Is tandem hurting our sport?

[Antidote 0]

Tandems subsidize our jump tickets.

As long as there's not too many of 'em (taking up too many slots), tandems are good.

A basic method to bring down jump prices.

[skykittykat 0]

I agree that tandems do subsidize dzs.

Skydive AZ have heaps of tandems and they don't affect the licenced skydivers' jumping, eg, getting on loads, etc. In fact, the tandem school is separate from the fun jumpers so you really only know about tandems when they are on your load!

When I jumped in the UK, tandems took priority over students and licenced jumpers. To turn up in the morning and have your name first on the list of jumpers and not get to jump until Load 6 (one aircraft flying) because of tandems was off putting to say the least.

One other instance, in the UK, we had a big plane versus the Islander. Tandems were filling up the bigger plane and not the Islander..... Go figure.

That dz lost a lot of people.

Saying all that, tandems are a great way to introduce people to skydiving, but there has to be a balance.

In the UK for sure, if tandems take up too much skydiving time, then people will not jump there, or even stop skydiving.

Liz

[skypuppy 1]

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He puts forth the idea that alot of DZO's aren't working hard enough to "grow" the base of new jumper's, preferring to cater to the tandem business instead.

The DZO's are simply trying to stay alive. It's nothing personal against "up jumpers".

Maybe we should ask Bill Booth and Ted Strong why they invented this method in the first place?

I think it was Bill Booth, and he wanted to take his secretary for a skydive, the way I heard it.

And Ted wanted to take Robin Heid for a BASE jump?

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[slug 1]

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Tandem is an opportunity to introduce those, who would otherwise not jump, to our sport. It is the responsibility of the tandem master to encourage all tandem students, except those that are physically unsuitable, to take their experience a step further and learn to skydive for themselves. If we do not embrace new techniques and ideas the sport will not grow. WOULD WE HAVE THE SAME POOL OF JUMPERS FROM WHICH TO DRAW OUR INSTRUCTORS IF STATIC LINE JUMPS WITH FORE AND AFT GEAR AND ROUND PARACHUTES WAS STILL THE ACCEPTED TRAINING METHOD?

Hi Tommo

This isn't directed specificaly at your post but we thought it wasa good place to "jump in"
We just got finished looking at the help wanted ad's on DZ.com. There's a lot of jobs available their directed at serving the tourist market.

Multiple Load organizer's at a destination DZ.

BTW nothing wrong with it just the way it is

R.I.P.

[Thunderbow 1]

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I have watched one tandem master at our DZ. After the tandem, if he finds out they liked it, he immediately introduces them to the AFF program, takes them into the classroom and shows them the learning aids used in the first jump course, and promises them that he would be with them on their first AFF jump! It seems he makes each tandem a working tandem, as he teaches the passenger things like looking at the canopy to inspect it after opening, allows the student to fly the canopy, etc… It is not a true working tandem jump unless the student asks for it, but he really tries to convince the prospective that if they come back they will be ready for the next step.

This guy has the right approach. One of the points made in the magazine article was that we need to make people feel welcome and not like outsiders. This applies to AFF students also. You don't see experienced folks stopping to chat with a group of people waiting for their tandem. A few minutes of small talk about skydiving may help their decision to give it a try after their tandem.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Lord, let me be the person my dog thinks I am.

[BenHall 0]

I've never done a tandem myself, but I personally love watching tandems at the DZ. It's fun to see them all nervous on the ground getting ready--having that stare during the ride to altitude--and after they land that huge smile they keep for a whole week. I love the trailer ride back and hearing the all the tandems talk incessantly about how much skydiving rocks. After people make so many jumps, they start to lose the awesome rush of that first jump, and I think tandems in a way keep that energy flowing at the DZ.
I also think tandems are a fantastic way to share the awesomeness of freefall to others who might not have the dispostion for AFF or even might not be able to afford it. As long as the DZ keeps the right balance with fun jumpers and tandems, I don't see how it could hurt the sport at all.