After a a gloomy day spent last weekend at Skydive Orange, half our crew that chose to not jump at 7,000 feet went back this weekend to hop out of the  Super Otter from 13,500. I’m happy to announce I have crossed yet another item off my life list. I’m now at 28% complete with a couple of items that will surely be crossed off this year.

Overall, it was a good experience, but a bit anti-climactic. I attribute that to my experience racing cars… It simply wasn’t nearly as thrilling or “crazy” as I was hoping for. It didn’t even feel like you were flying; the earth was so far away, it  didn’t look as if you were speeding towards at it at 120mph. Instead, it felt like flying in a plane, but having a ton of wind in your face (and not being in a plane). It was all very controlled, pretty calm… For a moment I thought to myself “Should I be screaming? Is my instructor thinking I’m weird for not doing so? Should I let a yelp out just because it’s the right thing to do?” I chose not to. It was fun, and I don’t regret it, but it isn’t something I’ll be getting in to. Will I go again? Sure, if some friends are planning a trip, but I won’t be scheduling anything on my own. I think I need to try bungee jumping; the ground coming at my face sounds like the thrill I need.

Quick replay of the whole experience for anyone who might be curious:

  1. Fill out paperwork for 20 minutes, sign life away.
  2. Listen to instructor for 15 minutes, do some moves on the floor.
  3. Wait around for your flight to get called for a 20 minute warning. This could be anywhere from five minutes after your training to five hours or not at all. Be prepared to spend the entire day there.
  4. Throw on a jumpsuit, have instructor put on harness and altimeter, find a helmet and goggles that fit.
  5. Plane is ready for you! You’ll already be standing at the runway for it. Load up and you’ll be in the air within five minutes.
  6. After around ten minutes, you’ll be at altitude and ready to jump! Scoot off the bench with your instructor attached to your back, approach the door, he will rock back and forth once or twice AND YOU’RE OUT!
  7. For the first few seconds your arms are in to your chest and you’re arching your body.
  8. Once the instrctor has control of your fall, he’ll tap you, you can put out your arms.
  9. This part may be skipped if you’re not pulling the cord… your choice. I then practiced finding the ripcord three times. As I moved my right hand down to grab it, I had to move my left up above my head as to not upset our fall. Basically, my one arm was disappearing so I had to overcome this change by making my other arm neutral.
  10. FALL!
  11. At 6,000 feet (maybe 30-45 seconds after jumping? I really have no idea), I pulled the cord! HOLD ON! This was like being in a car accident. From 120mph, I was jerked forward in my harness as the canopy caught air… I have some burnage on my thigh to prove it. Pretty gnarly.
  12. Canopy ride! Either your instructor will guide you down gently, or you’ll go for quite a nausea-inducing ride… Again, your choice. You’ll be able to talk freely with your instructor at this point. My guy allowed me to steer us through a few turns. Very fun…
  13. Landing. Pull those legs up and point them straight out. Depending on how tall you are and your instructor’s preference, he’ll either catch you on his feet, or you’ll both slide along the ground on your butts. Everyone in our group went on our butts.
  14. Detach from instructor, he’ll ball up the chute, you’ll be responsible for ensuring it doesn’t drag on the ground.
  15. Return to the hangar, take your stuff off, high-five your friends, receive a certificate nd some handouts, enjoy your day.

The facility was great, the company was great (Caitlin, her mother, and Brian, a friend from kickball), and my intsructor, Juan, was awesome. He was from Uruguay, had jumped ~800 times (that is a relatively low number amongst skydivers it seems), and really enjoyed teaching… I was very lucky to have him… He allowed me to pull the parachute and steer our canopy, and brought me down  to the ground safely. Couldn’t ask for much more.

Pictures