Skydiving/Extreme Sports

TJT · May 15, 2014

I know it might be a bit of a long shot. But I was curious if there is any sky trash. I jump out of the Austin area at the moment. I'm on my way to becoming a tandem instructor for a side job. Below is some doof-ass picture of me taken moments after landing. But if there are any of you, speak up!

Szeth · May 15, 2014

Always wanted to do this. I just want to jump solo first go, and I see that as not happening anywhere. Tell me where to pull, and where the backup is and let me loose goddamnit.

TJT · May 15, 2014

Szeth_sl said:
Always wanted to do this. I just want to jump solo first go, and I see that as not happening anywhere. Tell me where to pull, and where the backup is and let me loose goddamnit.

That is illegal by USPA standards and I highly doubt anywhere would let you do that short of a private airfield and a friend. Jump 8 or 9 of the Accelerated Freefall course (standard training) will be a solo jump though, nobody but yourself. But even by jump 3 you are not held by an instructor they are just there watching you on the jump.

Soygen · May 15, 2014

I've done two tandem jumps, but it's something I would like to do more often, but not enough to spend the money to do so. Did you have a connection that made jumping cheaper and, I'm guessing, when you get certified as an instructor, they're all free jumps?

TJT · May 15, 2014

I did static line jumps when I was in the Army, but skydiving proper was always something that I wanted to do. The initial license will cost you around $2k. The A-License allows you to jump with other people etc. Once you acquire your own gear you're looking at ~$22 a jump depending on where you are. Gear can cost you a lot though. I got my rig for a very low price through sheer luck. But I am not about to go buy a new one anytime soon. Next on my list is getting my own Wingsuit and a BASE rig. Like any real hobby. You can sink an inordinate amount of money into it.

Once you're certified and working as an instructor, you get $40/jump + tips. Also tons of fun.

Borzak · May 15, 2014

I did a tandem jump just over 20 year ago. I got it as a gift for my 21st birthday. It was OK I just didn't get a big thrill out of it so I never pursued it. Jumping from the same plane just minutes before me was a team that did the formations and one guy got separated somehow and it took them 2 days to find him in the woods.

fris · May 15, 2014

i've done 12 jumps, 11 in san marcos and 1 up in temple. only thing holding me back was $$. i've also done about 30 minutes at ifly. while indoor skydiving is fun, hell of a lot cheaper, it's missing the thrill of jumping out of a plane.

Kedwyn · May 15, 2014

I'd leave a visible trail of shit in the sky the entire way down if I tried.

Northerner · May 15, 2014

I did a dozen jumps one year (2000, four static-line and eight with various amounts of free-fall) but didn't keep up with it. It was a hell of a lot of fun and great people but I just couldn't find the time for another hobby and wasn't interested in doing it only rarely. It is kinda pricy too unless you have your own gear and even then isn't cheap.

TJT · May 16, 2014

fris_sl said:
i've done 12 jumps, 11 in san marcos and 1 up in temple. only thing holding me back was $$. i've also done about 30 minutes at ifly. while indoor skydiving is fun, hell of a lot cheaper, it's missing the thrill of jumping out of a plane.

Oh cool! I go to San Marcos regularly. That's even where that picture was taken. If you're wanting to get back into currency, come on down. I'll be at Skydive Spaceland on Saturday.

Adebisi · May 16, 2014

Can I do this first time?

TJT · May 16, 2014

Depends, are you a pussy or not?

Weaponsfree_sl · May 16, 2014

I love skydiving so much. Where I live currently, BASE jumping is very popular, and there area ton of good spots. Like 1000x the rate of injury and death in BASE though. But that only matters to pansies.

TJT · May 17, 2014

Weaponsfree_sl said:
I love skydiving so much. Where I live currently, BASE jumping is very popular, and there area ton of good spots. Like 1000x the rate of injury and death in BASE though. But that only matters to pansies.

Do you live in Moab or Twin Falls? I took the BASE First Jump Course last summer, but I've been a bit slow on acquiring a rig. I aim to have one by October so I can go to Bridge Day in West Virginia.

TJT · May 21, 2014

Well Skydive Spaceland is now number one on my list of places to go in Texas. I'll have to make a monthly trip there, despite how much I hate Houston. Next up... Port Aransas and Skydive South Texas. Sorry for size, its early and I'm lazy.

JVIRUS · May 21, 2014

Sky diving is so much damn fun, haven't gotten a chance to go in ages. I once watched a how it's made episode about parachute construction and from what I understand very skilled old ladies carefully sew them together and fold them just right for each jump, which is the source of the high cost. I shall go again sometime in the next few years.

TJT · May 21, 2014

New canopies can cost you like $1650-$2000 alone. I've bought two so far and they were both used. Luckily these things retain value quite well. You can get 75-90% on a resale without much difficulty. As far as folding them for each jump. I trash pack the shit out of it most of the time

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Brand new skydiving rig will cost you easily $10k, used around $5k. A-License training is $2k by itself, jumps $20-25 a piece. Jumpsuit around $500. Electronic altimeter $250, audible altimeter $280. Helmet $250-$300, GoPro $250-$300 (once you get like 100 jumps).

I've been skydiving for like 3 years now. So you can spread it out as much as you want. You get components here and there and over time your stable builds up. I'm getting my first custom freefly suit and then a new container. The community is fantastic to be around and that is what really sucked me in. On top of how much fun I have with it.

Weaponsfree_sl · May 22, 2014

TJT_sl said:
Do you live in Moab or Twin Falls? I took the BASE First Jump Course last summer, but I've been a bit slow on acquiring a rig. I aim to have one by October so I can go to Bridge Day in West Virginia.

Twin Falls. People BASE here all the time, and the community is always helpful.

TJT · May 22, 2014

Nice! I'll be back there once I get my rig.

TJT · Aug 19, 2014

So I just ordered this bad boy:

Yes that is just a modeler, but they're making it!

An entirely new, custom container with a smaller, faster canopy and all around badassedness. In addition to a new Freefly suit I expect to get next month. Next is the BASE rig and a Wingsuit.

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