Skydive!

javelin

Hey people.

I'm a skydiver from sweden, moving to Dublin in the nearest future.
It would be cool to go do some jumps when I get there,
so just wondering were I can go and skydive nearby? if its possible at all.
and is it a good place?
though I'm selling my precious javelin now before I go, so it would be good if the club has rigs to rent?

and also, are there any more skydivers out here?

blue skies and all,
/johanna.

Evil Phil

Hi Johanna,

Dunno if there are any skydivers on here by http://www.skydive.ie/ should be able to help you.

Bluehair

The Irish Parachute Club is great, used to be a regular but not recently (no money )

They have a porter now too so altitude and lift capacity is no longer the problem it once was (shame we can't do anything about the weather though!)

Don't worry about your rig but do remember to bring your logbook, license and insurance details. You can rent a rig but the club is very welcoming to foreign jumpers and you'll prob be offered a loaner.

javelin

Hey bluehair.

thanks for the info, it sounds good.
for how long do you jump, I mean do you take a winterbreake? if so, when?

cheers,
johanna

Hal1

I would love to do a jump but I would be too nervous to do the jump or would probably pass-out :eek:

javelin

Hal1 wrote:

I would love to do a jump but I would be too nervous to do the jump or would probably pass-out :eek:

nah, dont think you would, dont worry I was too afraid of it also when I started. you just gotta do it.
you have no idea how great it is

Bluehair

javelin wrote:

Hey bluehair.

thanks for the info, it sounds good.
for how long do you jump, I mean do you take a winterbreake? if so, when?

cheers,
johanna

Hell no us hardy Irish jump right throught the cold cold winter

It's primarely a weekend only operation but I know they are talking about extending that now they have the porter.

We're always open on Public Holidays too and sometimes the odd long weekend boogie would be organised during the summer (you just missed one).

javelin

Bluehair wrote:

Hell no us hardy Irish jump right throught the cold cold winter

It's primarely a weekend only operation but I know they are talking about extending that now they have the porter.

We're always open on Public Holidays too and sometimes the odd long weekend boogie would be organised during the summer (you just missed one).

haha, sounds good but you dont have snow there right?

ok, but you jump all weekends? I'm only used to weekendjumping anyway so.
ah, too bad I missed it, a boogie is really fun.

Bluehair

javelin wrote:

haha, sounds good but you dont have snow there right?

ok, but you jump all weekends? I'm only used to weekendjumping anyway so.
ah, too bad I missed it, a boogie is really fun.

Sure there's snow, not often but it happens. But much more ore likely ice, sludge general cold crappy weather without the fun of snowmen and snowball fights.

Jumping every weekend unless weathered out (more likely due low cloud base and/or wind speed than anything else).

javelin

Bluehair wrote:

Sure there's snow, not often but it happens. But much more ore likely ice, sludge general cold crappy weather without the fun of snowmen and snowball fights.

Jumping every weekend unless weathered out (more likely due low cloud base and/or wind speed than anything else).

yeah, I'm gonna miss the skiing, and the snow in general sometimes.
but otherwise it's kinda good without snow, atleast when it's rainy wet snow.

Nah, I really hate when it's a low cloud base.
how far is the dropzone from dublin? do you have a bunkhouse over there?

Bluehair

javelin wrote:

Nah, I really hate when it's a low cloud base.
how far is the dropzone from dublin? do you have a bunkhouse over there?

About an hour away, bunkhouse available (not too sure how much they charge nowadays though but it's not much.).

Low cloud base and/or wind can be a common problem over the winter. Irish skydivers have become experts at spotting and jumping through holes in the cloud base

Hal1

Just a question about the ski-dive, do you get thrown about alot up there and whats it like to freefall to you get that wierd sensation in your gut? :eek:

Bluehair

Hal1 wrote:

Just a question about the ski-dive, do you get thrown about alot up there and whats it like to freefall to you get that wierd sensation in your gut? :eek:

You may experience turbulence in the ride up in the plane but the freefall portion is great. The first 8-12 seconds as you excelerate towards terminal velocity you certainly do feel and the next 40 or so seconds you feel weightless (but with a 120mph wind coming at you). Very difficult to describe freefall to be honest I've yet to see a satisfactory description that even remotely does it justice.

Just do it

marcsignal

Hi Javelin
I did some last summer but like bluehair i kind of ran outa money, I think they charge 260euro membership per yr and 30 euro per jump after that , if youre goin down bring your log book and there wont be any problem, they welcome divers from overseas who wanna jump there, there are 2 local guest houses that charge 25euro b&b exclusive to jumpers and i understand they have porta cabins fitted out with bunks now on the airfield itself, you could also camp out on the airfield which is fun. Student week is 1st week in august wghen many jumpers camp out on the airfield. Had some great weekends there last year. barbecues and booze after dark ! local pub 'Richies' is very friendly too , they allow you order take out food from edenderry and eat it in the pub in the evenings...happy days !!
You could get a bus to Edenderry and local service from town to airfield (12km)
I gotta get back to it soon, but I have to start at the beginning again :mad: poo !

marc

ando

Weyhay, doing my first jump on the 1st of October, cant wait !!!!!!!!!!

marcsignal

nice 1 ando !! i'm sure you'll love it, it's totally surreal but probably one of the most amazing things you'll ever do, i can't wait to get back to it as soon as i can, you never see the sky the same way again... good luck !!

Byr-aer

The Irish Parachute Club Is Still Very Active- It Just Purchased A New Aircraft From Austria- Meant To Be Good Fun Too (According To My Technical Graphic's Teacher)- I'm happy just behind the old cockpit lefthand seat!

Cheers,

ando

marcsignal wrote:

nice 1 ando !! i'm sure you'll love it, it's totally surreal but probably one of the most amazing things you'll ever do, i can't wait to get back to it as soon as i can, you never see the sky the same way again... good luck !!

cheers m8, I'm excited now but I know I'll be $hitting it up in the plane before the jump

javelin

haha, nah dont worry ando, you'll be fine
you gotta tell us how it was.

and marc..yeah you gotta save up some money soon and get up there again.
I will try to do the same as soon as I get there.

Ciao,
johanna

pinkyirl

i did a tandem jump for charity november last year & have been dying to go solo but havent had the money ...BUT...30th birthday coming up in 2 weeks time & i've requested lotsa vouchers for the parachute club so hopefully i'll be flying again soon

best feeling in the world - it's just unbelieveable....

yipppeee!
can't wait!

pinkyirl

oh as well...i think my tandem master was a swedish guy?
ask for mons when you're there

pinkyirl

i found this email that i wrote my friends after my skydive...

memoirs of a first time skydiver

Thanks to everyone who sponsored Tracy-Ann and I for our parachute jumps; firstly for helping us raise over €2,000 between us for the Bubble Gum Club and secondly, for introducing us both to a fantastic new hobby!

Tracy-Ann's on holiday in Spain at the moment but I think I can safely speak for her when I say that we are officially confirmed adrenalin junkies after yesterday's activities! We did our first (note: it won't be the last) ever skydive - and by god it was absolutely amazing - I was on such a high all day yesterday (still am really!) couldn't stop thinking about, couldn't concentrate on anything except that feeling of free falling from 10000ft! OHMYGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!! You have NO idea what it feels like - I would strongly recommend everyone does one sometime in their lifetime! We got there at 10am but the earlier jumps had been held up by low cloud cover so we were hanging around for a good bit. Great place though - everyone in good spirits, all the regular jumpers & instructors are really sound & buzzing with atmosphere. There was a real carnival atmosphere about the place, as if some important event were happening - but then you realise that this is just a normal Sunday for them - these people live like this & jump several times every weekend - we just don't see it all the time! Our instructor told us he was the least experienced tandem master there & had only done 1300 jumps ever - the others had far more...so you get the idea?
We had 30 mins of filling in pages and pages of signing our lives away with disclaimers and waivers; 10 minutes of training and some more hanging around, cups of tea, listening to the black humour of the regular jumpers, all laughing & joking about chutes failing, horrible accidents, etc! And eventually our time came! The weirdest thing of all was that I wasn't nervous - I literally just didnt really think about it - even on the plane I wasn't nervous - on the way out of the plane wasn't nervous - cool as a breeze…..

