Your skydiving experiences.

[MementoMori]

The Cloud 9 guys set a maximum weight of 100kgs. I weigh about half that so I think I'll be alright!

Thanks for your answers so far guys, I'm feeling a lot more ready to go out and do it. Just been watching loads of videos of people's jumps on YouTube and it looks incredible.

I guess for a country with such a small population and a tiny percentage of those that jump that someone's gonna know someone who ended up in an accident of some kind, though as mentioned they don't seem to be accidents that would happen during a safer tandem jump. Though obviously, the 'chute could just not open but I guess that's all part of it...

Any more experiences would be greatly appreciated and thanks again for the replies so far - very encouraging.

[pixc]

I did a tandem jump over Mt Maunganui a year or two ago. BF gave me a voucher for a prezzie. Took me a year to to get the courage. Sat in a shity chiti-chiti-bang-bang plane. Pilot looked like he wasnt old enough to drive a car. I sat on the floor next to a perspex door. Im sure as we were going down the runway I could see wobbling of wheels and popping of rivits. I crapped myself until the wheels left the runway. After that, the only way down was strapped to the lovely man whom had our only 'chute. Out we jumped..we were farkin high, thats all I know. I was silent the whole freefall. Hes tapping me on the shoulder telling me I can yell and scream if I want. (I was screaming inside let me tell you) through some clouds. (its like puttin your head out of the car window going 180kph in the rain) 'chute opens and oh the pain. 100 - 0 in a split second. The harness left some very nasty bruises. I was over the pain in 1 second flat. The veiw, the sereilness of it all was truely amazing. (To be honest I think the wave of emotions was more due to the fact the the chute did indeed open then the airy fairyness of it all) We yaked all the way down (found out he knew my daddy) then he goes "Shit" and I think "WERE GONNA DIE!". I woffled on so much that he kinda misjudged the landing. We landed safe an sound a good 2-300m from were we where meant to land. No dramas. It was nice of him to miss all the hangers though.

It was fantastic, and a truely amazing experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are concidering, great. go for it.

[Quartermile]

Man I sooooooooo want to sky-dive someone told me you only free-fall for 3seconds which I find hard to belive, please tell me if different

[M1CRO:Me]

Have done both a static and a tandem.. Enjoyed the static alot more as you controlled the entire descent (the chord gets pulled as soon as you jump out).. The walk out on the wing is an experience that you dont forget

As suggested by other folk.. Get out & do it

[jonbuoy]

Go for it, I wouldn't bother with photos - save your money for another jump if your so inclined - (you'll look like your gurning in them and they gave me the gayest 80's jump suite and school chemistry saftey glasses to wear) - up to you though. Just get one before you take off and when you land. Massive rush and so peacefull when your gliding down. You'll be buzzed for days.

[marty]

Man I sooooooooo want to sky-dive someone told me you only free-fall for 3seconds which I find hard to belive, please tell me if different

30 secs freefall under tandem from 10000ft. chute has to be open by 5000' so plenty of drift down under canopy.

[Kendog]

I did a static line a few years back, loved it.
I hate heights but was in a group of about 20 others so the peer pressure kept me on track to make the jump.

Went up in the plane without a door, that was a bit freaky. Each time someone jumped the plane would go into a massive banking turn to get back to the jump point, with the gaping gap where the door should be pointing straight at the the ground, that was very freaky. When it was my turn to jump I shuffled up to the missing door and hung my legs out of the plane while literally facing the ground, that was stupidly freaky.

The plane straightened, the engine throttled back to reduce turbulence, the world goes quiet. I have this strong sense/feeling my late mother was there. Waiting, waiting, waiting..... Will I ever get the tap on the shoulder to let me know its time to jump, waiting......
I feel the tap, my body freezes for an instant. This is it. I fall out of the plane with the instructors words ringing in my head "hard arch". Static line free fall is 4 seconds, that time is lost to me as I plummet to earth. All I recall is noise and wind.

Whack, my body is jerked seemingly upwards as the chute opens, but I am spinning from side to side. A moment of panic as I try looking up to see if the chute has opened correctly, but the guide lines block my head. Seconds later it corrects itself and the swinging stops.

I grab the steering/brake lines and relax. I am sitting in what feels like a swing, floating, silence. Its a bit like a dream now, so peaceful. An amazing contrast to a few moments before.

Too soon it's all coming to an end as the ground draws near, listening to the instructor on the ground giving directions. I brake as much as I dare so I don't fall like a stone, but not enough and I hit the ground rather hard, but again the instructors words are in my head "roll and flop".
A few seconds laying on the ground thinking how great it feels and generally reflecting. Then its time to gather up the chute, join the others and tell the story of my experience while listening to others experiences.


It really does feel like this happened yesterday, not 10+ years ago. Words can not describe the experience sufficiently, it really is one of those things everyone should try once in their life time.

