Skydiving is by far one of the scariest, thrilling, invigorating, and best all-time moments of my life and I believe everybody should do it.
I’d been thinking about skydiving for quite some time. You see, I’ve never been much of a risk taker growing up. I was always scared of the worst things that could happen. At the same time I’ve always had an urge in me to go out and experience life in awesome ways. I was always at odds with myself.
As I’ve gotten older and more into self-development and personal growth I’ve realized that the only way for me to grow as a person and become better is to get outside my comfort zone, so I started thinking about ways I could do so whether they be in work, business, sports, or extreme activities.
I’d been wanting to go skydiving for a few years, but I thought it’d be best to wait until the right place to do it. In my mind, that was New Zealand since they’re known for their high thrill activities. I was going to plan a trip to New Zealand and do all types of awesome things. The only problem was that I wasn’t too sure when that trip would ever become reality.
Well one day while I was at work one of my coworkers mentioned that somebody else we worked with was going skydiving up in South Carolina and wanted to know if anybody else wanted to go. As soon as she asked, I enthusiastically said, “YES!” Boy am I glad that I did!
When I agreed to go we still had around a month left before the actual date that we were going. I brought it up to so many people, trying to get more to join us, but with no success. Some thought it was awesome and said they wish they could do that. Some said no freakin way! Some asked why I would jump out of a perfectly good airplane and others brought up the fact that you could die doing that. (I prefer to think that I could die at any moment, so why wouldn’t I go skydiving?)
There were four of us the day we went. I was more than excited and also more than nervous. It hadn’t quite hit it too hard what I was going to do until we started getting closer to the airfield and I was looking at the planes.
They tell you to arrive two hours early so you have enough time to sit through the safety/instructional video and take care of the paperwork. Little did we know though, that one of the largest skydiving events was happening that weekend, so we really did have to wait 2-3 hours.
Honestly, that part was pretty miserable. It was hot out and I wasn’t really in the mood to eat or drink anything because we were never really sure when they were going to call our group to go. I think waiting though helped calm my nerves because by the time they called our group I just wanted to get it over with.
Then, they called our group and at that point I thought, “oh crap this is really going to happen.”
We walked into the hanger where there were people everywhere. People hanging out and talking, people rolling up parachutes, people watching their last videos they made on their last jumps. It was such a wild experience and everybody seemed pumped to be there.
We walked over to where out tandem instructors were (my instructor was Dan) and got to meet them then got suited up. We had to wear a jumpsuit along with a cap and some goggles. Our instructors then strapped the harness to us as well.
Once we were all good and suited up we walked over to where the plane would be coming in. It was a bit awkward walking at first with a harness riding up your crotch but after a while you don’t even think about it. Especially when you jump out of an airplane at 14,000 ft!
We waited for a little bit there until the plane landed and stopped for us then one by one we got on the smallest plane I’d ever been on. When you got in there were only two benches that you sit on with your back towards the pilots and you facing the door you go out of.
As we boarded my instructor got on the bench first and then I followed that way my back was against him so he could attach himself to my harness. (Very important I would say!)
It was an awesome climb up to 14,000 ft. Probably one of the best days you could’ve asked for in my opinion. It was absolutely beautiful out, with barely just the right amount of clouds and you could see for miles and miles and miles.
My instructor and I chatted for a bit on the way up and I found out he was a former Marine. My videographer would also turn around and ask me how I was feeling. Honestly, I was super excited on the way up and not really nervous. (It hadn’t quite hit me yet) I knew what was about to come though.
The plane ride took only about 10-15 minutes which wasn’t too bad, but when you know you’re about to jump time seems to warp itself.
Finally, we got up to about where we needed to be and the solo jumpers got ready and opened the door. One by one I watched them step out of an airplane. Ahh yes, now I was freakin nervous.
I was the third tandem jumper in line. As the other two started moving forward so did I. Since the plane is so small you have to crawl and it’s a little difficult having a man twice your size attached to your back.
