I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

14 Apr 2008 14:28:47

Gapagos

Hey, I saw a picture of a distant friend of mine skydiving, and said
the picture was amazing, adding that I wasn't sure I'd have the
courage to do this. A friend of her called me a wuss for it. :-P ...
and my distant friend invited me to skydive in June to prove him
wrong.

The videos I saw of skydiving look amazing. The view, the wind, the
gliding.... etc.

I am not someone who is really afraid of heights.
But I am deadly afraid of the sensation of falling. I don't dare to
do hardcore roller coasters with huge loops and drop zones.
To be clear: I am not afraid of feeling the sensation, it's the
actual sensation in itself which produces an incredibly intense
feeling of fear.

I tried googling for what skydiving implies for those with fears of
falling but I found little information, only info on people with fear
of heights but not on the actual falling sensation.

Should I try skydiving? Should I stay away? Any tips to conquer my
fear of falling besides going directly to the skydiving part? What do
you think.

Thanks :-)

14 Apr 2008 14:50:06

brokeneagle

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

On Apr 14, 5:28 pm, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com > wrote:

I had a lifelong deadly fear of heights when I started skydiving. From
my experience, the physical feeling you get from freefall is nothing
like you describe. There is NO sensation of falling or negative G
experience in a regular skydive. The closest way to describe it is to
liken the sensation to that of floating on top of a pool of water. The
air feels like it is supporting your body, and the hardest part to
learn is for your body to "feel" to push of the air from below and to
relax into it so you can be stable and learn all kinds of freefall
play- for me, it was far more than the experience of overcoming what
you thought was a solid fear... I'd always dreamed I could fly...
Just be sure to save up enough to have a cameraman fly with you when
you go so you can prove to your friends/family you really did it.
(grin)
Good luck!
Brokeneagle.

14 Apr 2008 15:15:29

Gapagos

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

On Apr 14, 5:50 pm, brokeneagle <Eagleo...@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Apr 14, 5:28 pm, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I had a lifelong deadly fear of heights when I started skydiving. From
> my experience, the physical feeling you get from freefall is nothing
> like you describe. There is NO sensation of falling or negative G
> experience in a regular skydive. The closest way to describe it is to
> liken the sensation to that of floating on top of a pool of water. The
> air feels like it is supporting your body, and the hardest part to
> learn is for your body to "feel" to push of the air from below and to
> relax into it so you can be stable and learn all kinds of freefall
> play- for me, it was far more than the experience of overcoming what
> you thought was a solid fear... I'd always dreamed I could fly...
> Just be sure to save up enough to have a cameraman fly with you when
> you go so you can prove to your friends/family you really did it.
> (grin)
> Good luck!
> Brokeneagle.

Thanks a lot for the answer. There would definitely be a cameraman IF
I choose to do it lol.
I have a very hard time believing the "There is NO sensation of
falling or negative G experience in a regular skydive" part though!!
How could that be?? Just because of all the air blowing on your body?
Anyway, even though I'm deadly afraid of this (I'll admit it), I think
my curiosity is overcoming my fear of it... hehe...

14 Apr 2008 19:06:08

peanut4040

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

On Apr 14, 4:28=EF=BF=BDpm, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com > wrote:
> Hey, I saw a picture of a distant friend of mine skydiving, and said
> the picture was amazing, adding that I wasn't sure I'd have the
> courage to do this. =EF=BF=BDA friend of her called me a wuss for it. :-P =
...
> and my distant friend invited me to skydive in June to prove him
> wrong.
>
> The videos I saw of skydiving look amazing. =EF=BF=BDThe view, the wind, t=
he
> gliding.... etc.
>
> I am not someone who is really afraid of heights.
> But I am deadly afraid of the sensation of falling. =EF=BF=BDI don't dare =
to
> do hardcore roller coasters with huge loops and drop zones.
> To be clear: =EF=BF=BDI am not afraid of feeling the sensation, it's the
> actual sensation in itself which produces an incredibly intense
> feeling of fear.
>
> I tried googling for what skydiving implies for those with fears of
> falling but I found little information, only info on people with fear
> of heights but not on the actual falling sensation.
>
> Should I try skydiving? =EF=BF=BDShould I stay away? =EF=BF=BDAny tips to =
conquer my
> fear of falling besides going directly to the skydiving part? =EF=BF=BDWha=
t do
> you think.
>
> Thanks :-)

If you decide to try it--Best you Don't stop in the door, People
behind you will carry you with them. The animals are easily
exciteable when the door is open.

15 Apr 2008 03:40:47

PeterLucas

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

Gapagos <efrancolaporte@gmail.com > wrote in news:1d743240-a3c5-4a91-
afb0-cb9858a903e4@u36g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

> On Apr 14, 5:50 pm, brokeneagle <Eagleo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Apr 14, 5:28 pm, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> I had a lifelong deadly fear of heights when I started skydiving.
From
>> my experience, the physical feeling you get from freefall is nothing
>> like you describe. There is NO sensation of falling or negative G
>> experience in a regular skydive. The closest way to describe it is to
>> liken the sensation to that of floating on top of a pool of water.
The
>> air feels like it is supporting your body, and the hardest part to
>> learn is for your body to "feel" to push of the air from below and to
>> relax into it so you can be stable and learn all kinds of freefall
>> play- for me, it was far more than the experience of overcoming what
>> you thought was a solid fear... I'd always dreamed I could fly...
>> Just be sure to save up enough to have a cameraman fly with you when
>> you go so you can prove to your friends/family you really did it.
>> (grin)
>> Good luck!
>> Brokeneagle.
>
> Thanks a lot for the answer. There would definitely be a cameraman IF
> I choose to do it lol.
> I have a very hard time believing the "There is NO sensation of
> falling or negative G experience in a regular skydive" part though!!
> How could that be?? Just because of all the air blowing on your body?
> Anyway, even though I'm deadly afraid of this (I'll admit it), I think
> my curiosity is overcoming my fear of it... hehe...

There is no sensation of falling if you jump from a plane because
initially, you are not falling. You are travelling the same speed as the
plane and gradually as your forward speed drops off, you slowly start
building 'down' speed. Which is why the first 1,000' you fall is the
slowest rate.

Hence, none of that falling feeling.

http://training.skydivenewengland.com/faq.html

And the only time you get that 'negative G' sensation, is when the
bastard pilot decides to play funny buggers while you're still in the
plane. Which is a bloody good reason to get out of the thing.

--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia

"Thirty seven years ago, a Quarter Master, nearly knocked me over as he
thrust an L1A1 SLR into my hands and bellowed, "Keep that Rifle in Tip
Top Order so you can Kill your Countries Enemies with it before they
Kill You. These days, I do not have to visit exotic overseas countries
as my Countries Enemies are seen wallowing around our seats of
government, they guzzle and cavort at the Public trough so deeply they
make Caligula and Nero look like Church choir boys."

Mr Ron Owen, 2000, in a letter to then Premier Olsen.

14 Apr 2008 20:43:12

the unknown flailer

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?/Heads up kid

On Apr 14, 4:28=A0pm, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com > wrote:
> Hey, I saw a picture of a distant friend of mine skydiving, and said
> the picture was amazing, adding that I wasn't sure I'd have the
> courage to do this. =A0A friend of her called me a wuss for it. :-P ...
> and my distant friend invited me to skydive in June to prove him
> wrong.
>
> The videos I saw of skydiving look amazing. =A0The view, the wind, the
> gliding.... etc.
>
> I am not someone who is really afraid of heights.
> But I am deadly afraid of the sensation of falling. =A0I don't dare to
> do hardcore roller coasters with huge loops and drop zones.
> To be clear: =A0I am not afraid of feeling the sensation, it's the
> actual sensation in itself which produces an incredibly intense
> feeling of fear.
>
> I tried googling for what skydiving implies for those with fears of
> falling but I found little information, only info on people with fear
> of heights but not on the actual falling sensation.
>
> Should I try skydiving? =A0Should I stay away? =A0Any tips to conquer my
> fear of falling besides going directly to the skydiving part? =A0What do
> you think.
>
> Thanks :-)

Its not for everybody but if you can get through the first jump or two
it becomes additive....It takes 20 or 30 jumps to shake the unease of
exiting a aircraft to FF for normal types....Some appear to never get
over it----They may have 3 or 400 jumps and they walk around trying to
project fear on the little to no fear jumpers....Its mostly about
overcoming psychological blocks and mental discipline. Lets see if I
can remember its been so long since I made a jump----over a
decade................... ummmm
By 50 jumps most have become over confident and are pushing the edge,
they often stay dangerous to around 175 jumps-----by then they have
seen enough injuries, had enough close calls of their own and eat
enough grass blowing landings to calm down a bit. Some never get over
the mental part, we have one Video geek in Texas with a couple
thousand jumps named Jerry K who tends to start the pee pee dance and
starts moaning on up wind turn "My pin, my pin, I think my pins
falling out----somebody check it boo hoo boo hoo" HAHAHAHAHAHA that
imitation should tonk his skygoddy butt, he reads every thing I say----
which in itself is a mental sickness) Try a jump, you can do a Tandem
with video package, if it doesn't click you have your "I skydived
film" and you don't have to come back if it don't feel right for
you----A few things to be prepared for no matter which way you go
#1 a thing called ground rush, severe cases make people throw up.
Many a first jump student has vomited on the DZ----That to will pass.
All it is is to much Adrenalin.
#2 Tunnel vision, the JM's are always asking students....."Did you see
this, did you see that?" Tunnel vision disappears as you stack up
jumps in your log book.
#3 Skydivers are mostly type A's so expect a constant sales pitch till
your a B C or D licensed skydiver. Right off the bat the DZ is going
to try and sell you the whole AFF course as a prepaid package. Make a
Tandem, get video on that first jump in case you decide not to come
back.
If you like it, you can progress to AFF off tandems----They don't
call a TM/JM a Jump master for no reason....There are 3 ways of
learning how to skydive SL/IAD, AFF & Tandem----Even if you just go
out for a Tandem their will be a ground school to attend for it.
#4 Pick a reputable USPA endorsed DZ, maybe go out, look around on a
Saturday.....Watch the TM/JM's close to see how many students if any
they face plant! That way you will know who you don't want jumping you
with a chest harness ha ha ;) Then come back Sunday or the next
weekend and do your short ground school & tandem...Most DZ's have a
bring so many friends and get a discount deal.....They also have
weight restrictions....Check with a local DZ and see what your options
are..Its going to be more expensive than unsafe so be prudent with
what you agree to. Since you have a height and falling fear going on
before ever climbing on a Jump Aircraft---I would strongly advise
doing a Tandem first.
You're attached to a TM/JM's chest so he or she will take care of
everything if you freeze up....Their all safe though because any gear
related to students usually has a Cypress on it that automatically
fires the reserve if you get below a minimum altitude and are still
going along at FF speeds....Nothing to be afraid of really, you have a
main and reserve so the bottom end (last few thousand feet) and sudden
stop that mostly kills people is not likely to happen.....After you
get canopy you're really not falling anymore, you're flying or
gliding. The choice is yours, nobody can or should make you
skydive------Thats a personal decision. Good luck.
~a mean old man in East Texas~ 0~;-*

14 Apr 2008 22:08:50

Mike Spurgeon

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

Gapagos wrote:

> I have a very hard time believing the "There is NO sensation of
> falling or negative G experience in a regular skydive" part though!!

