Conversion

[Push 0]

Have you guys ever convinced a non-jumper to try the sport? It could be nice to find a way to introduce people to this without feeling guilty of giving them the scariest 10 minutes of their life.

And the half-price coupons I get for new jumpers have absolutely nothing to do with it

-- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo
Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you.

[Viking 0]

Nope all my friends are whuffo wussies!!

you guys only get half price for a referals?

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[Lolie 0]

Yup! I've gotten seven people to do their first jumps. It's fun when they get back down, and they're like, "So this is why you're so obsessed!"

I'm also secretary of UW-Madison's skydiving club; we take a bunch of people down to the dz once a semester who've never jumped before. We had about 70 go this fall. It's so fun to be around that much nervous/excited energy!

-Miranda
you shall above all things be glad and young / For if you're young,whatever life you wear
it will become you;and if you are glad / whatever's living will yourself become.

[ltdiver 3]

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It's so fun to be around that much nervous/excited energy!

So you were around Viking tonight?

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[pilotdave 0]

I've only gotten a couple friends to try it. Most of my close friends say they would if it didn't cost so much. Others say HELL NO. I'm the president of the University of Maryland's club, so about once a month I get to attempt to convince a room full (or half full, or more likely mostly empty) of people that they should try it. Works fine till I get to my powerpoint slide with the prices.

One thing is I never really try to convince anyone to do it. I tell them how much fun it is, what it feels like, and all that, and show videos that make it look fun, but I'm careful to leave the decision to each person. The last thing I want to do is talk a friend into doing something they don't really want to do and have them get hurt.

Dave

[happythoughts 0]

Either people really, really want to, or they really, really don't. If they bring it up, give them some information.

If they ever get hurt, they (or their SO) will blame you even if it happens 5 years down the road. People who get a twisted ankle on a tandem get really snippy.

[dropdeded 0]

I have gotten a bunch of people to do a Tandem.Nobody that I brought out has continued the sport though.Bought my sister a Tandem for her 40th.My niece and nephew have done Tandems,my nephew had a Mal and thought he was gonna die,puked as soon as the resereve did its job.When I can,I will post the pictures of him just after landing,priceless.Had one friend do up to aff 3,never went further though.

dropdeded
PCSS#26

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The Dude Abides.
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[SatchFan 0]

I have never have been able to get somebody to even try it much less a full conversion.

[freeflir29 0]

As hard as I try.....not yet. I have lots of people SAY they are interested but haven't noticed any show up at the DZ yet.

[suz 0]

No, coz I've only been convinced to get up in the air myself. my mate invited me up to watch him do his graduation jump for his A liscense. He happened to have invite me on the weekend when the state championships were on. I'd had never been in a plane before... and it took me all of five minutes to be convinced. It was the best weekend of my life. I'll never forget it!!!
When we rocked up at the dz, the sunset load were just landing, and I remember casually walking near the F liscense landing area when this crazy bastard swoop in so fast. I remember hearing this flapping sound, turning around and seeing this gorgeous pink and green canopy heading my way. I was in love straight away!!!!!!

Don't bother me, I'm living happily ever after

[jtval 0]

Ive gotten over 30 ppl to jump.
but I NEVER CONVINCED them. they either want to go or they dont. if they wanna go, I will take em.

My photos

My Videos

[Beeron 0]

Last summer when I started, none of my friends could understand my new-found fascination. Finally, this spring I convinced my best buddy to do a tandem. He absolutely loved it. Signed up for AFF, finished it within two weeks, and now we have the same jump #'s and licenses.

B~

[Hallur 0]

I will say it like this, a whole lot of people have said they are going to do it but very few have come. Hell! one guy I know even bought a rig I had but I havent seen him for a while Hallur

When I stop skydiving is the day that I die!!! Hallur

[slotperfect 7]

The first was my wife, 12 years ago. All I got was "yeah, maybe sometime." Then I went off to an Army leadership school for 8 weeks and she learned AFF while I was gone. I found out she had started after she had already made three jumps: "Guess what I did this weekend!?!?" After our first child was born she stopped jumping (52 jumps) but made a tandem with me this year. I'm gonna talk her into a recurrency Level IV next, and when she shows up for it she'll have her own gear, which I will have already bought her used.

The next was my friend (like a sister) Jo. She always said: "no way." I didn't push her, just kept sharing my joy of skydiving with her and became closer friends. She made two tandems with me this Summer and will start AFF in the Spring.

Arrive Safely

John

[goose491 0]

ALL my friends are like "Hell yeah I'll go!"... Of course, they never do! I've gotten about 4 friends to take the plunge and also, my whuffo woman did a tandem this year (she wants to go again whooohooo)

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you guys only get half price for a referals?

They credit your acount with like $28 or something (this is price of jump from 10,500') If you are on Student Status, this is like a 'half-price' jump 'cause your average jump including insructor and rental gear comes out to about $60 CND.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[Viking 0]

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Nope all my friends are whuffo wussies!!

you guys only get half price for a referals?

let me rephrase that

all my whuffo friends are wussies.

there ya happy Bill?

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[skybytch 273]

I've "convinced" two people to jump. Paid for both of them to do it. Neither have continued beyond the first one - one (a friend from my teenage years) because she decided to have a bunch of kids, the other (my son) because he can't afford it.

That said, I'll never try to talk someone into jumping again. As a matter of fact, I don't even like to talk about skydiving to whuffo's; I figure if they're interested enough to do it, they'll come out to the dz and check it out. If they're full of it (as most are), I don't want to waste my time discussing it with them.

[Jessica 0]

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That said, I'll never try to talk someone into jumping again. As a matter of fact, I don't even like to talk about skydiving to whuffo's; I figure if they're interested enough to do it, they'll come out to the dz and check it out. If they're full of it (as most are), I don't want to waste my time discussing it with them.

My thoughts exactly. I've had one friend actually make the jump -- he paid for the tandem, I bought him video as a present. He loved it so much he did his T-2 that same day. He'd love to continue, but can't afford it.

That's one out probably 30 people who have told me they'd love to try it. Screw 'em. If they want to do it, they'll make the effort on their own, like I did.

Skydiving is for cool people only

[bbarnhouse 0]

I organized a group form Nike to go do tandems........what a blast!! 4 continued through AFF.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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Have you guys ever convinced a non-jumper to try the sport?

About one month ago I gave a very good friend of mine (who used to be my best friend but we hardly see each other any more) a tandem jump + video for her 34th birthday. She can't afford to skydive on a regular basis and a year before I even became a skydiver she had mentioned that we should try it. On the big day, she tried to convince herself that I couldn't afford it, but I told her that if she really wanted to go, now would be the time (you know I was temporarily insane for offering to pick up the tab). Well it was a good day, she got her jump + video (she even said it wasn't as scary as she thought it would be) and now she knows the passion that I have for this sport. But as far as getting any other friends or work colleagues out, fat chance. But as some of your said, if they really want to jump, they'd do it. Otherwise we're just wasting our breath trying to tell them otherwise.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[mujie96 0]

A few. One in particular swears he's hooked but can't seem to find the $$ to start AFF which makes me question how hooked he really is-he could always hold up a bank or something like I did....I also have a few co-workers who are going to come to the DZ to make tandems. I love to ride the plane with people making their first jump and I love the look on their faces afterwards, its another reminder of how much I love this.

Jess

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