During your initial 10 minute training and on your way up they tell you to keep your arms crossed when you get to the door to avoid grabbing onto the bars and making it a difficult situation for the instructor. You better believe I was crossing my arms as tight as I could when I got up to that door. I figured I wanted to make this jump as smooth and easy as possible.
The first two tandems jumped and now it was my turn. Everything happened so quick. The closer I got to the door the heavier I was breathing. I was getting really nervous. I started thinking, “this is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!”
My videographer was hanging out the door facing me. My instructor and I moved up to the door. I was staring out of an open door of an airplane. Man attached to my back. Waiting to jump out and fall back to Earth at 1285mph. I thought, “who the f*ck does this crazy sh*t!?”
My instructor said, “on the count of three we’re going.” I heard, “one…two…” and he pushed me out!
“Hoollllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyy shhhhiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttttttt!” is what I was screaming in my head because I couldn’t catch my breath to scream it out loud.
That initial jump out of the airplane is by far the most terrifying, nerve-racking, death defying, yet ultimately freeing thing I’ve ever done in my life. It was right then, after that initial fear left my body that I fell in love with skydiving and thrills.
I’ll admit that fear didn’t totally and completely leave my body. We were still plummeting back down to earth at terminal velocity and hadn’t pulled the chute yet!
As my instructor and I were free falling my videoagrapher was below us facing up filming and taking pictures. I was doing my best to smile but I could not get my mouth to move for the life of me with all of that force.
We were falling, falling, falling and after then I started getting a little worried. I saw that my instructor kept looking at his wrist gauge to know when to pull the chute. As much as I was enjoying the free fall I remember clearly me thinking, “when the hell is he going to pull the chute!?”
After what seemed like an eternity (I think it was like a minute) I felt a jolt to the family jewels and the chute was released. All of my worries were now gone and I’m pretty sure I’ve never felt more at peace in my life.
The sun shining, wind through my cap, and a man on my back controlling the chute. Like a dream come true! But for real, the descent after the chute was pulled was amazing. You just glide slowly back down making some turns here and there. You can see for miles and miles and when you look down everything looks so small.
My instructor let me take control of the chute for a little bit and showed me how to turn it. I grabbed the rungs with both hands and he’d tell me to pull down with my left hand and we’d go left. Then he’d say right hand and we’d shift right.
Then we had a little fun. He told me to pull my right hand all the way down to my leg. I did and then we went spiraling face down! We gained control and he said do the same with your left. We went spiraling back down! I couldn’t want the smile off of my face! It was so much fun.
I didn’t want it too end, but alas all good things must end and we had to get back to the ground at some point. As we approached the airfield, my instructor took control again and told me to lift my legs straight out as we land so we could slide onto our butts.
As we came in that’s exactly what I did and we just slid right down onto the ground for a smooth landing with the parachute gliding past and landing in front of us.
I was freakin pumped! I did it! I went skydiving! and now I wanted to go again!
From the second we jumped to the second we landed back on the ground safe and sound, I had nothing else on my mind. No other worries, no other stressors, work didn’t matter, things I’ve accomplished didn’t matter, thoughts, feelings. Nothing except for living in that moment mattered and it’s probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced.
While I haven’t done anything quite as extreme since then, I’m definitley planning some more activities to go do soon such as hang gliding and taking a hot air balloon ride.
You can spend all you life asking yourself “what if, what if, what if?” and end up never trying anything or never taking on risks, but I prefer to live a life where I take on my fears and keep on growing in order to get better and better.
I’ll leave you with this.
Jim Rohn once said, “It’s better to live 30 years full of adventure than a 100 years safe in the corner. It’s not important how long you live, what’s important is how you live.”
Life got risky the moment you were born. It’s all risky, so are you going to live your life to it’s fullest or sit in the corner safe and secure?
I know my choice.