So every time someone who does this tells you you don't feel like you're
falling, you choose not to believe them?

> How could that be??

You are not speeding up or slowing down, hence no falling sensation.

Ask your friend.

14 Apr 2008 22:47:02

Gapagos

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

On Apr 15, 1:08 am, Mike Spurgeon <m...@spurgeon.net > wrote:
> Gapagos wrote:
> > I have a very hard time believing the "There is NO sensation of
> > falling or negative G experience in a regular skydive" part though!!
>
> So every time someone who does this tells you you don't feel like you're
> falling, you choose not to believe them?
>
> > How could that be??
>
> You are not speeding up or slowing down, hence no falling sensation.
>
> Ask your friend.

Hehe I looked more into it and I'm really starting to believe it.
The more I look into skydiving, the more I feel like I'm gonna do it.

Thanks for all your answers. If I go, it'll be with other friends who
have done it once or twice in the pact, and at the same school they've
been to, we know they are a reputable place. http://www.nouvelair.ca/
It's in Qu=E9bec, near Montr=E9al, so the website is in french.

Ah the more I think about it... the more I want to do it.... everyone
says how incredible it feels and how you you experience so much
freedom... I really think I want to discover what that special
feeling is. Hahaha. Besides, when I'll be falling down.... there's
nothing I can do about it but trust my tandem instructor right? So I
should just give myself a kick in the butt and do it. hehe thank you
all.

14 Apr 2008 23:01:19

the unknown flailer

Re: I'm afraid this thread has been hi jacked ;)P

> --
> Peter Lucas
> Brisbane
> Australia
>
> "Thirty seven years ago, a Quarter Master, nearly knocked me over as he
> thrust an L1A1 SLR into my hands and bellowed, "Keep that Rifle in Tip
> Top Order so you can Kill your Countries Enemies with it before they
> Kill You. These days, I do not have to visit exotic overseas countries
> as my Countries Enemies are seen wallowing around our seats of
> government, they guzzle and cavort at the Public trough so deeply they
> make Caligula and Nero look like Church choir boys."
>

Hey you dumb fuk Ozzie, didn't you tell me once yawl only carried 70
rounds back when you was in? Thought maybe ya carried the .303 Lee.
with a light ammo load like that. SLR eats ammo quicker....Dunno
though
when I first went in we were carrying M1 Grands and a few 03/06
Springfield's and our pouch ammo load for either rifle was roughly 80
rounds on Armed Landing party's, these were carried in individual clip
pouch's on waist webbing although every body stuffed extra clips in
their pockets and butt packs----Ya didn't want to be hollering "AMMO
UP" with a bunch of hopped up Moro's waving swords, daggers & chunking
spears while bearing down on your skirmish line. Ahhhh those were the
days-----After Korea and before that Vietnam fiasco and all them new
fangled rifles came along, when sailors were riflemen and individual
ships (usually the closest) sent Armed shore parties to fight Moro
pirates, Huks & quell local disturbances at the request of the local
Govenment.....A Westpac cruise was a adventure back then...Where were
the USMC you ask? To land them would cause a international incident
and be considered a invasion besides they were riding those slow 11
knot APA's and never got anywhere on time unless it was preplanned
landing training----I loved that too, gave me a chance to scare the
shit out of a boatload of them & get them wet---the young ones loved
it, Staff's and Gunny's usually were not pleased----I ain't got enough
fingers or toes to count the times USMC NCO's put me on report for
some imagined infraction, didn't count though
the USN shit canned any Marine complaint against me. I was a good
coxun and you can't have a bunch of pushy passengers telling you how
to handle your LCVP......Shit you had to be there I thought the Jar
head NCO's were going climb up on the helmsman's platform & try to
kill me!
Buncha damn crybabies 0~;)

14 Apr 2008 23:10:00

the unknown flailer

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

On Apr 15, 12:47=A0am, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Apr 15, 1:08 am, Mike Spurgeon <m...@spurgeon.net> wrote:
>
> > Gapagos wrote:
> > > I have a very hard time believing the "There is NO sensation of
> > > falling or negative G experience in a regular skydive" part though!!
>
> > So every time someone who does this tells you you don't feel like you're=

> > falling, you choose not to believe them?
>
> > > How could that be??
>
> > You are not speeding up or slowing down, hence no falling sensation.
>
> > Ask your friend.
>
> Hehe I looked more into it and I'm really starting to believe it.
> The more I look into skydiving, the more I feel like I'm gonna do it.
>
> Thanks for all your answers. =A0If I go, it'll be with other friends who
> have done it once or twice in the pact, and at the same school they've
> been to, we know they are a reputable place. =A0http://www.nouvelair.ca/
> It's in Qu=E9bec, near Montr=E9al, so the website is in french.
>
> Ah the more I think about it... the more I want to do it.... everyone
> says how incredible it feels and how you you experience so much
> freedom... =A0I really think I want to discover what that special
> feeling is. Hahaha. =A0Besides, when I'll be falling down.... there's
> nothing I can do about it but trust my tandem instructor right? So I
> should just give myself a kick in the butt and do it. =A0hehe thank you
> all.

Mike also called the Lodi kid would be the one to listen to, he's a
long time TM/JM & JM in general, dealt with a lot of first time
jumpers over the years...He can be a mite cranky though so just say
"Yes Sir!" and go on your Canadian way kid or he will eat you alive
heh heh 0~;)P

15 Apr 2008 17:34:01

Gapagos

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

Hmm another thing I'm concerned about right now is ear pain. My ears
block themselves pretty easilly (I can feel it if I ski down a hill at
40+ mph or when an airplane lands normally) and I believe they are
more sensible than average as my sinus are known to be pretty thin (my
dad has the same thing) and therefore can be easily congested.
Is this something I should worry about? Any tips on avoiding ear pain?

15 Apr 2008 19:28:41

peanut4040

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

On Apr 14, 9:06=C2=A0pm, peanut4040 <peanut4...@aol.com > wrote:
> On Apr 14, 4:28=EF=BF=BDpm, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hey, I saw a picture of a distant friend of mine skydiving, and said
> > the picture was amazing, adding that I wasn't sure I'd have the
> > courage to do this. =EF=BF=BDA friend of her called me a wuss for it. :-=
P ...
> > and my distant friend invited me to skydive in June to prove him
> > wrong.
>
> > The videos I saw of skydiving look amazing. =EF=BF=BDThe view, the wind,=
the
> > gliding.... etc.
>
> > I am not someone who is really afraid of heights.
> > But I am deadly afraid of the sensation of falling. =EF=BF=BDI don't dar=
e to
> > do hardcore roller coasters with huge loops and drop zones.
> > To be clear: =EF=BF=BDI am not afraid of feeling the sensation, it's the=

> > actual sensation in itself which produces an incredibly intense
> > feeling of fear.
>
> > I tried googling for what skydiving implies for those with fears of
> > falling but I found little information, only info on people with fear
> > of heights but not on the actual falling sensation.
>
> > Should I try skydiving? =EF=BF=BDShould I stay away? =EF=BF=BDAny tips t=
o conquer my
> > fear of falling besides going directly to the skydiving part? =EF=BF=BDW=
hat do
> > you think.
>
> > Thanks :-)
>
> If you decide to try it--Best you Don't stop in the door, =C2=A0People
> behind you will carry you with them. =C2=A0 The animals are easily
> exciteable when the door is open.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Err,, or second thought,, this puppy is yours pappy...

15 Apr 2008 21:43:19

Jerry K.

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:34:01 -0700 (PDT), Gapagos
<efrancolaporte@gmail.com > wrote:

>Hmm another thing I'm concerned about right now is ear pain. My ears
>block themselves pretty easilly (I can feel it if I ski down a hill at
>40+ mph or when an airplane lands normally) and I believe they are
>more sensible than average as my sinus are known to be pretty thin (my
>dad has the same thing) and therefore can be easily congested.
>Is this something I should worry about? Any tips on avoiding ear pain?

You should be concerned about this - at least to the point of being
proactive to prevent damage and hearing loss. I had the same issue
when I made my first few jumps and every now and then I'll get under
canopy and have to clear my ears. The sinuses were fine on those
first few but I definitely felt the pressure which went away as soon
as I cleared my ears. To this day, I will ~not~ jump if I got
congestion going on and can't clear my ears. I've seen too many
friends in skydiving have to deal with serious and painfull ear issues
like perforated eardrums, gushing nosebleeds - no fun. So,
decongestants (non-drowsy) are a good idea if you're the slightest bit
congested and a good rule of thumb is, if you can't clear your ears on
the ground - like, you can't hold your nose and lips closed blow out,
work your jaw, and pop your ears, then don't jump. The risk is a
perforated ear drum and subsequent hearing loss if you do - also seems
pretty painfull. If I can pop my ears just by working my jaw, I'm
definitely good to go. If I can pop the ears by that plus holding the
nose and lips closed, blowing out, still good but be aware on how the
ears/sinuses feel going up and getting back down. And again, if I
can't clear an ear, tough luck - I'll stay on the ground. Chewing gum
and forcing yawns can be helpfull. The thing to remember is you
probably won't notice any significant discomfort actually while in
freefall - at least not in the beginning since you'll be mightily
distracted by the mix of hypoxia and adrenaline but you could realize
some discomfort once your canopy is open. First, do what your JM's
tell you to do and if that means dealing with discomfort until you get
to the ground where you can clear your ears without taking your eyes
off the ball, it's a good tradeoff. Over time I'm sure you'll get to
the point to where you open your canopy, do the things you're supposed
to do first (ask your jumpmasters about that), and clear your ears
without even thinking about it. But, for now - as far as your ears
and sinuses are concerned, keep focused on whether you can clear them
on the ground or not - might save you some pain and from some hearing
loss in the future.

