When does a Tourist become a skydiver?

[piisfish 140]

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10 years.

that's 6 weeks to go for me

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Arvoitus 1]

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I do not try to pick up the DZ women

Well there is your problem right there.

Your rights end where my feelings begin.

[dorbie 0]

As soon as you exit on your first tandem you're a skydiver.

[shropshire 0]

Just a thought .. what is your 'other' life like outside of skydiving? What do you do for a living, for fun, to meet other folks etc....

Skydiving is NO different from any of those things really ... it's all about communication and attitude.. You can't buy friends (tipping etc..), you make them - it takes work, sure but it's worth every ounce of effort that you put in.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Blowfish 0]

In regard to your statements in this thread I would rather not drink a beer with you.

[shropshire 0]

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In regard to your statements in this thread I would rather not drink a beer with you.

That's a bit mean, for your 1st post and all

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Blowfish 0]

You are correct sorry I did not want to sound that harsh
What I meant was that you can not force someone to like you!
I think being openminded, outgoing and showing interest in others will get you a lot further than posting on internet forums.

[shropshire 0]

to add ....

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[format 1]

Try to discreetly dislike whufoos.
ALL skydivers have a hidden contempt toward them.

When they feel you feel alike - you're welcome for sure.
...and remember, you asked for it

What goes around, comes later.

[pchapman 279]

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Manifest load
put parachute on
Gear check
Asked what i altitude i am pulling at
told who i am after
ride plane
jump

While breaking into the a DZ socially can take time, are you trying hard enough? Just going by that list, it seems to miss looking for others to jump with, planning loads, talking to other newer jumpers, etc. Maybe you are already getting typecast as the guy who quietly gets on the plane and does just solos all day. It bumps up the jump numbers but gets a little dull.

[crotalus01 0]

+1 - if thats really what you are doing then probably the people at your DZ figure if you wanted to jump with them then you would ASK. Hell, they probably all think YOU are a skygod snob that thinks he is too good to jump with THEM.
Make some effort dude, ASK. Worst they can do is say no, and someone is gonna say yeah, come on heres what we are planning.....

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[hcsvader 1]

run through the bar naked.
the next day everyone will know who you are. they may not want to jump with you, but at least they will know of you.

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[Joellercoaster 6]

Skydiving can be a hard place to be a shy person, at least to start with.

It's true, a lot of the time you won't be asked... not because you're new, but because we are a bunch of fairly self-centred (not selfish, just self-absorbed) people and are too busy having a good time to look around and notice someone sitting on their own. Noisy, too. It can be easy to get lost in the chaos.

Tourists aren't people with X jumps or less. They're people who dip a toe in the water then move on. They are, if we're honest, the majority of people who have made a jump. There's no harm in that (although it's fashionable to be rude about them), but it's also a disincentive to make friends with everyone who turns up. The odds are, they won't stick around.

Don't wait to be asked to stay... pitch your tent and hang out by the fire.

Stay and talk bollocks when the weather is bad.

Some people really do jump with total strangers regularly, but most jump with people they know at least a bit. Stick around at the DZ, break the ice a little, and you will know people. Then, jump with them :)

It can be intimidating, but stick with it unless the place you're at really isn't what you like.

(Of course, people may just not like you. That happens in life too, sometimes, but let's assume you're just quiet?)

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[trigger 0]

10years is the correct answer imo.
So I've been a skydiver for almost 2 years now .

.CHOP WOOD COLLECT WATER.

[guineapiggie101 0]

You become a skydiver the minute you do a jump (at least that was what I was told)

It's not hard to get acclimated and absorbed into the DZ culture. Talk to people, ask questions, be nice. Most jumpers are willing to talk to and give advice to the newbie. How is your attitude when you approach new people, will determine how people react to you. Be open to stuff, talk to people, be friendly. Come out of your shell a bit.

I do understand how you feel. When I first started jumping, I did my weekly AFF jump and would leave the DZ after I was done. I am very shy and have a hard time opening up.

I ended up being curious about stuff and when I saw how other skydivers were willing to help me with advice, and were suportive of my struggles with AFF, I was like "hey, skydivers are cool people".

I don't solo jump anymore, only do tandems (hurt myself last year), but people are still friendly and accepting to me, and a few of my friends even come on my tandem jumps and form "rounds" on me

At first, since you are the newbie, you might have to take initiative and ASK people if you can come on jumps with them. If they are not busy training or doing a particular dive with their friends, most jumpers are willing to take in the new guy. At the end of the day, but some beer and share with your new jumper friends. THat helps.

Otherwise, most jumpers are cool. They know what iit is like to be the "newbie" since we all were once that "newbie".

