Skydiving!

[gnarlydorkette]

I was watching an espiode about skydiving and it just gave me a thrill. I would LOVE to try it just ONE time.
knight did posted something similar to this...

What is skydiving??
Performing acrobatics in free fall before pulling the ripcord of a parachute... that is to sum up the whole sport of skydiving. I got a cousin in Finland that works as a skydiver for living. The sport does come with its risks and dangers. Accidents can happen when your parachute fails, or your body shuts down after you reach the terminal velocity, or you fail at landing properly, et cetera... Every sport has its dangers attached....

How old do I have to be to make a skydive?
In most places you will have to be 18 years old to make a Tandem Skydive (where you are strapped to an instructor) and 16 with a parents consent to start the Accelerated Freefall Program (AFF- 8 jumps to be achieved). Again the best way to find out what the restrictions apply in your area is to contact your local skydiving center on our maps...

I found an old thread about Bush Senior skydiving (age 80)... So 18 to 100years old is the age limits! (Imagine a senior citizen skydiving! S/he will have trouble to keep her/his dentures in... )

What are the options for my first skydive?
Most people choose to do a Tandem Skydive for their first jump but you can also choose to do JUMP 1 of the Accelerated Freefall Program - AFF (see above).

Is their a weight limit for Tandem Skydiving?
Yes, the weight limit is 225-235 pounds depending on which Skydiving Center you choose.

What is Tandem skydiving?

Tandem Skydiving allows you to experience the thrill of freefall with as little as 30 minutes of preparation while maintaining a high degree of safety. You and your certified instructor are attached to a parachute system built especially for two people.
After you take the big step out of the plane, you will experience freefall for up to 75 seconds and then enjoy a 5 to 9 minute parachute ride. You can steer your parachute or let the instructor do it for you. Glide gently back to the skydiving center for a soft landing. This is our recommended first time skydiving experience. Don't forget to request a video or still pictures of your experience, so that you can keep the memories for a lifetime!

(A good resource)

Basically the picture below says it all about tandem skydiving:

You will have a person attached to you to help you skydiving and with safety procedures when landing...


This guy looks like he is having fun!

Will you try skydiving???
If you already did, post your story! I already found several skydiving companies/lessons offered in San Diego... it will be nice to see the aerial view of San Diego-- and to conquer my fear of falling from high places (from the plane is the perfect start!) :ekk:

 

[Cheri]

Do I wanna try skydiving? Are you nuts? I might end up peeing my pants after jumping off the plane. :Ohno:

 

[Vance]

I skydived once and I loved it. One of my friends (he's also my 3on3 basketball mate) is an skydiving instructor. He and I somehow discussed about fears and I told him that I suffered from this acrophobia (fear of heights). I wanted to get rid of it and he said that skydiving will cure my fear. We made a plan which I kept postponing (out of fear, that is) until he fed up and took me in against my will. It is long story but I summed it up for now. Man, the first jump is FREAK. I was scared the shit out of myself. While in midair, I fell in love with skydiving. I really, really ENJOYED it. I had a bad windburn on my face. You can literally see the lines on my face since I wore a goggle at that time. Thank goodness that it faded out. btw, I made a jump from 5,000 feet above sea level.

Oh I want to add that when I pulled the 'tug' to let the parachute out, man... it knocked the wind right out of me! So be prepare for that one. Ever since that day, my fear (acrophobia) is gone for good. Do I want to do that again? Definitely yes. I'd ask that friend of mine to go out skydiving again but he moved to Sacramento (SkyDance Skydiving). More clients, more money. He also can make a jump from 30,000 feets. His goal is make a jump from 100,000 feet.

Funny though because I told my friend that I was scared that I may hit the airplane when jump off. He and I had been debating about that one when the airplane climbed higher and higher for us to jump off. Too paranoid, I guess.

Skydiving offers nothing but RICH experience and excitiment. I think anyone should give it a try.

 

[Nancy]

I am afraid of heights....sorry.

 

[GalaxyAngel]

I would peed on my pant...

:Ohno:~bitting my own fingers...

I have not tried ride on skydiving... Too scary 4 me...

 

[Eve]

Skydiving is the perfect way to rid yourself of your fear of heights. But watch that first step, it's a doozy!

 

[kuifje75]

I'm totally afraid of heights too but I would love to try skydiving. I was researching about Norway which I will visit next summer, and there is a mountain called Kjerag near the city of Stavanger where people just wear parachutes and run off the cliff to jump. I think it's called base jumping. That looks tempting to me, but I don't know if I would do that next year. I would still hike up Kjerag to stand on the famous Kjeragbolten though.

The famous Kjeragbolten
http://sep.stanford.edu/~morgan/ima...ragbolten/html/kj11-dimitri-kjeragbolten.html

The Base Jumpings from Kjerag
http://www.basekjerag.com/rogaland/stavanger/svg_base.nsf/bilder/Exit%20syv.jpg/$FILE/Exit%20syv.jpg
and
http://www.basekjerag.com/rogaland/stavanger/svg_base.nsf/bilder/Exit%20seks.jpg/$FILE/Exit%20seks.jpg

 

[Eve]

Kootchie, that sounds like a blast, but I would recommend a few static line jumps first.

