Stupid things you have done to go skydiving?

[iwasinkheson68 0]

Amongst a pile of unpaid bills and bank letters I refuse on principle to open, I had the doctors remove the cast from my broken elbow early so I could get in on our uni club big way. I wouldn't recommend it. Oh, and we didn't build the big way.

[Slowfaller 0]

No memories of doing anything that stupid to go jump but I almost missed my brother's birthday dinner because I picked someone up at the airport and drove her to the DZ. We'd never even met until then.

But she gave me poppy cock so it was all good

--"Someday you will die and somehow somethings going to steal your carbon" -MM

[Krstnparker 0]

My Husband lost his job right before I started my AFF course. I was planning on paying for it all up front to save money. I knew we were OK financially but we live in the Metro Detroit area and he works in the automotive industry - so I really didn't have a clue when and if he would get another job.

The first question out of my mouth was "can I still go skydiving tomorrow?" Yeah I realize it was insensitive and a completely jerky thing to say but now he has a new job and I'm on jump number 7. So it's all good.

~I knew exactly where it was, I just couldn't find it.~
http://www.flickr.com/photos/krstnparker/

[shropshire 0]

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I've heard that that skydiving is a life style not a hobby.

It may be for some people but most of us have a proper perspective. Bills first and fun last.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[justintime1983 0]

I used to have the perspective, which is why Ive waited five years to work on getting my licence. Funnything is when you pay your bills and have no financial hardships, there is always something else, medical this or that, family, car issues, whatever.

Everything eventually gets paid so Im just switching up the order.

I keep telling my friends skydiving will fix all your problems, Im a fibber you just let go a minute at a time. Choose what to do with it.

[shropshire 0]

That's true, which is why I don;t get to jump as much as I'd like, even though I earn well. I'll not go into debt for a hobby (or a woman.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Carrapeta 0]

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That's true, which is why I don;t get to jump as much as I'd like, even though I earn well. I'll not go into debt for a hobby (or a woman.

See, I'll not go into debt for a house or car and, be commited for 5yrs or 30 or whatever. I sleep there what 6hrs a night then it's off to work then breakdancin' get home between 11pm and 2 am just to get up and be to work by 6:30 and repeat.
I'll be damned if I'm gonna pay more than what insurance and gas costs to sleep somewhere flat

I won't go into debt for a hobby either (no credit cards) but I'll sure spend every penny i have on it!! And push other shit to the back

It's about to get cold again though . . . glad I have a girlfirend

If your gonna be dumb ya gotta be tough.

Your mom goes HandHeld

[skybytch 273]

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Your house can be taken from you, your credit ruined, and you'll be a long time getting into another one.

Be prepared to pay, and accept, the consequences of your decision.

Speaking from the POV of someone who will never be able to buy a house, a car or even a new parachute on credit due to making the same sort of decisions... he makes a very, very good point.

Life with a shitty credit rating ain't all that great. And living in a tent can get old after awhile.

Selling the house to pay for jumping and gear, while probably not the smartest thing to do, would make a bit more sense than not paying your mortgage. And you'd get to keep your good credit rating...

[Andy_Copland 0]

Kicked my girlfriend in the ovaries for blocking the door then put her cat in the microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Not really done anything stupid to go skydiving, just stupid stuff while skydiving.

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[justintime1983 0]

Selling the house to pay for jumping and gear, while probably not the smartest thing to do, would make a bit more sense than not paying your mortgage. And you'd get to keep your good credit rating...

Although I have (well should have) 25k in equity Im not sure that selling in this market, if I wanted to sell in any reasonable amount of time, would leave any of it.

But like I said, Im going to make it I just dont know how. Hopefully I get a roommate, but there are also less idealist was to pay it. Shoot maybe even get back some of the money the ex owes me, or not.

I keep telling my friends skydiving will fix all your problems, Im a fibber you just let go a minute at a time. Choose what to do with it.

[justintime1983 0]

You would be supprized what you can do with a 590 median score, lil time since your last collection, job history, and a creative realtor.

I keep telling my friends skydiving will fix all your problems, Im a fibber you just let go a minute at a time. Choose what to do with it.

