Sky diving - newbie
Discussion
Hi, Ex Skydiver here. 600 jumps.
My recommendation is an AFF course in Empuriabrava Skydive in Spain.
It's the best drop zone in Europe. All English speaking, (used to be part British owned) Also has a wind tunnel.
Do a tandem, 8 levels of training jumps, then 10 solo jumps, and you will be qualified to jump anywhere in the world in just 1 week. Stay for another week and come back with extra qualifications and 20-30 jumps on your record.
Or do it in the UK, wait on site all day for the clouds to move, the wind to stop gusting or the rain to stop.
Spend 1 year getting 20-30 jumps.
Prices have gone up since I started 20 years ago,.
Expect 2 weeks in Spain including accommodation to be around €3000-€4000.
Happy to answer any specific questions.
My recommendation is an AFF course in Empuriabrava Skydive in Spain.
It's the best drop zone in Europe. All English speaking, (used to be part British owned) Also has a wind tunnel.
Do a tandem, 8 levels of training jumps, then 10 solo jumps, and you will be qualified to jump anywhere in the world in just 1 week. Stay for another week and come back with extra qualifications and 20-30 jumps on your record.
Or do it in the UK, wait on site all day for the clouds to move, the wind to stop gusting or the rain to stop.
Spend 1 year getting 20-30 jumps.
Prices have gone up since I started 20 years ago,.
Expect 2 weeks in Spain including accommodation to be around €3000-€4000.
Happy to answer any specific questions.
Edited by ARFBY on Sunday 4th August 10:53
Hugo Stiglitz said:
I am off work until the start of September..
Get it booked, it is a very busy DZ. But plenty of capacity. Hope you have deep pockets.https://www.skydiveempuriabrava.com/en/all-prices/
i got into it when living in florida, i lived in a little town called deland nr daytona, and like most things it all started in a bar.
got talking to this guy who turned out to be competing in a skydiving competition at deland airport, seems that it is/was the skydiving centre of the usa.
he invited me for a tandem jump, i drunkenly agreed, and the next day i was very hungover falling from a great height.
loved it and learnt how to jump solo, every spare day off i had, i was jumping out of a plane.
Costs a fortune, but its a rush like no other. And ive raced motor bikes, and driven all manor of racing cars including some group c stuff and old F1.
Havnt jumped in about 20 years now, and not sure i would, as ive become older ive become very scared of heights, even looking out of a 4 story window makes me queasy now.
But glad i did it.
got talking to this guy who turned out to be competing in a skydiving competition at deland airport, seems that it is/was the skydiving centre of the usa.
he invited me for a tandem jump, i drunkenly agreed, and the next day i was very hungover falling from a great height.
loved it and learnt how to jump solo, every spare day off i had, i was jumping out of a plane.
Costs a fortune, but its a rush like no other. And ive raced motor bikes, and driven all manor of racing cars including some group c stuff and old F1.
Havnt jumped in about 20 years now, and not sure i would, as ive become older ive become very scared of heights, even looking out of a 4 story window makes me queasy now.
But glad i did it.
Terrifying is going on a wire ski lift in the wrong direction I.e going down and over a area with huge gaps/drops in the landscape in Switzerland/France. I found out that when the seat swayed, on the way down it sways with you going face forward/downards...
(I travelled on foot/lifts to get a fallen riders bike from a remote farmers house).
(I travelled on foot/lifts to get a fallen riders bike from a remote farmers house).
cliffords said:
It's utterly terrifying. Don't do it!
It's the most amazing exhilarating terrifying though. Like absolutely nothing else.People ask why you'd jump out of a perfectly serviceable aeroplane, but I can boast that I've taken off in more planes than I've landed in - which isn't easy to undo.
ARFBY said:
Yes, I had many a beer with Tim. Lots of great memories.
Me too and I was only the pilot! He arrived at Strathallen and turned the place around, fantastic guy The first time I turned up with two inches of snow on the runway I was a bit concerned, they do not teach you flying off snow at the flying club. Tim, as ever the professional, looked after the pilots the way he looked after the skydivers, giving me some advice on the QT, disappointed when he left.
Flew from Edinburgh, the owner asked me if I wanted a trip in a 172 with a local pilot who owned the aircraft, thought I was going along for the ride, oh no, 500’ the owner says you have and promptly lit a cigarette, high wing with fuel above your head.
Take me to the para club north of Newcastle he said, which I did. Landed and Tim says did you not check notams? I looked at owner who just shrugged. Then came an ear splitting noise as a RAF jaguar went overhead at two hundred feet. We are being used by the military as an attack base, the camouflaged anti aircraft guns were a bit of a clue. Never made that mistake again
Edited by Mercdriver on Sunday 4th August 14:15
Did a static line jump for my 25th birthday, my first ever sky diving experience. 990 feet of pure exhilaration followed by 10 seconds of panic as I f
ked up my landing and broke my leg, leading to 3 weeks in hospital. Not my finest moment. Would do a tandem again, even a solo maybe but it would always be in the back of my mind.
ked up my landing and broke my leg, leading to 3 weeks in hospital. Not my finest moment. Would do a tandem again, even a solo maybe but it would always be in the back of my mind. Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff