Nervous about your first jump? Avoid these common tandem skydiving mistakes before jump day
Your first skydive is going to hit your senses all at once. The noise of the airplane. The climb to altitude. The moment the door opens and you can see the ground thousands of feet below you. All of this coupled with nerves and adrenaline.
The good news? A few small choices can make your first skydive way more enjoyable. From showing up dehydrated to tensing up in freefall, first-time jumpers tend to make the same avoidable mistakes. Here’s how to avoid them and make the most of your first tandem skydive.
1. Showing Up Hungover
This happens a lot. Whether the skydive was planned while out for drinks, or whether you went out drinking the night before to calm your nerves, showing up hungover is not a good idea for your first skydive.
Alcohol, dehydration, poor sleep, and adrenaline do not mix well at altitude. A rough night before your jump can leave you nauseous, anxious, dehydrated, or mentally foggy when it’s time to listen to instructions. It’s happened before that a tandem student has accidentally vomited on their instructor. It happens. It’s mostly avoidable.
Treat your skydive like an athletic event, not a Vegas side quest. Get sleep. Hydrate. Show up functional.
2. Not Eating Before the Jump
Unless you’re inclined to fasting, eating a meal ahead of the skydive is a good idea. Not every dropzone has a restaurant, and not all tandem skydives are exactly on time. Low blood sugar, plus adrenaline, might make you feel a bit shaky or lightheaded. The experience of your first skydive is so incredible, you want to be as locked in as possible. A balanced meal ahead of time can prevent any dizziness or shakiness on your first jump.
3. Holding Your Breath
This sounds ridiculous, but it’s a thing. Many first-time jumpers unconsciously stop breathing during the skydive. It’s not a health risk, but it’ll definitely make the skydive more enjoyable if you breathe through it.
A good way to ensure you’re breathing? As you exit, scream. It’ll remind the body to breathe in. Just avoid screaming in the airplane. That might send the rest of the jumpers on the plane into a panic.
4. Creating Strange Body Positions
During tandem skydives, instructors constantly deal with students who forget the body position and go into strange positions like curling into a ball, letting the legs go wild or turning into a piece of steel and not relaxing.
Your instructor is trained to handle all body positions students can take. But, you’ll experience the feeling of flying the more relaxed you are and, and the more of that good arch position you can embrace. Listen carefully during the briefing and trust the process. Challenge yourself to be the best tandem skydiver your instructor has ever had by flying the perfect arch position.
5. Wearing the Wrong Clothes
Wear comfortable athletic clothes that allow movement. Avoid bulky hoodies, complicated jewelry, loose accessories, or anything that could shift around in freefall.
Don’t show up in flip flops, heels, or open toed shoes. And, if you want to avoid any small scrapes or scratches on your legs, wear pants to protect your skin. Most landings are gentle, but it’s common to slide in the landings on your butt. It’ll be a gentle slide, and not all landings take a slide. If you do end up sliding it in for landing, depending on the terrain, you could end up with a few scratches.
6. Not Getting Video
Nobody who has ever gotten a video of their skydive has regretted it. Let’s face it, your social media page will thank you for what might be one of the coolest reels or photos you’ve post this year. For the extra small cost, the ability to watch your skydive and show your friends and family is worth it.
7. Thinking Fear Means They Shouldn’t Do It
Almost everyone is nervous before their first jump. Fear does not automatically mean “don’t do it.”
When considering your first tandem skydive, it means you are about to do something completely outside your normal experience. But, that’s not a bad thing. Tandem skydiving is incredibly safe. The fear you’re feeling? That’s perfectly normal. But the payoff of pushing past fear is just as valuable as the incredible experience.
For many people, that first jump becomes the beginning of something much bigger than they expected. So feel the fear, and book the jump anyway!
