ashrock

If you're having fun and have the funds to keep going, don't worry about it. I know of one guy that took 45 jumps to pass AFF...26 just to pass level 3. I, personally, have failed level 3 three times so far and who knows, there's room for more. It doesn't really matter, though. You will eventually pass. It's not a matter of if, but when. At this point, it is all mental. Take one deep breath before leaving the aircract. Then in freefall ARCH, LEGS, RELAX, SMILE, and BREATHE. The dog has learned from experience, which is more than can be said for his owner.

I'm just wondering...were you still kicking out the twists through your hard deck? The dog has learned from experience, which is more than can be said for his owner.

On my last AFF-3 jump, I spaced out for maybe 5 seconds after being stable. I sorta just forgot where I was, what I was doing, what I was supposed to be doing, etc. Once I snapped out of it, I went on with the jump like normal. My JM noticed, but had nothing to really say about it (I didn't ask either). It's not something that bothers me because I'm just assuming that it's not gonna happen again. But I'm wondering what people's thoughts are about spacing out. Has it happened to you? More than once? Has anyone spaced out once they were past student status? The dog has learned from experience, which is more than can be said for his owner.

I don't really have advice on your instructor situation. But, I am wondering what you are doing to practice your arch when you're not jumping. In my opinion, you should be practicing at home for about 20mins every other day. Also, something that worked for me was stretching. You obviously have an issue with relaxing. While stretching may not help your mental relaxation, it will help your body be more relaxed and comfortable in the arch position. Spend a good 20mins doing this as well - everyday if you can. Stretch your legs, arms, back, and anything else you can think of. Consider doing yoga excercises. As for the mental relaxation, this is something you really need to think about. Are you learning to skydive for the right reasons? What kinds of thoughts are freaking you out? Only you know the answers to these questions and so only you can really figure out how to deal with the anxiety you yourself are causing. Three last tips: (1) Try to stay current. You want to give enough time to reflect on your last jump, but not too much so that anxiety has time to build before your next jump. (2) Take one deep breath before exiting. (3) SMILE during freefall . This will greatly help with both mental and physical relaxation. And just remember that an instructor can only do so much. You don't want to be too dependent on them. Good luck with everything. I have faith that you will sort it all out. The dog has learned from experience, which is more than can be said for his owner.

Just to clarify; you would need a 175 canopy to be at a 1:1 wing loading cuz your gear is about 25 lbs (from what I've been told). Also, I read on PD's website that lighter jumpers encounter more problems sizing down because smaller canopies are more responsive regardless of wing loading. This is something to keep in mind at your weight. And definitely try before you buy! Check out: http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/wingload.pdf The dog has learned from experience, which is more than can be said for his owner.