[Quartermile]

Cooooooooool I want, I want

[far queue]

I did 6 static line jumps in the early 80's. Round parachutes, not the square ones used now. Went through all the training and stuff, learnt forward and backward landing rolls, how to untangle certain malfunctions, how to use the reserve and so on. I remember they impressed on us over and over that it was important when we jumped to scream out 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, then look up both risers to the 'chute an go "check" "check" to make sure the 'chute had opened OK. Well, I jumped out and went "aaaahhhhhhh fffuuuuuccckkk", then the 'chute was open and I was floating down ... then I thought "shit, I better make sure the 'chute looks OK" - so much for drumming that little exercise into me. There was a bit of a wind and I landed backwards with a nice landing roll. I remember being really nervous before the jump and during the climb to height, and on a real high after landing and couldn't wait to go again.

The next 3 jumps were similar - never did stop screaming out when I jumped. Jump 5 was going to my last one, but ... did the usual - nervous on the way up, screamed on the exit, chute appeared to have opened, then I thought "I seem to be descending way faster than my previous jumps, I'd better look up" ... oh fuck, it hasn't opened. The 'chute had come out of the pack and was just streaming above me like a lot of useless washing. I put my hand on the reserve handle and counted 1001, 1002, 1003 (I remembered this part of he training), and just started to put pressure on the reserve handle to pull it, staring at the main the whole time, when the main just popped open. The rest of the descent and landing was normal. I figured I couldn't really let that be my last jump, and have people think I chickened out after that incident. So I did one more jump - completely uneventful.

I remember being told during training that the main chute takes 20-30 minutes to pack, but the reserve takes over 2 hours to pack due to the extreme care that's put into this one, and that if the reserve is unused it's unpacked after 6 months (I think) thoroughly inspected and repacked. It's guaranteed to open. My jumps were done over a month or so and I saw 1 reserve used and one injury. I don't know what the story was with the reserve, the guy went into cloud under what appeared to be a good main and came out of cloud under the reserve. The injury was due to a different guy not following his training. He didn't do the landing roll as instructed, instead he crossed his legs then sat on them on landing, breaking his lower leg.

I remember it was awesome floating down under the 'chute, soooo quiet, and being able to see such awesome scenery everywhere with nothing to block the view, and as you got closer to the ground being able to hear the sounds of the country (dogs, cows, sheep) for miles around.

I did all this 25 years ago, and still remember it all so clearly. Just go do it, you'll never forget it, it's awesome - and safe.

[far queue]

Went up in the plane without a door, that was a bit freaky. Each time someone jumped the plane would go into a massive banking turn to get back to the jump point, with the gaping gap where the door should be pointing straight at the the ground, that was very freaky. When it was my turn to jump I shuffled up to the missing door and hung my legs out of the plane while literally facing the ground, that was stupidly freaky.

Ha ha, I remember that too. I remember being scared I was going to fall, when I was going jump out of the bloody thing anyway

[Lou Girardin]

Even having witnessed such an accident and having lost my nerve as a result, I would still recommend skydiving to anyone.

Anyone you don't like.

[Colapop]

I'm too big by about 20kgs to tandem jump and I've looked at getting my jump cert. It costs about $3k. You can get jumping after a mornings training (3-4 hours). Each jump thereafter cost about $40 or $50 depending on what height you jump from (10, 15, 20 k feet ??). I couldn't tell you that, that information is accurate but it's something similar to that. That's out at Hood aerodrome in Masterton.

[marty]

Went up in the plane without a door, that was a bit freaky. Each time someone jumped the plane would go into a massive banking turn to get back to the jump point, with the gaping gap where the door should be pointing straight at the the ground, that was very freaky. .

that's pretty average flying - might be good fun for sporties with 1000 jumps, but for static liners who are shitting themselves anyway, the door should be closed and the turn done away from it - it makes it easier anyway to climb back to 4000ft, and much easier to line up the run when the DZ is on the pilot's side.

we have a static line course - run by an ex RAF jumpmaster. many people do 3 or 4 jumps in a day then come back for the AFF course in a few weeks.

[apteryx_haasti]

I did about 5 static lines in the early 90s (was going to work my way up to a solo free fall, but as a poor student...)

In the late 90s I did a tandem skydive at Wanaka from 12000 ft.

All awesome - I love the static line jumps because you have to get up the gumption to get out the plane yourself. I loved the tandem jump because it's from so much higher and you get more freefall.

Go do it!

PS - strangely, the day after the tandem skydive, I did the Kawareu (sp?) river bungy jump in Queenstown. Now THAT was scary!

[Dooly]

Did some jumps in the 80s with the old round chutes.
Used to have to hang out the door of the old plane and swing out, grab a wing strut, balance, then let go!

Gave up after having to choose between hitting power lines or grape vines on my last jump.
Chose the vines.
Alas I clipped one bad, smashed my leg big time and that was the end of my skydiving career.

Good buzz tho.