shorehambeach

goonieskid - i dont think a new person (particularly female) looking to enter the sport needs to be asked such a pre-pubescent question. Thanks.

Hi Tinka, Welcome ! Well done on the tandem :) Where are you in the UK ? There are a few ways to progress in the sport with S/L being an option but the most popular is AFF. The breathing comes from relaxing .. which takes a little time.. This is a great time in the UK to get into the sport as the weather is getting better. Blue Skies from Brighton

+ 1 What a great post Wendy

Duke Just to add a little onto what cpoxon posted - I flew from the UK to do AFF in the States and then came back here to jump so had the same concerns about USPA and BPA etc etc.... The transition was easy ! I had to do a jump with an instructor watching me and BAMM - I was good to go..... Just makes sure you get your log book filled out and signed (your instructor will do this with you) and if you have any videos of your jumps that will help as well. Make the most of jumping in the sunshine as there ain't no sun in Scotland ! Enjoy and Blue Skies.

Don't quite understand your post. They do insure And you pay a daily rate in addition your policy to cover Each day you skydive. Simples.

Hi Babz Insure and go have a full policy that covers skydiving. You add additional days cover for each of the days that you jump. I have the policy and jump in the UK USA and France... its pretty good at £7 day for USA and £3 a day fro France/Europe - this covers 10 mill medical and 2 million repatriation. Peke Good luck and enjoy ! Blue Skies.

Peke, Looks like we followed the same path as I also did 16 minutes in Airkix before AFF. If you are travelling that far then spend 20 + minutes (in 2 minutes sessions spread over a morning) Going in the wind tunnel is a great learning tool - they key factor is having a stable body position which comes from a good arch and relaxing. These 2 things are easy to type but quite difficult to do at first Make sure they know that you are going to the USA for AFF. Go to http://www.uspa.org/SIM.aspx and see the link Download the SIM. Its a big document so email it to your local Staples and they will print it out for about £25.00 SKYCOVER IS NOT MEDICAL INSURANCE it is accident insurance. It does not cover medical bills. You should have MEDICAL insurance - if you break a leg its £50k + Have a look at Insure and Go - they have an annual travel insurance and you can pay extra £7 a day to add a days skydiving. There is a whole list here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhJqSNdoKOl8dEt0OTV1Um1jenBXSG53Rlh4XzR3REE#gid=0 Don't buy any equipment before you go - you will get all the stuff you need with AFF. Perhaps, after a few jumps, spend $11 on a pair of goggles from the Dropzone Shop but wait til you have finished AFF to start spending more. You'll have a great time in the USA. I have done 3 trips to jump in the USA and have always had a great time and been really welcomed. Blue SKies

Superb video ! For me AFF L1 was life changing. It blew my mind.

Hi Peke, Welcome to your new expensive hobby ! Which wind tunnel are you going to ? Have you downloaded the SIM from the USPA website ? (its free) Have you got medical travel insurance that specifically includes skydiving ? I went to FL to do AFF last year so have been through the whole process :)

Hey Scoop Where's your local dz ??

http://www.hipgeo.com/r/6p2bso Yep.

Relax.... Listen to your coach. Enjoy. Repeat ! BEER

With all the Z Hills thread and a recent bad set of line twists after opening which took me about 700 ft to kick out .... I was fine as i pulled at 3500 and was under a good canopy by 2600 ft... My hard deck is 2000 ft but I don't know why...... Where is yours and why. What do I need to consider ? Just 66 jumps - pd210 pulse - my exit weight is 210. Thanks in advance.

I like it too ... But for non jumpers who listen in then (like people's significant others) the swearing doesn't help.. .. --- bit like being on a load and the experienced jumpers are dropping the F bomb in front of the tandem students. If this is the voice of the sport then perhaps we need to Think what people from outside the sport would think When listening in ... Just my 10 c or 10 pence as I am a Brit :)

Kids aged 4 .... Really well thought out post ... Keep it up.

As a newbie I was excited to podcast Skydive Radio. Shame its full of F**** and S**** - The first podcast I heard had 4 F bombs and the latest had a string os S*** and then I turned off Can only play in with my headphones on so the kids dont hear it.... Sort it out guys ....

Fantastic video Toobs and HUGE well done on your jump :) Blue skies from England !

Ninja !

Listen to your instructors and don't take advice from novice jumpers.

Tony, As a Uk jumper I can recommend Skydive Deland - I did aff there and have been back since, and am going there tomorrow from the UK. Great DZ - great for progressions and great for the family to come and watch. Nice local beaches and Disney is 50 minutes away etc etc . Drop me a PM.

Great choice - Hinton is where I jump . The tandem instructors are Excellent and you will be jumping from The brand new plane ! Enjoy

Hey Hiccup Where abouts in the UK are you doing your tandem ??

I spend a fair bit of time going up with groups of tandem students. Doing a tandem made me want to do AFF. Apart from smiling (in a reassuring "you're not going to die" way) can I ask the TI's what interaction is best. I am busy doing my own thing, I don't want to interfere with the tandem/TI's, but I also don't want the student to think that skydivers aren't friendly ... so I just normally say Enjoy! and then tell them well done if I see them on the ground. I skydive for me, not for my ego (look at me student - I am a skydiver!) .....so I have no interest in talking to them about me.... Whats the type of interactions with the student that you, as a TI, appreciate ? Thanks.

As an update I have now adopted several of the very good pointers mentioned in this thread. Got my alti fixed for free on a next day service from Alti Europe (superb service) Now I spend my time in the plane looking at the relative sizes of houses/cars/roads /buildings.... cloud levels (common in the UK!) and noticing the change from BLUE to GREEN as my altitude decreases in freefall. Thanks again to all those that answered my questions and sent me PM's I will be jumping in Deland next week - much nicer than wet and cold England !

You're in great hands with Chromy.