[peregrinerose 0]

Irresponsiblity like this is exactly why there are so many issues in the housing market to begin with If you are this immature in personal decisions, I'd question the wisdom of your in-air and jumping decision making processes as well. Take a step back, grow up a little, make more prudent money management decisions, and then skydive... the sky will be there when you're financially ready.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[justintime1983 0]

Irresponsibility is exactly why there are issues in the housing market. Im not sure if you have looked at any of the deeds of trust on the properties that have been forclosed, but I would say 99% have the ARM rider on them. (Almost seams we should open a new thread in the bon-fire forum). If you dont believe me go to the courthouse, register of deeds office, look up "trustees deeds" then you can look at all the ARM riders.

All I need is a roommate, solves all the problems. The question here is really just like $300 bucks, its not going to make or break me. Not finding a roommate thats dependable could after I had to change jobs because of school getting in the way,but $300 sure I can find that in a MONTH, and if the other issues arent sorted out then this month didnt really matter did it.

I keep telling my friends skydiving will fix all your problems, Im a fibber you just let go a minute at a time. Choose what to do with it.

[Carrapeta 0]

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If you are this immature in personal decisions, I'd question the wisdom of your in-air and jumping decision making processes as well.

I dunno, I gotta dissagree there. . . because someone wants to sacrifice one thing (house, GF credit, etc. . .) for a sport (lifestyle) doesn't mean they going to do something stupid in a sport that coulde result in death or very serious injury.

I've made plenty of really dumb life choices that've gotten me into some serious shit but, when I go climbing I still adhere to basic safety to keep myself from injury of death. I use climbing as an example because I only have 6 jumps but, the same principals apply to skydiving.

This is not the only activity that people completely flip thier llives around for. . .The same subject comes up in climbing forums and personally, I know people who have made STUUUUPIDLY irresponsible financial decisions but are great people and safe competent climbers as well.

Being willing (not the the OP IS. . .) to screw your credit, foreclose on your house, or whatever doesn't mean you're incapable of being a safety concious person in an inherently dangerous sport. . .

If your gonna be dumb ya gotta be tough.

Your mom goes HandHeld

[peregrinerose 0]

I've made over $300 in a weekend as a packer at a mid-sided DZ (the most I've made in a weekend was $650ish). Think about it... you make money, get to be around skydiving... talk to your DZO and see if it's an option.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[Carrapeta 0]

Now that I'll wholeheartedly agree with!!
I ve only been skydiving three weekends now and I already got a part time job at the DZ as a driver to shuttle jumpers back and forth from the hangar to the LZ!!

The pay isn't spectacular but I DO get paid to BE around skydiving!! I get to talk to people about thier gear, watch/learn how to pack, help the pilot start the engines in the morning, watch the experienced jumpers fly their canopies and land and, basically just learn the ins/outs of the whole DZ operation!!!

I have a well paying full time job (and a huge mass of crap to pay for from MY irresposible decisions) but, this really puts me in the middle of it all! and a day of work ends up giving me 3 free jump tickets!! (I still have to rent gear untill I get my own) The best way to learn and be a part of something is total imersion IMHO!!

If your gonna be dumb ya gotta be tough.

Your mom goes HandHeld

[Bill_K 0]

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I've made over $300 in a weekend as a packer at a mid-sided DZ (the most I've made in a weekend was $650ish). Think about it... you make money, get to be around skydiving... talk to your DZO and see if it's an option.

Shit, I've had weekends where I know that I've paid $100+ in packing alone for a weekend of skydiving. In fact my packer was asking me this past weekend when I was going to do that again. Guess he likes it too!

Of course I 'found' skydiving after I already had a career too... Spending the kids college fund is a great way to fund skydiving.

[chrismgtis 0]

On the other hand I'm considering selling my gear just so I CAN get back in college.

For two years skydiving was the most important. Though I had a career job and lost that due to the overseas deal we all know about.

Now I'm jobless and trying to get back in college and I need about $2000-3000 dollars to pay the first two months of rent in Orlando. That's if my credit doesn't suck bad enough right now that I can get the $70,000 in loans.

