Customer Reviews

JUMP! : Skydiving Made Fun & Easy

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a first rate for book for getting a general overview on skydiving. It is primarily geared toward first time and less experienced jumpers. Mr. Buchanan writes in a very easy readable style. He covers the major areas involved in skydiving ranging from the parachute equipment, the types of planes used, the type of training and instructors available and how to pick the right drop zone for your jump.

There are also chapters on risks and overcoming the fear of jumping. Buchanan does not sugar coat the dangers of skydiving. However, he does go into detail on ways to avoid the risks. He points out what someone should look for and the right questions to ask when contemplating your first jump.

Particularly helpful are the FAQ, at the end of the book which covers most major questions a first time jumper would have about the sport, and the glossary which helps with all the abbreviations and specific terms used in skydiving.

But most of all throughout the entire book Buchanan conveys the shear joy, fun, excitement and enthusiasm that he has for the sport.

Skydiving Instructor Tom Buchanan takes the student (and the reader) by the hand from the first jump on up. He tells you what to expect and shows you what to do so that you will progress up the skydiving ladder faster while having even more fun.

See the Table of Contents under Editorial Reviews, above. See the back cover description of the book under From the Inside Flap, above. They describe the book's coverage well.

Books like this contribute to the proliferation of skydiving knowledge and are responsible for the orderly development of the sport of parachuting.

As the co-author (with Mike Turoff) of Parachuting, The Skydiver's Handbook and six other books on parachutes and skydiving, I recognize a good skydiving book when I see one. Highly recommended.

--Dan Poynter, D-454, ParaPublishing.com.

A great read! Extremely well written! The information that the writer shares with his readers is invaluable for the first time skydiver, anyone who ever thought about jumping and everyone who is curious about the sport. The information is well organized and it is easy to find the answer to any question the reader might have. The writer has a great ability to captivate the reader and put the reader in the moment of the jump. Tom Buchanan clearly knows and loves his sport and shares his enthusiasm with the reader. I highly recommend this book.

Bought this book after my 3rd jump, so most of the info wasn't new to me, although book had some interesting topics that weren't discussed during my AFF class. This is an excellent book for somebody with 0-1 jumps; anybody with more than that would benefit from a book that focused more on safety training and "tips" or advice. But good starter book none-the-less.

Once my wife decided she was going to make a tandem Skydive, there was no stopping her. She was hesitant about having her cheering section, 3 grand children and daughter in law watching her, but the manager at Pacific Skydiving at Dillingham Field, North Shore, Hawaii, held her load until all were there. When she landed, it was, "I'm going to do that again!!!" And she has, not from beautiful Dillingham Field, but from another family friendly Drop Zone, SkydiveGeorgia.com -- Five times tandem. FYI: Hawaii 50 ran a segment from Dillingham last week and Lost sites can be found within a few miles) Although she has done a zip line, the Jamaican Bob sled, a hot air balloon and 3 or 4 glider rides, she is not yet ready for solo skydiving -- this book is good beginning for her. Not too short, not too long. For me as an ATP rated former AF and Airline pilot, 'Parachuting -- the Skydiver's Handbook' is almost just right, except when it it too long. I've read 'Jump' cover to cover and am passing it off to my wife while I finish 'Parachuting' and a couple other related books...
PS. According to all the instructors I've talked to, once you've jumped once, tandem or otherwise, You are a Skydiver.
So. Go do it.

Tom truly enjoys instructing skydiving. It shows loud & clear in his book. He gives a broad overview of the sport. Designed for someone contemplating their first jump. He provides more than enough information. His personable approach doesn't talk over your head. His ratings show he could dazzle us w/technical acumen. That's not teaching though, & he knows it. For all practical purposes, he has a PhD in skydiving. Yet, he loves teaching us lowly Newbies. That's a rare individual, & an asset to the sport. One fact I would like to personally thank him for including: The four clips on a tandem harness, can each support the jumper's weight in an emergency. I trust heavily sewn nylon webbing far more than I trust metal hardware. Metal can fatigue, & break (usually @the worst time). I didn't trust that harness when I jumped. If I got nothing more from this book than the previous pearl. I got my money's worth. I got much more than that. When I'm finishing my license next Summer. I'll be much more comfortable because of this book. Thank's Tom.

Everything from medical issues to types of jump aircraft used. You can't get any better than this! The book looks at a lot of issues involved in skydiving and parachuting. I don't know if I'll ever make that first jump myself but this book will definitely be a factor in making that decision.

It's a good book, but needs to be more explicit about the risks
assumed by first time students, especially the 'safer' tandem
dive.

I was determined to make my first tandem jump next summer,
but then I checked the USPA's online accident report and
learned that during the summer of 2007 two first time tandem
students died when they slipped out of their harness during
the jolt of chute deployment and fell. The opening shock jolt
made their bodies do a pike position and they just slid right
out.

Now I wouldn't go within a mile of a drop zone; especially because
this major design flaw in the tandem harness rig should be
corrected; why isn't this a a top priority for their
design engineers? A couple of strategically placed reinforced loops
in the jumpsuit itself, or an inverted Y strap connecting the chest
and leg straps. A wedgie is a small price to pay for the extra safety.
I've seen many pictures in Photobucket or Image shack of Tandem
students dangling so precariously their heads are practically at
their instructors waist. It's crazy.

I was prepared to overlook the infamous liability waivers and insurance
exclusions, but this is too much. I felt sick when I read it.

Please look at the UPSA's online site of accident reports before
doing this, and warn anyone you think might be contemplating it
to get all of the facts first.