Can't get skydiving out of my head!!!

[skinnersone 0]

Well I am a mountain climber at heart but have always wanted to skydive. I decided to do my first jump AFF rather than going tandem.

Although I failed the jump (did not respond to commands) I did have total altitude awareness and did my practice pulls and deployed the chute on my own. I was a little upset I failed but for my first jump of any sort I feel like I still accomplished much.

When I left the plane there was a sensory overload. Honestly I kind of forgot I had anyone on either side to take directions from and my only concern was pulling at the correct altitude. I think that I will have no problems next try because most of my problem was uncertainty of the situation.

In climbing you kind of gain knowlege about what to expect on the climb up. With skydiving your all of a sudden there. Very strange feeling for a newbie.

All in all the experience was awesome and I intend to continue on with it. It is strange because I don't feel safe working on a roof but jumping out of a plane or climbing to 20,000 feet doesn't seem to bother me.

I won't say it is better than standing at the summit of a mountain but it is by no means less exciting. I never gave skydiving its due respect. Always said it was easy to jump and pull a cord. Well now I can truly appreciate what it really means.

On my way home from the DZ two guys pulled up and were honking and waving as they passed me. I was about ready to show them my middle finger when I realized that they had noticed my new skydive Florida bumper sticker. As bummed as I was it made me smile for the rest of the way home.

Even though I had one poor jump I was kind of related through marriage. Skydivers are a cool family and I am glad to "sort of" call myself part of it.

[birdshit 0]

Dont feel bad. I had overload too, and was unable to interpret commands from my JM. I spent about 5000 feet trying to remember what two fingers bent inward meant...

They pulled for me at ~4500. I had a gut wrenching couple hours at the DZ trying to decide if I wanted to give up this crazy, stupid, expensive hobby or not. I did my second AFF L1 later that afternoon and nailed it they said that they couldn't believe that I was the same guy from the morning jump, and that they could have filmed it as the perfect Level 1.

You may have failed in your objective, but if you pulled at the correct altitude, opened stable and landed without any bones sticking out of your pants then I say you did a great job for your 1st...



On my third Jump (Aff L2) the intensity was there, but I totally controlled the situation and I did great.

It is intense, but it won't be so overwhelming if you continue.

[skymama 37]

Welcome to the forums!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[skyjump11 0]

7/30/07
Hello!
Seldom, do I ever feel the need to say something
in the forums, but I wanted to share this with you.
Please remember, that even if that first jump was
'awful', nevertheless, it was still a jump. Consider
this, everyone that is 'good' at your DZ at one time
started out 'bad.' The difference is that they kept
making jump after jump after jump. You will learn
more in 50 jumps than those of us who made
200 back in mid-seventies. Back then there was
no training, just a B4 container, T10 main and water mellon reserve. And boy! you hit the ground like a
ton of bricks. The only thing around was static line.
The instructor talked with you a bit and then you
went up to 2800' and climbed out on wheel, held
onto the strut, pushed off and hit an arch. It's a
wonder we all didn't die. But you will get up to
speed soon and be jumping with those 'good'
jumpers. As for for me, my 'awful' jump came on
my 4th. jump. The first 3 had been with a static
line where I practiced pulling out a piece of newspaper to simulate finding and pulling the
ripcord. The 4th. jump was with no static line.
If I didn't pull that ripcord I was going in. (Remember that this was long before AAD's)
I jumped and the first handle I saw was on my
water mellon reserve, so that was the one I pulled.
I was proud that I found any handle. That was the first of my many 'awful' jumps but 31 years later I am still jumping and it's still a rush.
As for the mountain climbing, if you and 5
of your friends ever want to trek up Kilimanjaro (19,340'), I have a dear friend that is a guide and will get you to the top after a 5 day climb. If you need his email, let me know.
grace, peace & blue skies
sep

[skinnersone 0]

Thanks for the post skyjump11. I had considered tandem because I somewhat expected that I would go blank for that first bit. By the time I composed myself I was just worried about opening at the correct altitude.

I don't remember much of the entire experience other than it 40+ seconds is really quite a bit more time then I thought it would be if that makes sense. However I think that my reaction will be much better the next go around. I really feel now that I know what to expect and think I can keep my wits about me.

I climbed Kili back in 02. Fun trip.

[jman 0]

Your post is a familiar story to me. I spent about 15 years doing a fair share of technical climbing. I always wanted to jump but climbing was more in line with my budget. As I passed the age of 40 I was able to afford the skydiving thing & wanted to do something that was a little less work than a rock climb. I skipped the tandem & went straight to aff. I think I had sensory overload for at least the first 6 to 8 jumps. When I finally was falling smoothly(not potato chipping) as I've heard it called, it changed my mental aspect of the jumps. You'll feel more comfortable as you go. I was a carpenter for many years & I always felt the same way about a house roof. I was always more comfortable on a climb or a jump. I guess it's that you have a real knowledge of what's going to happen when you go past that edge & know exactly what's next. Have fun with it. It only gets better.