Tandem Progression ->A Liscense ->another tandem?

[pash 0]

Wondering if there is anyone in the world out there who got their A, took any time off where it felt like starting completely over, then went back for a tandem to regain confidence before completely putting yourself out there?

I've been out for a year but I've been lurking the forums every day since. I've talked with instructors and know that some AFF levels need to be repeated and ground school and radio.... Just wondering if anyone took the tandem route first...

Jason aka the big pussy

[NWFlyer 2]

Haven't taken that much time off yet, but I'd say do what it takes for you to feel comfortable. If that's starting with a tandem, so be it.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Elisha 1]

I was similar to you. I took about 9 months off for $$ reasons. I didn't even have my 'A' yet, but had around 35 jumps. All I did was a coached jump and everything was cool. But YMMV (your mileage may vary).

[kelpdiver 2]

which part makes you nervous? Exit, freefall or canopy? Can't think of any reason against the tandem, but at some point you will have to go it alone again.

[pash 0]

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which part makes you nervous? Exit, freefall or canopy?

Good question Kelp. I don't think it's any one specific part. All along the 30 jumps I've had, I wouldn't say I was really nervous, just very very thoughtful of the dive plan and what I was going to do. The idea of failing my plan would probably be the thing that made me "nervous." I have a friend with several thousand jumps that basically said screw tandem again, he would go up with me.

For me I like the idea of a learning progression and feeling like I have the curriculum or goals in front of me. I was not a good math student in school because I progressed year after year without actually knowing or retaining anything from the previous year. I am actually concerned that going immediately to coach or only one level of AFF would be due to my own ego and desire to not feel remedial.

I hate to admit it and I was trying to convince myself not to post this question, but really I was hoping at some experienced level, some skydiver has gone down this road before and chosen to go tandem... if only to make me feel better about my decision. It would be ironic if it were only me blazing the trail backwards...

Do you know what I mean by this?

jason

[AggieDave 6]

If you feel like you would benifit by doing a tandem to regain confidence and reintroduce yourself to the muscle memory, then go for it. If you decide not to, then don't, go talk to the head instructor and do the recurrancy requirements as laid out in the SIM.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[craichead 0]

I had a pretty slow start in the sport because of multiple shoulder issues. Here's my history that led up to my "Post A-License" tandem jump:

August 2002 - Started skydiving school through tandem progression (3 tandems, 7 AFF levels, 10 coach dives).

October 2002 - Dislocated my shoulder on AFF Level 3 (on flare). Took the rest of the season off.

February 2003 - Spent about 20 minutes in the Orlando wind tunnel.

June 2003 - Restarted the AFF progression from ground school and AFF Level 1, and got my A license by the end of the season.

January 2004 - About 30 minutes in the Orlando wind tunnel.

May 2004 - Dislocated shoulder again (on flare). Took the rest of the season off to do physical therapy.

October 2004 - PT didn't help at all, so I had shoulder surgery.

April 2005 - Went to Perris wind tunnel and tested my shoulder for about 15 minutes.

May 2005 - I still wasn't quite confident in the performance of my shoulder in actual freefall and under canopy, so I did a tandem.

I explained all of the above history to my AFF/Tandem Instructor, and asked him to go into a neutral position so that I could fly and test out the strength and range of motion for my shoulder. I maintained a heading, did a few 360s and pulled. When we were under canopy, he reviewed landing patterns and canopy control with me and had me practice some turns and flares.

This tandem gave me the confidence and reassurance that my shoulder would hold up in all stages of the skydive, so I proceeded on to an AFF ground school review. Then I did a check dive with my instructor and everthing went great! I had a radio for canopy control for the first two jumps, but I asked him not to talk to me unless it was absolutely necessary.

The only problem that I seemed to have after doing that one tandem is that I would pull my legs up when coming in for landing. It was if my legs were on a pulley system--hands went down for flare, legs went up. That's a very hard habit to break. I had to really concentrate on going into a PLF position. Luckily I was on big, docile student Navigators when I started jumping again.

So, there's my Post A-License tandem jump story. If you feel like it will boost your confidence before you fully get back into the sport, go for it. Just be sure to let your instructor know what you've done up to this point and what you'd like to accomplish with a tandem (should you choose to do one).

Good luck!
_Pm

__
"Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

[pash 0]

Wow! Thanks for that reply
jason

[peregrinerose 0]

There's no reason not to do a tandem, it is your skydiving career, do what makes you most comfortable and safe.

Although I did a tandem a couple weeks ago, for a friend who was going from Vector to Strong tandem gear, he already had something like 300 tandems behind him. After 130 jumps with my own canopy on my back, that tandem was probably the scariest thing I have done in a really long time, on the ground or in the sky!! Being in a plane without my own canopy on my back was bizarre

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[mfrese 0]

I recently took a friend on a tandem to get back in the air after a three year layoff. We had jumped together frequently while she was current, and she had something over 150 jumps when she stopped.

She was (and is!) a safe, confident, capable skydiver who just wanted to start back in a situation where someone she trusted would be there to work with her to get her through the "comeback jitters". The jump went great, she felt confident again, and...has now taken another 6 months since then, and is still not back in the air.

So, I was happy to do it, but a little sad that she dodn't stay current after that. Bottom line: do what you feel is right for YOU to get current, but do your best to stay current once you get there.

Doctor I ain't gonna die,
Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

[pash 0]

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she felt confident again, and...has now taken another 6 months since then, and is still not back in the air.

Good lord, after all the energy that I spend thinking about this every day, I hope I don't repeat THAT part of it! Thank you for sharing that story and your experience. It seems I'm not the only one that's been down this road.

take care,
jason