Anyone here been skydiving??

[MsKandice01]

If so, did you enjoy it? Would you do it again?

I'm going on my birthday in September and the anticipation is killing me. I'm so excited!

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

1. I did a tandem dive in Cairns, Australia

The freefall part was very exhilarating. I found it strange that it never actually felt like falling and it was over far too quickly (I opted to jump from 10,000 feet, which gives you about 30 seconds). I think I just went "wooooooohhhh" for the most part whilst my cheeks were saying hello to my ears! What I most remember from the experience is how once the parachute was pulled it felt like we were frozen in the air because the ground never seemed to get closer until near the very end of the jump. The other thing I remember about the jump is how when we were preparing to jump there was a large cloud just below the plane and a part of my brain became convinced that we would land on it (this was actually a blessing because it momentarily removed my paranoia about crashing to the earth).

I'd definately do it again and would do it from 14,000 feet although I'd stay tandem -- training to do it solo would be far too scary.

So where are you doing it and how? You'll have a great time I'm sure!

[MsKandice01]

4. I'm doing a 14,000 ft tandem jump...

I'll be going to a place here in the Bay Area (CA). That's funny what you said about feeling like you were frozen in the air after the parachute opened. A friend of mine said she actually got bored after a while because it took so long to get down to the ground.

[usedtobesick]

2. I did for years in the Army and even enjoyed that...

my civilian jumps were even better as they were more leisurely and people more pleasant. I share MSMD's memory of the clouds, they seem so solid and safe... but are cold and wet if you run thru them, enjoy your birthday jump. It is a great experience!!!

[kitkatrose]

3. Sheesh, is mindreading on the agenda today?

I've actually been considering going with a group on Sunday for my birthday. Well, I said I would and now I'm having second thoughts. Shelling out 200 bucks to jump out a nice plane is circling over and over in my brain.

[RebelOne]

6. $200? That's insane. When I was jumping, it only cost $15 a jump.

[kitkatrose]

7. Heh, that's for equipment rental, training, blah blah blah.

That's why I haven't decided yet. How long ago were you jumping, if you don't mind my asking?

[RebelOne]

13. I only made 6 jumps, but for my first jump

I only paid $52 for the 1/2-day training including equipment and jump fee. This was in Homestead, FL. in the late '80s. But I am sure the cost could not have gone that high since then.

[RebelOne]

5. Yes, many years ago.

I made 6 jumps. It was awesome. But then I decided it was safer to stay in the plane, so I learned to fly.

[Major Hogwash]

8. If the anticipation is killing you now, just wait until you get on the

plane only to find out that there are SNAKES ON A PLANE!

Wehn I went up the first time I rode the plane back down.
Just me and the pilot.
He was a very understanding person.

LoL

Later I tried it again and got so sick that I thought they would let me get out of it.
But, no, turns out they like to see people jump when they are green.
They told me the second time is easier than the first time.

I wouldn't know.

[RebelOne]

14. I beg to differ. My first jump was the best.

I came down perfectly in the drop zone. After that everything was a disaster. I would lose my bearings in the air and could not find the drop zone and then when I hit the ground the wind would grab my chute and drag me through rocks and gravel. And also during two jumps the risers wrapped around my neck and I thought I was going to choke to death in midair. That's when I decided to stay in that perfectly good plane and learn to fly it.

[jmowreader]

15. If there are snakes on the plane, she'll have a chute

I was in the Screaming Eagle Sport Parachute Club at Fort Campbell. Fifty bucks for ground training and your first five jumps, then two dollars a day lift fee, equipment rental included in your $10/month club dues. We jumped Blackhawks mostly, Hueys when a Huey driver needed some hours, and every so often we'd get a Chinook. I never jumped fixed-wing, although I've heard it's lots of fun.

Skydiving gets fun on your third time out the door. Your first time you're all hoo-ah, hoo-ah, I'm gonna jump out of a plane. The second time you're all oh-shit, I'm gonna jump out of a plane. The third time you pack your rig and go.

I like the new ways they train skydivers now. When I went in the early 1980s, you did at least five static-line jumps from 3000 feet and mimicked the motions you would make when you did freefall. You then did at least five "hop and pop" jumps--jump out of the airplane and deploy your parachute right away. Then you went in steps--five jumps with a five-second delay, five with a ten-second delay, and so on until you got to a 30-second delay. (Each delay took you higher up--a five-second delay was a 5000-foot exit.) After you finished your 30-second delay jumps, you were an "up jumper" and exited the plane at 14,000 feet with an altimeter to tell you when to deploy your parachute. Now they do tandem jumps and advanced freefall jumps and I don't even think the modern sport parachute club even owns any static lines. It's better that way; freefall is much more fun than static line.

[Dangerously Amused]

9. Not parachuting, but paragliding.

Tandem; ran down an incline then jumped off the side of a mountain. Very exhilarating. I would do it again in a heartbeat. You will love it!


Don't forget to get pictures and post 'em!

[Joey Liberal]

10. No, but..........

Done plenty of muff diving:)...............

[WritingIsMyReligion]

11. There goes the thread.

:rofl:

[Redstone]

12. 46 jumps. Do it. You won't be sorry you did.

Redstone

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. Not gonna jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

I'm a pilot, but I'm afraid of heights unless there's something between me and the ground. People say it's great fun, but... eeek.

[Oeditpus Rex]

17. Where you jumpin', MsK?

Reason I'm askin' is there's a jump club here, which isn't too far from you. The only other one I know of is over by Stockton.

I don't know of any around San Jose, but I'm sure there probably are a couple.

[MsKandice01]

19. Bay Area Skydiving

Which is in Byron, CA...east of Pleasanton.

[Oeditpus Rex]

20. Yup

That's the other one I've heard of.

Hey... happy landings! :hi:

[fishwax]

18. I've been once--it was fantastic

I probably wouldn't do it again, just because it's been seven or eight years since I went--i've put on a little weight since then, and I wouldn't want to put my joints through that at this point.

After my first jump I wanted to go again--you have to do five jumps before you're eligible to free fall on your own, and I wanted that experience. But I didn't want to go alone, and I couldn't get anybody else to go with me. Almost everybody I told about my jump said: "man, I've always wanted to do it." To which I would reply: "I'd like to do it again; let's go next week." Nobody ever took me up on it.

[Bossy Monkey]

21. One tandem jump. It was very alarming, but in the good way

Pure adrenaline charge, and you feel that way for days. You continue to feel a little heightened for weeks or months.