Jerry

15 Apr 2008 20:11:59

peanut4040

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

On Apr 15, 9:43=EF=BF=BDpm, Jerry K. <sky...@pdq.net > wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:34:01 -0700 (PDT), Gapagos
>
> <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >Hmm another thing I'm concerned about right now is ear pain. =EF=BF=BDMy =
ears
> >block themselves pretty easilly (I can feel it if I ski down a hill at
> >40+ mph =EF=BF=BDor when an airplane lands normally) and I believe they a=
re
> >more sensible than average as my sinus are known to be pretty thin (my
> >dad has the same thing) and therefore can be easily congested.
> >Is this something I should worry about? =EF=BF=BDAny tips on avoiding ear=
pain?
>
> You should be concerned about this - at least to the point of being
> proactive to prevent damage and hearing loss. =EF=BF=BDI had the same issu=
e
> when I made my first few jumps and every now and then I'll get under
> canopy and have to clear my ears. =EF=BF=BDThe sinuses were fine on those
> first few but I definitely felt the pressure which went away as soon
> as I cleared my ears. =EF=BF=BDTo this day, I will ~not~ jump if I got
> congestion going on and can't clear my ears. =EF=BF=BDI've seen too many
> friends in skydiving have to deal with serious and painfull ear issues
> like perforated eardrums, gushing nosebleeds - no fun. =EF=BF=BDSo,
> decongestants (non-drowsy) are a good idea if you're the slightest bit
> congested and a good rule of thumb is, if you can't clear your ears on
> the ground - like, you can't hold your nose and lips closed blow out,
> work your jaw, and pop your ears, then don't jump. =EF=BF=BDThe risk is a
> perforated ear drum and subsequent hearing loss if you do - also seems
> pretty painfull. =EF=BF=BDIf I can pop my ears just by working my jaw, I'm=

> definitely good to go. =EF=BF=BDIf I can pop the ears by that plus holding=
the
> nose and lips closed, blowing out, still good but be aware on how the
> ears/sinuses feel going up and getting back down. =EF=BF=BDAnd again, if I=

> can't clear an ear, tough luck - I'll stay on the ground. =EF=BF=BDChewing=
gum
> and forcing yawns can be helpfull. =EF=BF=BDThe thing to remember is you
> probably won't notice any significant discomfort actually while in
> freefall - at least not in the beginning since you'll be mightily
> distracted by the mix of hypoxia and adrenaline but you could realize
> some discomfort once your canopy is open. =EF=BF=BDFirst, do what your JM'=
s
> tell you to do and if that means dealing with discomfort until you get
> to the ground where you can clear your ears without taking your eyes
> off the ball, it's a good tradeoff. =EF=BF=BDOver time I'm sure you'll get=
to
> the point to where you open your canopy, do the things you're supposed
> to do first (ask your jumpmasters about that), and clear your ears
> without even thinking about it. =EF=BF=BDBut, for now - as far as your ear=
s
> and sinuses are concerned, keep focused on whether you can clear them
> on the ground or not - might save you some pain and from some hearing
> loss in the future.
>
> Jerry

pappy this kid "appears" to be like he is an ASC plant type,, just
comign over here to play with us.,, Its a good sign, they are coming
over here, losing their trick in the old neighborhood. and trying to
play with the old guys.. wink -- the old guys with freedom of
speech.

have youre fun pappy,, forget jerry and the bunch,, they ain't
important

15 Apr 2008 20:13:35

peanut4040

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

15 Apr 2008 20:40:53

the unknown flailer

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

On Apr 15, 9:28=C2=A0pm, peanut4040 <peanut4...@aol.com > wrote:
> On Apr 14, 9:06=C2=A0pm, peanut4040 <peanut4...@aol.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Apr 14, 4:28=EF=BF=BDpm, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > Hey, I saw a picture of a distant friend of mine skydiving, and said
> > > the picture was amazing, adding that I wasn't sure I'd have the
> > > courage to do this. =EF=BF=BDA friend of her called me a wuss for it. =
:-P ...
> > > and my distant friend invited me to skydive in June to prove him
> > > wrong.
>
> > > The videos I saw of skydiving look amazing. =EF=BF=BDThe view, the win=
d, the
> > > gliding.... etc.
>
> > > I am not someone who is really afraid of heights.
> > > But I am deadly afraid of the sensation of falling. =EF=BF=BDI don't d=
are to
> > > do hardcore roller coasters with huge loops and drop zones.
> > > To be clear: =EF=BF=BDI am not afraid of feeling the sensation, it's t=
he
> > > actual sensation in itself which produces an incredibly intense
> > > feeling of fear.
>
> > > I tried googling for what skydiving implies for those with fears of
> > > falling but I found little information, only info on people with fear
> > > of heights but not on the actual falling sensation.
>
> > > Should I try skydiving? =EF=BF=BDShould I stay away? =EF=BF=BDAny tips=
to conquer my
> > > fear of falling besides going directly to the skydiving part? =EF=BF=
=BDWhat do
> > > you think.
>
> > > Thanks :-)
>
> > If you decide to try it--Best you Don't stop in the door, =C2=A0People
> > behind you will carry you with them. =C2=A0 The animals are easily
> > exciteable when the door is open.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Err,, or second thought,, this puppy is yours pappy...- Hide quoted text -=

>
> - Show quoted text -

If you try it, this should be your own decision------not some asshole
with one jump and a ego problem.....I've seen students doing solo
landings break their tib or fib, is this friend of a friend going to
pay your medical bills or lost pay? Like I said do a tandem and get
pictures in case you don't want to come back because skydiving should
be a joy, not a chore....Get used of peer pressure like that friend of
a friend is trying to lay on you though, its part of the sport, Like I
said.....Type A's are drawn to it....Young people are vulnerable to
peer pressure----I'd tell that person to fuck off if I were you but
then again thats just my personality----Having lived well over half a
century and seen a lot I usually say what I think straight from the
shoulder and call a spade a spade......Its out of fashion because
politically correct is the thing to be now days....But theres little
or no honesty in the politically correct community I've noticed from
watching them. I'm not always right but at least any asshole within
earshot knows I'm my own man and their barking up the wrong
tree....Others appreciate knowing where they stand so no times
wasted----None of this kissy face then a knife in the back I've seen
sky gods give each other down here on twin-T DZ's. Be your own man-----
if you want to try it go out and do it-----Some Canadians from the
East Coast came down and competed in the 1995 POPS Nationals, we sat
around and talked before next days rounds and they seemed to be a
pretty laid back group of individuals. At that time a lot of the
Canuck DZ's were clubs--- The way they put beer away "Drinking clubs"
I suspect ha ha...I think the club system is a better learning
platform for beginners Good hunting and good luck whichever way you
decide to go ;)

15 Apr 2008 22:46:35

Jerry K.

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:40:53 -0700 (PDT), the unknown flailer
<thuythu@iwon.com > wrote:

>On Apr 15, 9:28�pm, peanut4040 <peanut4...@aol.com> wrote:
>> On Apr 14, 9:06�pm, peanut4040 <peanut4...@aol.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > On Apr 14, 4:28?pm, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > > Hey, I saw a picture of a distant friend of mine skydiving, and said
>> > > the picture was amazing, adding that I wasn't sure I'd have the
>> > > courage to do this. ?A friend of her called me a wuss for it. :-P ...
>> > > and my distant friend invited me to skydive in June to prove him
>> > > wrong.
>>
>> > > The videos I saw of skydiving look amazing. ?The view, the wind, the
>> > > gliding.... etc.
>>
>> > > I am not someone who is really afraid of heights.
>> > > But I am deadly afraid of the sensation of falling. ?I don't dare to
>> > > do hardcore roller coasters with huge loops and drop zones.
>> > > To be clear: ?I am not afraid of feeling the sensation, it's the
>> > > actual sensation in itself which produces an incredibly intense
>> > > feeling of fear.
>>
>> > > I tried googling for what skydiving implies for those with fears of
>> > > falling but I found little information, only info on people with fear
>> > > of heights but not on the actual falling sensation.
>>
>> > > Should I try skydiving? ?Should I stay away? ?Any tips to conquer my
>> > > fear of falling besides going directly to the skydiving part? ?What do
>> > > you think.
>>
>> > > Thanks :-)
>>
>> > If you decide to try it--Best you Don't stop in the door, �People
>> > behind you will carry you with them. � The animals are easily
>> > exciteable when the door is open.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> > - Show quoted text -
>>
>> Err,, or second thought,, this puppy is yours pappy...- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
>If you try it, this should be your own decision------not some asshole
>with one jump and a ego problem.....I've seen students doing solo
>landings break their tib or fib, is this friend of a friend going to
>pay your medical bills or lost pay? Like I said do a tandem and get
>pictures in case you don't want to come back because skydiving should
>be a joy, not a chore....Get used of peer pressure like that friend of
>a friend is trying to lay on you though, its part of the sport, Like I
>said.....Type A's are drawn to it....Young people are vulnerable to
>peer pressure----I'd tell that person to fuck off if I were you but
>then again thats just my personality----Having lived well over half a
>century and seen a lot I usually say what I think straight from the
>shoulder and call a spade a spade......Its out of fashion because
>politically correct is the thing to be now days....But theres little
>or no honesty in the politically correct community I've noticed from
>watching them. I'm not always right but at least any asshole within
>earshot knows I'm my own man and their barking up the wrong
>tree....Others appreciate knowing where they stand so no times
>wasted----None of this kissy face then a knife in the back I've seen
>sky gods give each other down here on twin-T DZ's. Be your own man-----
>if you want to try it go out and do it-----Some Canadians from the
>East Coast came down and competed in the 1995 POPS Nationals, we sat
>around and talked before next days rounds and they seemed to be a
>pretty laid back group of individuals. At that time a lot of the
>Canuck DZ's were clubs--- The way they put beer away "Drinking clubs"
>I suspect ha ha...I think the club system is a better learning
>platform for beginners Good hunting and good luck whichever way you
>decide to go

Correction - talked about the next day's round. Singular. The meet
only went a single round. You have one competition jump in one meet,
ever, Jinnie. Doesn't make you bad, mind you - just kinda green and
inexperienced.

