![[Two skydivers freefly in red suits.] Blue Skies Magazine i113: May 2019 | On the cover: French freefly Team AirWax members Greg Crozier and Karine Joly photographed above Skydive Sebastian in Florida. Photo by Norman Kent normankent.com](/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/i113_May2019-244x300.jpg)
This one’s more for the cold-weather jumpers (except you crazy Wisconsites) who take a couple months or more off jumping. If you have an off season, do you prepare for it? Do you store your gear in any special way? Schedule more tunnel time? Travel somewhere warm to make a few jumps? Do you have a plan to keep your skills sharp until it’s time to jump again?
How do you prepare for the off season?
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Selected responses will be printed in the November 2016 issue (i83) of Blue Skies Mag. We edit lightly for clarity and/or style. You can also email responses to me, lara@blueskiesmag.com. Respond with the exact name you’d like us to use in print please.
So far over 3 winters I have 1. done 2 canopy courses, two hours of tunnel camp, got a Senior rigger’s ticket. I use these winter trips as a time to focus on skills at a dz where I have few distractions. My thought is that traveling to another dz is too good an opportunity to waste on parties and such. However, that does not prclude stopping by to say Hi to the editors of my favorite skydiving magazine.
Ron
Saying hi to your favorite magazine editors is the guaranteed best way to stay sharp in the off season. We’ll save some coffee for you this winter :)
I’m struggling with the same question: What to do for the winter months? This is even more of an issue for us new skydivers who just got our A licenses — currency requires jumping every 60 days, and here in Oregon, it can rain for 60 days straight in the winter. So….
I have plans to check out SkyDance Skydiving in Davis in November. I’ll have to take another trip in January too, perhaps San Diego or Phoenix area. Other than that, a little tunnel time here an there.
I realize I could just take the winter off and do some recurrency training in the spring, but that doesn’t sound like much fun? I’d much rather enjoy my new sport and try to keep my skills as sharp as possible.
A great follow-up question would be: “What tips do you have for making skydiving vacations easy and affordable?”
–Chris