When did the fear subside?

[Brian425 0]

I'm curious when did you fear level start to subside? For me the most nervous moment was on my first solo. After a few solos, the level of fear started to decrease substantially.

At 20 jumps, I am 100% calm on the way to altitude. I do all my checks at 7k. Relax until 12k. Get up on our knees, gear checks and good buys. As soon as I feel/hear the engines cut back, my heart races a little.

I still have some fear when going to the door. I personally think it's good to have a little fear, it keeps you sharp. And I actually enjoy it a little.

So when did the fear subside for you?

The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand.

[vdschoor 0]

Quote

I still have some fear when going to the door. I personally think it's good to have a little fear, it keeps you sharp. And I actually enjoy it a little.

So when did the fear subside for you?

The day that last bit of fear (I would call it excitement though, not fear) goes away, post your stuff in the classifieds because you will become a danger to yourself and others.

I think the real fear goes away and it gets replaced by excitement, adrenaline pumping, and this keeps you sharp.
It comes and goes, if you take some time off, it will be back again, which is normal.
For me it was back for a while when I first started jumping camera, when I did my first couple of jumps on my new canopy etc.. it comes and goes, but never really goes away I think.

Iwan

[BASE813 0]

For skydiving, i lost the fear about 30 jumps but then got it back again around 100 jumps - this went again around 150 jumps (apparently this is quite common) and then I got cocky and self assured until about 300 jumps.........

if you loose the fear you put yourself at risk - remember this sport can / will hurt / kill you......... dont get tooooo comfortable....

[Brian425 0]

I agree, the day I have no fear, is the day I hang it up. I have a healthy respect for the sport.

The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand.

[ChrisL 2]

At 114 jumps I still have a little anxiety but
only before the first jump of the day and then only on the ride up. Once we are 2 minutes from jump run and we start doing final checks etc that gets replaced with excited anticipation, and once out the door its replaced with

YEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAA!

I wouldnt call it fear, though, I'd call it nervous excitement

__

My mighty steed

[Girlfalldown 0]

I feel the fear every time I do something a little different like jump with new people, try different gear, do a skydive I've never done, jump at a new dropzone, etc. It's entertwined with excitement. I love that feeling. If I'm at my own dz doing the same thing I tend to get more relaxed but even then, every once in a while, I see something happen and it slaps that comfort zone away for a while. It's a good thing.

--------------

(Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take my posts seriously.)

[Dougiefresh 0]

Quote

only before the first jump of the day and then only on the ride up

Yup. Overall I'd say my nervousness really decreased around jump 6 or so. I realized, "hey, I can do this!" It really hit home when I was able to talk to people on the way up instead of just concentrating on my jump the whole time and working myself into a frenzy.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams

[quade 4]

Fear, in and of itself, isn't all that bad of a thing to have. It will help keep you alert and therefore alive. We want you to be careful and cautious. We also want it under control. That comes with experience. How much and how quickly depends on the positive and negative reinforcement you get from the experience.

The quicker you get the fear of skydiving under control, the faster you'll learn about the sport of skydiving.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

I have learned to respect fear. To have it subside is one thing, to have it go away altogether is another. I've noticed that if I'm on a load with people I know, the climb to alti isn't so bad, but if I don't know anyone or very few on my load, I'm anxious. But once in the door, I'm golden! I love that part!

_________________________________________

[skyyhi 0]

I always have that nervous excitement that comes with jumping. . .it is especially strong on the first jump of the day or when I am trying something new.

I do remember the day my door fear left me. . .I even logged in in my logbook. Jump 16, student solo. I am doing a diving exit and I am spotting. I have my head stuck way outside the door. Suddenly I realized that this part of skydiving was no longer fearful to me. I had the best skydive after that. . .I was so pumped. . .

________________________________________
Take risks not to escape life… but to prevent life from escaping. ~ A bumper sticker at the DZ
FGF #6
Darcy

[happythoughts 0]

For my first 25 jumps, I was scared of skydiving.
For my next 25, I was ok with skydiving, but scared of the plane ride.
At 300 jumps, I started getting comfortable and complacent. Then I saw people get hurt.

Fear is good, it makes you double-check everything.
Skydiving can hurt you if you don't respect it.

[catfishhunter 2]

I never feared the Jump... it was the ^@%^@% Plane! I truly thought about quitting on almost every single jump until somwhere around 22-24 jumps. My brain would keep telling me the plane was going to slam into the mountains and I would die in a big fire ball. The only thing that kept me going was the relief I got from getting out of the plane. My head still to this day tries to tell me we all gonna die! when the plane takes off the only difference is now when I tell it to shut the FUCK up it does..at least sometimes

I trust my training. When I start feeling apprehensive(spelling?) about the jump I just run through my ermegency procedures think about the Jump and if somethign still does feel right I let the others I am jumping with know I don't feel comfortable with the jump plan and change it or call it off. As I did yesterday. Was going to do a 2 way with a camera guy at sunset beautiful layer of industrial haze sun going down. Changed the Jump to solos at about 8K. Just wasn't worth ruining a perfect sunset jump by taking the chance of losing each other in the haze and end up crashing into each other.

I have learned to say when and that in itself and relieved alot of the unfounded fear.

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[wingnut 0]

welliwouldn't say my fear has subsided. i'd say it has increased.... i'm atthe point now that i fully relise what could happen to me every jump and all the diffrent things that could go wrong at any moment..... they say ignoranceis bliss but well in skydiving untill you understand it all it can hurt you just for the fact that you don't know.... i'm happythati am alittle more scard now than wheni started jumping..it keps ya in check and on your toes as to all the things that need to be thought of every second...

______________________________________
"i have no reader's digest version"

[mujie96 0]

It didn't, although I eventully quit having to pee every time I got my rig on after I got out to SkydiveAZ.

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming....

[mujie96 0]

Quote

welliwouldn't say my fear has subsided. i'd say it has increased.... i'm atthe point now that i fully relise what could happen to me every jump and all the diffrent things that could go wrong at any moment..... they say ignoranceis bliss but well in skydiving untill you understand it all it can hurt you just for the fact that you don't know.... i'm happythati am alittle more scard now than wheni started jumping..it keps ya in check and on your toes as to all the things that need to be thought of every second...

Heehee wingy....
That's true. I'm way more terrified now that I realize just how green I am. Hopefully I stay this way instead of swooping my way to a few broken bones or worse because I got complacent.

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming....

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

OMG...ROTFLMAO!!! Whassup with that? I have to pee a lot too before the first jump of the day! ...but after I get it outta my system...I'm good to go!

_________________________________________

[Laurel 0]

I am still scared and have frequent nightmares about burning in to the point that sometimes I wonder why I jump - until I get into the air and remember how much I love it.

I don't ever want to stop fearing this sport. As soon as I do, I could hurt myself or others.

.....................................................................
PMS#28, Pelogrande Rodriguez#1074
My Pink M

[MarkM 0]

Quote

It didn't, although I eventully quit having to pee every time I got my rig on after I got out to SkydiveAZ.

LOL, what do they call that, low timer blader syndrome? I always used to pee on the 10 min call figuring that'd hold me over til I was back on the ground. I had a system:

15 min call, jumpsuit and alt on, gear check, zero the alt, stop drinking fuilds.
10 min call, go pee, another gear check, make sure my alt was zero'd.
5 min call, gear check, throw the rig on, make sure the alt was zero'd, wait by the plane.