...bsrp
...jlk

15 Apr 2008 20:58:15

the unknown flailer

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

On Apr 15, 9:43=A0pm, Jerry K. <sky...@pdq.net > wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:34:01 -0700 (PDT), Gapagos
>
> <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >Hmm another thing I'm concerned about right now is ear pain. =A0My ears
> >block themselves pretty easilly (I can feel it if I ski down a hill at
> >40+ mph =A0or when an airplane lands normally) and I believe they are
> >more sensible than average as my sinus are known to be pretty thin (my
> >dad has the same thing) and therefore can be easily congested.
> >Is this something I should worry about? =A0Any tips on avoiding ear pain?=

>
> You should be concerned about this - at least to the point of being
> proactive to prevent damage and hearing loss. =A0I had the same issue
> when I made my first few jumps and every now and then I'll get under
> canopy and have to clear my ears. =A0The sinuses were fine on those
> first few but I definitely felt the pressure which went away as soon
> as I cleared my ears. =A0To this day, I will ~not~ jump if I got
> congestion going on and can't clear my ears. =A0I've seen too many
> friends in skydiving have to deal with serious and painful ear issues
> like perforated eardrums, gushing nosebleeds - no fun. =A0So,
> decongestants (non-drowsy) are a good idea if you're the slightest bit
> congested and a good rule of thumb is, if you can't clear your ears on
> the ground - like, you can't hold your nose and lips closed blow out,
> work your jaw, and pop your ears, then don't jump. =A0The risk is a
> perforated ear drum and subsequent hearing loss if you do - also seems
> pretty painful. =A0If I can pop my ears just by working my jaw, I'm
> definitely good to go. =A0If I can pop the ears by that plus holding the
> nose and lips closed, blowing out, still good but be aware on how the
> ears/sinuses feel going up and getting back down. =A0And again, if I
> can't clear an ear, tough luck - I'll stay on the ground. =A0Chewing gum
> and forcing yawns can be helpfull. =A0The thing to remember is you
> probably won't notice any significant discomfort actually while in
> freefall - at least not in the beginning since you'll be mightily
> distracted by the mix of hypoxia and adrenaline but you could realize
> some discomfort once your canopy is open. =A0First, do what your JM's
> tell you to do and if that means dealing with discomfort until you get
> to the ground where you can clear your ears without taking your eyes
> off the ball, it's a good tradeoff. =A0Over time I'm sure you'll get to
> the point to where you open your canopy, do the things you're supposed
> to do first (ask your jumpmasters about that), and clear your ears
> without even thinking about it. =A0But, for now - as far as your ears
> and sinuses are concerned, keep focused on whether you can clear them
> on the ground or not - might save you some pain and from some hearing
> loss in the future.
>
> Jerry

Suffered a lot of swimmers ear in the Navy and the concussion from
explosions & gunfire didn't help either...I took half a tab of
Dramamine before first load every morning---It wasn't enough to make
me sleepy but did dry my ears and sinus out....Theres a tube, forget
what its called in the ear....A USN Ear, nose & Throat specialist told
me once....that is slow to develop in some young people---Thats why
some kids are more prone to ear infections than others....He's the one
that started me on 1/4 and 1/2 tabs of Dramamine, they used to haul me
down to sick bay on a regular basis and clean the ear wax out also----
To this day I swab my inter ear out with alcohol---Plugged up ears can
be painful at altitude, enough to distract you when you need to be
paying attention---Work out your own system for dealing with it---Try
Jerry dinks way first, thats the most simple
but not everybody is able to clear their ears that easily---your tubes
might be mis shaped or to small----You seem to have a lot working
against you kid----Skydiving may not be for you, then again you might
turn out to be a Canadian Skydiving Champion----The greater the
struggle, the sweeter the prize! 0~;)

16 Apr 2008 06:48:08

Gapagos

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

On Apr 15, 11:58 pm, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com > wrote:
> On Apr 15, 9:43 pm, Jerry K. <sky...@pdq.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:34:01 -0700 (PDT), Gapagos
>
> > <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >Hmm another thing I'm concerned about right now is ear pain. My ears
> > >block themselves pretty easilly (I can feel it if I ski down a hill at
> > >40+ mph or when an airplane lands normally) and I believe they are
> > >more sensible than average as my sinus are known to be pretty thin (my
> > >dad has the same thing) and therefore can be easily congested.
> > >Is this something I should worry about? Any tips on avoiding ear pain?
>
> > You should be concerned about this - at least to the point of being
> > proactive to prevent damage and hearing loss. I had the same issue
> > when I made my first few jumps and every now and then I'll get under
> > canopy and have to clear my ears. The sinuses were fine on those
> > first few but I definitely felt the pressure which went away as soon
> > as I cleared my ears. To this day, I will ~not~ jump if I got
> > congestion going on and can't clear my ears. I've seen too many
> > friends in skydiving have to deal with serious and painful ear issues
> > like perforated eardrums, gushing nosebleeds - no fun. So,
> > decongestants (non-drowsy) are a good idea if you're the slightest bit
> > congested and a good rule of thumb is, if you can't clear your ears on
> > the ground - like, you can't hold your nose and lips closed blow out,
> > work your jaw, and pop your ears, then don't jump. The risk is a
> > perforated ear drum and subsequent hearing loss if you do - also seems
> > pretty painful. If I can pop my ears just by working my jaw, I'm
> > definitely good to go. If I can pop the ears by that plus holding the
> > nose and lips closed, blowing out, still good but be aware on how the
> > ears/sinuses feel going up and getting back down. And again, if I
> > can't clear an ear, tough luck - I'll stay on the ground. Chewing gum
> > and forcing yawns can be helpfull. The thing to remember is you
> > probably won't notice any significant discomfort actually while in
> > freefall - at least not in the beginning since you'll be mightily
> > distracted by the mix of hypoxia and adrenaline but you could realize
> > some discomfort once your canopy is open. First, do what your JM's
> > tell you to do and if that means dealing with discomfort until you get
> > to the ground where you can clear your ears without taking your eyes
> > off the ball, it's a good tradeoff. Over time I'm sure you'll get to
> > the point to where you open your canopy, do the things you're supposed
> > to do first (ask your jumpmasters about that), and clear your ears
> > without even thinking about it. But, for now - as far as your ears
> > and sinuses are concerned, keep focused on whether you can clear them
> > on the ground or not - might save you some pain and from some hearing
> > loss in the future.
>
> > Jerry
>
> Suffered a lot of swimmers ear in the Navy and the concussion from
> explosions & gunfire didn't help either...I took half a tab of
> Dramamine before first load every morning---It wasn't enough to make
> me sleepy but did dry my ears and sinus out....Theres a tube, forget
> what its called in the ear....A USN Ear, nose & Throat specialist told
> me once....that is slow to develop in some young people---Thats why
> some kids are more prone to ear infections than others....He's the one
> that started me on 1/4 and 1/2 tabs of Dramamine, they used to haul me
> down to sick bay on a regular basis and clean the ear wax out also----
> To this day I swab my inter ear out with alcohol---Plugged up ears can
> be painful at altitude, enough to distract you when you need to be
> paying attention---Work out your own system for dealing with it---Try
> Jerry dinks way first, thats the most simple
> but not everybody is able to clear their ears that easily---your tubes
> might be mis shaped or to small----You seem to have a lot working
> against you kid----Skydiving may not be for you, then again you might
> turn out to be a Canadian Skydiving Champion----The greater the
> struggle, the sweeter the prize! 0~;)

Yeah it's not so much about peer pressure (even though there's a bit
of that) because I'm actually interested in trying skydiving, just by
looking at pictures videos, the experience looks insane and I actually
love heights and am really intrigued by this "flying" feeling.

I emailed the skydiving school about it and one guy responded:
- avoid jumping if you have a cold or sinus congestion (duh)
- SUDAFED is the only decongestant that pilots can consume
- people who have trouble typically have thicker eardrums (might be
my case?) and are recommended to oil their ear drums before the jump.
Therefore, he suggested me to see a doctor if he can direct me to
medications, oils or drops to make my eardrums more flexible. (not
being specific).
The guy claims he did 1570 jumps and his ears clogs while jumping, but
they do not hurt, although they do hurt when he does scuba diving
(which I never did so I can't relate).

So I guess I should follow all his advice plus practice unclogging my
ears by:
1- clogging them through blowing with my nose and mouth closed
2- unclogging them through swallowing, moving my jaw and yawning?

or should I really clog my ear through attempting to inhale with my
mouth and nose closed,
and then unclog my ears by doing the opposite (blowing)?
because I tried clogging through inhaling but my ears don't clog,
although maybe I'd have to try extremely hard to make it work.

16 Apr 2008 06:55:07

Gapagos

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

On Apr 16, 9:48 am, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Apr 15, 11:58 pm, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Apr 15, 9:43 pm, Jerry K. <sky...@pdq.net> wrote:
>
> > > On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:34:01 -0700 (PDT), Gapagos
>
> > > <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >Hmm another thing I'm concerned about right now is ear pain. My ears
> > > >block themselves pretty easilly (I can feel it if I ski down a hill at
> > > >40+ mph or when an airplane lands normally) and I believe they are
> > > >more sensible than average as my sinus are known to be pretty thin (my
> > > >dad has the same thing) and therefore can be easily congested.
> > > >Is this something I should worry about? Any tips on avoiding ear pain?
>
> > > You should be concerned about this - at least to the point of being
> > > proactive to prevent damage and hearing loss. I had the same issue
> > > when I made my first few jumps and every now and then I'll get under
> > > canopy and have to clear my ears. The sinuses were fine on those
> > > first few but I definitely felt the pressure which went away as soon
> > > as I cleared my ears. To this day, I will ~not~ jump if I got
> > > congestion going on and can't clear my ears. I've seen too many
> > > friends in skydiving have to deal with serious and painful ear issues
> > > like perforated eardrums, gushing nosebleeds - no fun. So,
> > > decongestants (non-drowsy) are a good idea if you're the slightest bit
> > > congested and a good rule of thumb is, if you can't clear your ears on
> > > the ground - like, you can't hold your nose and lips closed blow out,
> > > work your jaw, and pop your ears, then don't jump. The risk is a
> > > perforated ear drum and subsequent hearing loss if you do - also seems
> > > pretty painful. If I can pop my ears just by working my jaw, I'm
> > > definitely good to go. If I can pop the ears by that plus holding the
> > > nose and lips closed, blowing out, still good but be aware on how the
> > > ears/sinuses feel going up and getting back down. And again, if I
> > > can't clear an ear, tough luck - I'll stay on the ground. Chewing gum
> > > and forcing yawns can be helpfull. The thing to remember is you
> > > probably won't notice any significant discomfort actually while in
> > > freefall - at least not in the beginning since you'll be mightily
> > > distracted by the mix of hypoxia and adrenaline but you could realize
> > > some discomfort once your canopy is open. First, do what your JM's
> > > tell you to do and if that means dealing with discomfort until you get
> > > to the ground where you can clear your ears without taking your eyes
> > > off the ball, it's a good tradeoff. Over time I'm sure you'll get to
> > > the point to where you open your canopy, do the things you're supposed
> > > to do first (ask your jumpmasters about that), and clear your ears
> > > without even thinking about it. But, for now - as far as your ears
> > > and sinuses are concerned, keep focused on whether you can clear them
> > > on the ground or not - might save you some pain and from some hearing
> > > loss in the future.
>
> > > Jerry
>
> > Suffered a lot of swimmers ear in the Navy and the concussion from
> > explosions & gunfire didn't help either...I took half a tab of
> > Dramamine before first load every morning---It wasn't enough to make
> > me sleepy but did dry my ears and sinus out....Theres a tube, forget
> > what its called in the ear....A USN Ear, nose & Throat specialist told
> > me once....that is slow to develop in some young people---Thats why
> > some kids are more prone to ear infections than others....He's the one
> > that started me on 1/4 and 1/2 tabs of Dramamine, they used to haul me
> > down to sick bay on a regular basis and clean the ear wax out also----
> > To this day I swab my inter ear out with alcohol---Plugged up ears can
> > be painful at altitude, enough to distract you when you need to be
> > paying attention---Work out your own system for dealing with it---Try
> > Jerry dinks way first, thats the most simple
> > but not everybody is able to clear their ears that easily---your tubes
> > might be mis shaped or to small----You seem to have a lot working
> > against you kid----Skydiving may not be for you, then again you might
> > turn out to be a Canadian Skydiving Champion----The greater the
> > struggle, the sweeter the prize! 0~;)
>
> Yeah it's not so much about peer pressure (even though there's a bit
> of that) because I'm actually interested in trying skydiving, just by
> looking at pictures videos, the experience looks insane and I actually
> love heights and am really intrigued by this "flying" feeling.
>
> I emailed the skydiving school about it and one guy responded:
> - avoid jumping if you have a cold or sinus congestion (duh)
> - SUDAFED is the only decongestant that pilots can consume
> - people who have trouble typically have thicker eardrums (might be
> my case?) and are recommended to oil their ear drums before the jump.
> Therefore, he suggested me to see a doctor if he can direct me to
> medications, oils or drops to make my eardrums more flexible. (not
> being specific).
> The guy claims he did 1570 jumps and his ears clogs while jumping, but
> they do not hurt, although they do hurt when he does scuba diving
> (which I never did so I can't relate).
>
> So I guess I should follow all his advice plus practice unclogging my
> ears by:
> 1- clogging them through blowing with my nose and mouth closed
> 2- unclogging them through swallowing, moving my jaw and yawning?
>
> or should I really clog my ear through attempting to inhale with my
> mouth and nose closed,
> and then unclog my ears by doing the opposite (blowing)?
> because I tried clogging through inhaling but my ears don't clog,
> although maybe I'd have to try extremely hard to make it work.

wow nevermind I'm being stupid right now (I just woke up)
I'm supposed to:

1- clog my ears by blowing with my nose and mouth closed
2- unclog my ears by inhaling through my nose and mouth closed

Hmm I tried doing just that and I can't get my ears to clog... maybe
because I'm not trying hard enough... then again the possibility of
damaging my ears while doing this exercise scares me from trying TOO
hard... if that's the case maybe you're right, skydiving ain't for
me...
I'll think about it.

16 Apr 2008 07:43:43

the unknown flailer

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

On Apr 16, 8:48=A0am, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Apr 15, 11:58 pm, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Apr 15, 9:43 pm, Jerry K. <sky...@pdq.net> wrote:
>
> > > On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:34:01 -0700 (PDT), Gapagos
>
> > > <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >Hmm another thing I'm concerned about right now is ear pain. =A0My ea=
rs
> > > >block themselves pretty easilly (I can feel it if I ski down a hill a=
t
> > > >40+ mph =A0or when an airplane lands normally) and I believe they are=

> > > >more sensible than average as my sinus are known to be pretty thin (m=
y
> > > >dad has the same thing) and therefore can be easily congested.
> > > >Is this something I should worry about? =A0Any tips on avoiding ear p=
ain?
>
> > > You should be concerned about this - at least to the point of being
> > > proactive to prevent damage and hearing loss. =A0I had the same issue
> > > when I made my first few jumps and every now and then I'll get under
> > > canopy and have to clear my ears. =A0The sinuses were fine on those
> > > first few but I definitely felt the pressure which went away as soon
> > > as I cleared my ears. =A0To this day, I will ~not~ jump if I got
> > > congestion going on and can't clear my ears. =A0I've seen too many
> > > friends in skydiving have to deal with serious and painful ear issues
> > > like perforated eardrums, gushing nosebleeds - no fun. =A0So,
> > > decongestants (non-drowsy) are a good idea if you're the slightest bit=

> > > congested and a good rule of thumb is, if you can't clear your ears on=

> > > the ground - like, you can't hold your nose and lips closed blow out,
> > > work your jaw, and pop your ears, then don't jump. =A0The risk is a
> > > perforated ear drum and subsequent hearing loss if you do - also seems=

> > > pretty painful. =A0If I can pop my ears just by working my jaw, I'm
> > > definitely good to go. =A0If I can pop the ears by that plus holding t=
he
> > > nose and lips closed, blowing out, still good but be aware on how the
> > > ears/sinuses feel going up and getting back down. =A0And again, if I
> > > can't clear an ear, tough luck - I'll stay on the ground. =A0Chewing g=
um
> > > and forcing yawns can be helpfull. =A0The thing to remember is you
> > > probably won't notice any significant discomfort actually while in
> > > freefall - at least not in the beginning since you'll be mightily
> > > distracted by the mix of hypoxia and adrenaline but you could realize
> > > some discomfort once your canopy is open. =A0First, do what your JM's
> > > tell you to do and if that means dealing with discomfort until you get=

> > > to the ground where you can clear your ears without taking your eyes
> > > off the ball, it's a good tradeoff. =A0Over time I'm sure you'll get t=
o
> > > the point to where you open your canopy, do the things you're supposed=

> > > to do first (ask your jumpmasters about that), and clear your ears
> > > without even thinking about it. =A0But, for now - as far as your ears
> > > and sinuses are concerned, keep focused on whether you can clear them
> > > on the ground or not - might save you some pain and from some hearing
> > > loss in the future.
>
> > > Jerry
>
> > Suffered a lot of swimmers ear in the Navy and the concussion from
> > explosions & gunfire didn't help either...I took half a tab of
> > Dramamine before first load every morning---It wasn't enough to make
> > me sleepy but did dry my ears and sinus out....Theres a tube, forget
> > what its called in the ear....A USN Ear, nose & Throat specialist told
> > me once....that is slow to develop in some young people---Thats why
> > some kids are more prone to ear infections than others....He's the one
> > that started me on 1/4 and 1/2 tabs of Dramamine, they used to haul me
> > down to sick bay on a regular basis and clean the ear wax out also----
> > To this day I swab my inter ear out with alcohol---Plugged up ears can
> > be painful at altitude, enough to distract you when you need to be
> > paying attention---Work out your own system for dealing with it---Try
> > Jerry dinks way first, thats the most simple
> > but not everybody is able to clear their ears that easily---your tubes
> > might be mis shaped or to small----You seem to have a lot working
> > against you kid----Skydiving may not be for you, then again you might
> > turn out to be a Canadian Skydiving Champion----The greater the
> > struggle, the sweeter the prize! 0~;)
>
> Yeah it's not so much about peer pressure (even though there's a bit
> of that) =A0because I'm actually interested in trying skydiving, just by
> looking at pictures videos, the experience looks insane and I actually
> love heights and am really intrigued by this "flying" feeling.
>
> I emailed the skydiving school about it and one guy responded:
> =A0- avoid jumping if you have a cold or sinus congestion (duh)
> =A0- SUDAFED is the only decongestant that pilots can consume
> =A0- people who have trouble typically have thicker eardrums (might be
> my case?) and are recommended to oil their ear drums before the jump.
> Therefore, he suggested me to see a doctor if he can direct me to
> medications, oils or drops to make my eardrums more flexible. =A0(not
> being specific).
> The guy claims he did 1570 jumps and his ears clogs while jumping, but
> they do not hurt, although they do hurt when he does scuba diving
> (which I never did so I can't relate).
>
> So I guess I should follow all his advice plus practice unclogging my
> ears by:
> 1- clogging them through blowing with my nose and mouth closed
> 2- unclogging them through swallowing, moving my jaw and yawning?
>
> or should I really clog my ear through attempting to inhale with my
> mouth and nose closed,
> and then unclog my ears by doing the opposite (blowing)?
> because I tried clogging through inhaling but my ears don't clog,
> although maybe I'd have to try extremely hard to make it work.- Hide quote=
d text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Sounds like you are willing to swallow a lot of snot, you might make a
fair to middling skydiver yet <grin >--------All kidding aside, if your
ears are giving that much trouble at ground level go see a EN&T
Specialist, and get some professional advice....Canada has a form of
social medicine don't it...If so it might be the cheapest thing you
ever get for skydiving.
0~;-)

16 Apr 2008 08:06:10

Gapagos

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

On Apr 16, 10:43 am, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com > wrote:
> On Apr 16, 8:48 am, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Apr 15, 11:58 pm, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com> wrote:
>
> > > On Apr 15, 9:43 pm, Jerry K. <sky...@pdq.net> wrote:
>
> > > > On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:34:01 -0700 (PDT), Gapagos
>
> > > > <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > >Hmm another thing I'm concerned about right now is ear pain. My ears
> > > > >block themselves pretty easilly (I can feel it if I ski down a hill at
> > > > >40+ mph or when an airplane lands normally) and I believe they are
> > > > >more sensible than average as my sinus are known to be pretty thin (my
> > > > >dad has the same thing) and therefore can be easily congested.
> > > > >Is this something I should worry about? Any tips on avoiding ear pain?
>
> > > > You should be concerned about this - at least to the point of being
> > > > proactive to prevent damage and hearing loss. I had the same issue
> > > > when I made my first few jumps and every now and then I'll get under
> > > > canopy and have to clear my ears. The sinuses were fine on those
> > > > first few but I definitely felt the pressure which went away as soon
> > > > as I cleared my ears. To this day, I will ~not~ jump if I got
> > > > congestion going on and can't clear my ears. I've seen too many
> > > > friends in skydiving have to deal with serious and painful ear issues
> > > > like perforated eardrums, gushing nosebleeds - no fun. So,
> > > > decongestants (non-drowsy) are a good idea if you're the slightest bit
> > > > congested and a good rule of thumb is, if you can't clear your ears on
> > > > the ground - like, you can't hold your nose and lips closed blow out,
> > > > work your jaw, and pop your ears, then don't jump. The risk is a
> > > > perforated ear drum and subsequent hearing loss if you do - also seems
> > > > pretty painful. If I can pop my ears just by working my jaw, I'm
> > > > definitely good to go. If I can pop the ears by that plus holding the
> > > > nose and lips closed, blowing out, still good but be aware on how the
> > > > ears/sinuses feel going up and getting back down. And again, if I
> > > > can't clear an ear, tough luck - I'll stay on the ground. Chewing gum
> > > > and forcing yawns can be helpfull. The thing to remember is you
> > > > probably won't notice any significant discomfort actually while in
> > > > freefall - at least not in the beginning since you'll be mightily
> > > > distracted by the mix of hypoxia and adrenaline but you could realize
> > > > some discomfort once your canopy is open. First, do what your JM's
> > > > tell you to do and if that means dealing with discomfort until you get
> > > > to the ground where you can clear your ears without taking your eyes
> > > > off the ball, it's a good tradeoff. Over time I'm sure you'll get to
> > > > the point to where you open your canopy, do the things you're supposed
> > > > to do first (ask your jumpmasters about that), and clear your ears
> > > > without even thinking about it. But, for now - as far as your ears
> > > > and sinuses are concerned, keep focused on whether you can clear them
> > > > on the ground or not - might save you some pain and from some hearing
> > > > loss in the future.
>
> > > > Jerry
>
> > > Suffered a lot of swimmers ear in the Navy and the concussion from
> > > explosions & gunfire didn't help either...I took half a tab of
> > > Dramamine before first load every morning---It wasn't enough to make
> > > me sleepy but did dry my ears and sinus out....Theres a tube, forget
> > > what its called in the ear....A USN Ear, nose & Throat specialist told
> > > me once....that is slow to develop in some young people---Thats why
> > > some kids are more prone to ear infections than others....He's the one
> > > that started me on 1/4 and 1/2 tabs of Dramamine, they used to haul me
> > > down to sick bay on a regular basis and clean the ear wax out also----
> > > To this day I swab my inter ear out with alcohol---Plugged up ears can
> > > be painful at altitude, enough to distract you when you need to be
> > > paying attention---Work out your own system for dealing with it---Try
> > > Jerry dinks way first, thats the most simple
> > > but not everybody is able to clear their ears that easily---your tubes
> > > might be mis shaped or to small----You seem to have a lot working
> > > against you kid----Skydiving may not be for you, then again you might
> > > turn out to be a Canadian Skydiving Champion----The greater the
> > > struggle, the sweeter the prize! 0~;)
>
> > Yeah it's not so much about peer pressure (even though there's a bit
> > of that) because I'm actually interested in trying skydiving, just by
> > looking at pictures videos, the experience looks insane and I actually
> > love heights and am really intrigued by this "flying" feeling.
>
> > I emailed the skydiving school about it and one guy responded:
> > - avoid jumping if you have a cold or sinus congestion (duh)
> > - SUDAFED is the only decongestant that pilots can consume
> > - people who have trouble typically have thicker eardrums (might be
> > my case?) and are recommended to oil their ear drums before the jump.
> > Therefore, he suggested me to see a doctor if he can direct me to
> > medications, oils or drops to make my eardrums more flexible. (not
> > being specific).
> > The guy claims he did 1570 jumps and his ears clogs while jumping, but
> > they do not hurt, although they do hurt when he does scuba diving
> > (which I never did so I can't relate).
>
> > So I guess I should follow all his advice plus practice unclogging my
> > ears by:
> > 1- clogging them through blowing with my nose and mouth closed
> > 2- unclogging them through swallowing, moving my jaw and yawning?
>
> > or should I really clog my ear through attempting to inhale with my
> > mouth and nose closed,
> > and then unclog my ears by doing the opposite (blowing)?
> > because I tried clogging through inhaling but my ears don't clog,
> > although maybe I'd have to try extremely hard to make it work.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Sounds like you are willing to swallow a lot of snot, you might make a
> fair to middling skydiver yet <grin>--------All kidding aside, if your
> ears are giving that much trouble at ground level go see a EN&T
> Specialist, and get some professional advice....Canada has a form of
> social medicine don't it...If so it might be the cheapest thing you
> ever get for skydiving.
> 0~;-)

Yeah going to see the doctor is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! ahaha.
Although you can wait for hours in walk-in clinics.
And prescription medications are subsidized, but they can still cost
you quite a bit for students (but definitely cheaper than the U.S).

16 Apr 2008 08:57:46

the unknown flailer

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

On Apr 16, 10:06=A0am, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Apr 16, 10:43 am, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Apr 16, 8:48 am, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > On Apr 15, 11:58 pm, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com> wrote:
>
> > > > On Apr 15, 9:43 pm, Jerry K. <sky...@pdq.net> wrote:
>
> > > > > On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:34:01 -0700 (PDT), Gapagos
>
> > > > > <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > >Hmm another thing I'm concerned about right now is ear pain. =A0M=
y ears
> > > > > >block themselves pretty easilly (I can feel it if I ski down a hi=
ll at
> > > > > >40+ mph =A0or when an airplane lands normally) and I believe they=
are
> > > > > >more sensible than average as my sinus are known to be pretty thi=
n (my
> > > > > >dad has the same thing) and therefore can be easily congested.
> > > > > >Is this something I should worry about? =A0Any tips on avoiding e=
ar pain?
>
> > > > > You should be concerned about this - at least to the point of bein=
g
> > > > > proactive to prevent damage and hearing loss. =A0I had the same is=
sue
> > > > > when I made my first few jumps and every now and then I'll get und=
er
> > > > > canopy and have to clear my ears. =A0The sinuses were fine on thos=
e
> > > > > first few but I definitely felt the pressure which went away as so=
on
> > > > > as I cleared my ears. =A0To this day, I will ~not~ jump if I got
> > > > > congestion going on and can't clear my ears. =A0I've seen too many=

> > > > > friends in skydiving have to deal with serious and painful ear iss=
ues
> > > > > like perforated eardrums, gushing nosebleeds - no fun. =A0So,
> > > > > decongestants (non-drowsy) are a good idea if you're the slightest=
bit
> > > > > congested and a good rule of thumb is, if you can't clear your ear=
s on
> > > > > the ground - like, you can't hold your nose and lips closed blow o=
ut,
> > > > > work your jaw, and pop your ears, then don't jump. =A0The risk is =
a
> > > > > perforated ear drum and subsequent hearing loss if you do - also s=
eems
> > > > > pretty painful. =A0If I can pop my ears just by working my jaw, I'=
m
> > > > > definitely good to go. =A0If I can pop the ears by that plus holdi=
ng the
> > > > > nose and lips closed, blowing out, still good but be aware on how =
the
> > > > > ears/sinuses feel going up and getting back down. =A0And again, if=
I
> > > > > can't clear an ear, tough luck - I'll stay on the ground. =A0Chewi=
ng gum
> > > > > and forcing yawns can be helpfull. =A0The thing to remember is you=

> > > > > probably won't notice any significant discomfort actually while in=

> > > > > freefall - at least not in the beginning since you'll be mightily
> > > > > distracted by the mix of hypoxia and adrenaline but you could real=
ize
> > > > > some discomfort once your canopy is open. =A0First, do what your J=
M's
> > > > > tell you to do and if that means dealing with discomfort until you=
get
> > > > > to the ground where you can clear your ears without taking your ey=
es
> > > > > off the ball, it's a good tradeoff. =A0Over time I'm sure you'll g=
et to
> > > > > the point to where you open your canopy, do the things you're supp=
osed
> > > > > to do first (ask your jumpmasters about that), and clear your ears=

> > > > > without even thinking about it. =A0But, for now - as far as your e=
ars
> > > > > and sinuses are concerned, keep focused on whether you can clear t=
hem
> > > > > on the ground or not - might save you some pain and from some hear=
ing
> > > > > loss in the future.
>
> > > > > Jerry
>
> > > > Suffered a lot of swimmers ear in the Navy and the concussion from
> > > > explosions & gunfire didn't help either...I took half a tab of
> > > > Dramamine before first load every morning---It wasn't enough to make=

> > > > me sleepy but did dry my ears and sinus out....Theres a tube, forget=

> > > > what its called in the ear....A USN Ear, nose & Throat specialist to=
ld
> > > > me once....that is slow to develop in some young people---Thats why
> > > > some kids are more prone to ear infections than others....He's the o=
ne
> > > > that started me on 1/4 and 1/2 tabs of Dramamine, they used to haul =
me
> > > > down to sick bay on a regular basis and clean the ear wax out also--=
--
> > > > To this day I swab my inter ear out with alcohol---Plugged up ears c=
an
> > > > be painful at altitude, enough to distract you when you need to be
> > > > paying attention---Work out your own system for dealing with it---Tr=
y
> > > > Jerry dinks way first, thats the most simple
> > > > but not everybody is able to clear their ears that easily---your tub=
es
> > > > might be mis shaped or to small----You seem to have a lot working
> > > > against you kid----Skydiving may not be for you, then again you migh=
t
> > > > turn out to be a Canadian Skydiving Champion----The greater the
> > > > struggle, the sweeter the prize! 0~;)
>
> > > Yeah it's not so much about peer pressure (even though there's a bit
> > > of that) =A0because I'm actually interested in trying skydiving, just =
by
> > > looking at pictures videos, the experience looks insane and I actually=

> > > love heights and am really intrigued by this "flying" feeling.
>
> > > I emailed the skydiving school about it and one guy responded:
> > > =A0- avoid jumping if you have a cold or sinus congestion (duh)
> > > =A0- SUDAFED is the only decongestant that pilots can consume
> > > =A0- people who have trouble typically have thicker eardrums (might be=

> > > my case?) and are recommended to oil their ear drums before the jump.
> > > Therefore, he suggested me to see a doctor if he can direct me to
> > > medications, oils or drops to make my eardrums more flexible. =A0(not
> > > being specific).
> > > The guy claims he did 1570 jumps and his ears clogs while jumping, but=

> > > they do not hurt, although they do hurt when he does scuba diving
> > > (which I never did so I can't relate).
>
> > > So I guess I should follow all his advice plus practice unclogging my
> > > ears by:
> > > 1- clogging them through blowing with my nose and mouth closed
> > > 2- unclogging them through swallowing, moving my jaw and yawning?
>
> > > or should I really clog my ear through attempting to inhale with my
> > > mouth and nose closed,
> > > and then unclog my ears by doing the opposite (blowing)?
> > > because I tried clogging through inhaling but my ears don't clog,
> > > although maybe I'd have to try extremely hard to make it work.- Hide q=
uoted text -
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > Sounds like you are willing to swallow a lot of snot, you might make a
> > fair to middling skydiver yet <grin>--------All kidding aside, if your
> > ears are giving that much =A0 trouble at ground level go see a EN&T
> > Specialist, and get some professional advice....Canada has a form of
> > social medicine don't it...If so it might be the cheapest thing you
> > ever get for skydiving.
> > 0~;-)
>
> Yeah going to see the doctor is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! ahaha.
> Although you can wait for hours in walk-in clinics.
> And prescription medications are subsidized, but they can still cost
> you quite a bit for students (but definitely cheaper than the U.S).- Hide =
quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Yeah I saw a program on it on LINK TV...The general opinion seemed to
be getting help for generic medical problems was slow and or serious
or otherwise exotic medical problems they said you were likely to die
before seeing a specialist------so nothing is free after all eh? You
might be able to
wing it on one Tandem jump but if you get hooked and want to continue
solo you really should get those ears looked at. Medical care down
here in the states is pretty good if you have the right
connections....The VA gives me a free check up every six months
whether I want it or not - including blood draw and lab work, free
shots, mails me a 90 day supply of pills etc etc etc...even preformed
a Minor out patient surgery for free. The VFW will pick me up and take
me to the VA, then the VA provides transportation from there on...They
hand out free coffee donuts and sandwich's at the clinic---Tax payers
money well spent IMHO <grin > If I choose to use Medicare to see a
world class specialist the co pay is only $50, hospitalization is free
and prescriptions are less than $4 for a 30 day supply....They even
send a Taxi to pick me up for appointments and bring me home....Being
old cranky & a Veteran has its perks I guess ;) As the spoiled baby
boomer's reach their middle 60's I see things only getting better, you
know they have feathered the system for their own benefit at
retirement. I'm so damn old I'll probably be dead before the system
crashes
because not enough Generation Y left working to pay the tax's.
Thats why I'm always berating punks like Jerry to quit causing
inflation and pay their tax's. A regular old rascal eh?

