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Skydivers?

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
Any of you skydivers?

And on the flipside, if any of you would like to try it I know of a fun dropzone in the Houston area. Something to do once in your life in my opinion, and I'd go up wicha and point you to the best instructors.
 

Michaelstedman81

Premium Member
Where is the dropzone at? When I was making a trip around Texas and stopped down there to see family, I saw a place and called them and was going to go, but the weather didn't hold out long enough and we had to get to Moody Gardens that night..lol I still want to go pretty badly one day.
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
Any of you skydivers?

And on the flipside, if any of you would like to try it I know of a fun dropzone in the Houston area. Something to do once in your life in my opinion, and I'd go up wicha and point you to the best instructors.

how much does it cost?
 

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
It is out in Rosharon, south of Houston.

It can be a little pricey for the first time, around $200 for a tandem jump. If you want a video of it thats another $100.

I've done both tandem and some STP/AFF jumps. If you are interested in long term, AFF is the way to go (after getting certified, it only costs around $25 a jump). Fair bit more stressful though unless you've done something like it before, as you go out on your own parachute and all that. I suggest tandem for first time jumpers because its a good intro, and the instructors out in Rosharon are solid folks you can rely on to get you on the ground in safety.

http://www.skydivespaceland.com/prices.php
 

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
[video=youtube;IdXP8SSGMdk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=IdXP8SSGMdk[/video]

Little vid of my last jump, couple weeks ago.

One way to save money on the deal is to do the STP program, and use an instructor who is also a cameraperson. You'll likely get their gopro of your jump for free, and thats $100 saved.
 
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Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
< Wuss. Crazy thing, I've always wanted to try a wing suit...OMG

[video=youtube;LhmzmOwkRuM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhmzmOwkRuM[/video]
 
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KSigMason

Traveling Templar
Site Benefactor
I've been skydiving and I want to go some more. I had a blast and eventually would like to get my free fall certification.
 

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
I've got a friend who visits a different lodge every week practically, hes a mover and shaker type. Gonna play wingman to him and visit some lodges and see if I can find some rock on types, really wanna put together a regular group. Meet something like once a quarter in one of the major cities of Texas and go jump. Can't think of any other type of folks I'd rather go with and the idea is stuck like a burr under my saddle.

Figure we only need a handful of folks to get the ball rolling. The photos would rock :)
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
I have been once and it is a dream of mine to make it a regular thing. Of course, I have lots of those dreams, but after my flight lessons are done this is next on my list.
 

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
I'm heading out on the Sunday the 5th of August to Skydive Spaceland, and again on Friday the 17th of August. On the 17th a Brother is scheduled to go with for his first jump. Hit me up if anyone wants to roll either of those days :)
 

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
Now that I'm divorced, I have to do something that is completely out of line with my usual self and endangers my life. All joking aside, I'd love to! How much does it cost? At what point can you jump solo?
 

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
There are two options for your first jump - tandem, and AFF (Advanced Free Fall).

Tandem is just what it sounds like, you are tied to an instructor, they do the work, you go for the ride.

AFF requires that you to take a class that lasts a day, then you go out on your own with an instructor. They hold on to you as opposed to being tied to you, so you are on your own with a safety net in case you freeze up and forget to pull your cord (which is very easy to do, it is an intense experience).

My first jump was AFF. I'm afraid of heights you see (and that doesn't go away), so I had a thing about proving to myself that I could push through it. I urge people trying it the first time to do tandem. I had pretty bad luck in that I had an emergency to deal with post-pull (my risers got tangled) on my first jump....I made it through it but it was serious business. On an AFF jump there is noone to help you at that stage, so like I say, serious business. It took me several years to go up again after that.

I've done a couple of tandems and several AFF jumps since, and I must say the tandem is a whole lot of fun. There is no reason to have a hangup about bein tied to a dude, or in not going out on your own. The instructor is able to show you stuff while under canopy that is just downright rad, and you don't get that on an AFF jump.

Plus, a couple of tandem jumps count towards certification (25 jumps), which allows you to jump completely on your own pretty much anywhere in the US. Thats what I'm workin on now.

Your First Jump: Tandem Skydiving! | Skydive Spaceland

Cost, with a video (which you will want for your first jump, believe me) is something like $300. Subsequent jumps are a lot less. Once you get to your 15th jump or so its more like $80, and once certified you only pay for the lift ticket of $15-$25 depending on the dropzone.

I highly recommend it - there is just nothing like it. Like I say, I'm afraid of heights (I get sweaty palms whenever I think of skydivin), and I am able to rock on - so thats no problem. In fact you'll find a whole lot of the instructors (who have in excess of 10,000 jumps) are afraid of heights, it goes with the territory.

You want to talk about feelin alive. Seriously :)
 

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
[video=youtube;WYqWbnoemJg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYqWbnoemJg[/video]

I still want to put together a wolfpack of Masons that skydive together once a quarter or so.

Want to talk about bonding :)
 

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
A couple of weeks ago I purchased a gift certificate to go sky diving! I was thinking about using it this Spring :)

Freemason Connect Premium App
 

Brother JC

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
One of these days, I have to do that again. I've only jumped static-line at Parachute Rigger school in the Navy. Got to do a free-fall soon.
 

Ol Kev

Registered User
If anybody is looking for someone to designate as a beneficiary, I'm your man! . . . .


I have a private pilot's license and several years ago when I was flying regularly, I saw those skydivers floating down and thought, "Man, that must really be peaceful. Just floating along." So I went up in the jump plane to observe. I saw those guys jump and I stuck my head out that open door with that blast of wind and watched them drop away, QUICKLY DROP AWAY and said to myself, "This is a little different perspective, I must re-think this . . . "
 

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
The exit is intense for a high jump, for sure. I try to explain it to folks - that wind coming at you. And you see, you arch your back so that your body becomes sorta like a badminton - strong center of gravity so that you fall face to ground. So you come away from the aircraft, arch, and Brethren - that transition from your body being basically vertical (standing) to horizontal (body facing down) is a tremendous rush.

Then for the 60 seconds or so of freefall, it calms down a fair bit. Still pretty intense, but your brain is generally back in gear. Keeping in mind that you can most definitely *move*. You can track in different directions and whatnot - so visualize makin your body like superman (but with your arms along your body) and you can choose to go there, or there, or there - really fast. Like a rocket. Its just rad.

Then once under canopy you get minutes rather than seconds, and it really is about the calmest, most beautiful site in the world. And again, you can steer.

I'd go all the time but its just more fun with friends. I think it would be off the charts with Brothers.
 
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