Fantastic - so you want to learn to skydive...When
do you want to go??
Our Accelerated Free Fall programme
is run all year round, from a British Parachuting Association
(BPA) - associated dropzone in Spain. CPCB is located north of
Barcelona, in a coastal town called Empuriabrava on the Costa
Brava.
We
also offer Introduction to Free Fall
courses as well as Tandem Skydives
for those wanting to experience skydiving for the first time,
or decide if they want to become a skydiver...
So why do we run our A.F.F. courses in Spain?
1.
The weather. It's much more predictable
& reliable than here in the UK. If you want to learn in as
short a time frame as possible - this is the place to do it. We
recommend you go over for a week (some previous students have
graduated in just 3 days! and spent the remainder of the trip
fun jumping). I know a number of people who decided to learn here
in the UK, but because of the weather, it took them a lot longer
to complete the programme. Don't waste your time sitting around
the wet dropzone, staring up at the clouds, praying for blue skies!!!
2. The price of the course itself.
We are offering the AFF course in
Spain for £1,100. Here in the UK - £1,300 is about
average & the reason why? - CPCB is probably the busiest dropzone
in Europe & because so many people go there to jump, (there's
a huge Brit contingency, along with the Scandinavians, Germans,
Italians, French & Dutch who all love the place) economies
of scale allow them to offer attractive pricing.
3. The location. In
the foothills of the Pyrenees & right by coast you can chill
on the beach (3 minutes away) if you need a break from all the
adrenaline. The bars, restaurants & nightlife are extreme
sport-oriented & surfers, climbers, kite surfers are a key
customer base for the region. Accommodation - 3 star hotel (bed
& breakfast) from £20 per night. There's also the bunkhouse
- €12 a night!
4. CPCB itself. A brilliant dropzone…
- A
Fun Attitude, but very safety conscious. This is a very well
run dropzone and the fact that the 2002 Skydiving World Cup
is being held there, this year just goes to show how well
Pete, the Dropzone Owner (who happens to be a Brit) and his
team run the place. You can find out more about the World
Cup at http://www.worldcupempuriabrava.com/
- Friendly
& Professional – There’s always someone willing
to help (from applying suntan lotion in those difficult to
reach places to advice on skydiving or anything else, such
as what to do tonight, where to go, what to eat & where
to drink!).
- Aircraft
– The Pilatus Porter & Super Otter get us up to altitude
very quickly and run all year. What’s more, they turn
around the loads as fast as there are jumpers. There is little
time wasted, just sitting around, waiting for the load…
- The
SkyRats Bar & Internet Cafe - Open from breakfast through
to…well, late! The food, drink & hospitality are
superb.
- Office
& Shop – Get your skydiving toys (AADs thru ZP Pilot
Chutes), tee-shirts & all sorts of funky clobber.
5. Getting there. Barcelona
airport is less than 2 hours drive, so getting there is amazingly
cheap. It can cost as little as £45 return with EasyJet,
Ryanair, Go, or any of the budget airlines. Perpignan is close
too & Ryanair will get you there for a good price. There’s
a train service from/to Barcelona or we can provide you with an
excellent rate for car hire giving you plenty of freedom. Extreme
Sports Cafe is now proud to be able to offer our UK customers
discount flight services, hotels and car hire at great rates through
Expedia.co.uk.
For
those with a US address please use this service...
6. It's our home away from home.
We go there all the time, in fact Steve
(one of the company's directors) did his AFF course there himself.
So you'll be welcome to come with us or we'll just organise everything
for you and ensure a personalised & tailored trip. The directors
of ESC actually have their own Skydiving Team: Team Flying Dodo
and are often their training.
7. Kevin McCarthy. Our
Principal AFF Instructor is one of the most experienced BPA Rated
Instructors and it will be Kev & his team who will train you.
Kevin has been jumping since 1982 & in 1985 became a full
time instructor and worked at various parachute centres in the
UK. He became involved in the A.F.F program at an early stage
of its development in this country and has since gone on to train
students from all over the world. In 1989 Kevin was part of the
team that won the 8 way event at the British National Skydiving
Championships. Kevin remained part of this team for a number of
years and was a British Champion on 5 different occasions. In
1995 Kevin represented Great Britain Competing at the World Cup
& holds British and World Records for formation skydiving.
Richard Branson called on Kevin's services to train him to skydive
in preparation for his round the world balloon trip.
8. It's a week of having fun. Complete
the AFF course & the 10 consolidation jumps - you'll come
back after a week with a tan, massive smile, hangover from the
celebratory drinking sessions & more importantly, a BPA Category
8 rating & an FAI 'A' Licence. With these, you'll be welcome
at any DZ back home (for your fun jumps when the skies are blue)
and any other DZ worldwide. BTW, you'll also be expected to come
& jump with the ESC crew & Team Flying Dodo!!! We'll look
after you & help you progress within the sport at the pace
& in the disciplines you want (FreeFlying, Formation Skydiving
etc...) and we can arrange to get you gear & kit at reasonable
prices.
9. It’s not just about Skydiving.
If you want to go with friends or family
and you need to find something to do which doesn’t involve
falling out of a plane to keep them amused, Barcelona is an enchanting
city, Catalonia is a beautiful region and there is so much to
do & see. The Dali Museum is in nearby Figueres, Picasso’s
work can be found in Barcelona & Gaudi’s architecture
has made Barcelona a stunning place to visit. The beach is less
than a mile from the DZ & the being at the foothills of the
Pyrenees – the main ski resorts are less than an hour’s
drive…. Check out the region at www.castellodempuries.net
or www.catalunya.com.
| Extreme
Sports Cafe locations in Spain. |
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Check
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Info page for Accommodation and Travel info. |
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