17 Apr 2008 06:03:18

the unknown flailer

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?back on thread

On Apr 16, 8:55=A0am, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Apr 16, 9:48 am, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Apr 15, 11:58 pm, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com> wrote:
>
> > > On Apr 15, 9:43 pm, Jerry K. <sky...@pdq.net> wrote:
>
> > > > On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:34:01 -0700 (PDT), Gapagos
>
> > > > <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > >Hmm another thing I'm concerned about right now is ear pain. =A0My =
ears
> > > > >block themselves pretty easilly (I can feel it if I ski down a hill=
at
> > > > >40+ mph =A0or when an airplane lands normally) and I believe they a=
re
> > > > >more sensible than average as my sinus are known to be pretty thin =
(my
> > > > >dad has the same thing) and therefore can be easily congested.
> > > > >Is this something I should worry about? =A0Any tips on avoiding ear=
pain?
>
> > > > You should be concerned about this - at least to the point of being
> > > > proactive to prevent damage and hearing loss. =A0I had the same issu=
e
> > > > when I made my first few jumps and every now and then I'll get under=

> > > > canopy and have to clear my ears. =A0The sinuses were fine on those
> > > > first few but I definitely felt the pressure which went away as soon=

> > > > as I cleared my ears. =A0To this day, I will ~not~ jump if I got
> > > > congestion going on and can't clear my ears. =A0I've seen too many
> > > > friends in skydiving have to deal with serious and painful ear issue=
s
> > > > like perforated eardrums, gushing nosebleeds - no fun. =A0So,
> > > > decongestants (non-drowsy) are a good idea if you're the slightest b=
it
> > > > congested and a good rule of thumb is, if you can't clear your ears =
on
> > > > the ground - like, you can't hold your nose and lips closed blow out=
,
> > > > work your jaw, and pop your ears, then don't jump. =A0The risk is a
> > > > perforated ear drum and subsequent hearing loss if you do - also see=
ms
> > > > pretty painful. =A0If I can pop my ears just by working my jaw, I'm
> > > > definitely good to go. =A0If I can pop the ears by that plus holding=
the
> > > > nose and lips closed, blowing out, still good but be aware on how th=
e
> > > > ears/sinuses feel going up and getting back down. =A0And again, if I=

> > > > can't clear an ear, tough luck - I'll stay on the ground. =A0Chewing=
gum
> > > > and forcing yawns can be helpfull. =A0The thing to remember is you
> > > > probably won't notice any significant discomfort actually while in
> > > > freefall - at least not in the beginning since you'll be mightily
> > > > distracted by the mix of hypoxia and adrenaline but you could realiz=
e
> > > > some discomfort once your canopy is open. =A0First, do what your JM'=
s
> > > > tell you to do and if that means dealing with discomfort until you g=
et
> > > > to the ground where you can clear your ears without taking your eyes=

> > > > off the ball, it's a good tradeoff. =A0Over time I'm sure you'll get=
to
> > > > the point to where you open your canopy, do the things you're suppos=
ed
> > > > to do first (ask your jumpmasters about that), and clear your ears
> > > > without even thinking about it. =A0But, for now - as far as your ear=
s
> > > > and sinuses are concerned, keep focused on whether you can clear the=
m
> > > > on the ground or not - might save you some pain and from some hearin=
g
> > > > loss in the future.
>
> > > > Jerry
>
> > > Suffered a lot of swimmers ear in the Navy and the concussion from
> > > explosions & gunfire didn't help either...I took half a tab of
> > > Dramamine before first load every morning---It wasn't enough to make
> > > me sleepy but did dry my ears and sinus out....Theres a tube, forget
> > > what its called in the ear....A USN Ear, nose & Throat specialist told=

> > > me once....that is slow to develop in some young people---Thats why
> > > some kids are more prone to ear infections than others....He's the one=

> > > that started me on 1/4 and 1/2 tabs of Dramamine, they used to haul me=

> > > down to sick bay on a regular basis and clean the ear wax out also----=

> > > To this day I swab my inter ear out with alcohol---Plugged up ears can=

> > > be painful at altitude, enough to distract you when you need to be
> > > paying attention---Work out your own system for dealing with it---Try
> > > Jerry dinks way first, thats the most simple
> > > but not everybody is able to clear their ears that easily---your tubes=

> > > might be mis shaped or to small----You seem to have a lot working
> > > against you kid----Skydiving may not be for you, then again you might
> > > turn out to be a Canadian Skydiving Champion----The greater the
> > > struggle, the sweeter the prize! 0~;)
>
> > Yeah it's not so much about peer pressure (even though there's a bit
> > of that) =A0because I'm actually interested in trying skydiving, just by=

> > looking at pictures videos, the experience looks insane and I actually
> > love heights and am really intrigued by this "flying" feeling.
>
> > I emailed the skydiving school about it and one guy responded:
> > =A0- avoid jumping if you have a cold or sinus congestion (duh)
> > =A0- SUDAFED is the only decongestant that pilots can consume
> > =A0- people who have trouble typically have thicker eardrums (might be
> > my case?) and are recommended to oil their ear drums before the jump.
> > Therefore, he suggested me to see a doctor if he can direct me to
> > medications, oils or drops to make my eardrums more flexible. =A0(not
> > being specific).
> > The guy claims he did 1570 jumps and his ears clogs while jumping, but
> > they do not hurt, although they do hurt when he does scuba diving
> > (which I never did so I can't relate).
>
> > So I guess I should follow all his advice plus practice unclogging my
> > ears by:
> > 1- clogging them through blowing with my nose and mouth closed
> > 2- unclogging them through swallowing, moving my jaw and yawning?
>
> > or should I really clog my ear through attempting to inhale with my
> > mouth and nose closed,
> > and then unclog my ears by doing the opposite (blowing)?
> > because I tried clogging through inhaling but my ears don't clog,
> > although maybe I'd have to try extremely hard to make it work.
>
> wow nevermind I'm being stupid right now (I just woke up)
> I'm supposed to:
>
> 1- clog my ears by blowing with my nose and mouth closed
> 2- unclog my ears by inhaling through my nose and mouth closed
>
> Hmm I tried doing just that and I can't get my ears to clog... maybe
> because I'm not trying hard enough...
- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Don't try too hard, you might need all the brains you have left to
finish University.....Mon du ;)

18 Apr 2008 17:08:18

brokeneagle

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

> > > Thanks a lot for the answer. There would definitely be a cameraman IF
> > I choose to do it lol.
> > I have a very hard time believing the "There is NO sensation of
> > falling or negative G experience in a regular skydive" part though!!
> > How could that be?? Just because of all the air blowing on your body?
> > Anyway, even though I'm deadly afraid of this (I'll admit it), I think
> > my curiosity is overcoming my fear of it... hehe...
>
> There is no sensation of falling if you jump from a plane because
> initially, you are not falling. You are travelling the same speed as the
> plane and gradually as your forward speed drops off, you slowly start
> building 'down' speed. Which is why the first 1,000' you fall is the
> slowest rate.
>
> Hence, none of that falling feeling.
>
> http://training.skydivenewengland.com/faq.html
>
> And the only time you get that 'negative G' sensation, is when the
> bastard pilot decides to play funny buggers while you're still in the
> plane. Which is a bloody good reason to get out of the thing.
>
> --
> Peter Lucas
> Brisbane
> Australia

Sorry it took so long to get back, but you're quite welcome- glad you
sound like you're going to go for it, too. Quite right. It is a most
fantastic accomplishment, and I'm glad you're researching this well.
Extreme sports demand extreme learning. Great explanation for him on
the why no feel of falling, Peter. But I do disagree with you on the
bastard pilot thing- I happen to like VERY much a trusted pilots'
occasional negative G "help" to get up on jump run... and I believe
Mike Mullins is the King of that fun here. Now as for the head-buster
flights you sound like you've had, if you've flown with the bloke and
are familiar with his habits, just take some normal skydiver
revenge... sit as close to him as you can and fart like hell.
Brokeneagle.

18 Apr 2008 18:21:19

the unknown flailer

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?

On Apr 18, 7:08=A0pm, brokeneagle <Eagleo...@gmail.com > wrote:

> the only time you get that 'negative G' sensation, is when the
> > bastard pilot decides to play funny buggers while you're still in the
> > plane. Which is a bloody good reason to get out of the thing.
>
> > --
> > Peter Lucas
> > Brisbane
> > Australia
>
> Sorry it took so long to get back, but you're quite welcome- glad you
> sound like you're going to go for it, too. Quite right. It is a most
> fantastic accomplishment, and I'm glad you're researching this well.
> Extreme sports demand extreme learning. Great explanation for him on
> the why no feel of falling, Peter. But I do disagree with you on the
> bastard pilot thing- I happen to like VERY much a trusted pilots'
> occasional negative G "help" to get up on jump run... and I believe
> Mike Mullins is the King of that fun here. Now as for the head-buster
> flights you sound like you've had, if you've flown with the bloke and
> are familiar with his habits, just take some normal skydiver
> revenge... sit as close to him as you can and fart like hell.
> Brokeneagle.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Yeah and if its the same MM from the 90's that was going around to all
the DZ's flying all of those 24/5's with that souped up King Air you
better hope you're doing MALO's and have 02 with a nostril feed
instead of breathing the normal climb to 13/5 cabin air because if he
kicks his shoes off you have lost the gag a maggot contest little girl
heh heh. ;)

25 Apr 2008 23:21:52

peanut4040

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?/Heads up kid

On Apr 14, 10:43=EF=BF=BDpm, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com > wrote:
> On Apr 14, 4:28=EF=BF=BDpm, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hey, I saw a picture of a distant friend of mine skydiving, and said
> > the picture was amazing, adding that I wasn't sure I'd have the
> > courage to do this. =EF=BF=BDA friend of her called me a wuss for it. :-=
P ...
> > and my distant friend invited me to skydive in June to prove him
> > wrong.
>
> > The videos I saw of skydiving look amazing. =EF=BF=BDThe view, the wind,=
the
> > gliding.... etc.
>
> > I am not someone who is really afraid of heights.
> > But I am deadly afraid of the sensation of falling. =EF=BF=BDI don't dar=
e to
> > do hardcore roller coasters with huge loops and drop zones.
> > To be clear: =EF=BF=BDI am not afraid of feeling the sensation, it's the=

