Excuses, excuses...

[Jeji 0]

Was out to the DZ on Sunday. Beautiful blue sky, Otter flying all day and I didn't jump!!!!!!!! Fresh off AFF, this is supposed to be my Presecond solo and I passed it by!!!!!!! My mind has been quite preoccupied these days and I've had a string of pretty bad luck, just stupid things, but enough for me to know that Murphy has been paying me some extra special attention. I was at first pleased with my decision. I know that especially this early on in my advancement, if my mind is not fully on my task at hand I won't give 100%. I was pleased with myself that I know when to sit a day out. Now 3 days later looking out at a clear blue sky, light wind... I am so peeved at myself!!!!! I'm coming up on my 30 days AGAIN!!! I should have jumped, it was just a bunch of BS excuses!!!!!! Just wondering if anybody else has had this dilema. To jump or not to jump.... when should you sit one out?????
Jeji

[jumpervali 2]

Sounds like you need a airbath. Think of this as a 0 requirement dive just go fall flat and on heading.....D compress and look around. After that you need a new set of task. Do a level 6 tracking dive using only your legs to do your turns. You've got the basics during the AFF jumps now focus on keeping your learning going on the same curve for the next 10 jumps.....................coach jumps are good for this. It will keep you learning and give you some direction. SMILE in freefall it's fun too.
jumpervali

[Michele 1]

Hey, Jeji.
So, yeah, I did the same thing. Used the excuse that I was too hung over and too tired to do my first solo. Both real, and true, at the time, and both really just excuses. The truth was I was scared. By the time I did do my solo, about 6 days later, I was so scared that I had a really tough time.
You just have to get out, and fall straight down. Pull high if you want. But get out and get it over with. It was really hard for me, but I did it, and all went well, and now it's not so difficult.
However, make sure you will sit it out if there are real, honest problems: winds too high, medical issues, whatever. Make your decisions at home: I will jump in such and thus conditions, and I will not jump in thus and such conditions. And then stick to them. Moderate them if you encounter something you haven't thought about, but stick to your overall game plan.
Yeah, I know Murphy, too. Sometimes it's not out there - sometimes, it's inside.
Go jump, Jeji, handle it. I know how you feel, and I know how you will feel. You'll be very proud of yourself when you get through it, I promise!! Let me know how it goes, o.k.?
Ciels-
Michele
"What of the dreams that never die? Turn to your left at the end of the sky".
~e e cummings~

[freeflir29 0]

The only time you shouldn't jump is when there is a real question with the weather or a medical problem. Other than that GET IN THE AIR! If you don't feel overly confident, make the dive simple. Stay within your skill set for a few jumps. Your new. Take it slow but dont stop.
"This conversation ends right here Captain! You can talk to the ALO when he gets back."-Me
Clay

[JMC 0]

I felt the same way last Saturday, hung over, bad feeling about jumping. I jumped anyway and now I'm glad I did. It was my 3rd AFF. I made mistakes and learned a few things about sky diving and myself. I agree with the rest of the posts in the thread, unless it's a medical or weather problem, I say JUMP.
John

[Pammi 0]

I think we've all been there Jeji. Either a bad case of nerves over something that happened before, feeling icky (air will help that btw..hehe) or whatever. Learn to distinguish your feelings of "this just isn't right" that you most definately SHOULD listen to, from "I just don't feel like it" which might be something else. Especially coming off AFF...you haven't had a lot of JFFJ (Just For Fun Jumps). I totally agree that you need one badly! Do a fun exit you particularly like then just screw around, flips whatever...whatever sounds fun. Not trying to learn or accomplish anything (though you just might anyway When I'm feeling really frustrated with my performance, that's when I grab my freefly friends and beg for a jump with them. Something silly, like trying my sit or a horny gorilla, that I know we'll all laugh about after when it funnels as it probably will. But being just off student status, a JFFJ - solo dive is probably best :)
Have fun! Get high!
P
Hemp/skydiving jewelry pics!

[MarkM 0]

Quote

Make your decisions at home

Good rule.
Make your skydiving decisions on the ground before the jump.
Make your jump decisions at home before you get to the DZ.

