Sky diving - newbie
Sky diving - newbie
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anonymous-user

Original Poster:

83 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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[redacted]

GliderRider

2,919 posts

110 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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British Skydiving





Edited by GliderRider on Sunday 4th August 10:19

ARFBY

526 posts

162 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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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.


Edited by ARFBY on Sunday 4th August 10:53

Mercdriver

3,000 posts

62 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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Is that the club that was owned by Tim and Catherine? Two very professional and experienced skydivers

ARFBY

526 posts

162 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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From a Hot air balloon at 5000ft in Arizona.



Joining "20 way" also in Arizona.

I spent about 10 years skydiving, I saw 100s of people do tandems, 99% absolutely loved it. If you can afford it, it's a fantastic hobby that can take you all over the world. It really is expensive though.

ARFBY

526 posts

162 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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Mercdriver said:
Is that the club that was owned by Tim and Catherine? Two very professional and experienced skydivers
Yes, I had many a beer with Tim. Lots of great memories.

cliffords

4,237 posts

52 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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It's utterly terrifying. Don't do it!

ARFBY

526 posts

162 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
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/

richhead

3,325 posts

40 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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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.

m3jappa

6,948 posts

247 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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I have swum up close with bull sharks but the thought of jumping out of a fking aeroplane fills me with absolute terror hehe

I like the ground (or underwater).

That said i can imagine it is adrenaline like no other.

Jasandjules

72,573 posts

258 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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Went to Netheravon. Weekend after weekend for months............

wolfracesonic

9,184 posts

156 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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cliffords said:
It's utterly terrifying. Don't do it!
Thank you for that, I’m doing a tandem jump at the end of the month, that’s allayed any fears I hadlaugh

ARFBY

526 posts

162 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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Jasandjules said:
Went to Netheravon. Weekend after weekend for months............
And you Nether avon managed to get 1 jump?

maccboy

840 posts

167 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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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.

gotoPzero

20,657 posts

218 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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An old pal of mine is a sky dive instructor in Portugal.

Skydive_dreams on Instagram

Mercdriver

3,000 posts

62 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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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

parabolica

7,009 posts

213 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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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 fked 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.

Mercdriver

3,000 posts

62 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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From what I saw it is pretty safe if you do what you are trained to do!

I can understand the buzz, just not for me preferred to land with the aircraft

Jasandjules

72,573 posts

258 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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ARFBY said:
Jasandjules said:
Went to Netheravon. Weekend after weekend for months............
And you Nether avon managed to get 1 jump?
Some weekends yes, some no... If the wind was too high then it was a no..... One time the lift before us ran into an unexpected storm which pretty much shut that day down....

But there is no greater feeling that being under a canopy floating down IMHO and not a greater rush than leaping into space...

Edited by Jasandjules on Sunday 4th August 19:20

Boleros

1,925 posts

35 months

Sunday 4th August 2024
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So many options but if you can do it overseas where the climate is guaranteed, do it that way. I did my AFF at Nethers and it took forever, so dull. Sacked the sport in the end for a variety of reasons but mostly because I grew tired of wasting a weekend hanging around a DZ in the UK on a weather hold. Expensive sport mind, you'll need deep pockets if you're thinking about getting your own gear.

There are a lot of arrogant wkers in the sport so if you get consistent recommendations for Company X, very definitely worth checking them out.

Edited by Boleros on Sunday 4th August 19:59