Diving Through The Sky

OtistheGuard

For my 21st birthday I want to go skydiving, and I'm looking for some tips. I'm not sure if we have any pro divers, but the community is large enough that we might have some who have done it.

I need suggestions on choosing the airfield, what to expect, and any personal stories you might wish to share.

Thanks guys.

Doc

I went skydiving in Australia. It's incredible.

You'll feel a bit nervous in the plane. When you see the first person go out the door, that's when the real jitters hit you. One second they are there, the next second BAM they are gone, nowhere to be seen. You've seen it on video tape? It happens about 10x faster in real life.

Will you be tandem jumping? Even weirder than falling is kneeling at the door. Since you are strapped to the guy's chest and your combined center of gravity is right on the edge of the door, you are hanging entirely outside the plane right before you jump. It's really freaky, but awesome.

Once you are falling, your senses are way to overwhelmed for you to be afraid at all. You'll just be thinking "this is the most awesome thing I've ever done, or will ever do" the whole way down.

People say that once you hit terminal velocity, you feel like you are floating. True, and then some. I only felt like I was falling for about 1 second out the door. Since the airplane is your only point of reference, once that is gone (and it is gone FAST) you have no way of being able to tell that you are falling aside from the ridiculous wind.

Arminas

oh my god, i want to go skydiving now

EDIT: ...in the Grand Canyon or something equally scenic.

Tube

Make sure you have a parachute before you jump. I cannot stress this enough.

panksea06

Arminas wrote:

oh my god, i want to go skydiving now

:^:

Fawkes

Went jumping over a summer when I was younger, and I can confirm that CT is correct.

As for what to expect, I started with static line jumps (you jump solo, but a line connecting you to the plane pulls the chute automatically). Training was over a 12-hour day, and comprised 3 things.

1. Basic acquaint and theory (gravity = down and such)
2. Interminable practice of jumping from plane, assuming position, shouting out seconds to mark awareness.
3. Interminable practice of landing with a round chute (reserve chutes tend to be round chutes). This is harder than it seems.

There was also about 5 seconds of steering (left = left, right = right), and general instructions.

Then herded into a Cessna with no effing door. I was first up, so sat by huge gaping hole for quite a while. When time came to jump, assumed the position - try sitting on the edge of your chair with only 1% of your butt touching it, then imagine gale force winds trying to pull you off. Think this is the trick to getting people to jump, staying on the edge of that plane is 100 times worse. Then instructor shouts at you a few times until you let go.

==5 second amnesia==

Chute pulled, la la pretty view sun sky hullo birds hullo clouds life is gud new pants pleaz.

Oh yeah, and Doc is right, the whole thing is life-flashes-before-eyes fast, particularly looking up at the plane, it shrinks faster than an erection from Barbara Streisand.

Was great fun, did it many more times including a proper skydive, but it's also bloody expensive so hard to keep up regularly. Also, London != good skydiving.

Doc

Yeah, kneel on a ledge with half your shins off the edge.
Now imagine nothing for 14,000 feet underneath you. What you are imagining is probably about 1/10th as weird as it actually is.

Smasher

I did this for my 21st birthday too, and oh my god was it fun. I did a tandem dive, which meant the whole process only took 2-3 hours since they didn't have to teach me every detail.

My dive was from 13,000 feet, and freefall lasted about 90 seconds if I remember the webpage right (I sure as hell wasn't counting). Once you open the chute you'll stay in the air for several more minutes, and if it's a sunny day you'll have a fantastic view for miles. I got kinda dizzy after the chute opened because we kept spinning back and forth to keep our speed down and position ourselves for the landing, but I'm prone to carsickness and so that might just be me. If you are too, I'd imagine taking a Dramamine or something before you go up wouldn't hurt.

PirateJon

OtistheGuard wrote:

and any personal stories you might wish to share.

Only disappointment.

Call the place you're thinking of trying if you're football lineman big. Most places do not want anyone over 200lbs.