Yoshi 0 #1 October 7, 2002 ok so I decided this weekend I am going to cut-away! I was planning to go to grad school, but I am going to now devote my life to skydiving. I plan to get as many ratings as I can this next season and my wife and I are going to head west! cant wait.. any tips from people who skydive full time would be great what do I need to do, know..etc. to make about 35-40k a year in jumping.. what are average rates for tandems/aff etc? wish me luck! -yoshi. -so far I have narrowed it down to texas arizona and utah to live (provided there are walgreens drug stores there since my wife is a pharmicist for them) any suggestions?? _________________________________________ this space for rent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #2 October 7, 2002 QuoteI was planning to go to grad school, but I am going to now devote my life to skydiving. You know Texas A&M is 5 minutes from Skydive Aggieland, we're growing really fast and are really starting to need more staff with ratings, once we get some more staff, we'll need more vidiots... Never mind that there are 2 new Walgreens and another one being built right now in College Station/Bryan...--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshi 0 #3 October 7, 2002 cool.. I was particularly looking at spaceland...since its near houston and all... I also do video so that would be a plus.. another kindof good thing I have going is management skills (currently manageing part of a mortgage broker firm) and manifest would work too.. -yoshi_________________________________________ this space for rent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brianthomas1966 0 #4 October 7, 2002 Better get that D license first. Then go for all the marbles. There are always ads in the skydiving mags for instructors and such - did you check those out? Brian Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
homer 0 #5 October 7, 2002 TAKE ME WITH YOU EXCEPT OUT WEST CUZ I'M ALREADY THERE. JUST GET ME OUT OF THIS GOD FORSAKEN PLACE. I HATE SCHOOL, MY JOB IS OK AND I MAKE GREAT MONEY AT IT ANYWAY I TOO WANT TO CUT AWAY BUT I DON'T WANT TO DISAPPOINT MY FAMILY CSA #699 Muff #3804 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshi 0 #6 October 7, 2002 as far as the licence.. I jsut passed my b and c and I am taking the d this weekend. so that will be clear:) dream and live your dream -yoshi_________________________________________ this space for rent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #7 October 7, 2002 35-40k is going to be hard... think more along the lines of 20-25k unless you are at a hopping place like X-keys/SDC/etc. Video makes more money usually then instructors do. I've seen instructors make between 20-35 per jump. Also remember that the money you are getting paid has not had taxes pulled out yet Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TALONSKY 0 #8 October 7, 2002 You may want to wait until you have 500 jumps before cutting away. Most rating take 500 jumps & 3 years in the sport to get. Except the Coach rating and at my DZ we coach's only get the jump and money for a pack job. Unless you are experianced doing video. Good luck, Blue Skies Kirk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #9 October 7, 2002 Quote Also remember that the money you are getting paid has not had taxes pulled out yet What money? All the guys I know never make more than about $50-100 per year..... Most lose money..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar 5 #10 October 7, 2002 don't be stupid stay in school and get a real job! then you can afford to jump when you want. or plan on eat'n lots of penaut and jelly.you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshi 0 #11 October 7, 2002 well thats the cool thing.. I have a sugar momma:) and by the end of next season 500 jumps shouldnt be an issue.. ahh well.. its going to be a long strange trip...but I know it will be an experience I wouldnt trade for anything:) -yoshi_________________________________________ this space for rent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jraf 0 #12 October 7, 2002 Yoshi, my little yellow friend: That is about the stupidest idea I have heard in a lot of time! Has wind in freefall blown your brains away, or was it all the beer. By going professional in skydiving you: Make it a way of earning a living You are forced to jump Will be chasing people soliciting your skydiving services Enter the inter-company politics of a DZ Will have to have several jobs cause just instucting wont cut it Hence will have to work for a parachute manufacturer People like me will be complaining about your services and maybe giving you tips ($) if you are nice You will be bitching about skydivers like me who are moody Every 5th tandem passanger will vomit/urinate on you Will be wearing Vans shoes for the rest of your life Will be living in a trailer park Skydive for fun. Earn your money elswhere. Work and fun rarely mix!!!jraf Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui. Muff #3275 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygod7777 0 #13 October 7, 2002 kevin, have you looked at skydive las vegas. a huge tandem factory, if you get your tandem rating, and you could shoot videos, i'm sure, but starting pay for tandems is 40K to 60K a year, and no i didn't do any math to figure that out i read it in parachutist. later blue sky's and long swoops kelly ps: i won't be able to get that canopy for you another ps: talk to jonny aout skydive las vegas(he has worked there) "hook low, flare late.........dirt, tumble, dirt.........ouch" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zlew 0 #14 October 8, 2002 get all the ratings u can get including Rigger if u want to go full time. You should be able to do pretty much anything at the DZ to make money if you can (including video). If I decided to go full time and wanted 30K or so a year: AFF I, SL I, Video set up, 2 rigs, Tandem (own the rig if the dz lets you and pays more for it is an option) Rigger. I make more on video stills than on AFF, but there are many days where I have mad a few hundred bucks on AFF and the other video guys didn't make anything because people didn't buy vid that day. The more ways u have to make money, the better. By you numbers, it looks to me like u are a good year-2 years away from really being able to do it (not to mention 10-50K$ in jump, equipment, courses etc.) Good luck to you, but understand it's not a gravy train. Z Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #15 October 8, 2002 QuoteBy going professional in skydiving you: 1. Make it a way of earning a living Which can be a good thing. It's a good feeling to make a living in your sport. 2.You are forced to jump This can suck at times, but by standing up for your personal limits you can avoid jumping in unsafe conditions or conditions that you aren't comfortable with. 3. Will be chasing people soliciting your skydiving services Nah. Check the classifieds in Parachutist and Skydiving. There's plenty of work out there. 4.Enter the inter-company politics of a DZ That can suck. Careful selection of the DZ you work at can help with that though. 5.Will have to have several jobs cause just instucting wont cut it Depends on the dz. Having several skills (ratings) is a good thing - the more you can do, the more likely you are to work as much as you want/weather allows. But some dz's are busy enough that a tandem or AFF rating or skill with a camera alone will get you enough work to make it. 6. Hence will have to work for a parachute manufacturer What's wrong with that? Free or greatly reduced gear is a good thing. 7. People like me will be complaining about your services and maybe giving you tips ($) if you are nice Tips are good. Who cares if you complain. You'll get over it. 8. You will be bitching about skydivers like me who are moody Laughter is the best medicine. Especially when the person being laughed about has no idea how stupid they made themselves look. 9.Every 5th tandem passanger will vomit/urinate on you I guess I got lucky 22 times, cuz in 114 tandems I was never peed on or puked on. 10.Will be wearing Vans shoes for the rest of your life Vans are cool. And expensive. It's WalMart clearance specials for most of us in the industry. 11. Will be living in a trailer park Around a bunch of skydivers. What a life! If you ain't doing it, you have no clue... QuoteSkydive for fun. Earn your money elswhere. Work and fun rarely mix!!! But when they do, it's pure heaven. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VivaHeadDown 0 #16 October 8, 2002 If you don't like the trailer, there's always the three room tent from Wal-Mart! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #17 October 8, 2002 I cut away with less than a year in the sport and about 200 jumps, i got my aff rating with 6 hours of freefall (360 jumps or so). I have a USPA coaches rating & Skydive University rating. I dont have tandem because you have to be in the sport for 3 years...kinda funny that you can be an aff instructor but you cant be a tandem instructor. whatever. Anyways, what I did was quit my job, and started working selling gear & manifest to pay for my certifications. I got my AFF rating in January and I have done about 300+ AFF jumps this summer and I will be going to Deland to work windtunnel AFF for the winter for Skydive U. Word of caution, I lived on 1/2 pound of pasta (the generic kind) a day for 4 months while i was getting my ratings. You have to really want it. I dont regret one bit of it though. Its kinda like getting paid to get blowjobs!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BMFin 0 #18 October 8, 2002 Quote I lived on 1/2 pound of pasta (the generic kind) a day for 4 months while i was getting my ratings. Dude ! You dont hafta start braging with it ! Im hungry ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #19 October 8, 2002 sometimes i could even afford Ragu sauce!!!! by the way, i havent been able to get the roasted garlic kind in New England....I could only get it down in Florida. I cant wait to get back down there and start eating like a king again... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #20 October 8, 2002 Skyslut...it appears your name is fitting. I think you want that stuff FAR more than I do. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #21 October 8, 2002 I gave up a 2000 Convertible Mercedes for Ragu sauce??? I gotta be out of my mind...but I would rather wake up on fire than go back to the real world! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #22 October 8, 2002 Quotebut I would rather wake up on fire than go back to the real world! I don't hink I could ever quite let go. I enjoy my time away from it but I don't think I could blindfold myself like that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #23 October 8, 2002 I wouldnt say that I have totally blindfolded myself, but I may want to get back into the real world at some point. I have plenty to fall back on with my past job experience, college education, and all the stuff that supposedly makes you successful. But for me right now "success" isnt met by how much crap you own, but it is more based on quality of life. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #24 October 8, 2002 Quote But for me right now "success" isnt met by how much crap you own, but it is more based on quality of life. Bingo! I may make next to nothing compared to some of you, but! I go to work with a smile on my face, I truly love what I do, my entire life revolves around parachutes and skydiving. It's what I've wanted since shortly after I got into the sport. Seems to be what many jumpers _say_ they want... until they find out they might have to sell that bitchin' new car and replace it with a P.O.S., forego expensive dinners out (or dinner period sometimes ), move from that nice house into something... well... less than nice, etc. How bad do you want to live the life? Most jumpers say they want it, but aren't willing to make the required sacrifices. Their loss. My life is awesome, and I know a lot of jumpers working in the industry who will say the same thing. Even if they live in a trailer... or a tent for that matter! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #25 October 8, 2002 actually, another really cool thing is the people that you meet and the places that you go. I have met so many interesting people from all over the world. The stories that I have from the times that I have spent with those people are worth more than anything that I own. (except my rigs, of course Material stuff comes and goes, memories last forever. At least, most of them do anyways... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
