What's tougher on the body?

[packerboy 3]

I'm a 3 and I would say 1... it's harder to pack, but what do I know?

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In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[Kimblair13 0]

I've packed a shit ton and now do tandems too. Most tandems I've ever done in a day is 10, but it's still way easier than packing.

[skybytch 273]

I've done both. That's why I don't do either one anymore.

Most brutal is having to haul the meat and then pack the rig.

[bodypilot1 0]

It really doen't matter which one is harder.

Once you have devoloped a TECHNIQUE for what you choose to do, it all EASY!



Be safe.
Ed

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[AggieDave 6]

I've packed more tandems then I have tandem jumps (I now have a bit over 700 tandem jumps) and I will say (even though I love doing them) that being a TI is much harder on the body overall.

Packing is harder on the hands and knees, but nothing gives you a full on full body sore like doing a lot of back to back tandems all weekend.

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

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

Packing is hard on your body. The more you pack the more worn out you are. Tandems are hard on your body. The more you do, the more worn out you are. The difference is that doing tandems is skydiving for a living and packing is not. I'll take getting beat up doing tandems anyday.

Chuck

[skybytch 273]

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The difference is that doing tandems is skydiving for a living

I disagree. Doing tandems is doing tandems for a living. Not that there's anything wrong with doing tandems... but if that's all you do then your freefall skydiving skills will suffer (we've all seen the tandem masters who go low or take out the formation every time they try to do RW...).

I would class AFF instruction as skydiving for a living.

[AggieDave 6]

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(we've all seen the tandem masters who go low or take out the formation every time they try to do RW...).

And I know AFF-I's who can't FF to save their ass and SL/IAD-I's that can't swoop.

Whats your point, its still skydiving even though you seem to have something against tandems.

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

[packerboy 3]

I agree, "skydiving" is jumping out of an airplane while not attached to an opening device like a static line or IAD instructor, which I would classify as "parachuting".

Whatever floats your boat. I go low on some formations, mainly because I have a total of about 25-30 belly jumps and 300 ff jumps. Does that make me not a skydiver, because I suck at RW? It's not what I like to do.

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In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[skybytch 273]

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Whats your point, its still skydiving even though you seem to have something against tandems.

Yeah, I do have a problem with tandems. I have a problem with the way they are marketed (skydiving is safe!) and the way that many dzo's burn out their instructors. I've seen dzo's insist that an instructor take someone they aren't comfortable taking or do "just one more" when the instructor has stated they are tired and done for the day. imho, that's not safe. No, not every dzo is like this, not every instructor will burn out and not every instructor will allow themselves to be "forced" to jump with someone they aren't comfortable with... but they are out there.

You can't convince me that the freefall portion of a tandem is anything other than droguefall. Doing tandems doesn't improve RW or freeflying skills (granted, it can improve canopy control skills). Those who do nothing but tandems often see their freefall skills decline - especially those who had a limited number of skydives prior to getting the tandem rating.

Check it for yourself - grab the guy who got his rating at 500-600 jumps and does nothing but tandems now. Go do whatever type of fun jump he used to do with him. Then tell me that he's just as good at RW or sitflying or head down as he used to be...

[packerboy 3]

Nobody is going to be good at anything they don't do very often. Someone who bought a birdman suit at 200 jumps and has done nothing else since is not going to be very good either. But they are still skydivers. Regardless of whether you have a drogue holding you stable and a student strapped to your chest you are still skydiving for a living.

Actually I heard a rumor once that it can be quite a workout trying to keep a not so co-operative student stable even with a drogue. But I wouldn't say it's as hard on the the body as packing a tandem. Would you AggieDave?

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In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[AggieDave 6]

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Check it for yourself - grab the guy who got his rating at 500-600 jumps and does nothing but tandems now. Go do whatever type of fun jump he used to do with him. Then tell me that he's just as good at RW or sitflying or head down as he used to be...

Alright, since this is directed at me, I'll tell you this. Of course my FF skills have declined, I have choosen not to do much FF anymore, my RW skills have actually improved, but I've been doing more RW jumps then I used to be. My swooping has improved greatly, then again, 95% of my fun jumps now are hop-n-pops or altitude clear and pulls to work on canopy stuff.

I do a shitload of fun jumps as well as tandems, what I improve or don't improve in my skillset is up to me and what I do.

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I have a problem with the way they are marketed (skydiving is safe!)

You're making blanket statements again. You know that its not going to be true in every instance.

Tell you what, call 979-778-JUMP and ask if tandems are safe. Then call back around 2pm (my time) and ask for the DZO, ask him if they're safe.

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I've seen dzo's insist that an instructor take someone they aren't comfortable taking...

I've also seen people who work for manufactures insist their gear is the best and have that opinion change when they change companies. Bullshit ethics is out there in skydiving, its not limited to just tandems, its there in AFF, its there in competition, its there in riggers, it is everywhere. That's why you choose who you work for and where you work. Period.


Just because you got burnt out on doing tandems doesn't mean that the rest of the world shares your opinions on tandems. I have over 700 tandems now and enjoy every one of them. I can't wait to hit 1000 tandem jumps, I'm just as excited about that as I am about competing in swooping now. I've found exactly what I love in this sport and I do both as much as I can!

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

[Angelfish 0]

I just want to recognize that Tandem Instructors have got the be one of the bravest people on Earth 'coz they have to jump with someone they have never jumped with before, who at the same time is strapped onto the instructors. Y'all never know what the student will do while in freefall or under canopy or how they will react.

But I must say there has to be the benefit of seeing someone just grinning from ear to ear because they just totally enjoyed the ride. I did 3 tandems with the same TI and have started in AFF. He was very instrumental in my learning progression due to his professionalism and love of the sport which was very infectious!!

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Don't fear the reaper. ... BOC