Hi all!
I'm a 22 year old mama to one (age 1), a student at the university, and have been lurking around lately so I thought I'd join up and say hi. I have always enjoyed solo sports rather than team sports- using your body, achieving personal goals and making self-improvements, etc. have always appealed to me much more than team sports or competition. (I've done track and cross country running and swimming as well as yoga and tai chi-- and I have been para-sailing lol so that's my one chute experience- loved it). I am also a bit of an adrenaline junkie and always up to some sort of shenanigans, basically just trying new things and enjoying life. That said, I am also a bit of a perfectionist and very thorough when I consider things and make choices.
I have been considering taking up skydiving for a few months and thinking it through, along with lurking about here and more recently researching the few local DZ options (southern WI). I am most interested in AFF and as far as safety record and availability of the AFF, AtmosphAIR seems the preferable choice over Seven Hills, though I would love to hear any feedback from other Wisconsinites on experiences at either DZ (or others I may not know of yet) or info I should be aware of. I guess my one teensie weensie complaint is that I sort of instinctively dislike that with their program I have to do a tandem first, it seems a way to make a few hundred bucks before allowing the student to progress into the AFF, I know I want to skydive and wouldn't necessarily start with a tandem if it were up to me, but I am not that upset if that is what needs to happen.. plus maybe I misunderstand, and perhaps this is actually common procedure with AFF, or maybe (and I would surely like to assume the best in all situations) the owners/organizers simply feel it is best to ease into it and do a tandem to get a feel for the sport before deciding to go ahead with the AFF program, so I'm not complaining :) Alex was great on the phone, they have a great safety record and clear passion for what they do, so- so far- I am confident in my choice to go there.
I do have some concerns about the money involved but feel it will be worth it, especially as the costs go down once licensed etc- it is a pricey sport though, but we all have our fun money and our hobbies, and I guess this is what I am choosing to invest mine in for now. I will be able to pay for the jumps and expenses over time up to my A license and occasional jumps after that, but gear rental is expensive, and honestly, I would feel MUCH more comfortable having my own gear after student status ceases, gear which I know how to work with and which I am used to/comfortable in eventually, again once done with student gear-- so yeah, I want to pursue my A license and then be able to jump say a few times a month, until my toddler is older and/or I marry and have more childcare and/or free time (if that ever even happens once you've become a parent, I'm not entirely sure ;) but for now, I hope to get the class and jumps done fairly close together and get licensed, and then have parachuting/skydiving available to me as a hobby and sport, for "me time" a few times a month.
I do have an interest in tunnel training and eventual freeflying and CRW, and would like to challenge myself in these domains, but realistically know that with single parenting and finishing my degree I simply will not have as much time to invest as I would otherwise like for now, though this summer is a time when I will not be taking classes and will have lots of family help with my little man.. the DZ also has a playground, cookout equipment, trails, etc. so I hope that it can be something my brothers, parents, my son's father, etc. and I can enjoy and have a fun day outside for my son too, as I understand that with training, weather, the plane ride up, etc. plus the drive to/from the DZ, it can take a good chunk of the day (one reason why I'd like to accomplish multiple jumps per day working towards my A license)
Any other parents on here with experiences jumping or training?? Love to hear other perspectives,
I also look forward to the chance to travel and experience different drop zones, and look forward to the social aspect and meeting others through the sport.
I enjoy very much reading the forums here, especially safety and training as it is so important to me to approach the sport with a safety-first mindset, as my little guy needs me to be around and healthy, but I have also come to a comfort level with the relative risks involved and feel that if I enter into the sport with a positive yet realistic mindset and an acute awareness of the need for safety and training, I am comfortable doing so.
I do have some times when I read something on here and simply cannot picture it in my head to comprehend what is being referenced though I am getting better (especially with regard to specific pieces of gear or parts of the parachute- the mechanics of how it all works, and specific styles of flying and maneuvers) but assume that after ground school those terms and explanations will become more clear and this will become an even more relevant resource for me. I definitely think that I will reach the point where I can gain much more from these forums once I have started jumping, but have gleaned some great perspective and info so far, so thank you for taking the time to share it here..
