dropoutdave 0 #1 July 21, 2003 I'm a newbie with 40+ jumps and have already invested in my own rig, camera helmet and editing equipment and am now skint and gathering as much information as possible about how to get into the sport professionally. I have taken into consideration trying to get in packing at my local dz, working a job that I hate to save ebough money to get enough jumps to be experienced enough to try doing it professionally etc etc. I've just been reading about a still relativley new course, in New Zealand, which is the first of is kind and was curious to find out what you experienced guys thought about it for someone in my postion. The course consists of 200 jumps and has 3 modules to it - Dropzone Operations, Commercial Skydiving and Advanced Commercial Skydiving. From what i've gathered on the jump side of the course they are coach jumps and you get taught how to fly camera and edit and then give you the chance to work on the dz for 12 weeks. I wont say too much about it but it would be greatly appreciated if anyone could take the time to have a look at the site and offer any advice/views because at the moment it is looking tempting to me at my level of experience and knowledge about the whole sport. Thanx yall. Dave http://www.skydiving.co.nz/index.cfm/Diploma_in_Skydiving "Where's my shoe?" ------------------------------------------------------ May Contain Nut traces...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andy2 0 #2 July 21, 2003 duuuuuude. Save your money and just buy the jumps at the local dropzone and talk to experienced camera flyers, etc. Why dump thousands of dollars on some course when if you look hard enough you can find people who are willing to teach you for free, out of sheer love for the sport. I read in the "old days" people were coached for free regularly, I wish that I had lived in those times, it makes me kinda sick when a fellow skydiver wants money out of the new "crop" of young skydivers. When I have enough experience to teach people I will do so for free. Thats what this sport is all about, imo. --------------------------------------------- let my inspiration flow, in token rhyme suggesting rhythm... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #3 July 21, 2003 Actually, it only works out to $22 US per jump. Doesn't sound like a bad deal at all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dropoutdave 0 #4 July 21, 2003 That's what I was thinking too, especially as my friend paid £44 for a coach jump the other week, £17 for each jump ticket and £10 for the guy to cover his pack job and a bit for him. On the plus side too you are being taught about things that you would normally learn after spending alot of time on a dz. Anserwing questions that you haven't yet though of asking. "Where's my shoe?" ------------------------------------------------------ May Contain Nut traces...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andy2 0 #5 July 21, 2003 well once you break it down that sounds better! I guess it beats paying for your jump ticket and a coach's to get a short shitty debrief. Maybe if you had a lot of extra cash laying around this would be a good idea... --------------------------------------------- let my inspiration flow, in token rhyme suggesting rhythm... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rendezvous 0 #6 July 21, 2003 I guess you should talk to a few DZOs to see what they think about a course like this and what kind of a job would they give you if you had something like this under your belt. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #7 July 21, 2003 In the UK you won't be allowed to put the camera on your head for another 160 jumps so you've got plently of time to sit down and learn how to fly before you put a camera on. Some places require 500 jumps before you can film tandems so thats 460 away still. If you hang out at a DZ you can learn all the skills needed for free and you'll have a lot more fun doing it. There are only a few types of people in the sport that make me mad... the main ones are the ones that have to make money no matter what on every jump or they'll just sit out. Jump for fun and if you can make some spare money its cool... but always keep the fun in it. And it is work when you are doing video/tandems/AFF/Coaching.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #8 July 21, 2003 $33 a jump if you are a native New Zealander. About $78 a jump if you are a foriegn student.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dropoutdave 0 #9 July 21, 2003 Is it 100 jumps in the States? Anyone know what it is in NZ. That's another factor thats making things more complicated for me at the moment, whether or not I should go to a country when I get my 100th jump so I can start to fly the camera sooner. ------------------------------------------------------ May Contain Nut traces...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #10 July 21, 2003 My home DZ requires 500 jumps before I'm allowed to lurk tandems and video them. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #11 July 21, 2003 Why the rush to make money jumping? I've noticed a lot of people that get into flying video or tandems never take the time to do the fun jumps since it cuts into their profit. Skydiving is'nt something for fun and relaxing anymore.. its work. In the states I've seen people with 50 jumps with a camera that were walking craters until someone got them under control. Its generally reccommend to have 200 or more till you get a camera.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dropoutdave 0 #12 July 21, 2003 All being taken in and noted. QuoteWhy the rush to make money jumping? I've noticed a lot of people that get into flying video or tandems never take the time to do the fun jumps since it cuts into their profit. Skydiving is'nt something for fun and relaxing anymore.. its work. I'm determined not to make it just work, I can edit already and want to make videos so I can use my creative side, and make a hell of a lot of fun jumps and have a serious amount of fun. Just got to get the balance right. Ive just recieved an email from them and the course lasts 32wks including the 12 weeks on the job. Not for me that one. ------------------------------------------------------ May Contain Nut traces...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #13 July 22, 2003 Sounds like some people like a structured learning environment, while others are bright enough to learn by observation, trial and error or whatever. The problem with trial and error is that you will not live long enough to absorb all the lessons. Far wiser to learn from the mistakes of others. For example, yesterday we watched a video of our local tandem instructor-examiner. The video reminded us all of the tandem side-spin video published by Strong Enterprises. The video reminded me to re-double my efforts at stable exits. The same goes for learning how to fly camera. I have lost count of how many times I have encouraged junior camera jumpers to tape over potential snag points on their helmets, but they don't take snag points seriously until "another' cameraman "goes in." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #14 July 22, 2003 Join a university skydiving club (whether your at uni or not) - you will get the coaching for free and subsidised jump tickets. I notice your in cleathorpes so try Leeds or York . Both are really good clubs . You are paying way over the book price for coaching jumps too, thought Hibbs were better than that. I've also heard that some Uni's offer a Skydiving Degree. It covers flight aerodynamics, stuff about the physics of canopies and air flows etc and is basically aeronautical engineering based. Not sure what career its aimed at though. Guess it would be nice to have if you were trying to become a pro canopy tester but then you HAVE to have 1000's of jumps to get that sort of job. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