[-ftp- 0]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entitlement

have a read

[mx19 0]

Honestly i haven't read all of the replies because i got bored of trying to decipher your posts.

You do know money doesn't buy real friends don't you? In skydiving and the real world... Your 3 grand has nothing to do with wether someone should like you or not...

If you don't make an effort and just think throwing cash around will suffice why on earth should anyone bother trying to make an effort with you?

Suck it up and get on with it.

[billvon 2,989]

>But IF you are just running a Disney Land amusement ride of tandems and lighting fast
>jumps and aff speed classes then why do you not treat me like Disney Land and at
>least dress up like mickey mouse and give my kid a ice cream.

If that's your take on DZ's then I can see why this happens:

>When going around getting up a outside food order do they ask the guy on the left
>of the bench and the right of the bench and skip you like a sand bag in the middle.

Want someone to take your food order? Take theirs a few times and go pick up food.

[SEREJumper 1]

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As soon as you exit on your first tandem you're a skydiver.

IMO you aren't, maybe thats what the DZ told you to make you feel good about your tandem. Yes, you made a skydive, not a skydiver. If you only ride in a plane, would you say you are a pilot or passenger? To be a skydiver, one needs to have earned it, as in getting their "A" license IMO

Back to the OP, a few questions if you can answer them:

1. How old are you?

It can be hard for an older person to fit in with a younger crowd.

2. What is your nationality, where are you from, is English your second language?

I agree that this doesn't matter as long as you have the personality, but it maybe a factor you are not thinking about (language barrier).

We're not fucking flying airplanes are we, no we're flying a glorified kite with no power and it should be flown like one! - Stratostar

[Nealeod 0]

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run through the bar naked.
the next day everyone will know who you are. they may not want to jump with you, but at least they will know of you.

You almost nailed it. Walk into the bar with all your clothes except for your pants and order a round of beers. Make some sort of comment about not being able to find your wallet and pay by card. The bartender should call all her friends. Unfortunately for me everytime I try this, the bartenders friends are always cops.

Being the new guy and trying to jump with others is like 2nd grade again. You have to throw your fear of being rejected out. (hi, my name is blah. I'm from blah and this is my first time bere. I'm here by myself and looking a some fun jumpers to blah.) who cares if you get rejected, if you do move onto the next group of jumpers.

I live overseas and am not organic to any specific DZ, however every place I go someone has always asked if I wanted to participate. Smiles, eye contact and intentionally trying to meet everyone there goes a long ways. Ask me for my name instead of calling me hey,guy,buddy,dude,pal or whatever. Associate them as human beings and lets go jump.


If all else fails, the no pants thing might work.

[mjosparky 4]

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When does a Tourist become a skydiver?

When they quit acting like a tourist.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[guineapiggie101 0]

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As soon as you exit on your first tandem you're a skydiver.

IMO you aren't, maybe thats what the DZ told you to make you feel good about your tandem. Yes, you made a skydive, not a skydiver. If you only ride in a plane, would you say you are a pilot or passenger? To be a skydiver, one needs to have earned it, as in getting their "A" license IMO

Just curious then, what about someone like me? I've done 24 AFF jumps, a few solos, and numerous tandems. I can't get my "A" license at this time. So, in your eyes, and the eyes of many jumpers, I am NOT a skydiver

[AggieDave 6]

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Just curious then, what about someone like me? I've done 24 AFF jumps, a few solos, and numerous tandems. I can't get my "A" license at this time. So, in your eyes, and the eyes of many jumpers, I am NOT a skydiver

Before you get too upset, listen to an explanation.

If you've been in the sport for any amount of time you have seen people come into the sport, make a couple of hundred jumps and then they disappear. Those are the people that skydivers tend to remember. It is the guys/gals they've been seeing at boogies for the past 10 years. It's the guys/gals they've been competing against at nationals or the swoop tour. It's the guys/gals who have made it through the good times, the bad times, opening new DZs and closing down others. Being a skydiver is a lifestyle. Making skydives is a choice.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[loch1957 0]

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I do not try to pick up the DZ women not that i have a chance

Not to be mean but that one sentence is a lot of your problem, IMO. It has nothing to do with picking up girls but more that you assume you have no chance. A persons confidence is not only sexy to the opposite sex but it shows to others around you. Be confident, try being a bit bold. A big drop zone is hectic and fast paced, you can be as noticeable to others as you choose to be.

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

[Squeak 17]

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Being a skydiver is a lifestyle. Making skydives is a choice.

Egg-Sack-Leigh

Which is why i do not, and never have called myself a "Skydiver" I jump on weekends and holidays. It's an activity I participate in, I dont live and work as a skydiver.
I do not define myself, by the activities I do.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?