How to make your first jump!
Of course you want to skydive.
Everyone has thought about it and everyone says they will do it someday. Well, now that you're in college this is the right place to try it out. Georgia Tech has a world renowned skydiving club that has been around since 1969. Why wait? Schedule your jump today!
More Info...
Tandem Skydive
This is the best way to go if you're looking for that one time unforgettable experience. Call up some friends and get the whole group to go...you know you'll need a witness.
More Info...
Advanced FreeFall
If you're looking to get certified to skydive on your own, AFF is the way to go. It takes 6 hours of ground school and 7 jumps with instructors. Georgia Tech is the most well-equipped skydiving club in the nation, so get certified and start jumping with us ASAP.
More Info...
Google Map
So now you're ready to skydive an you just need directions to the dropzone. Just click on the "More Info" link and you'll be brought to an easy to read Google Map of where Skydive Atlanta is and an option to put in your own address for quick driving directions!
More Info...
|
|
Seminar with Kyle Collins and Eric Taylor |
|
|
Seminar with Kyle Collins and Eric Taylor
Basic Tips:
If you want to improve your skydiving skills but don’t know where to start, here are some tips that may help you get started. - Jumping with the same people is very beneficial. You get more out of each consecutive jump when you know the people you are jumping with and what you are going to be working on.
- 2-way jumps are great training for low jump number skydivers to focus on. Once you become proficient at 2-way skills you can start working on speed and efficiency. 2-way is also great training for 4-way.
- Video is possibly the best help tool to have for skydive training. If you can get video, it is highly recommended as a teaching tool.
- Creeper training is also highly recommended for grip training and dive flows. Better creeping means better skydiving!
- Tunnel time is very beneficial for working on turns and stability. If you can afford it, you will be able to work on turns with a frame of reference and in a close proximity. This will greatly increase your awareness of how your body is actually flying. This is also a very efficient way to receive coaching.
Team Tips:There are a few things to consider when choosing a team to skydive with. Jumping with a team is a great way to develop skydiving skills at a faster rate then just jumping on your own. Teams are greatly encouraged and competition is a ton of fun, so give it some serious thought if you haven’t already. - First suggestion is to jump with who you want to jump with! Teams are a commitment so you might as well do it with people you want to hang out with.
- Goals – Consider things like how many jumps you would like to make, are you going to use tunnel time, how much creeper practice do you want to do, etc.
- Time and Money – Skydiving can get expensive and you want all team members to be able to afford or be willing to spend about the same. How many jumps can you afford together, do you want all new equipment, can you afford coaching, can you afford tunnel time, etc.
- Skill – Jump numbers don’t really matter. Goals are more important and people can improve quickly when they have a team around them to practice with. More jumps together can lead to a better team than more individual skill. Teams make this a team sport and developing chemistry is important.
2-way Tips: For the National Collegiate Competition, you must have no more than 125 jumps to compete in the 2-way competition. If this is the case, don’t forget to plan for practice jumps you will make leading up to competition, then you can form a 2-way team. - Check the USPA website for the official competition manual which contains the jump pool for 2-way teams. http://www.uspa.org/publications/manuals.htm
- Grip Discipline – Figure this out on the ground, practice it with creepers if they are available and do “dirt dives”.
- Your leading arm is your feed arm that your teammate will grab. Your trailing arm is the one you grab your teammate with. Example: If you are turning left, you will let your teammate grab your left arm and you will grab your teammate with your right arm.
- When you are changing grips, flash your hands out (a quick wave) to make it easy for the judges to see that you released the grip before you take the next grip.
- Exits – Take out what you can but sidebody is recommended if you are looking for one to practice or to start with. Exiting stable saves a lot of time, and being able to transition on the hill is very helpful. Stability is the key.
- When you are making a point, always apply positive pressure (lean in) to your teammate. The air moving between you wants to separate you, so you must compensate for it to keep your point tight.
- Good Form - Work on flying with your hands and arms in front of you. This position is similar to lying on your stomach and being propped up on your elbows with your head up.
- A good start to working on 2-way is to have only one person turn through a jump flow at a time. This gives a good base to work with and the person not turning can work grips and stability.
- Here’s a suggested dive flow to start with where one person turns the points through the flow, and then it is repeated with the other person turning the points. See the competition manual for the points if you don’t know them already. http://www.uspa.org/publications/manuals.htm
1. star
2. sidebody (right or left) 3. cat 4. sidebody (opposite of #2) 5. star Switch roles and repeat the dive flow (PAY ATTENTION TO ALTITUDE!!!)
4-way Tips: After you have been working on 2-way skills and you are looking to try 4-way, keep some basics in mind. - The 4-way dive pool can be found in the USPA competition manual. http://www.uspa.org/publications/manuals.htm
- Grip discipline is very important. This should be practiced on the ground with creepers if they are available. Dirt dives are also recommended.
- Eye Contact – Depending on the position you are in, eye contact with the right teammate is important. Turning your head can cause you to turn, so stay focused. Keep a look out for what grips are coming to you and what grips you are feeding to your teammates.
- Here is a suggested dive flow to follow with two team members opposite each other staying stable and the other two team members turning the points. See the competition manual for the points if you don’t know them already. http://www.uspa.org/publications/manuals.htm
1. star 2. stairstep 3. bi-pole 4. stairstep (opposite #2) 5. star Switch roles and repeat the dive flow (PAY ATTENTION TO ALTITUDE!!!)
Other Skills: Here are some other skills to work on and a few more tips that might help out with turns and levels. - Levels – Keeping your level with your teammates is essential to being able to jump together. Using weights is recommended if you are having to contort your body to stay at the same level as your teammates. Changing your body position is not efficient and only gives you more to worry about. Weights are a good investment.
- Turns – The way you turn best is the best way to turn. Turns are practiced best when someone else can stay stable so you have a frame of reference. Tunnel time is also a great way to work on turning in place.
- Knee Turns – Knee turns can be faster and more efficient but they can take some practice. Instead of just pulling your knee or leg in, turn your knee outwards to expose your instep. This gives more surface area to turn with. When working on speeding up your turns like 360’s, try turning a 180 and coasting the next 180 into your grips or position.
Thanks again to Kyle and Eric for taking time to help get us on our way to being better skydivers. Look forward to more seminars in the future!
|
|
|
