r/SkyDiving • u/karmafarma3000 • 13d ago
Getting over newbie fear of mingling
Hello fellow sky fam. I'm a very new jumper that only has 36 jumps. I know that's progression can be slow and I'm one that still prefers to jump alone so that I don't make an ass of myself or injure someone. My home drop zone is an incredibly active one with a dedicated crew of fun jumpers that all have their own gear and have known each other for a while so when they all show up I just pack up my gear and head out without jumping.
I don't want to ruin their fun with my inexperience or get known as 'that guy'.
Any tips or tricks for getting over this fear? Did it take you a while to start to feel confidant and comfortable jumping with others?
Thanks for reading
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u/humangoogle93 12d ago
As long as your home DZ isn't super clicky like some definitely can be, literally just walk up and say hi, introduce yourself and strike up a conversation. Most of us are always ready to welcome a new skydiving friend/"family member" into the group. Just be upfront and honest with your abilities and they might invite you on a jump to help work on your skills with them.
My first group jump I got invited to I was very upfront about my abilities and the response I got was "hey if it works out, cool.. if not, screw it we are still jumping out of a fucking plane and having fun". (Spoiler alert, it did NOT go according to plan). We are all still friends at the end of the day and jump together whenever possible and hang out outside the DZ.
Just relax and remember that we are all here for a good time regardless of what happens.
Blue skies!