Luckily, everything that's negative on my credit will be gone by February or March of 2009. Only took me seven years to move a lot of ugly things off my credit report after I got out of college in 2001 and wasn't able to find a job in my home town for many years.

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

[Carrapeta 0]

What kind of gear do you have??

If your gonna be dumb ya gotta be tough.

Your mom goes HandHeld

[chrismgtis 0]

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What kind of gear do you have??

Javelin 2 container, a 175 triathlon main (dark purple and gray, but it's still a little bit of a pita to pack since it's still got that newness to it) with about 100 jumps on it and a Smart reserve (I think?) with maybe 1 jump on it. An Optik open face camera helmet (no mount holes or anything - it has about 3 jumps on it), a Z1 closed face, a PD altimeter (new as of last Christmas), a brand new audible altimeter (had it for a less than a year but barely been used), etc. I did about $800 of work on the container when I got it (put new leg strap pads on and such). It's all pretty much in perfect condition. The Jav2s just aren't the newest thing in existence, but I guess a crap load of people use those actually.

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

[Andy9o8 2]

I'm all for being and acting responsibly, especially as the father of 2 kids in their late teens.

But still, I've never been able to dislodge this thought from my head:

By the time many people are financially stable (say, late 20s - early 30s), they're often married, with demanding careers, mortgages, and children to support and stay alive & healthy for. Tough stage of life in which to be a skydiver. Being old enough to skydive, and still young enough to be responsible for nobody else but yourself, is often one brief, single window of time in a person's life. And then it's gone. Now I, too, have told people "The sky will always be there." But will it necessarily be there for them? Well, who knows? Some people have the health, finances and opportunity to skydive once their kids are older; others don't.

I don't believe in reincarnation. One go at life; that's it. I don't envision many people on the proverbial death-bed saying, "I wish I'd kept my nose to the grindstone more." But I can envision people saying, "I wish I'd taken more time to truly enjoy life when I had the chance."

Just an existential musing. Apply it as you see fit...or not...

[Jewels 0]

You have a much higher tolerance for risk than I would have. You'd make a great developer!

Even acknowledging that I'm more risk averse than you are, you're taking a big gamble on something that you have a strong passion for after just a few dates. It's fine to be excited about what you're doing, but keep in mind that you can end up with consequences you have to live with over the long-term. Not paying the mortgage for the sake of getting through AFF is a pretty big step. If you want to get a roommate to help pay the bills, great! I'd just suggest getting the roommate first.

I don't know how you plan to use your real estate finance degree, but if you're working on the LENDER'S side of a transaction, they're going to want to know the source of funds for repayment before they ever make a loan. You're making the loan to yourself before getting a payment plan in place. Figure out how to make it work first, then take the gamble. My guess is that you'll get more out of it in the end if you slow down and don't risk everything to get there.

TPM Sister #102

[dreaming13000 1]

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I'm all for being and acting responsibly, especially as the father of 2 kids in their late teens.

But still, I've never been able to dislodge this thought from my head:

By the time many people are financially stable (say, late 20s - early 30s), they're often married, with demanding careers, mortgages, and children to support and stay alive & healthy for. Tough stage of life in which to be a skydiver. Being old enough to skydive, and still young enough to be responsible for nobody else but yourself, is often one brief, single window of time in a person's life. And then it's gone. Now I, too, have told people "The sky will always be there." But will it necessarily be there for them? Well, who knows? Some people have the health, finances and opportunity to skydive once their kids are older; others don't.

I don't believe in reincarnation. One go at life; that's it. I don't envision many people on the proverbial death-bed saying, "I wish I'd kept my nose to the grindstone more." But I can envision people saying, "I wish I'd taken more time to truly enjoy life when I had the chance."

Just an existential musing. Apply it as you see fit...or not...

well put!

"A man only gets in life what he is believing for, nothing more and nothing less" Kenneth Hagen

[Tuna-Salad 0]

because of skydiving.. bills do not always get paid on time.
Am I sad about it? No.. the fuckers can wait and have their cash while I am living life

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[JohnMitchell 16]

A lot of folks want to jump but AFF is so expensive. Try IAd or SL. You can make jumps and house payments at the same time.