Skydiving

Post by **R00k** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:36 pm

Anybody here ever been?

It's one of those things I've always wanted to do before I die. I'm not getting any younger, so I was thinking about doing it for my birthday later this month. It's a bit pricey so I haven't decided for sure yet, but I'm thinking about it.

Has anybody here ever done any recreational jumping before? What did you think of the experience, how much was it worth to you, and what kind of things should you consider when looking for a place?

I don't really want to go tandem if I can help it -- it looks like it will cost between $270 and $295 to go through the certification training so I can jump on my own without being tandem with an instructor. This also includes 3 or 7 total jumps (depending on the place), whereas the tandem price of like $195 only includes a single jump. It seems like you'd get more for your money by going through the class.

Post by **scared?** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:51 pm

yeah its fun...but bungie jumping is better...

Post by **bitWISE** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:57 pm

I have a friend who does it and she made it sound like you HAVE to do a certain number of tandem jumps before you get to go alone. She loves it though.

Post by **R00k** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:11 pm

Nope, not necessarily:

"AFF [Accelerated Free Fall] is the most advanced method of training individuals to skydive. Before your first jump you will attend a 4 to 6 hour training class that will teach you the fundamentals of skydiving. Your jump is made in the company of two USPA rated AFF Jump masters who provide direct assistance during the exit and freefall. You will have the opportunity to deploy your pilot chute, which will release your main canopy. Once your parachute is deployed, you will (with radio assistance) control a solo parachute descent back to the drop zone."

Post by **R00k** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:24 pm

No, I actually called the center and I they told me that the $295 fully includes the training course, and 7 jumps that I can take whenever I like. I was pretty surprised to hear it too.

riddla wrote:You will however have an 'A' license once you complete the AFF track which means you can show up at any drop zone with your log book and hop on a flight. (with your own gear or a rental chute)

That's awesome -- seems like it would make it worth it then.

Post by **tnf** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:45 pm

andyman does night jumps I believe. While firing on enemy combatants and throwing grenades at enemy elementary schools.

Post by **GONNAFISTYA** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:10 pm

Skydiving rocks and it really is something everyone should try. It's something you'll never forget.

FFS it's safer than crossing the street.

Post by **bitWISE** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:31 pm

Extreme Crosswalking

Post by **GONNAFISTYA** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:37 pm

So retarded I laughed.

Post by **DTS** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:40 pm

What's that thing he's holding?

Post by **AmIdYfReAk** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:42 pm

is that blood on the cross walk?

Post by **Shmee** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:44 pm

I did a tandem jump a couple years back. 14000 ft. fall. Probably the coolest thing I've ever done.

Here are a few things they don't tell you about that you should know:

1) The pressure changes are intense. It's like the ear-popping you get from flying x10.

2) Wind going up your nose at 120+ MPH feels like inhaling water - very weird.

3) You will be sore for a week in the spots where the chute is strapped to you.

4) You will feel like god for the rest of the day after you land (assuming you survive).

Post by **andyman** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 10:23 pm

tnf wrote:andyman does night jumps I believe. While firing on enemy combatants and throwing grenades at enemy elementary schools.

I've done a couple night jumps, but those were with the army, so it was at 1400ft and static line and usually with a ruck sack strapped to your legs and a weapons case strapped to your side. the only nice thing about combat equipment jumps is that the landing isn't as bad. My first night jump was hollywood and i messed up my ankle pretty bad. All the other jumps are in the morning, i've done 14 altogether with the airborne, 13 out of a C-130, and one out of a blackhawk. if you search youtube for some airborne jumps you 'll see a bunch of clips

but my FIRST jump ever was a tandom jump from 14,000 ft and it was awesome! I was scared out of my mind the whole way up because I had never sat that close to an open plane door not strapped to anything! my stepsister finally closed the door a few minutes before we jumped, i guess she saw me curled up in a ball in the corner of the plane lol

Go jump out of a plane, at least you can say you have done it!!

Post by **andyman** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 10:29 pm

riddla wrote:Re: point #3 - your straps can never EVER be tight enough. If they're on loosely, expect some DEEP thigh bruises

i have mine somewhat loose all the time... once when i was getting checked by the jumpmaster, he frikken tightened my leg and side straps so fcuking tight, that was a painful jump!

