Skydiving at age 38: sounds fun or the stupidest idea yet?

Skydiving at 38: go for it or a stupid idea?

  • "If you want the ultimate, you gotta be willing to pay the ultimate price"

    Votes: 13 76.5%

  • "Will somebody PLEASE think about the children?!?!"

    Votes: 4 23.5%
  • Total voters
    17
eSGEe said:
Its not something that can be conveyed really... its a thing you either get or you dont--- and there is nothing wrong with that.

BUT -- based on my public speaking/meetings and sales closes the best way I might can describe the feeling Ray--- is when you are in court -- arguing a case....... that MOMENT where all your sense are firing at 120% when you HAVE the the case locked, when you deliver that kill comment and knock it out of the park ........ that FEELING ..........is about the same.

Winning a big job in front of a team of customers has a similar adrenaline rush as does riding but --- I can go out turn the key and get THAT rush anytime.... the sales win the court win they take weeks months years of work time and aggravation/risk/$ planning scheming plotting ...... for that "AAAHH!!!" moment.
Riding is like MAINLINING that same feeling ---

Diving for me anyway is the opposite --- hanging out on a coral reef watching nature at its best........ that is PURE relaxation not adrenaline rush ---

I have cousins who spear fish......
deep dive
cave dive
ice dive
etc etc
they are doing adrenaline ----- and -- they are taking risks -- I prefer not to though they invite me all the time to go.

I go diving and calmly hang out--relax --- sometimes find a spot to just SIT on the bottom quiet and still and watch all the life come out around me

Im told diving is "dangerous" ..... but so is going in the 7-11 (check on line videos people get shot mugged robbed beat down) at 7-11 .......but millions go there every day ......
everything is a calculated risk --- your brain makes those calculations -- balances your FEELINGS and you DO whatever that THING is or you dont ..... everyone is different.

I know of people who CANT LEAVE THE HOUSE period--
I know one that will SKY DIVE ....but wont ride a motorcycle
One WILL NOT drive a car (they lost there parent to a drunk driver) but that same person will take a bus ...train...or even FLY ..... uhm.... ?
some people love riding horses (dangerous -- ask Christopher Reeves)-- but wont ride a motorcycle .....

we all take risks .......all the time......... I know MANY people who smoke ---PROVEN DEADLY--- wont ride a motorcycle-- wont skydive--- wont scuba dive.... go figure......
every time you buy that pack of smokes you rationalize a decision ...... and you choose it.

we all fool ourselves every day and we all go out there into the big mean cruel world and do crap that can get us dead everyday ...........

Happiness -- is just that -- and its becoming more rare and fleeting in this world so if you find it in some sport or activity -- -then do it--
its the things that are OUTSIDE our comfort zone that are the way points of life that make up the story you tell in the end ....

WHo wants to hear "I lived 92 years, didnt do a damn thing ....watched tv. went to work ..... paid my bills ......"

I want to tell how I dove this reef -- I rode this Mountain been in this many states/countries-- I watched Eagles catch fish from a stream in Alaska --- and dove 150ft down to ship wreck off the Bahamas that sat right at the ledge to the DEEP BLUE (man that was truly AMAZING ) and I got this scar form this wreck .... and this scar from that event....and these scars from having cancer removed and kicking its a$$ ....and these wrinkles from SMILING...... and tell the story of how I ..........LIVED A LIFE
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I am in the Adrian camp on this one, but I also am sane enough to make MOSTLY wise choices of risk v reward. Sadly, one of the things I liked to do has brought me more fear of doing so in the last decade or so. With the rampant use of cell phones, additional opportunities for peril are more prevalent for not only car and truck drivers but also me as a motorcyclist. More people than not, are texting and driving. This puts us at greater risk of injury or death. In addition, even if we factor OUT the texters, today's drivers are far more aggressive and dangerous in other ways.

I know we all live in varying types of locales, but I get to travel in the country with windy curves and 2 lane roads through beautiful scenery and also multi lane highways with all sorts of lunatics on them. Due to these irresponsible and reckless drivers, I am encountering increasing numbers of near misses from cars and trucks not following the rules of the road. These compromising vehicular maneuvers happen too many times to be comfortable with while driving my full sized Ford Truck or fiancee's SUV Hyundai. To paint the picture of the dangerous drivers, all I need to say is they pass illegally on double yellow line from behind or coming at you. They tailgate, or suddenly come within close proximity while often going between 15-40 MPH over the limit and darting through tight spaces around the surrounding cars, swerving in any lane around everyone. They hammer down on the gas to pass as far ahead as possible the moment any free space opens up from 0-100 car lengths ahead of them no matter which lane of the road it is. God forbid, someone might need to exit an off ramp while highway driving, or turn into a parking lot or into a turn lane in the center of a multi lane road, etc. They will zip from behind you and try to pass without any consideration to the chance you may also be switching lanes once the scenario ahead of you is safe to do so. Sadly, too many times I look to make a lane change or start to, or need to do so, which then turns into me seeing I am about to get rear ended or side swiped because someone who WAS directly behind me is suddenly in my left or right mirror or blind spot attempting to pass beside me. Whenever I encounter these near misses, I say to myself, do these people never consider that any and all cars in front of them quite possibly could be turning or merging or exiting the roadway sometime in the foreseeable future once it is safe to do so in front of THEM? Correct me if I am wrong, but do NOT the cars in front of us have the right of way in not only the lane directly in front of, but also the lane to the left and right of them as well?