 

[Vance]

I'm totally afraid of heights too but I would love to try skydiving. I was researching about Norway which I will visit next summer, and there is a mountain called Kjerag near the city of Stavanger where people just wear parachutes and run off the cliff to jump. I think it's called base jumping. That looks tempting to me, but I don't know if I would do that next year. I would still hike up Kjerag to stand on the famous Kjeragbolten though.

The famous Kjeragbolten
http://sep.stanford.edu/~morgan/ima...ragbolten/html/kj11-dimitri-kjeragbolten.html

The Base Jumpings from Kjerag
http://www.basekjerag.com/rogaland/stavanger/svg_base.nsf/bilder/Exit%20syv.jpg/$FILE/Exit%20syv.jpg
and
http://www.basekjerag.com/rogaland/stavanger/svg_base.nsf/bilder/Exit%20seks.jpg/$FILE/Exit%20seks.jpg

Awesome. Since we plan to live in Sweden permanently, I definitely want to give it a try in Norway. I also heard that mountainboarding is popular in Scandinavia/Europe (sorry for offtopic a bit).

 

[Liebling:-)))]

I don't mind to try something change since I learn from my brother and also therapist, too.

Yes, I'm fear of height... I hate to look down... but my brother told me that it would be good to get fear out when I try something like what he did with Taupo Bungy jump.


http://www.marimari.com/content/categories/express_it/travel_articles/bungy.html

http://images.google.de/images?q=Taupo Bungy jump &hl=de&lr=&sa=N&tab=wi

My brother had been tried with Taupo Bungy jump in New Zealand of 1999. They filmed my brother BEFORE and AFTER jump. It's interesting to watch video where my brother's fear face before he tried... He said that he feel good after he DID it. He jump quite alot before he left for go back to England. He loves to try EVERYTHING including skydiving, balloon etc. out of curiously :Ohno: He tried as diver and TOUCH shark... :Ohno:

He said that he FEEL real GOOD after try something what he WANT to try out of curiously :Ohno:

K75, *goose pumps*

 

[LakeTahoe]

NOOOOOOOOOOO! :Ohno: I am gonna freak out! I would probably peed my pant!

 

[kuifje75]

@ Liebling: My sister tried bungee jumping and she loved it. That was when bungee jumping was "in mode" back in late 1990s. I have never tried it, and when I was going to try it, the State of New Jersey started passing many laws to restrict bungee jumping because some people were dying in freak accidents, especially on the piers at the beaches.

@Magatsu: Mountainboarding? I have mixed feelings about that. If you restrict mountainboarding to ski resorts and such, then I don't see why not. I wouldn't go mountainboarding just anywhere because I want to perserve the nature and not destroy plants, etc...

 

[deafclimber]

Mountainboarding? I have mixed feelings about that. If you restrict mountainboarding to ski resorts and such, then I don't see why not. I wouldn't go mountainboarding just anywhere because I want to perserve the nature and not destroy plants, etc...

i second that.

back to topic: yea i would love trying that because some rock climbers do climb up to 3k ft like half dome at yosemite then they jump off at the summit back to the base. it sounds fun !.

 

[GalaxyAngel]

I did rode on bungee along w/my friend 1993's and pretty scary seeing down on the ground.. I'm defenitaily scare heights but kept postive in my head. *sounded loud popped it out* I screaming and terrified felt alike falling down, to see closer closer the ground.. In my mind, am I going die ??? *whoosh* flies down and turn up... Geez.. I really wanted get it off sooner than I thought. I'm glad it's over my leg turns into shivering and shakes to try walk little bit further to reach the bench. I was sat down on the bench but felt in my body turns bubble up... I told my friend, Forget it, ain't going there EVER AGAIN. My friend really laughed at me.. (grinning)
We were hang around at Western Fairgrounds, London.Ontario.

We'll going to Western Fairgrounds this saturday.
Backtopic....

 

[TweetyBird]

i wanna try! i love height high..

 

[sr171soars]

I haven't done it and I'm not inclined to try it. Too much to think about on your way up and then the "ride" down before that parachute opens...

Funny though, I would consider hang gliding off a dune at the ocean.

Some others made a comment about doing bungee jumping and that is insane as far as I'm concerned. I seen a "phat" or two on videos (without the actual end...merci)

 

[IcedTeaRulz]

:Ohno:

 

[Vance]

@Magatsu: Mountainboarding? I have mixed feelings about that. If you restrict mountainboarding to ski resorts and such, then I don't see why not. I wouldn't go mountainboarding just anywhere because I want to perserve the nature and not destroy plants, etc...

I don't know if you do aware or not but I'm pro-environment/pro-conserve person. So yeah, I'd pick these certain areas as you mentioned above to mountainboarding. I'll never touch these wilderness area.

 

[The*Empress]

I rather sit on my butt all day than to jump from plane.

 

[sequoias]

I wanna do that! I hope I don't scream and crack the Earth open!