> > actual sensation in itself which produces an incredibly intense
> > feeling of fear.
>
> > I tried googling for what skydiving implies for those with fears of
> > falling but I found little information, only info on people with fear
> > of heights but not on the actual falling sensation.
>
> > Should I try skydiving? =EF=BF=BDShould I stay away? =EF=BF=BDAny tips t=
o conquer my
> > fear of falling besides going directly to the skydiving part? =EF=BF=BDW=
hat do
> > you think.
>
> > Thanks :-)
>
> Its not for everybody but if you can get through the first jump or two
> it becomes additive....It takes 20 or 30 jumps to shake the unease of
> exiting =EF=BF=BDa aircraft to FF for normal types....Some appear to never=
get
> over it----They may have 3 or 400 jumps and they walk around trying to
> project fear on the little to no fear jumpers....Its mostly about
> overcoming psychological blocks and mental discipline. Lets see if I
> can remember its been so long since I made a jump----over a
> decade................... ummmm
> By 50 jumps most have become over confident and are pushing the edge,
> they often stay dangerous to around 175 jumps-----by then they have
> seen enough injuries, had enough close calls of their own and eat
> enough grass blowing landings to calm down a bit. Some never get over
> the mental part, we have one Video geek in Texas with a couple
> thousand jumps named Jerry K who tends to start the pee pee dance and
> starts moaning on up wind turn "My pin, my pin, I think my pins
> falling out----somebody check it boo hoo boo hoo" HAHAHAHAHAHA that
> imitation should tonk his skygoddy butt, he reads every thing I say----
> which in itself is a mental sickness) Try a jump, you can do a Tandem
> with video package, if it doesn't click you have your "I skydived
> film" and you don't have to come back if it don't feel right for
> you----A few things to be prepared for no matter which way you go
> =EF=BF=BD#1 a thing called ground rush, severe cases make people throw up.=

> Many a first jump student has vomited on the DZ----That to will pass.
> All it is is to much Adrenalin.
> #2 Tunnel vision, the JM's are always asking students....."Did you see
> this, did you see that?" Tunnel vision disappears as you stack up
> jumps in your log book.
> #3 Skydivers are mostly type A's so expect a constant sales pitch till
> your a B C or D licensed skydiver. Right off the bat the DZ is going
> to try and sell you the whole AFF course as a prepaid package. Make a
> Tandem, get video on that first jump in case you decide not to come
> back.
> =EF=BF=BD =EF=BF=BDIf you like it, you can progress to AFF off tandems----=
They don't
> call a TM/JM a Jump master for no reason....There are 3 ways of
> learning how to skydive SL/IAD, AFF & Tandem----Even if you just go
> out for a Tandem their will be a ground school to attend for it.
> #4 Pick a reputable USPA endorsed DZ, maybe go out, look around on a
> Saturday.....Watch the TM/JM's close to see how many students if any
> they face plant! That way you will know who you don't want jumping you
> with a chest harness ha ha ;) Then come back Sunday or the next
> weekend and do your short ground school & tandem...Most DZ's have a
> bring so many friends and get a discount deal.....They also have
> weight restrictions....Check with a local DZ and see what your options
> are..Its going to be more expensive than unsafe so be prudent with
> what you agree to. Since you have a height and falling fear going on
> before ever climbing on a Jump Aircraft---I would strongly advise
> doing a Tandem first.
> You're attached to a TM/JM's chest so he or she will take care of
> everything if you freeze up....Their all safe though because any gear
> related to students usually has a Cypress on it that automatically
> fires the reserve if you get below a minimum altitude and are still
> going along at FF speeds....Nothing to be afraid of really, you have a
> main and reserve so the bottom end (last few thousand feet) and sudden
> stop that mostly kills people is not likely to happen.....After you
> get canopy you're really not falling anymore, you're flying or
> gliding. The choice is yours, nobody can or should make you
> skydive------Thats a personal decision. Good luck.
> ~a mean old man in East Texas~ =EF=BF=BD0~;-*- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Very well sed pappy,,,

26 Apr 2008 15:22:46

the unknown flailer

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?/Heads up kid

On Apr 26, 1:21=C2=A0am, peanut4040 <peanut4...@aol.com > wrote:
> On Apr 14, 10:43=EF=BF=BDpm, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com> wrote:=

>
>
>
>
>
> > On Apr 14, 4:28=EF=BF=BDpm, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > Hey, I saw a picture of a distant friend of mine skydiving, and said
> > > the picture was amazing, adding that I wasn't sure I'd have the
> > > courage to do this. =EF=BF=BDA friend of her called me a wuss for it. =
:-P ...
> > > and my distant friend invited me to skydive in June to prove him
> > > wrong.
>
> > > The videos I saw of skydiving look amazing. =EF=BF=BDThe view, the win=
d, the
> > > gliding.... etc.
>
> > > I am not someone who is really afraid of heights.
> > > But I am deadly afraid of the sensation of falling. =EF=BF=BDI don't d=
are to
> > > do hardcore roller coasters with huge loops and drop zones.
> > > To be clear: =EF=BF=BDI am not afraid of feeling the sensation, it's t=
he
> > > actual sensation in itself which produces an incredibly intense
> > > feeling of fear.
>
> > > I tried googling for what skydiving implies for those with fears of
> > > falling but I found little information, only info on people with fear
> > > of heights but not on the actual falling sensation.
>
> > > Should I try skydiving? =EF=BF=BDShould I stay away? =EF=BF=BDAny tips=
to conquer my
> > > fear of falling besides going directly to the skydiving part? =EF=BF=
=BDWhat do
> > > you think.
>
> > > Thanks :-)
>
> > Its not for everybody but if you can get through the first jump or two
> > it becomes additive....It takes 20 or 30 jumps to shake the unease of
> > exiting =EF=BF=BDa aircraft to FF for normal types....Some appear to nev=
er get
> > over it----They may have 3 or 400 jumps and they walk around trying to
> > project fear on the little to no fear jumpers....Its mostly about
> > overcoming psychological blocks and mental discipline. Lets see if I
> > can remember its been so long since I made a jump----over a
> > decade................... ummmm
> > By 50 jumps most have become over confident and are pushing the edge,
> > they often stay dangerous to around 175 jumps-----by then they have
> > seen enough injuries, had enough close calls of their own and eat
> > enough grass blowing landings to calm down a bit. Some never get over
> > the mental part, we have one Video geek in Texas with a couple
> > thousand jumps named Jerry K who tends to start the pee pee dance and
> > starts moaning on up wind turn "My pin, my pin, I think my pins
> > falling out----somebody check it boo hoo boo hoo" HAHAHAHAHAHA that
> > imitation should tonk his skygoddy butt, he reads every thing I say----
> > which in itself is a mental sickness) Try a jump, you can do a Tandem
> > with video package, if it doesn't click you have your "I skydived
> > film" and you don't have to come back if it don't feel right for
> > you----A few things to be prepared for no matter which way you go
> > =EF=BF=BD#1 a thing called ground rush, severe cases make people throw u=
p.
> > Many a first jump student has vomited on the DZ----That to will pass.
> > All it is is to much Adrenalin.
> > #2 Tunnel vision, the JM's are always asking students....."Did you see
> > this, did you see that?" Tunnel vision disappears as you stack up
> > jumps in your log book.
> > #3 Skydivers are mostly type A's so expect a constant sales pitch till
> > your a B C or D licensed skydiver. Right off the bat the DZ is going
> > to try and sell you the whole AFF course as a prepaid package. Make a
> > Tandem, get video on that first jump in case you decide not to come
> > back.
> > =EF=BF=BD =EF=BF=BDIf you like it, you can progress to AFF off tandems--=
--They don't
> > call a TM/JM a Jump master for no reason....There are 3 ways of
> > learning how to skydive SL/IAD, AFF & Tandem----Even if you just go
> > out for a Tandem their will be a ground school to attend for it.
> > #4 Pick a reputable USPA endorsed DZ, maybe go out, look around on a
> > Saturday.....Watch the TM/JM's close to see how many students if any
> > they face plant! That way you will know who you don't want jumping you
> > with a chest harness ha ha ;) Then come back Sunday or the next
> > weekend and do your short ground school & tandem...Most DZ's have a
> > bring so many friends and get a discount deal.....They also have
> > weight restrictions....Check with a local DZ and see what your options
> > are..Its going to be more expensive than unsafe so be prudent with
> > what you agree to. Since you have a height and falling fear going on
> > before ever climbing on a Jump Aircraft---I would strongly advise
> > doing a Tandem first.
> > You're attached to a TM/JM's chest so he or she will take care of
> > everything if you freeze up....Their all safe though because any gear
> > related to students usually has a Cypress on it that automatically
> > fires the reserve if you get below a minimum altitude and are still
> > going along at FF speeds....Nothing to be afraid of really, you have a
> > main and reserve so the bottom end (last few thousand feet) and sudden
> > stop that mostly kills people is not likely to happen.....After you
> > get canopy you're really not falling anymore, you're flying or
> > gliding. The choice is yours, nobody can or should make you
> > skydive------Thats a personal decision. Good luck.
> > ~a mean old man in East Texas~ =EF=BF=BD0~;-*- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Very well sed =C2=A0pappy,,,- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

did I write that? I'm usually mean to indecisive wussies, somebody
must have slipped EX LAX into my Fiber one that morning and I got to
to take a country shit before walking down to the computer room &
signing on, doesn't happen often....... Treasure the memory. 0~;)

26 Apr 2008 19:08:49

peanut4040

Re: I'm afraid of free falling. Is skydiving for me?/Heads up kid

On Apr 26, 5:22=C2=A0pm, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com > wrote:
> On Apr 26, 1:21=C2=A0am, peanut4040 <peanut4...@aol.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Apr 14, 10:43=EF=BF=BDpm, the unknown flailer <thuy...@iwon.com> wrot=
e:
>
> > > On Apr 14, 4:28=EF=BF=BDpm, Gapagos <efrancolapo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > > Hey, I saw a picture of a distant friend of mine skydiving, and said=

> > > > the picture was amazing, adding that I wasn't sure I'd have the
> > > > courage to do this. =EF=BF=BDA friend of her called me a wuss for it=
. :-P ...
> > > > and my distant friend invited me to skydive in June to prove him
> > > > wrong.
>
> > > > The videos I saw of skydiving look amazing. =EF=BF=BDThe view, the w=
ind, the
> > > > gliding.... etc.
>
> > > > I am not someone who is really afraid of heights.
> > > > But I am deadly afraid of the sensation of falling. =EF=BF=BDI don't=
dare to
> > > > do hardcore roller coasters with huge loops and drop zones.
> > > > To be clear: =EF=BF=BDI am not afraid of feeling the sensation, it's=
the
> > > > actual sensation in itself which produces an incredibly intense
> > > > feeling of fear.
>
> > > > I tried googling for what skydiving implies for those with fears of
> > > > falling but I found little information, only info on people with fea=
r
> > > > of heights but not on the actual falling sensation.
>
> > > > Should I try skydiving? =EF=BF=BDShould I stay away? =EF=BF=BDAny ti=
ps to conquer my
> > > > fear of falling besides going directly to the skydiving part? =EF=BF=
=BDWhat do
> > > > you think.
>
> > > > Thanks :-)
>
> > > Its not for everybody but if you can get through the first jump or two=