tmontana

thanks everyone, but especially thanks to chuteless i think that's exactly what i needed to hear. i'll post again here if i make it out to the dz at tecumseh this weekend and get one under my belt. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

Just wanted to add one thing. People have suggested that the more i get to know the gear the less fear i'll have, but for me it seemed to be the opposite. My first few jumps where i knew nothing about the gear, i had very little fear, as i got to know how things worked more and more, i started getting more and more affraid. For me ignorance was bliss, i simply just trusted everything i was given at first kind of like when you take a ride on a roller coaster, you're not really affraid because you just assume "they" know what their doing. If/When i get jumping agian, i sure do dread having to jump MY first pack job. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

My vertigo Problem was never quite figured out. For those who don't know what vertigo is, basically its a medical term for dizziness which can be caused by a lot of different things, but usually some sort of inner ear infection. It started one morning when i woke up and every way i turned my head i would get dizzy, the doctor said he wasnt sure what caused it (he ruled out skydiving because it had been about 2 weeks after i had last jumped) but he said it would probably go away in a few weeks. Well after 2 weeks i thought it had pretty much gone away so i went out to make a jump, i was super geeked to jump got with a coach, went over the dive, got in the plane, then on the way to altitude i just started feeling a bit strange, not quite the dizziness i had before but not normal either, the door opened and as those in front of us were getting out i turned to my coach and said i'm not jumping, i just don't feel right. Now if it ended there i would say that is where my fear is comming from for sure, but about 3 weeks later i did make one jump that went fine, but by then it was late october and there wasn't another chance for me to get out there before the snow came. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

Normally I would just try to look at old posts rather than start my own, but when i did a search the results were just too many and not necessarily what i'm looking for, which i'm not really sure what that is either. I guess maybe advice/reassurance etc... I started jumping last year, got 24 jumps under my belt, ran out of time to get my license because I started suffering from vertigo, haven't jumped since last october, HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT SKYDIVING AT LEAST ONCE A DAY SINCE. The problem i've encountered is this: the more i've thought about jumping (picturing my previous jumps, the ride up, the door opening, my exits, watching etc.) the more afraid i've started getting, sometimes i can feel my heart starting to beat faster just sitting there THINKING about jumping. I really want to continue jumping, but i have yet to make it out to the dz. I've been kind of using our wonderful michigan weather as an excuse why i haven't jumped yet this year, when in reality there were a few times when the weather was good enough but i just didn't go for whatever reason. So all i've done is sit and think about it, read posts about it, download videos about it, read parachutist... My thoughts on it are this: 1. Since I really want to jump, what i have to do is GO OUT THERE AND JUMP, once i've started again, i'll get rush again and get hooked again. 2. STOP downloading videos showing malfunctions. (i'm not really sure if this has had anything to do with it but i'm sure it doesn't help.) 3. ...... Well i guess I can only come up with those 2 points. I know i've probably answered my own question, but if anyone has anything else to add, i would appreciate it. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

I know i should probably just email tecumseh through their website, but would you happen to know if they are taking students up? i almost got my license last year but started suffering from vertigo and had to give up early, i'm so anxious to get jumping again. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

This may sound like a silly question, but since i've just started jumping (24 jumps), and this is something i've thought about but never heard of or seen anyone do during a jump. Is there a safety issue? Since i can't hear shit except wind when i jump would it matter if you are listening to music. not necessarily saying for me right now but when i get more experienced. Do people ever take a small MP3 player with headphones with them and listen to music during a jump? ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

well still being in the student status i can't really say much other than what you've heard and is also the most difficult thing to do. RELAX. You will get it. i'm just about done with my student progression and i can give you this advice I had my share of problems, i'm guessing just about everyone does. It seemed i'd always have to repeate something because the first time i tried it i messed it all up. This isn't something you can be a natural at. no ones ancestors jumped out of airplanes, IT IS IN NO ONE"S BLOOD TO BE GOOD AT SKYDIVING. second point, since you've done more than one jump this is obvioulsy something you want to keep doing. my suggestion is to look at pictures or videos of experienced jumpers and ask yourself if you would like that to be you one day. if so, then remember there is a long road ahead with many bumps but it is worth it. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

thanks i think that slide show will help a lot. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

i'm still a student and almost have my a license Ok so i just had two packing classes, and felt like a fucking moron. I had got so frustrated at one point i almost left the class. I know that they say the only way to learn to pack is to practice, but i just wasn't getting it, this is really bothering me since i know i have to pack my own in order to get licensed and i just felt like an idiot when i was practicing. i would get the nose flaked and between my legs w/o a problem and then i'd look at the rest of the canopy and it all looked like a bunch of fabric with lines attached to it, IT JUST ISN"T MAKING SENSE TO ME I guess my question is how hard was it for you to learn to pack, any suggestions on books or videos (or even better) web sites that may help. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

I am glad to see someone still has a sense of humor. Was wondering though? Since there are probably a good amount of people from canada reading these posts do i have to take into account 'Le Quebecois,You know. Wine drinkers. Pea soup eaters. French Canadians!' and post in both english and french and if i don't will i get fined, 'a thousand dollars Canadian, or 10 American dollars if you prefer.' ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

Taking over? That phrase is just like fingers on a chalkboard to me. *** ok you obviously have not seen the movie or looked at my too quickly to realize it was a quote from a movie. A movie where we go to war with canada because the cold war is over... get it... IT WAS A JOKE Sheesh, i thought skydivers were more relaxed than this. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

THE ANSWER TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS as taking from the movie "canadian bacon", just replace the words 'playing hockey' and 'ice' with skydiving and flying. Roy Boy: How come you never see any black guys playing hockey? Kabral: Now do you think it's easy to just gradually take over every professional sport? Let me tell you something, man. Brothers have started figuring out this ice thing. Hope you enjoyed it! Want more proof just look at all two other white dominated sports, golf and tennis. Just a few years ago you never saw blacks playing them, now the best male golfer and best female tennis players are black. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

I have just gotten into jumping (20 jumps) and am looking to buy my own jumpsuit. I'm really not sure of what style (freefly, rw) of jumping i would like to get to, but i would like to buy my own jumpsuit and i figured that most students start off doing rw. I was told i should get something tight and made of nylon because i am very light (125 lbs.) any recomendations on manufactures, websites, etc. would be very helpful. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

I have just gotten into jumping (20 jumps) and am looking to buy my own jumpsuit. I was told i should get something tight and made of nylon because i am very light (125 lbs.) any recomendations on manufactures, websites, etc. would be very helpful. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

Sure did. Can't wait I hear it's an amzaing time. ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

Just had my first FREEFALL today at skydive tecumseh in michigan and absolutely loved it!! Everyone there was great and welcomed me warmly to my new "drug" Thanks to my jumpmaster Junior, David i think he's real name was, who took me up 3 times today. Can't wait to go again this weekend!!!! ___________________________________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin