
Would be nice to hook up with you if you have the time

[jrmrangers 0]

I should be there at least for the weekend. Send me a P.M. Before you leave to come here and I'll see if we can't hook up.

Wait , I pull what first?

[guidosorrentini 0]

Awesome, thanks, I'll do that

[cbuffalino 0]

I would like to redact statements I made earlier this week about Skydive Long Island. Truth be told I was extremely frustrated with not being able to jump and made the rookie mistake of voicing an opinion when I didn't fully understand the nature of the beast. I was focusing in things that bothered me at the moment and not the good things that I experienced.

To clear the main issue up first I would like to say that my instruction was thorough and the instructor made sure he/she felt comfortable with my skill and the conditions and that was proven through successful jumps and the correction of errors I made in each successive jump.

Secondly, the response I received from SDLI about my opinions goes to show how much they do care about their students and although sometimes we leave frustrated, they care enough let us leave standing and in the condition we came. I got a great opportunity to speak with the owner who was concerned with my statements and he let me know that if there was EVER a valid issue that the card to hear about it and that they are open to criticism and opinion that will help them better their staff and the student experience.

SDLI is and has been on my speed dial since I started coming here and I feel like a total d-bag for prematurely voicing an opinion contrary to my overall experience. Although, I may return to the Ranch at some point, SDLI is my base and I will continue my training here beyond just my AFP jumps.

Finally, a thank you to the staff here who has been welcoming and responsive to everything thrown at them... Especially my poorly thought out statements.

-Chris

Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about.

[danielcroft 2]

LOL - Someone have a chat with you huh? We all say bonehead stuff from time to time.

The Ranch is a great place to jump, lots of planes, lots of people. Don't be a wallflower though, you'll get along much better if you reach out to people. Make sure you get a good briefing (when you sign the waiver at manifest, they'll get someone to give you a briefing) and really pay attention because the Ranch really isn't the largest LZ in the world. We agree landing direction in the loading area and repeat on the plane. If you don't hear it, ask.

[jrmrangers 0]

Ill second that walflower statement!! Im a pretty outgoing guy so i made a lot of freinds very quickly. I have yet to approach any of the more expeirienced jumpers and not get a warm reception, people are more than willing to help out the new jumpers , just say hi!!

Wait , I pull what first?

[JuneDee 0]

I just want to chime in, as a student who just finished AFP at Skydive Long Island. I had the opportunity to jump with several different instructors during the program and was very happy with all of them. I would definitely recommend the place to others and look forward to many more jumps there in the future. Of course, I've never been to the Ranch and can only comment on my experience at SDLI, but I think generally people are super nice and approachable (albeit busy when the DZ is busy -- making a living and whatnot). On my level 3 jump I was nervous and not really ready to go up, so my instructor took me off the load I was supposed to be on and spent extra time with me until I was comfortable. I really appreciated that -- especially considering it was on a busy weekend during the summer. I found this to be the general attitude of my instructors throughout the program.

All that said - definitely call before you go to get the scoop on current conditions -- and if you plan to go on the reg, it is a good idea to friend them on FB so you get updates if/when they are going to be closed.