2

6/17/2013 9:26:38 PM

I just googled the weight restrictions of the place I went to

Quote :

"Is there a weight limit for tandem skydiving? Yes. We can take tandem skydivers up to 280 pounds, but there are additional fees for people over 240 pounds (+$20: 240-259 pounds, +$40: 260-280 pounds). Tandem skydivers over 240 pounds will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. - See more at: http://www.skydivespaceland.com/first-tandem/skydive-common-questions/#sthash.0ddrdX5N.dpuf"

6/17/2013 9:36:01 PM

First time I went, I was a foot and a half taller, and about 30 pounds heavier than my instructor. Still had a blast.

It's absolutely nothing like most people imagine. There's no "stomach drop out" sensation like a roller coaster, there's no sense of falling at all. You can't even tell the ground is approaching. And it's one of the most safe recreational sports to do, especially tandem. You're more likely to die driving to and from a campsite for a weekend camping trip than skydiving.

6/17/2013 10:24:46 PM

If it's as safe as driving back home from work, why are there ppl questioning about it?

6/17/2013 10:30:08 PM

arhodes

6/17/2013 10:38:19 PM

6/17/2013 11:29:24 PM

I want to go tandem with slappy1.

6/18/2013 12:00:39 AM

Naked, with you as the tandem instructor?

6/18/2013 12:52:38 AM

+1

6/18/2013 12:59:35 AM

not afraid, been a couple of times. Fell through a cloud

6/18/2013 5:03:11 AM

Str8BacardiL

6/18/2013 7:09:13 AM

^^^^ I never even mentioned skydiving. You read that in.

Skydiving sounds fun too, though. It's on my list. Shit, I'll be the little spoon--I'd just as soon not get us both killed.

6/19/2013 2:14:30 AM

^bbehe

Thanks for the link, the place my friend went had the limit of 225lbs "depending on height." I -mailed them for clarification on that, but got no response.

I am roughly 6'3" and 250lbs.

6/19/2013 3:33:05 AM

One of my friend's dad just died from a sky diving accident.

6/19/2013 8:19:29 AM

Was in down in Texas? I know the place we were at had a fatality a couple hours after we left.

Experience diver, cut away from his main, didn't deploy his reserve

6/19/2013 8:24:49 AM

I bet such accident happens often.
Who says that it's as safe as driving is spitting shit out of his mouth.

6/19/2013 9:13:36 AM

I did a tandem skydive once (pretty much how you have to do it). When the guy pulled the cord I was like "that was it?"

6/19/2013 9:19:08 AM

Quote :

"I bet such accident happens often. Who says that it's as safe as driving is spitting shit out of his mouth."

Tandems and AFF (where you go alone your first time) are pretty damn safe. The first 10 years I was skydiving there were no tandem or AFF fatal accidents. Then there were like three in a short time span, but there haven't been any since. There are millions of tandem jumps a year, so it is pretty damn safe on a per jump basis and you could make an argument that it's as safe as driver if you compare single tandem jump vs number of drivers. Skydiving in general has had as many as 40 fatalities in a year and as few as 13. It's been on the lower end for the past 5 - 6 years.

Most of the fatalities are some form of user error, and 98% are preventable. When most people learn that they feel more comfortable about it. Knowledge, like with anything else, is a powerful tool to keep you safe. If you don't obsessively like to learn then it's not going to be as safe. The longer you are around it you realize everyone makes mistakes.

Quote :

"Experience diver, cut away from his main, didn't deploy his reserve"

That's been the incident of the year. Several people have cutaway too low or never deployed their reserve this year. Those fall into the easily preventable category.

[Edited on June 19, 2013 at 10:17 AM. Reason : a]

6/19/2013 10:15:04 AM

Quote :

"One of my friend's dad just died from a sky diving accident."

my friend (whose son is a good friend of mine) went in over Memorial Day weekend. that was a rough weekend for the whole skydiving community. 4 fatalities (total) I believe.

6/19/2013 11:29:39 AM

All ppl enjoying skydive who I know of are all easy to get excited and have some special characters. You can easily recognize them from the others.

6/19/2013 11:34:38 AM

I'd love to know the ages of these guys that have had accidents in the past year.

The baby boomers are supposedly choosing suicide a lot these days.

6/19/2013 11:35:47 AM

I would go in a heartbeat....wouldn't think twice.....would enjoy the rush!

6/19/2013 11:38:37 AM

6/19/2013 11:44:45 AM

bridget - interestingly, at least 3 of the fatalities from Memorial Day weekend were 55+, very experienced jumpers, but I know for a fact that none of them were suicide.

that said, that *does* happen, and it is tragic and most often infinitely selfish.

[Edited on June 19, 2013 at 11:57 AM. Reason : wknd]

6/19/2013 11:54:10 AM

Quote :

"All ppl enjoying skydive who I know of are all easy to get excited and have some special characters. You can easily recognize them from the others. "

Most are usually the ones that are not as excitable. I mean if you get your jollies off going to the mall and doing brunch why take the risk?

Quote :

"I'd love to know the ages of these guys that have had accidents in the past year."

One was in their sixties and on average I'd say skydivers are in their mid 30s to mid 40s. Old enough to have made a career that can afford it and still young and dumb Most people in a suicidal mindset that get into skydiving get enough fulfillment out of it they stick around longer. Killing your self in that dramatic of a way is super selfish not only on the people who skydive but the paramedics that have to respond to the call. Skydivers deal with enough bad shit.

6/19/2013 11:56:05 AM

I don't like flying, let alone jumping out of airplanes

ncsuallday

[Edited on June 19, 2013 at 12:01 PM. Reason : .]

6/19/2013 12:01:34 PM

If riding in an airplane is flying, then riding in a boat is swimming.

6/19/2013 12:04:25 PM

Quote :

"bridget - interestingly, at least 3 of the fatalities from Memorial Day weekend were 55+, very experienced jumpers, but I know for a fact that none of them were suicide. that said, that *does* happen, and it is tragic and most often infinitely selfish."

I don't want to turn this into a suicide thread, but no you don't.

6/19/2013 1:48:56 PM

well, I guess the incident reports and first-hand accounts would speak for me then.

6/19/2013 1:56:56 PM

Quote :

"I don't want to turn this into a suicide thread, but no you don't. "

Actually it's likely she does know that. If it were a suicide, then all the backups (automatic opener and RSL which activates the reserve after a cutaway) would be unhooked or turned off. If that isn't the case it's not usually a suicide.

6/19/2013 2:19:42 PM

Quote :

" If riding in an airplane is flying, then riding in a boat is swimming. "

You aren't flying right.

6/21/2013 12:10:27 AM

I was telling my dad last night that I was thinking of possibly going skydiving...



Skydiving instructor dies after jump
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/05/us/mississippi-skydiving-death/index.html


back to being too scared

8/5/2013 7:41:48 AM

He owns the drop zone near my dad's place in Pensacola. Apparently they were closed so he was jumping at Gold Coast. Looks like a shitty luck incident from the details I've seen.

8/5/2013 8:40:11 AM

how did the other guy live is what I want to know

8/5/2013 10:51:37 AM

Media generally reports parachute failed for any incident. I mean that is the only possible thing that could happen right? It could mean the main was fully functioning and he turned too low. Could mean main failed and got under a working reserve. Or it could have some kind of problem where it's slowing them down anything between a lot or not at all.

It seems like it was actually a problem with the reserve but they could have impacted at speeds between 20 and 100 mph depending on the issue. They impacted in mud so that would help in any case.

If you want to see how fucked the news is, then learn a lot about something, anything really, mildly technical and then watch a news story on it.

8/5/2013 11:19:52 AM

^^ Instructor was 56. If the student was significantly younger, it'd account for taking the blow a lot easier. Also, if they hit back-first, the instructor would take the brunt of the impact.

8/5/2013 12:54:02 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/05/us/car-crash-death/index.html

FUCK

DRIVING

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

8/5/2013 12:56:57 PM