HELPPP!

[L600DAN 0]

I am currently trying hard to complete my AFF stage 4 in Rotorua, New Zealand. I am having extreme difficulties maintaining a good, stable arch postion, which is possibly due to some lower back problems I have.
The most frustrating thing is that the weather hasn't been that good recently and I do have the option to move over to Eastern Australia to complete the course.
Do I:
A) Stick around here and keep practising on the ground
B) Move on to OZ and have to familiarise myself with new equipment and possibly different aircraft
Any advice on body exercises to help improve the muscles used to form a good arch would be appreciated also. My main problem is that I let my knees drop down when I am concentrating on other things such as my altitude, turns, etc.

[tlshealy 0]

Dan,
If your knees are dropping, it might be because you are keeping your hands too far out in front of you, try dropping them back level with you shoulders instead of out in front of your head, and you should level off nicely , regardless of your arch position. But make sure you ask your AFF instructors what they think, and maybe get some video to debrief.
Blue Skies
Tad

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

Stretching before you start jumping might help. Also, do excercises that would improve back muscles but also the stomach as well (sit ups etc).
When you participate in sporting events, its not whether you win or loose, its how drunk you get.

[riggerrob 643]

Ask your instructor to phone the Ausy dropzone and ask some questions about their student gear. We are gradually moving towards one world standard for student gear in the skydiving world. Chances are that student gear in Oz has all the same handles in the same locations, so it will be an easy transition.
As to your body position, chances are that you are flying with your knees too wide. Ask your instructor if you should do some "heel click" or "toe tap" exercises on your next skydive to improve leg awareness.
Like the other poster said, invite a freefall videographer on the dive. You will learn more on a dive with video than you will on three dives without video.

[Kirils 1]

If there is a wind tunnel you can get to, it will make a quick resolve of your stability problems.
Skydiving is not a static excercise with discrete predictability...

[Emmie 0]

Dude, I feel your pain! Weather sucks everywhere. I would just stick to you r home dropzone. You never know what the weather might be lke in Australia. I was like you, rather than just waitnig through shit weather in New England I went to Florida because they are suposed to have great weather. Well the day I got there, the winds turned intto a hurricane. Kind of made me appreciate my own dropzone, even though the weather sucked, I was surrounded by friends and had a good time anyway. Good luck in AFF. Just don't give up on it, and you'll get there eventually. (That's what I keep telling myself on days like today!)

[axe96bam 0]

Dude, don't have to be arched broken in half in order to be stable, but you need to be relaxed. You can fall completely flat and still be stable as long as you are relaxed. I am thinking you need to relax. Talk to your AFF JM and see what he/she has to say. Also, make sure you jump as often as possible - do not wait 30 days between jumps.
Alex

[L600DAN 0]

Thanks to everyone who has provided me with help in this post. I have tried all of your suggestions (sit-ups, moving arms back, relaxing, etc.) and they have all helped me hugely.
I am now on A.F.F Stage 6 !!
Hooray!!!!!