Post by **Kracis** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:41 pm

depending on the laws you shouldn't need to jump tandem if you take the course, they will however drop you from a lower altitude and hook your shute up to the plane so you don't have to pull it out yourself. You only get about 5 seconds of free fall before your shute opens, the rest is just fun gliding around till you land.

You do that a few times and then they let you pull your own shute and they drop you from a higher altitude. Fun stuff, good luck, try to not pass out.

I had a friend that passed out on a jump. We heard him from the ground yelling FUUUUUUUUUUUUKKKKKKKKKK as he jumped out, somehow, his shute got tangled and he was free falling pretty fast (this was his first jump) and he doing what we were trained.

When you jump, if your shute get's tangled you grab the ropes and kick your feet a certain way and it'll untangle the shute. after about 30 seconds of falling he started kicking and landed safely.

once he landed the jumpmaster asked him what had happned and he said he had gotten tangled at the start of the jump but kicked his feet and fixed it all up, he asked why he waited 30 seconds and he said he didn't apparently, he was passed out the entire time.

hope you have fun!

Post by **andyman** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:16 am

Kracis wrote:depending on the laws you shouldn't need to jump tandem if you take the course, they will however drop you from a lower altitude and hook your shute up to the plane so you don't have to pull it out yourself. You only get about 5 seconds of free fall before your shute opens, the rest is just fun gliding around till you land.

You do that a few times and then they let you pull your own shute and they drop you from a higher altitude. Fun stuff, good luck, try to not pass out.

I had a friend that passed out on a jump. We heard him from the ground yelling FUUUUUUUUUUUUKKKKKKKKKK as he jumped out, somehow, his shute got tangled and he was free falling pretty fast (this was his first jump) and he doing what we were trained.

When you jump, if your shute get's tangled you grab the ropes and kick your feet a certain way and it'll untangle the shute. after about 30 seconds of falling he started kicking and landed safely.

once he landed the jumpmaster asked him what had happned and he said he had gotten tangled at the start of the jump but kicked his feet and fixed it all up, he asked why he waited 30 seconds and he said he didn't apparently, he was passed out the entire time.

hope you have fun!

that's what happened to me on the bad night jump, i had twists halfway up the suspension lines and was spinning them out until i was bout 4 seconds from ground. i ususally dont get a whole lot of twists, but that one was definitly the worst.

Post by **Kracis** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:36 am

Yeah it never happened to me but it doesn't look like fun on your first jump

Post by **Turbine** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:13 am

My biggest fear is the chute riping away, just flying away. But good thing for backups.

Watch this guys and his parachute fly in separate ways. On his first jump! :icon20:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cULKGIvE ... ed&search=

Post by **Kracis** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:27 am

The shute should rip your body appart before it just rips away like that, buddy pulled the wrong cord.

Post by **Turbine** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:28 am

So he was stupid. Thats good to know.

OK let's see here, "pull in case of emergency". Hm, I fell out of an airplane. OK, pull.

It was the cutaway handle. Fucking idiot.

Post by **Turbine** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:23 pm

I spent quite some time examining that video, and the comments.

What he was doing was EFF Level One. The first solo jump, first jump ever.

First you have to know that there are three handles on a parachute, main deployment (lower right, by the hip), cutaway (RED upper right, below shoulder) and reserve (upper left side).

Once he and the two of his instructors are off the plane and freefalling, his instructor takes his hand and wants to guide him to the main deployment handle, but the idiot first timer grabs the cutaway handle. His instructor then tries to grab hold of his hand and stop him from pulling it. But the first timer guy just force pulls it. Then the quick thinking instructor grabs his main deployment handle, and saves his life. If he did not pull his main deployment line, when the first time guy would pull his reserve line nothing would happen. He would just leave a nice crater on the ground.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cULKGIvE4oQ

Go to the 28 seconds marker and watch it a few times. The slider will jump perfectly on that spot, so you can see it a couple of times, fucking stupid idiot. If it was not for the instructor he would have died.

Post by **obsidian** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 5:13 pm

Amazing how he hits the power lines too. HUGE open field and he steers right into the power lines.

Post by **phantasmagoria** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:45 pm

lol crosswalk. It's a fucking zebra crossing.

Post by **Tsakali_** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:47 pm

never done it... want to do it

Post by **HateFactor** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 6:56 pm

This one's pretty intense. For some reason it reminds me of BF2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdUtQSTXwvo