First Tandem Skydive

woodsy

woodsy

woodsy

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Joined
26 Jan 2004
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North East, UK
Hi All,

Just thought i'd share with you the most amazing experience I've ever had (Aye its that good) :p

I decided to do a Tandem skydive mainly because im planning on starting my AFF (Accelerated Free Fall) Course basically means I can skydive on my own to the BPA standard. If anyone is still sat on the fence over doing a jump then believe me just go do it you get such a 'rush' from it.

I jumped from 14500ft which is as high as we go, we are in freefall from 14500ft down till about 5000ft then we deploy the chute. And have a 6minute breath taking ride down to the airstrip.

Here is my video, I had someone jump with us with a helmet cam.


Video
 
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Tandem :)

Glad you enjoyed it. For me there has to be something wrong with you to want to jump out of a perfectly good plane :p
 
Gilly said:
Tandem :)

Glad you enjoyed it. For me there has to be something wrong with you to want to jump out of a perfectly good plane :p
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whoops spot the mistake cheers Gilly :p
 
woodsy said:
Hi All,

Just thought i'd share with you the most amazing experience I've ever had (Aye its that good) :p

I decided to do a Tandem skydive mainly because im planning on starting my AFF (Accelerated Free Fall) Course basically means I can skydive on my own to the BPA standard. If anyone is still sat on the fence over doing a jump then believe me just go do it you get such a 'rush' from it.

I jumped from 14500ft which is as high as we go, we are in freefall from 14500ft down till about 5000ft then we deploy the chute. And have a 6minute breath taking ride down to the airstrip.

Here is my video, I had someone jump with us with a helmet cam.


Video
Click to expand...

Mate good video.

I got my first tandem jump this summer, I've got mixed feelings about it. 100% excited and 100% fear, that's right, 200%'s worth of emotions!

Were you nervous?
 
I did more than 50 last year :)

Probably one of the best things I've ever done. Still scares the bejesus out of me, but you just keep coming back for more, its THAT good....

If you're thinking of taking it up, decide now - can you afford it, will you keep it up regularly (because irregular skydiving IS dangerous), and do you have the bottle? Make sure you speak to as many experianced people you can before you start.

Absolutely well done. Delighted to see people enjoying it. Very best of luck.
 
Nice one mate, I see you got the bug now? ;) Where are you doing your AFF? Make sure you get taught some packing as well, there are so many centres that teach AFF and don't even bother with packing! Ask a lot of questions and try to socialise a lot with the other jumpers at the DZ. Be safe and have fun buddy!

Blue skies :D

bfar said:
I did more than 50 last year :)
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Hi mate, where abouts do you jump? :)
 
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pyro said:
Hi mate, where abouts do you jump? :)
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I learned in Florida and did most of my jumping in Interlaken, Switzerland, where I've spent the last two Summers. Absolutely amazing, the Alps look like a big epic domino run in freefall :cool:

I'll be jumping in Ireland this season. Stopped for the Winter due to poor weather, lack of funding and shoulder rehabilitation :p

Where do you jump yourself?
 
Northwest, at Black Knights, only have three jumps into my s/l course :o But if I get the job I want I will be getting my A pretty soon, the weather is getting better as wel...!
 
Gilly said:
Tandem :)

Glad you enjoyed it. For me there has to be something wrong with you to want to jump out of a perfectly good plane :p
Click to expand...

Most small jump planes have a big hole in the side, they're not "perfectly good" and there's not much leg space.

Well done mate, it's a great feeling, you'll love the AFF! (I did RAPS, cos I didn't have the cash for AFF)
 
Yay another skydiver!! :D

Nice video dude, but just wait till you get to solo jumps and none of that tandem nonsense! Ive got a video of one of my jumps at Skydive Algarve over new year (my nickname is the stig btw lol), find it here:

Pyro, I'm planning to head down to BK once I get my own rig (btw you dont know anybody selling a freefly friendly rig with something like a 170 or 190 main in it do you??) so maybe see you there. I currently regularly jump at Strathallan, and have 84 jumps in total and TOTALLY addicted. :D
 
congratz, I did my first tandem sky-dive in August last year in Grand Canaria, can't wait to go again but will have to as I'm also skint!
 
GlasgowTitan said:
Yay another skydiver!! :D

Nice video dude, but just wait till you get to solo jumps and none of that tandem nonsense! Ive got a video of one of my jumps at Skydive Algarve over new year (my nickname is the stig btw lol), find it here:

Pyro, I'm planning to head down to BK once I get my own rig (btw you dont know anybody selling a freefly friendly rig with something like a 170 or 190 main in it do you??) so maybe see you there. I currently regularly jump at Strathallan, and have 84 jumps in total and TOTALLY addicted. :D
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There is a ff friendly rig but it's a 120main, so you can start freeflying and swooping at the same time lol :p Have you tried the ads at the UKS forum? There's always something there!

Edit: Ohh, Dornier! :D
 
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Must do this sometime!

Just curious as to how long you 'freefall' for? If terminal velocity is 120ms, and you're falling approx 3.3km (10,000ft/3), then 3300/120 = 27secs! Is that close?

Would I be excessively mad to even consider doing the first tandem one out of a hot air balloon, just to feel the acceleartion to terminal velocity?

Well done to the OP.
 
It's actually 120mph, not meters per second, but it does depend on the way you fall. Anyway, the typical freefall time is around a minute on a solo jumper, and around 40s or so in a tandem freefall (technically it isn't freefall as you have a drogue chute slowing you down). You then have a 5 or so minute canopy ride to landing. You can fall belly to earth, or go head down, obviously you go faster on the latter, and there's anything inbetween. Of course exit altitude and deploy altitude have a lot to do with the ammount of time you spend on freefall.
 
120mph Pyro you fat *******! I can do less than 95mph if I slow-fall lol. Me fast falling is only about 125-130mph, I'm only 10st and have a baggy jumpsuit :) more freefall time for me!!! The max recorded on my altitrack is 167mph but that was an accident I swear - I dont have freefly friendly kit remember.... :eek:
 
Not quite skydiving, but I went to Arikix in Milton Keynes yesterday. I had two 1 minute sessions of bodyflying bought for me for Christmas. It was awesome, looking forward to going back for more. Perhaps I might then make the step up to a skydive :).
 
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