[flyhi 24]

Quote

this is supposed to be my Presecond solo

I am not familiar with the term Presecond. What is it?
flyhi

[skymedic 0]

use that so you dont have to say your "1st" to get out of buying beer!!!!!
Marc
Because I fly, I envy no man on earth

[lazerq3 0]

Quote

The only time you shouldn't jump is when there is a real question with the weather or a medical problem.

And dont forget the most important...financailly challenged!!!
Like everyone one else said we've all gone through it at some point. Hell I still ask myself on the ride to altitude if I REALLY want to do this again but I always some how end up out side the plane. Go figure. But remember its your call if you dont want to jump dont. The sky isnt going anywhere it'll wait for ya when your ready!
jason

[Jumperpaula 0]

It's really good you are being conservative now. If you just don't feel In The Zone than just wait. If you gone this far in your training, there is hardly any going back now. The feeling will be right.
As far as making the decision to go skydiving before you leave you house....my student status was spent on a drop zone 90 miles away. If I decided not to skydive on Saturday morning "before I left my house" , I'd still be a student. The hangover usually proved itself to be Major or Minor in the 1 1/2 hour drive.
I sat many jumps out for Various Reasons. Even rode the plane down with headaches.
You will KNOW when to jump. Trust yourself.
Fly Your Slot !

[Aviatrr 0]

Quote

I sat many jumps out for Various Reasons. Even rode the plane down with headaches.

And then there are those of us that don't sit out jumps when we probably should....such as the questionable whether thing.. Ya know, you look at the weather moving in, you say it won't get there fast enough to cause a problem, then on jump run it doesn't look bad.....but when you pull, you realize it's probably a bad time to have jumped....or when you get pelted with rain in freefall..
Hell, I've only ridden the plane down once - and that was when we got into some very heavy rain, and I didn't want to ruin my camera.. I've made some bad choices, but have been lucky that I've not been hurt by those choices..
I guess the point of all my rambling is.... Don't be afraid to sit out a jump if it doesn't feel right..
Mike

[freeflir29 0]

Oh yeah, Unless you are a Chic.....Don't wear your skirt to the DZ. It may attract unwanted attention.
"This conversation ends right here Captain! You can talk to the ALO when he gets back."-Me
Clay

[Jeji 0]

Thank you guys! I knew I came to the right place with this Q. I'll be out to the DZ again on Monday and I am jumping!!!!! I guess if I could manage to get myself on the plane and out the door on my L-6 try 3 ( out of 4! ) I can do it now!!!!!!!! I think I'll just plan on NOT backsliding and landing on my feet!!! Oh and the last time I posted I had asked for some advice on flaring. My L-7 I did a nice smooth 2 stage flare looking strait out on the horizon, and stood it up!!!! Thanks everyone, I'll report back on Tuesday!!!
Jessi Ü

[freeflir29 0]

Good Luck! Rip it up!
"This conversation ends right here Captain! You can talk to the ALO when he gets back."-Me
Clay

[Donna 0]

Hey Jeji,
Yup. I've been there before. There are times when I've forced myself to jump and I've been happy I did afterwards but there was one time when I didn't push myself. I don't even know why I didn't want to jump but my head just wasn't in it. (You can read about it here.) I was so upset with myself after and really nervous it would keep happening but the next weekend I was fine. I think you have to look deep inside yourself and know when it is time to push yourself and when it is time to give yourself a break. Good luck. I know you'll do fine next time. Believe in yourself. As one old skydiver once told me, "Skydiving is all about confidence." You can do it! Remember to smile!
Skies,
D

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

Do a trick!

[mouth 0]

I've read the posts and I think if we all honestly think back we have all had this problem at one time or another. There have been days I simply didn't have the confidence to jump, days I should have jumped and didn't, days I shouldn't have jumped and did, and days when I simply couldn't wait to get out there and get an altitude adjustment. We are all human with emotions and fears. Follow your heart about how you feel. You obviously love jumping or you wouldn't have stuck with it this far. Good luck.
Lisa

[JDBoston 0]

What I found works is telling lots of whuffo friends that you're going to jump. Then you have to, otherwise you face the shame of explaining to your friends that you just "didn't feel like it," which they will assume means you were scared.
That said, there are definitely good points above about not jumping if you're sick, out of sorts, etc. - anything that might compromise your health or safety or that of others. It gets a lot easier, believe me - you just have to keep pounding on through until it feels more normal.
Joe
A-38502