Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews2!bnrgate!bigsur!bnr-rsc!bmerh682!lenny
From: lenny@bmerh682.BNR.CA (Len DePalma)
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Does the terror stop?
Keywords: fear, risk
Message-ID: <4541@bnr-rsc.UUCP>
Date: 22 May 91 19:24:32 GMT
References: <1991May14.180720.14179@ge-dab.GE.COM> <130476@unix.cis.pitt.edu> <1991May22.152608.8297@ge-dab.GE.COM>
Sender: news@bnr-rsc.UUCP
Reply-To: lenny@bnr.ca
Organization: BNR Ottawa, Fiber Systems Development
Lines: 49

Two summers ago I got introduced to this sport via a few friends from
work.  During that summer I took a one day intro course which included
a first jump.  Subsequent to that I completed 3 other jumps.

The reason I stopped was this little worm in the back of my mind never
seemed to calm down at all.  I was so terrified during the first jump
that I still don't know what convinced me to get out the door, I went
back the second time because something inside me said I had to prove
something to myself by doing it twice.  Just before my third jump one
of the jumpers in the load before me had his main come out like a rolled
up sleeping bag and had to use his reserve... needless to say, again, I
have no idea how I convinced myself to go up again after that experience
either!  I did it the fourth time because I was intriqued with the idea
of getting good enough at it to try free fall - which looks really wild!
(Also, it took three jumps before I could even open my eyes before the
chute opened and I wanted to see what I was missing!)  But, it was
at this point, after a good fourth jump (I managed to throw the news-
paper on the first try!), that I started getting _very_ freaked over
the idea.  IE: just reliving the events of any one of those jumps in
my mind two years later stills makes me break out in a sweat, or
watching one of those airborne commercials from inside the plane as
the folks jump out and suddenly all those feelings of terror come
back as strong as ever (ie: pit of my stomach falls to the floor, etc).

So, what I was wondering is if we could start a thread here with some
of the more veteran divers explaining how they progressed, how they
overcame any fears they had, etc.  Aside from the terror, I really 
enjoyed all the other sensations and am trying to convince myself
to give the sport another try :).  Are the above feelings normal, or
should I just give up the idea, and stick to the *INSIDE* of small  
aircraft (I am also in the process of getting my soaring license)!

As an aside, my father flipped when he heard what I was up to - even
begged me to stop after trying it the first time because he was 
convinced the odds would catch up with me sooner or later and the 
result would be disastrous.  Course, I can't really blame him... his
only experiences with the 'sport' was bailing out for real during the
Korean war with a single round belly chute.  

"""    _            Pilot to Co-pilot:  "Say... what's a mountain goat 
@  """/ \  ^^       doing way up here in a cloud bank?"  G. Larson
   _ /   \  ^^
  / V     \   _
_/   \     \~/.\~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            \...\_______/\/\..           ^.                   
                       /..\.\::.                           )        
  Len DePalma         /....::::::.                        '     ~~___*_
  Ottawa, Canada          :::::.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                  ~//--H-
  lenny@bnr.ca                !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!