Index
What
do you consider bad weather?
There are a few weather-related
factors that will prevent you from jumping on the day of your reservation.
Weather factors that prohibit SMB from performing student skydiving
activities include:
Clouds. We may be
able to jump under a cloud ceiling. This is dependent on the discretion
of our pilots and other staff. AFF students must exit the aircraft at
9000 feet or higher. Tandem students must exit no lower than 6000 feet.
Experienced jumpers can exit the aircraft no lower than 2000 feet.
Wind. AFF students
will not be jumping with winds 15 mph or more. Tandem students typically
will not be jumping with winds in excess of 30 mph, however, this is
dependent on the discretion of our Jump Masters.
Rain. You actually
can jump in rain. Normally any precipitation more than a light rain
ends up with clouds below acceptable minimums (see above).
Please remember that our
main objective is to see that you have the most enjoyable experience
as possible. We will not jump if conditions could make your jump less
than enjoyable!
If the weather is bad,
should we just cancel?
No. If you have a scheduled
appointment to skydive with us, please show up. We understand that many
of our students travel great distances to get here, however, it may
be raining where you are and sunny here! If you do not show up for your
reservation and weather is good, your $50 deposit(s) will be forfeited
to our company.
What happens if we get
there and pay but then don’t get to jump?
At this point, you will be
given a non-refundable raincheck good for another date. Please remember
all deposits are non-refundable and all sales are final. Rainchecks
and deposits are transferable on or before day of jump, but not refundable.
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Do
I need to make a reservation for a tandem skydive?
Not necessarily. However,
a reservation held with a credit card and a $50 non-refundable deposit
per person will save you $10 per person.
Do I need to make reservations
for AFF?
Reservations for AFF Ground
School is required. At the time of your reservation we will take a $100
non-refundable deposit per person to secure the reservation. Reservations
are recomended for your levels 1 through 7 jumps so we can have staff
here.
If we make reservations
for 10 a.m., when will we be done?
There are several factors
which will determine the length of time you will spend with us, like:
weather, size of your group, number of other reservations that day,
aircraft being used that day, amount of staff, and video and stills
purchase. We ask that smaller groups plan on spending at least a few
hours here and up to a half a day for larger groups.
I was issued a raincheck
last time, do I still need to make a reservation?
Reservations are always helpful
to us in terms of planning for staff. As a raincheck holder, you will
be given priority.
What is the $50 non-refundable
deposit for?
This deposit represents your
commitment to buy a jump on a certain day. In exchange our company commits
itself to have the correct staff available and ready to jump with you.
If we cancel our appointment
and give less than a 72-hour notice, can we get a refund?
No. All deposits are non-refundable.
We hope that you will reschedule your appointment and purchase raincheaks.
Remember that your deposits are transferable if your group members change.
If raincheaks are not purchased on the day of reservation, a $50 gift
certificate will be issued for all deposits paid.
What is a raincheck and
what do I do with it?
There are certain situations
that may prevent you from jumping on your scheduled day. If any of such
a situation should arise, such as poor weather conditions, a shortage
of jump masters, an ill pilot, etc., and you have already paid, you
will receive a raincheck. Your raincheck may be used for a jump on another
day or transferred to another person. Your raincheck will be our only
record that you have paid for your jump. Please do not lose your raincheck!
Once you have a raincheck, it is not necessary that you make another
reservation, however it is always helpful.
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What
if we pay all our deposits to get the group rate and a friend decides
last minute that she wants to come, will she get the group rate too?
In order to get the group
rate, all members of your party must have paid their deposit 72 hours
prior to their reservation.
If we have paid a group
deposit for 10 people and someone backs out do we still get the group
discount?
Yes. However, you should
try to replace the 10th person or have someone purchase the last jump,
otherwise the $50 will be lost.
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What
should I wear to skydive?
Wear comfortable clothing.
You may also choose to wear one of our jumpsuits at no additional cost.
Please do not wear boots that have any metal hooks or buckles that could
possibly interfere with the parachute lines; running shoes or sneakers
are recommended. Collared shirts are not advisable. Also, please do
not wear valuable jewelry.
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I
weigh over 200 pounds, why do I have to pay more?
Skydive Monterey Bay, Inc.
does charge $1 per pound for every pound over 200 that you weigh. This
money does not stay with SMB, however is given directly to your Jump
Master. This charge is compensation for your jump masters extra efforts.
Is there a weight limit?
At weights exceeding 240
pounds, it is our staff’s discretion whether or not you should
jump. If we decide that you can jump, you will be skydiving at a slightly
lower altitude which will lessen your time in free fall (sub-terminal
velocity).
I have a medical condition,
can I still jump?
Please consult your doctor
if you have any physical limitations that you think may interfere with
or be worsened by skydiving activity.
Is there a minimum age
requirement?
In the state of California,
as well as most other states, all participants MUST be at least18 even
with parent or guardian’s consent. There is no upper age limit.
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Do
you feel like you are falling?
The "falling feeling"
comes from your body accelerating through the air. When you are in the
airplane, you are already moving pretty quickly. Because of this, it
will take your body only three to six seconds to reach terminal velocity,
the fastest speed your body will fall during free fall. Because at terminal
velocity you are moving at a constant rate of speed, there is no more
"falling feeling".
