training videos and trainers

[sweetmoose 0]

Just curious what some of the more experienced would reccomend. I bought a video recently called "Break Away" which gave instructions on what to do when malfunctions happen. I just want to know If videos are good training, i.e. how to sit fly, back fly, and whatever else there is. Obviously, a pro at whatever dz you go to is probably the best instructor, but just wanted to know if videos are a good supliment and something to invest in or not. Thanks.

We die only once, but for such a very long time.

I'll believe in ghosts when I catch one in my teeth.

[DSE 5]

A discussion this subject was had a few months ago; you'll find a lot of opinions in both directions.
My opinion is that accessing as much information as possible is only a good thing, but not implementing it until you've got a good instructor or mentor to help you to best implement what you've learned through books/DVDs/forums.
You can easily develop bad habits that are difficult to break. I know I did.
Nothing beats a face-to-face with an experienced skydiver, but books/DVDs/forums help you know what questions to ask, and also give you some on-ground, visual references to what you should be doing in the air.

[tdog 0]

You know - sometimes my computer at the office says, "error - contact your system administrator." I yell back - "I am the administrator!"

Being an instructor is kind of the same thing - as when you ask someone "how to" - they say "ask your instructor" and I say back - "I am an instructor."

That being said, I really like the video I just purchased for myself.

http://www.skydiveu.com/products.php

The learning to sitfly video is the first, and only, training video in our sport that I felt I learned something from and uses modern technology to illustrate. I wish Skydive U would have started with belly flying instead of back flying - as I would let people borrow it in their AFF... It still could be better, but it is a good start. The video cannot replace coaching and communicating with experienced friends, but it gave me a few things to workon that helped.

I have purchased a few other videos, and sorry to the producers, but they sucked.

[AMax 0]

Oh that video is awesome. Our freefly team borrowed a DVD from me several month ago and they won a medal at Nationals.