LonelyHiker

I live in central VA. What a week First a 5.8 earthquake (epicenter was about 60 miles NNE of us), and now a (possibly) CAT 3 'cane. Fortunately, my family and I are on vacation in WA state. Been glued to TWC, though. Earthquake didn't do any damage; here's hoping the 'cane doesn't do much. Fom the looks of the track, we will catch only the farthest western edge of this thing. I'm sure we'll get a he'll of a lot of wind and rain nonetheless. Stay safe, everyone! The mind is everything. What we think, we become. - The Buddha

Adagen - funny, that's what I was thinking the other day. I rarely get nauseous in the car, but the few occasions that I have, I was in a van sitting in the very back. I think you hit on it precisely. The mind is everything. What we think, we become. - The Buddha

Was going to start a thread on this very topic, and was relieved to find one had been started already! Obviously I'm not alone. I did my first tandem a few days ago. The suit up - no problem. The ride up - no problem. The door exit - nervous as hell, but exhilarating nonetheless! The free fall - unreal! The deployment - no problem. The canopy ride - thought I was going to lose my cookies. I had to close my eyes for the last half of it (opened them prior to landing, of course). I thankfully didn't puke, but was nauseous and disoriented for about 30 minutes after landing. I initially thought "great, so much for pursuing this sport", despite my TM's reassurance that it was not uncommon for new jumpers to feel queasy. Well, reading these posts has been very reassuring! I now attribute my nausea to several factors. 1) Didn't eat much of anything the day of my jump. 2) Didn't drink enough fluids. 3) Adrenaline overload. There may have been other factors as well, but I believe these three were the primary culprits. I will be sure to eat well and drink lots of water prior to jump #2, maybe try some ginger ale on the way to the DZ. I've used Bonine for rough boat rides without any side effects (no drowsiness), but I am interested to see how the sea bands work! Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. I was afraid that skydiving was no longer an option Glad to learn that what Zi experienced wasn't an anomaly! The mind is everything. What we think, we become. - The Buddha

Well, I made my first tandem jump this past Saturday. I don't think I've had that much adrenaline dumped into my bloodstream in my entire life!

Congrats on finishing your AFF training! Best of luck on getting your A. The mind is everything. What we think, we become. - The Buddha

Being totally new to the sport, selecting a DZ to call home was a bit daunting. I chose No Limits mainly due to its "newness" and its relatively close proximity to my house. I wasn't disappointed! These guys are great and know their business. Each instructor has 20 or more years experience and their focus on safety is absolute. They also make the experience FUN, and have a great sense of humor. My 1st jump went smooth as silk from suit up to landing. If you live in central VA, and are interested in pursuing the sport - or just want to make one jump - you could do much worse than yo check these guys out!

Thanks for the welcome, skymama! Yes, I've put down a $50 deposit, so I'll go ahead and do the jump (tomorrow!). I should have done a little more research, obviously. C'est la vie, as they say. I'll definitely go to another DZ to do the AFF program. Thanks again for the feedback everyone! The mind is everything. What we think, we become. - The Buddha

Hi there! I registered here quite some time ago, and thought it was finally time to "de-lurk". I have been obsessed with the sport of skydiving since I was 8yo, and now, at the robust age of 43, I am on the verge of fulfilling a dream delayed. I am doing my first tandem this Saturday, at a new VA DZ called Nolimits Skydiving. I did a search here and saw that it had been given three positive reviews. If any members here could provide any additional details about this DZ and their experiences there, it would be most appreciated! I've heard that some DZs can be very "clique-y" and condescending to novices. Hoping that isn't case at this one! Based on the reviews, I'm guessing they are friendly enough. I plan on pursuing the A license via the AFF program (no SL programs offered anywhere in VA from what I can tell). They require two tandems before starting AFF. I was wondering if I should do time in a wind tunnel as a supplement to the AFF training? It seems that a lot of folks here do this. Thanks in advance for any tips, or topic referrals! Excited to be joining the sport parachuting community!