Is this dangerous?
Statically, a person is much
more likely to die in a car accident half a mile from their home than
ever being seriously injured or killed during skydiving. Most skydiving
accidents occur to experienced skydivers who just push the limits a
little too far. However, skydiving is a high-risk sport and you will
be asked to sign a waiver and assumption of risk agreements before participating.
What should I eat/drink
the day of my jump?
Eat normally and drink normally
the day of your jump. Skipped meals may lead to low blood sugar, which
in some cases can lead to fainting during the parachute ride and landing
of the jump. Fainting during your jump will probably ruin some of your
experience and looks funny on your video. Alcoholic beverages are the
exception to this rule, we will not take you on your jump if you have
consumed any alcohol the day of. After your jump, there is a bar on
the airport. Feel free to consume as much alcohol as you want in celebration
afterwards.
What happens if I pass
out and can’t open my parachute?
All the equipment here at
SMB is state of the art and is equipped with an Automatic Activation
Device (AAD). If you do not open your parachute by a certain altitude
this device will open your parachute for you.
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Terms you
may hear while at the Drop Zone:
Accelerated Free Fall (AFF): A skydive training program involving ground
school and seven levels of skydiving.
"Back to back"
or "Turn around": (n) Two or more consecutive airplane flights
without shutting down or refueling.
Cameraflyer/videographer.videot:
(n) A skydiver who is taking photographs and/or filming a video.
Creeper: (n) A padded board
with wheels that when laid on is used to practice skydive formations.
Cut-away: (v) To detach your
main parachute before deploying your reserve parachute as not to entangle
the two. (n) The main parachute that is no longer attached.
Dirt dive: (n) A walk-through
of your planned skydive performed on the ground.
Drop Zone: (n) 1) Designated
landing area for skydivers. 2) A skydive center.
Flatflying: (v) The traditional
method of skydiving in formations (similar to those in square dancing).
Freefalling: (v) Intentionally
falling towards earth at an approximate speed of 120 m.p.h. without
a main or reserve chute deployed. Occurs during the time between exiting
an aircraft and deploying your parachute.
Freeflying: (v) A new and
innovative 3-dimensional method of free falling during a skydive.
Green light: (n) Air operations
have ended for the day. Other activities such as alcohol consumption,
which is strictly forbidden during air operations, may occur at this
time.
Grippers: (n) Handles located
on a tighter fitting jumpsuit (see below) that allows others to hold
on.
Instructor: (n) A USPA (see
below) rated individual who is authorized to teach various skydiving
training programs such as the Accelerated Free Fall course.
Jump Master: (n) A USPA rated
individual who may perform tandem skydives with students, assist in
static line instruction or teach Accelerated Free Fall with Instructor
supervision.
Jumpsuit: (n) Typically,
a one-piece outfit that zips up the front, used in skydiving.
Manifest: (n) A list of all
passengers on an aircraft. (v) To request the manifestor to put you
on the passenger list.
Mock-up: (n) Replica of an
aircraft door used to practice exits.
Opening altitude: (n) Altitude
at which a skydiver opens their parachute. Varies depending upon experience.
Typically +/-5000 feet for tandem skydives and +/-2000-4000 feet for
experienced jumps.
Packer: (n) Person responsible
for re-packing a parachute back into the rig.
Parachutist: (n) Person who
only exits an airplane by static line (does not free fall).
Reserve chute: (n) Extra
chute that is packed in case of main parachute failure.
Rig: (n) Container holding
both your main and reserve parachutes.
Rigger: (n) Person responsible
for re-packing the reserve parachute in a rig. This must be done to
each rig every 120 days.
Separation: (n) The time
in between each group’s exit out of the airplane. Usually 3 to
5 seconds; ensures that jumpers won’t collide.
Shutdown: (v) To turn off
the airplane’s engine, usually to refuel.
Shuttle: (n) Our airport
vehicle that transports you to or from the drop zone.
Skydiver: (n) A person who exits an airplane and delays before opening
their parachute (free falls).
Spot: (n) The point at which
a skydiver should exit the airplane in order to meet their designated
target.
Static line: A method of
exiting an aircraft in which the parachute is deployed upon exit; there
is no free fall involved in this method.
Tandem skydive: (n) A skydive
in which the participant and the Jump Master are sharing a parachute
specially designed for two people.
Terminal Velocity: (n) The
maximum speed at which a human body will fall through air. Dependant
upon body positioning, typically around 120 mph.
USPA: The United States Parachute
Association. This organization rates our Jump Masters and Instructors.
All experienced skydivers must be a USPA member to jump at Skydive Monterey
Bay, Inc..
Up-wind: (n) The direction
on the side of the target where the wind is coming from (spotting term).
Video waiver: (n) A videotaped
acknowledgement that participants understand all information provided
to them in the waiver (see below). Although this is not part of SMB’s
standard procedure, it is increasingly more common at skydive centers.
Waiver: (n) A document produced
by Skydive Monterey Bay, Inc. that informs all participants of the rules
and regulations of SMB as well as the risks involved with the sport.
All participants must sign this document in order to jump here.
Weather hold: (n) A sometimes
temporary shut down of skydiving activity due to poor weather (high
winds, low clouds, rain). Activity will resume if weather improves.
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