So you want to take the leap and try skydiving for the first time. While many people picture skydiving as having to freefall out of a plane without any real safety measures, in reality, skydiving is much more controlled than how it is depicted in movies.
A few facts you should know about tandem skydiving is that the typical jump out of an airplane will be at about 13,000 feet, which will give you about 60 seconds of freefall followed by a four-minute float to the ground. The person you are parachuting with is certified and has undergone many hours of training and has gotten hundreds of people before you to the ground safely.
There are many fears a first-time jumper has of tandem-skydiving. It’s understandable. You step out of a plane strapped to someone you just met and are waiting for a parachute to deploy so that you can touch the ground safely again. But the one really important thing to do before you even get to our facility is mentally preparing yourself as much as you can. Many people think that they’re going to freak out during the initial freefall and will be fine once the parachute deploys, only to find out that the scariest part of the whole experience is sitting in the plane, anticipating the fall. Some people think that they’ll be fine and find themselves wanting to back out when they are strapped in. Both are completely reasonable reactions and our guides will be there to talk you through it. Know that many of the things you are most scared about are not going to happen and that it is a much more controlled environment than you may believe. While we want to help you accomplish facing your fears, know that up until you and your guide step out of the plane, you can back out at any time. We never want to make someone skydive when it is beyond their limits, and want our guest to be comfortable and have as much enjoyment out of the experience as possible.
There are a lot of people who are worried about what to wear and what to eat. The best thing about skydiving is that you really don’t have to change much about what you would normally do on a Saturday morning. Eat as you normally would, nothing too light or too much, just to feel full and satisfied. As for clothing, go with something that you would wear to the gym that is snug fitting. You’ll want to wear long sleeved t-shirts even if it is not hot outside, and tightly laced tennis shoes.
Make sure you celebrate your bravery with photos and videos! There will be pictures taken throughout the adventure of the freefall and when you’re gliding down with the parachute deployed. Make sure to smile and enjoy the feeling of facing your fear.