Lucie813

I signed up for AFLAC insurance this month through my employer and I noticed - as I expected! - that they don't cover injuries related to activities such as skydiving. Does any insurance company? I just wonder sometimes how instructors, TMs, etc. handle this, or if they even worry about it.

My videographer did the same thing. I got a big kick out of it.

My tandem master was Mark (never got his last name) at Skydive Space Center in Titusville. He was great - calm, laidback manner that helped me feel more at ease. It also helped reassure me that he'd done over 1,200 tandems!

Who or what is SkyRide?

Your question about falling is a reasonable one, but I should explain that I don't mind FLYING, which is what my first dive felt like! I have zero fear of heights (in fact, the higher, the better), but I do get skittish about falling just a few feet from the ground and breaking something! I think it's more of a worry about stability/dizziness in mid-air that concerns me most. Thank you for your reply.

I'd enjoy hearing about your first balloon jump - I went for my first balloon ride at the beginning of this month! Enjoyed it quite a bit, but it's funny that although I did it before my skydive, it was still too tame! I wanted to go higher and faster! Next month I go for my first biplane ride and am really psyched about that.

Okay, everybody, it's the wildly impressed newbie again. I've been on the fence about whether to sign up for training and after reading about AFF, wonder if it might not be a bit too intense for this middle-aged beginner. Specifically, I have a couple of "issues" - one, I have occasional mild middle-ear trouble and not the greatest balance in the world, although I can walk a straight line with no problem ; and two, I have kind of "a thing" about falling, as I had three falls with injuries in a 22-month span a few years back. I'm a bit concerned that my tendency to disorient rather easily could make it a challenge to stabilize after doing a backflip at the end of AFF (I really don't like being upside down!), and how to get over my phobia of falls when practicing PLF. It seemed like tandem progression training would suit me better, but I'm not sure if any DZs near me even offer it. Has anyone else ever experienced similar issues, and if so, how'd you handle them? Or am I simply making a potential mountain out of a molehill?

Thanks, AggieDave! I tend to approach things as risky as skydiving pretty cautiously, and I'd rather take a slower approach than some would need or want, to be sure that I really want to pursue AFF and spend that kind of money. My first tandem was totally instructor-controlled, and frankly, that's the way I wanted it - I was out for the "joy ride" to see how it felt. I was about 80% hooked, and want to see if another tandem will "seal the deal" before I make a big financial investment. I think the fact that I want to do it again is a good sign, but although it may make me sound "lazy" to many divers, I wasn't sure I really wanted to work that hard at taking a course! If that offends true enthusiasts, so be it. I agree with whatever wise person said that "this is not a race." I'm doing this for enjoyment more than to really prove something.

Skydive Space Center in Titusville.

And I'd like to know, although I certainly liked my first dropzone, should I "shop around" and try a different one for my second tandem, just for comparison purposes?

I have to give you real credit for trying it again when your first experience was so unpleasant! What happened? And what exactly do you mean by "rolls"? Remember, I'm new at this...

Your post made me recall that at least one time, I instinctively reached for my TM's hands, which of course he withdrew - didn't really dawn on me why until now! Duh! Well, what can I say - it was a brand new experience and an overwhelming one!

Hi, Ram - Have you made your first jump yet? I just did mine last Saturday (10/16). It was beyond anything I even imagined, and I have a very vivid imagination! If you're still preparing to go, I can't add anything to the great advice already given by the others, especially Andrea, but I can tell you that #1, it's worth every second, #2, there's probably no way to get rid of all the butterflies and they're normal anyway, #3, all the mental preparation in the world is still not the same as actually doing it. and #4, trust is really the key! And you CAN trust your instructor!

Thank you for the kind words and offer! I thought about taking my first jump at Deland, but could have sworn their web site said they didn't do tandems - essentially that they "didn't believe in them." How many AFF classes have you taken? What kinds of things have you covered? Do you find it difficult?

And I wrote nearly a printed page and a half! What tickles me now is the reactions I'm getting from my coworkers, as the news spreads. The funniest reaction of all, however, is from my boss's two teenage sons, in whose eyes I have apparently achieved rock star status, according to their dad! Still chuckling...

As someone who just made her first jump a few days ago, and did it tandem, may I "third" your sentiment

I'm glad I'm not the only one to experience this! I had throat pain right after I hit the ground and still have touches of it two days later (not severe, though). I was going to post a question about it and although I am brand new at this, with only a single jump to my credit, I felt rather silly! The only other discomfort I had was the fact that my harness was so tight on my thighs under canopy that I have bruises. It's true I bruise pretty easily, but is this common? If it hadn't of been for that soreness, I would have taken my second jump the very next day!

Hey there - I just made my first jump in Titusville this past weekend - also a tandem. Took me 48 hours to really "come down"! What kind of jump will you do for your second venture?

Hello, Catherine - I hail from Longwood and am also a newbie - one jump so far! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying your experience so much. Would you tell me about your AFF training when you have a moment?

I jumped at Skydive Space Center in Titusville and thought they were great.

I started late also - age 44! But I decided if George Bush Sr. could do it at 80- or is it 85? - then I should be able to!

Hi, everybody - I'm brand-new to skydiving, so much so that I only made my first (tandem) jump at 15,000 feet this past weekend! I had thought about it for 27 years and finally decided that, first, I wasn't ever going to really "get up the nerve," and second, I wasn't getting any younger, so what was I waiting for? It was so incredible - I've tried to describe the experience to my friends and family and coworkers and have not found the language (although I'm a writer!). I would like to make one more tandem jump, at 18,000 feet this time, then hopefully decide whether I'd like to continue on and take the AFF course. I would love to hear from other "newbies" about their experiences, and also welcome advice from veterans.