Anyway - we were all togged out in jumpsuits & harnesses, biggles-style leather hat & goggles & gloves. My tandem master was a swedish guy called Mons (who was on his 4th jump of the day & was probably gonng do another 3 before he went home), we popped into the plane & got in position & the other 5 jumpers followed. Off up we went in the grey winter day, up into the grey winter clouds, up above the grey winter clouds to where the sky was blue & the sun was shining!! It was fanastic looking out of the plane at the cotton wool clouds - so heavenly! A solo jumper went first, then Tracy-Ann & her tandem guy Vinny - and last but not least was Yvo & Mons!!! We had to scootch over to the open door & I kinda hung out of it with my head tilted back onto Mons & my legs curled backwards and then we just went!!

For the split second when my backside lost contact with the plane & we were first falling - my heart skipped a beat and my body tensed in mild shock - but another split second later I looked around & gave a massive sigh of relief and amazement. It was unreal - I can only describe it that I felt like we were just hovering on a massive bank of air, felt like we were floating or flying - it didn't feel like we were plummeting to earth at 120m.p.h. at all! The clouds were below us and the wind buffetting our faces & clothes and it was so deadly - it was just how you imagine it to be, just like Keanu & Patrick in Point Break & all the freefalling films you've ever seen! It probably only lasted about 10 seconds or less - but seemed much longer, something I'll never forget. Just as we reached the cloud Mons opened the parachute, there was a bit of a jerk as the wind caught it & then we could hear & talk to each other as we sailed to earth (pretty quickly too I must say!) The view was spectacular - miles of Offaly countryside, the parachute club & spectators below, the other parachutes landing below us....unbelievable.

The landing was a bit ar$eways cos we had been told to lift or legs & knees but mine were a dead weight when I tried to life them they wouldnt work & I landed on my knees with Mons on top of me! Didn't hurt a bit though, and if it did then the adrenalin numbed it - not sure which!? So, back to earth & back to normality but it was an experience that has changed me....I will definitely be jumping again - the sooner the better cos I don't wanna forget that feeling!

Bards

Hey pinkyirl... I had my first tandem too on Sunday.. Twice I had to postpone due to the weather and when I rang on Sunday morning they told me to ring back at 2pm.. SO when I did they said.. "sure come on up and we'll get you in before dark" so I got straigt into my car and arrived at the jump zone at 4pm and got to jump at 7pm

The sun was just begining to set at that stage at it was a really nice evening.

I am now thinking of doing the AFF course for €1,200 next summer.

ando

oh $hite, my first jump is tommorow :eek: :eek: :eek:

javelin

don't worry, you'll be great

tell us how it was

ando

oh my dear f*cking god. It was so unbelievable.. holy $hit.... holy $hite holy god almighty what a rush

We arrived at the site at 8:30am but didn’t get to jump till 4:30. We were called up, got dressed, it was called off due to weather. Called up again, took off in plane and goto about 4000 feet and then we had to land as there was a storm approaching. Third time lucky for us as we finally got to jump.

My god the rush as we left the plane was indescribable, it’s just out of this world. Then when the parachute deployed my genitals were nearly ripped off but the feeling I got was I looked down to see my runners and nothing but 1000's of feet of air below was unforgettable. The landing was a bit rough but I can get used to that. Once we can get the funds together again I think I may have another go!

javelin

we told you so
cool that you liked it.

blue sky.