Anyone Skydive?

Pete, thats what my son wanted to do when he turned 16, so off we went. My girlfriend jumped too. It all seemed pretty calm until I saw my son disappear out the door of the plane. We jumped from 14k and it was quite a rush, though I did not get the serene "like a bird" feeling I had hoped for. It was more like OOOOOhh sh#t, what have I done!!
You'll love it.

 

I used to sk'dive -- a lot. (A little over 1,200 jumps).

And I taught as well. My time was just before the tandem jumping option began. But I've friends who take wuffos (wuffos: the unknowing public) on tandem dives. All great experiences. The great thing about tandem jumps is that you get to experience freefall without having to work your way into it beginning with static-line jumps, then hop-n-pops, then short freefalls, etc.

And it's not, as was alluded above, really a bird-like experience. There is a lot of wind-rush and noise. But once you're out in the fresh air and falling stable you'll get a s.e. grin that will take days to relax!

And it's extremely safe. Extremely. The guys you'll jump with will be experienced and competent. And 'chutes just wanna' open; they're of simple design and are very sweet to fly.

Be sure and give us a report!

WARNING: It can be very habit-forming. Very.

 

I used to.I have 15 jumps but had to quit due to finances. I will start back up after I am done with school. I was a dropzone kid from the time I was 13 becuase my stepdad was a jumper and I was out there every weekend for three years. I had my first jump at 15.

It is the biggest rush ever!! Make sure you get video as you only make one first jump. It is a safe sport. As far as tandems go just listen to your tandem-master then enjoy the ride. Generally you will get between 45-60 sec of freefall on a tandem jump, depending on how high you jump from. Then you spend about 5-8 min. under canopy. You don't have any sense of falling once you hit terminal velocity (about 1-3 sec after you leave the plane depending on the speed of the plane) after that you feel like you are flying. It is great. Enjoy.

 

Wuffo you jump out of a perfectly good airplane? Wuffo=what for=non-jumper.

 

Pete,

My daughter also wanted to go skydiving on her 16th Bday.(had to lie about her age, supposed to be 18+)

So we went to Monterey Bay Skydive in Marina, Ca. I wasn't real scared or anything, but was more scared for my kid.

Got on the plane and climbed to 14,000+ ft. We all (8 people) were affixed in front of our instructors, and were told that when we exited the plane to make sure you kept your arms folded in next to your body so you wouldn't knock out the instructor when you exited.

The first to go was my daughter (the lightest went first). Then everybody else, until it was my turn (the last one).

I sat down and let my legs dangle out of the plane inside of my instructors legs. He said whenever I'm ready to just roll out in a summer-salt manner.

I've never been afraid of heights in my life, but when I rolled out of that plane, the first 3 seconds just about stopped my heart. For the first time in my life I thought this was truly it, it's all over for me, and my daughter is probably already smashed into the ground.

After the initial 3 seconds, I then was OK. We free fell almost 10,000 ft. or about 45 seconds.

After about 40 or so seconds of free falling, I was getting a little concerned about my instructor, since I couldn't visually see him behind me. Was he OK? Was he conscious? Was he waiting for me to pull something? Did I have my arms crossed when we left the plane? Oh my God, did he get knocked out somehow?

Just about then, I felt the jolt of the canopy opening. WHEW. Then all was calm. As I looked over the entire Monterey Bay, I had this feeling of euphoria, like I had just done something great. Then I remembered my daughter. So I looked down just in time to see her make a perfect landing.

When we were done, we both were wearing this huge grin on our faces. That was something we are going to do again soon.

 

Jumped in Vegas out in the desert. Between a thunderstorm and a tornado. And I am afraid of heights (a lot). It's definetly the strongest legal rush available outside of Amsterdam.

 

That's another thing, I am very scared of heights, yet I wasn't really scared when leaving the plane after the first 3-4 jumps.(a little but I was more concentrated on what I was going to do on this jump, emergency prodedures, spotting, etc.).

Damn, I need to get back in to the sport. Hearts beating faster just thinking about it. Just can't afford to till schools done.

 

2 days before I jumped, I was afraid to walk out to the edge of the Eiffel tower, 900'something feet up. I had to be pushed out of the plane, and I was the last to go, just how it worked. I will say this, it was the most fun I have ever had, and I really have not had a fear of heights since then, something that had plagued me since childhood. I went in Switzerland, and it was so beautiful!

I tell people, its like going to an Imax theatre and having a 120mph fan blowing on your body. There is just so much to try and take in, its almost imposible! Have fun!!


From Being scared ****less cause that guy was strapped to my back to a huge ass smile mid way down, and then the look down........
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