best DZ for AFF in the Sun Belt?

[SivaGanesha 2]

What is the best DZ for AFF in the Sun Belt anywhere in the USA?

Many years ago--in the 80's--I jumped fairly regularly for a couple of years in Canada and qualified for my CSPA A license. I am now 42 years old. This year I've been trying to get back into the sport--it has been so long so I basically need to start again from the beginning and that is fine with me. I made a few AFF jumps at a DZ in California earlier this year but I had the sense that they didn't really want to be training AFF's. They told me point blank more than once that they only do AFF because they 'have to' and prefer tandems because that is where the 'real money' is. They seemed perfectly safe and competent but I just got the sense that I'd learn more from somewhere that wants to be teaching me and wants me to learn and I just didn't get that feeling with these guys.

A couple of negative reviews on dropzone.com about this drop zone in recent months have confirmed my gut instincts about this place.

Any suggestions as to a good DZ for completing the AFF program? I'm looking for a place that enjoys training people to become newly licensed skydivers as opposed to a tandem mill. I am in California so California is ideal. However, I have some flexibility in my professional life--I work out of my home--and can and would temporarily relocate elsewhere in the country if I felt the best DZ to learn was not in CA. I don't want to wait until spring so I think it would need to be somewhere in the Sun Belt.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

Blue skies,
David

"It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014

[virgin-burner 1]

if you've got a skyride-certificate, go to perris!

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[SivaGanesha 2]

Quote

if you've got a skyride-certificate, go to perris!

Why would I need a skyride certificate--is it not possible to call Perris directly?

My DZ from earlier this year sent me to Perris to do wind tunnel training. I did do the wind tunnel training at Perris but haven't jumped since. I had a sense of a much better atmosphere at the wind tunnel than at my original DZ but I didn't have the time to check out the rest of the DZ at Perris.

"It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014

[ladydyver 0]

There are alot of DZs in that area.....

I don't know about the student programs down in that area or where you are exactly located but perris and elsinore may be a good place to start. there is also skydive sandiego.

we just got back fromt that area to jump in sandiego, but couldn't jump there due to the fires...went up to elsinore and loved it there. Great DZ with a good vibe. Several students were doing AFF while we were there.

DPH # 2
"I am not sure what you are suppose to do with that, but I don't think it is suppose to flop around like that." ~Skootz~
I have a strong regard for the rules.......doc!

[SivaGanesha 2]

Quote

There are alot of DZs in that area.....

I don't know about the student programs down in that area or where you are exactly located but perris and elsinore may be a good place to start....

Thanks for the reply...I'm in Northern California but may be moving (for non-skydiving reasons) to Southern California soon. So I am interested in hearing about DZ's throughout CA...I know there are a lot of DZ's but as noted I'm interested in the ones that have a strong focus on AFF as opposed to tandem.

Thanks again...I'll check out Perris and Elsinore.

Blue skies,
David

"It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014