Skydiving

Anyone else out there jump? It's a pretty good sport for a climber to get into. Different in many ways than climbing, but still quite fun.

My Wife has a C- License and I have D-License. Even though we loads of jumps and no kids, $30 a pop,but after 3-5 jumps each on a Saturday really adds up to an expensive weekend, and we own all the gear any skydiver could ever want.

You are right however, loads of fun, just $60 for the both of us is too spendy for our blood. We like climbing in Moab/World and BASE jumping.

Hank sold me my first rig. I jump several times a year but not nearly as much as I would like. It was some BASE jumpers jumping over our heads on El Cap that got me into it. 

There has to be other skydivers out there who climb too.

I've been skydiving for the past 4 years but in the last 4months, I haven't gone since climbing now takes up all my time. I'll go back to it eventually  though.

Over 350 hours of scuba diving and only a few jumps attached to other people. On my list of things to do. My friend does halo jumping with the military and I plan on getting my pilot license  in the next year or two. All of them cost a bit for the gear but once you get a couple 1000s in gear climbing is the cheapest.

This year the club fee is $250, and $25 to 9500 AGL $30 to 12,500 AGL, and if you weigh more than 250 lbs(net) you pay an additional $10. That adds up.
I usually get 4-5 jumps a day, 1.5 days a week. That is $150 a week, for most of the year.  Plus gas and all the other stuff.  If the plane needs maintenance we have to chip in for that too. Luckily we get people that need the flight hours so they usually pilot for free.

I just sold my Sabre 190/Raven/Strong rig, just didn't need it anymore. Competes with my climbing time and my fishing time and etc...Plus all my buds are gone or retired. I was a military rigger in a HALO shop, so I got a ton of dives in for free, but then had to start paying once I got out.

planning a Zephyrhills vacation this winter, just renting the gear. Got my D back in 1996. Mae West malfunction and dirt nap in 2008.

Buck Rio wrote: This year the club fee is $250, and $25 to 9500 AGL $30 to 12,500 AGL, and if you weigh more than 250 lbs(net) you pay an additional $10. That adds up.
I usually get 4-5 jumps a day, 1.5 days a week. That is $150 a week, for most of the year.  Plus gas and all the other stuff.  If the plane needs maintenance we have to chip in for that too. Luckily we get people that need the flight hours so they usually pilot for free.

I just sold my Sabre 190/Raven/Strong rig, just didn't need it anymore. Competes with my climbing time and my fishing time and etc...Plus all my buds are gone or retired. I was a military rigger in a HALO shop, so I got a ton of dives in for free, but then had to start paying once I got out.

planning a Zephyrhills vacation this winter, just renting the gear. Got my D back in 1996. Mae West malfunction and dirt nap in 2008.

Damn, that is a crazy expensive hobby! I though mountain biking was next level pricey, but that makes it seem super cheap.

MorganH wrote:

Damn, that is a crazy expensive hobby! I though mountain biking was next level pricey, but that makes it seem super cheap.

Dude, just the container, not any canopies, cost $2000-$3000. A main canopy will  be another $2k-$3k, then you need a reserve chute, an AAD, a jump suit, helmet(optional) goggles, altimeter, rigging services for your reserve etc. Plus you'll need some sort of tote for your gear, and all the other little incidentals (packing paddle) rubber bands, drogue chute, extra cutaway handle>>>>>

It is a black hole for money.

Iv'e gotta chime in about paragliding: it's a wonderful way to fly slow and close to terrain, relatively inexpensive, multifaceted like climbing, you can get your g-force fix, etc etc.

Nowadays manufactures are even making "speed wings" that are about the same size as sky diving canopies but of much lighter construction.

Paragliding can be really safe too, but the right mindset is almost the exact opposite of a good climbing mindset.

David Morison wrote: Iv'e gotta chime in about paragliding: it's a wonderful way to fly slow and close to terrain, relatively inexpensive, multifaceted like climbing, you can get your g-force fix, etc etc.

Nowadays manufactures are even making "speed wings" that are about the same size as sky diving canopies but of much lighter construction.

Paragliding can be really safe too, but the right mindset is almost the exact opposite of a good climbing mindset.

What's terminal velocity in paragliding? 

I think the reasons are different. I only had the chute to get me to the ground. The whole point of skydiving for me was the free-fall. No freefall = boring.

I never saw the point of BASE either, you only get a few seconds of freefall, and then get arrested???  Give me a Turbo Porter at 13'500 over Biscayne Bay.

how do you get into paragliding? i watched some people jump off the chief in squamish and i was *very* intrigued. seems much safer than BASE.

Chris Blatchley wrote: how do you get into paragliding? i watched some people jump off the chief in squamish and i was *very* intrigued. seems much safer than BASE.

It's nice to learn somewhere with a lot of ridge lift (wind blowing over topography) as opposed to thermal (hot air going up). At first you just want to rack up hours ground handling. It's also good to sign up with an instructor, mechanical skills like "pull this handle to turn left" are pretty simple but the stuff like "should I fly that site, today?" can be tricky. The point of the mountain near SLC or tiger mtn near Seattle are both great places to learn. Coastal areas with steep topography can be nice places to learn.

Taking off from the chief is a great example of how paragliding has these funny almost logistical decisions to make.  It could be safe and chill launching at a given time and then a few hours later it could be super sketchy .

Buck Rio wrote:

What's terminal velocity in paragliding? 

I think the reasons are different. I only had the chute to get me to the ground. The whole point of skydiving for me was the free-fall. No freefall = boring.

I never saw the point of BASE either, you only get a few seconds of freefall, and then get arrested???  Give me a Turbo Porter at 13'500 over Biscayne Bay.

If the wing is all tangled up in a ball above you then terminal velocity is still slow enough that you won't break a bone if you hit the water.

The fun high g-forces are when the wing is open and you're swinging around it.

:-) I used to see sky divers free falling and think "How can they wast all that elevation!? They should be doing acro" Being in free fall is like taking shots of a nice smoky single malt.

I hear you about the staying in the plane. My dream plane is a DR-107.

David Morison wrote:

If the wing is all tangled up in a ball above you then terminal velocity is still slow enough that you won't break a bone if you hit the water.

The fun high g-forces are when the wing is open and you're swinging around it.

:-) I used to see sky divers free falling and think "How can they wast all that elevation!? They should be doing acro" Being in free fall is like taking shots of a nice smoky single malt.

I hear you about the staying in the plane. My dream plane is a DR-107.

I just learned that Pilatus is not going to make the Porter anymore...shame, that is one of the best dive planes ever made. Perfect for short runways. 

What I meant about the plane over Biscayne Bay, is that I would be exiting at 13,500, and landing on the beach for some Mojitos