Now, for Skydiving, I am sure you will work out the pro vs con of doing so. I am also sure if you do it, or decide not to, your life will have plenty of value like RVA said, before you breathe your last. Go for it, if you decide to, or be at peace if you decide against doing so.

Good luck.
 
Yargnad said:
I'm in the Ray camp on this one.

Ray vs Adrian - Yin vs Yang - Sharks vs Jets...

But which is the leader of the Sharks and which is the leader of the Jets?

Either way I imagine a TTR rumble goes a lot like this:

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Probably not as graceful moves, synchronicity or in-pitch vocalizations. Some of us would be outta breath 20 seconds into the dance fight and im glancing at the mirror as i write this lol
 
Yargnad said:
I'm in the Ray camp on this one.
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Not chiding you. I wasn't meaning Adrian Vs Ray camp, But the Adrian camp of

eSGEe said:
we all fool ourselves every day and we all go out there into the big mean cruel world and do crap that can get us dead everyday ...........

Happiness -- is just that -- and its becoming more rare and fleeting in this world so if you find it in some sport or activity -- -then do it--
its the things that are OUTSIDE our comfort zone that are the way points of life that make up the story you tell in the end ....

WHo wants to hear "I lived 92 years, didnt do a damn thing ....watched tv. went to work ..... paid my bills ......"

I want to tell how I dove this reef -- I rode this Mountain been in this many states/countries-- I watched Eagles catch fish from a stream in Alaska --- and dove 150ft down to ship wreck off the Bahamas that sat right at the ledge to the DEEP BLUE (man that was truly AMAZING ) and I got this scar form this wreck .... and this scar from that event....and these scars from having cancer removed and kicking its a$$ ....and these wrinkles from SMILING...... and tell the story of how I ..........LIVED A LIFE
Click to expand...
 
Clockworkmike said:
I think @Yargnad knocked it out of the park when he said this has become a philosophical thread more than anything and i say that not in a snide or laughing manner, but rather a respectful and grateful manner! It's really honestly refreshing to hear a peaceful and well debated topic from both perspectives, with some pretty deep thoughts. That comes from every one of you here taking the time to give a good perspective and I sincerely appreciate that! ( @eSGEe and @RVA give both a great yin and yang !)

Now for the bad part lol
As it stands at this very moment ( this morning to be in fact), we wont be going July 17th anyways now, which is when my brother and his wife asked us to go. Apparently they didn't check with that skydiving crew's flight procedures: they only do 2 divers at a time in addition to the 2 instructors and 1 pilot because the planes this group are using are just Cessnas and that seems a lil sketchy to me if Im honest lol
View attachment 67232

Maybe this was for the best i suppose? At the very least, it prevents the possibility that all four of us could suffer any potentially catastrophic event simultaneously. I guess it also gives a little more time to ponder over it, at least me and my wife anyways because my brother and his wife are pretty much locked in ( barring any last minute changes). I will say that considering this particular skydiving company's current situation and plane? If we DO decide to try it, it will be with someone else and with a more transparent flight record ( i literally cant find anything like that with these guys or their certifications from their site). There is a company about 3.5hrs east of here that I know from friends going there and they have a stellar record and much better equipment.
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F that.... I'm scared looking down on pic let alone being there no thanks.....
 
Ramo said:
I'm fine on the ground, me and gravity are cool with each other.
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Lol heights never got me, neither did wide open areas, confined spaces, the ocean or the dark. Insects on the other hand....tell me i would be jumping near a nest of anything with more than 4 legs or 2 wings? And id hijack the plane and take it to the ground myself lol
 
Clockworkmike said:
Lol heights never got me, neither did wide open areas, confined spaces, the ocean or the dark. Insects on the other hand....tell me i would be jumping near a nest of anything with more than 4 legs or 2 wings? And id hijack the plane and take it to the ground myself lol
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You are a tough guy I'm not. I don't like heights, hate confined space I have a panic attack, and I'm claustrophobic. I'm happy in my garden, no cave diving, or mountain climbing. I like simple life man :)
 
Ramo said:
You are a tough guy I'm not. I don't like heights, hate confined space I have a panic attack, and I'm claustrophobic. I'm happy in my garden, no cave diving, or mountain climbing. I like simple life man :)
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Well me too really. By and large, i live a pretty quiet and docile life. Only thing semi dangerous that I DO for fun is bodyboarding in the ocean. I never had enough time down there to learn to surf though id wish to! But i did pick up how to bodyboard besides lying like a slug on a board and floating lol. I can do a few tricks and ride slightly larger waves ( biggest was roughly 10ft which is smaller than it sounds until youre on it).

I nearly broke my spine bout 3 years ago though when i rode one into both a riptide and a massive undertow from on incoming storm. Board went under me, lifted me straight up and slammed my head into the ocean floor, busted my chin wide open. Went to stand up but couldnt and got smashed by another wave. Crawled out of it and lied there with a big mixed up rum and coke and never went back in lol
 
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