B License - water training?

[jamiem 1]

I just received my A license on jump #37 (I have 45 now) and I realized you need 50 jumps for a B. It took me so long to get my A because I was dragging my feet with learning how to pack.

But I noticed you need water landing training to get your B license. Does that mean I need to actually perform a water landing or just take a course on how to do it?

I have actually wanted to do a water landing for awhile now (i'm all about the aquatic sports too) so this makes me super excited!

I'm just not sure how to go about getting this training for my B license.

And is it weird to go straight from my A to get my B?

[keka 0]

they will probably take you to a pool... and have you jump in your harness, throw the canopy on top of you and make you get rid of it and show that you can be safe in any water landing.
you will also take an exam... check the SIM.

good luck

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org
PMS#551
I love my life :)

[councilman24 37]

No, you aren't, in theory authorized to do a live water jump. You will/should do wet training in a pool or lake. Someone else was recently complaining in central Florida that they had been on contact lists and sign up sheets for awhile but the training had never happened. It's a hassle to set it up. What a group did around here a few years ago was take it upon themselves to get together, find an instructor to do the training and commit to a date. Then they rented the pool themselves. That way all the instructor has to do is show up prepared to teach. He or she is not on the hook for the pool if people don't show, etc. Worked fine.

Beaware that many municiple or school pools don't want parachutes, clothes etc in their pools. If you or someone else is arranging a pool be up front with what your doing and why. My training gear has only be used for water training for many years.

Hint: I make people wear a baggy jumpsuit and get out of it. For awhile that seemed over kill. Not much reason to get out of a spandex suit. But with the rise of freeflying in suits that look much like my 1980's freeflyte calibrated fall rate suit it is appropriate. But I use a suit with ankle velcro. I've had several students undo their writsts unzip the suit, start to peel it off only to have it inside up hanging from their ankles where they missed the ankle velco. Only time I almost had to save someone.

As to going from a to b quickly. Many jumpers used to skip, and I imagine still do, licenses. If jumping at their training DZ often they used to skip A and B or at least B and go straight to C. C used to be, and still is, really the first license that lets you do something new. I only recieved a C and D. You still have to pass the tests and make all the jumps but you only pay for the license numbers you want. (someone will correct me if I'm wrong, it's been a couple of years since I wrote a license.)

If you want a B get a B, or wait for C.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[RB_Hammer 0]

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And is it weird to go straight from my A to get my B?

I got my B as soon as I could so I can do night jumps.

"I'm not lost. I don't know where I'm going, but there's no sense in being late."
Mathew Quigley

[popsjumper 2]

I had a really nasty comment about you and Lodi concerning your lack of knowledge of the SIM but instead....

Go get the SIM and read it.

http://www.uspa.org/publications/index.htm

Click the "view the SIM online" link in the left-hand frame.


It's all about taking charge of your learning. Your learning is going to come slow and erratic, if at all adn hopefully not too late, unless you take charge of yourself and actively seek out the knowledge. The SIM is a great place to start.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[lauraliscious 0]

I got my B so I could jump to the beach. You need the water training and a B license in order to do a water landing. But I agree with Andy, look it up for yourself in the SIM. I did my water training in the swoop pond at Zhills over the New Years boogie a few years ago. There are several options for where/how to do the water training. But you may have to wait a while for the training to get set up in your area.

Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091

[kelpdiver 2]

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And is it weird to go straight from my A to get my B?

I got my B as soon as I could so I can do night jumps.

You only need to be B qualified.

I had taken the other route - never got the A, got the B instead.

[Broke 0]

http://theblueskyranch.com/CSCWaterTraining.htm

good stuff

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[jamiem 1]

I know lots of people have strong views for or against Lodi. :) It's been good to me and I have been VERY proactive in finding out my own information. Even though it isn't USPA and they do things slightly differently, there are a lot of jumpers there with a lot of knowledge.

I actually ordered a copy of the SIM...but unfortunately the place I ordered it from is on backstock so it's been a few weeks since I placed my order. I'm hoping it will come soon!!

I believe there is a guy who freaquents the DZ who actually does water jump training, so next time I make it to jump I will talk to him and see about getting set up for a class.

Thanks for all the advice!

[popsjumper 2]

Congrats!

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[kelpdiver 2]

the SIM is available online. It's not quite as easy to read through as a bound book, but it can serve in the meanwhile, or you can do the effort to do the duplex printing.

As for water training, Davis does this every month in the AM of the second Sunday, then does their packing class. I think it was $20 when I did it 3 years back. Runs a couple hours, does a few jumps in the pool. Might be the path of least resistance for a guy who lives in Sac.

[jamiem 1]

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Might be the path of least resistance for a guy who lives in Sac.

HEY, I'm a girl!! :)

I will definately look into that in Davis though it sounds very interesting.

[skydivermom 0]

You're doing better than I did. I just got my B at around 143 jumps. I was afraid to do the water training because the idea of having something over my head in the water frightened me. I got stuck under a raft as a child and almost drown.

Anyway, I did my first beach jumps last weekend and so became highly motivated to get my B. I had alot of trouble getting the water training scheduled, but am lucky enough to have a best friend with an old harness and canopy. We went to a neighborhood pool and did the training. If I'd had to wait on a group to form and an instructor to be available, I still wouldn't have my B.

Good luck and stay safe!

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[MarkM 0]

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And is it weird to go straight from my A to get my B?

I got my B as soon as I could so I can do night jumps.

You only need to be B qualified.

I had taken the other route - never got the A, got the B instead.

I know it used to state B qualified, because I skipped by B due to that. But looking at the SIM now it looks like you may have to have the B license itself.

Not that most DZs would care or anything.

[Beer 0]

We did it off the back of a pontoon boat with shoes and a jumpsuit on.

Learn to be happy. You can't be there for anybody else in life if you can't learn to be there for yourself.