Now I realize this may be premature to some extent, as I could to my tandem and chicken out, lol, or decide it is not for me, but honestly, knowing myself pretty darn well, I can't wait to get started and am pretty sure I'll be hooked :)
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I may post these particular question elsewhere, though I am unsure of forum etiquette and don't want to double post if against the rules, and yeah this is getting a bit detailed for an intro, but if anyone feels like taking a gander at my two main questions, right now they are are- 1) when is it recommended to get your own gear- right after getting the A license? What are the average costs associated with this- I believe that I can prioritize and cover the costs associated with the training and jumping, but this is my biggest concern once i am off student status and want to jump while traveling or as a sport or hobby, or social outing, on occasion. Also, I am overwhelmed by the amount of gear and types of materials and styles of things out there (three ring, velcro, the thinner/stronger lines, forget the name of the material, ram-air, large versus small canopies, main/reserve, toggles, AADs or CYPRES, hook knife, whether you should get a helmet, a suit if necessary- freefall suit? wingsuit? a rig obviously, harness... etc. Some of these terms go over my head, some I understand but seem that there are SO many options, choices, hard to tell what is best for me as an individual and obviously no one would know that yet-- I guess what I am asking is how much should I expect to invest in this gear, when, and what level of external guidance or internal knowledge or both will I have by that point to help me in making those choices effectively? And finally, new versus used gear- safety wise (obviously used is cheaper I assume, but also has less lifespan in it) but is new safer? btw, what is the average lifespan of a rig/basic equipment (new)?
and 2) I spoke with the dz owner the other day and they open April 3rd for weekends, and daily sometime after that. I plan to book my tandem soon and am on the list of interested parties for the first AFF class. However, I am wondering how long it usually takes people to get the A license. Obviously the A stands for accelerated-- would it make sense either to plan a vacation to somewhere like Perris (I'll be traveling to Oregon this summer for a bit so would combine trips to a neighboring state with state of the art skydiving facilities) and do a week-long type program and get it all out of the way- this would give me the advantage of tunnel time, which is not accessible in the midwest. It may also give an advantage of some of the more experienced coaches and instructors. It would also have the disadvantage of not acquainting me with the local DZ organizers and jumpers with whom I'll be interacting as I continue in the sport, nor would it give me experience tracking/spotting in the drop zone/landing area where I would need to land for the majority of my jumps in the future, jumping at my local DZ(s), and I do have concerns about cliques and judgment that I have read about at some of the more active/well known DZs. I do sorta like the idea of a skydiving vacation though, and I admit I like the idea of learning quickly and accomplishing so much in a week at a well-respected DZ. However-- how long does it typically take to get the A package/license, and is it typical to do this in such a fashion whether or not one travels to do so, or is this week-long program only common for travelers at the bigger DZs? How about if doing it near your home/local DZ as far as time frame? Are there benefits to doing it more closely spaced, or further spaced, as far as the learning curve, strain on your body doing such an extreme physical maneuver for the first times, getting comfortable, etc.? Does it just depend on one's personality and goals, or is it frowned upon to try to get the first (A) license accomplished very quickly?
And finally, I haven't come across any info that specifies, though there are many references to it, to "staying current." How often is someone supposed to make a jump per the USPA to be current in their license? What do other divers think is important in terms of actually being current in one;s knowledge for safety? Are there opportunities to practice certain things on the ground repeatedly, so they become second nature? (multiple cutaways, reserve pulls, suspended harness, spin simulation, etc.) I would think for safety, especially early on w/ a low jump number, one would really want to do this as much as possible, more than I imagine a six hour ground school could cover- are there opportunities to do this more if one desires?
Oh and also- as far as physical health- do things like stretching, yoga, etc. help prevent injury or are they commonly practiced for balance, flexibility, etc. in the sport? It seems to me to make sense, though I haven't done yoga since my son was born, but I'd be interested to know what other fitness or balance activities others do to complement their skydiving- especially if they don't have access to a tunnel for freefall specific bodywork, just more general body control, balance, agility, and health I mean..
Finally-- will normal private health insurance cover skydiving injury? What about state/medicaid health insurance? Do skydivers buy separate plans??
Ok, well that is a lot of questioning for now, maybe I will ask them in the proper forums, but basically wanted to say hello, see if any other jumpers are around the southern WI area and get some feedback on the DZs I am considering, as well as feedback on some of my other questions and concerns.
Look forward to talking more and getting to know you, and appreciate any advice offered to someone who is new to the sport. I will certainly post and advise how my first tandem goes next month and if and how I choose to proceed with the AFF program at AtmosphAIR as I mentioned is my tentative plan at this point.
Blue skies!
Stay safe!
R Tandem 4/4. FJC and AFF-2 completed 4/9. Rescheduled AFF-3 and 4 due to winds for this next weekend.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world..."
