Has anyone been skydiving?

[Bernadine]

I really want to do it, but I'm completely terrified. There's a groupon for a place near DC, I think my aunt and I might do it.

[poppyseed]

Omg, no. It looks like fun but I'm terrified. I have a friend who is deathly afraid of heights (like me) and she went about 4 years ago and loved it.

[Deleted]

I would love to go... someday. If you can afford it, go for it!

[hubes]

I was going to go, but I ended up with stiches and had to cancel. My dad has gone static-line twice and thinks its awesome.

[blueballoon]

I say go for it! I really want to try it sometime and everyone I know who has done it, has said it's awesome.

[looseseal]

I've gone twice- tandem both times. I really enjoyed it, but I didn't have to pay either time, so that helps! I probably won't do it again, but I've slowly been developing a fear of heights that I didn't have when I was younger.

[retardy4thaparty]

Buy it and go! You will not regret the decision one bit. I went last year. I'm deathly afraid of heights. The hardest part was being in the plane and looking over the edge. Just let your pro-diver know you're scared and he/she will get you through it.

When you're in free fall, it doesn't feel like you're falling. You know that feeling you get in your stomach when you're going down a hill on a roller coaster? Yeah, that doesn't happen.

PM me if you have more questions!

[Cayl]

I went in college and it was the most terrifying thing I've ever done. Looking back I can't believe I actually did it. I told my mom after and she was furious, lol.

If you can get a deal, then I would do it. The thing I didn't like was that it was so expensive, but the free fall is very short. Once you leave the plane you're only in a free fall for maybe 20 seconds (I'm completely guessing, this was almost 10 years ago, but it was very, very short) and then you're just kind of floating along for the rest of the time. Which is still cool, but it's kind of like a more lazy version of parasailing, which is cheaper.

I don't know how tall you are, but I'm about 5'7 and had no issues with the landing. My friend who I went with is 6 feet and he got hurt a little on the landing because the guy behind him was shorter and I guess my friend didn't lift his legs high enough when they landed or something. Not seriously hurt where he had to go to the doctor, but he had to drink a few extra beers when we got back to campus .

The plane we went up in was the biggest POS. It was really rinky-dink and alarms kept going off on the dashboard, it was pretty scary. I kind of wonder if they do that intentionally so that you feel like your chances of living are better if you jump out of the plane rather then stay in it.

It's definitely something that I'm glad I did, but I sure as shit will never do it again.

[enormasass]

DOOOO IT!!!! I think you'll regret NOT going more than you'll ever regret going.

[lightbulbsun]

I did a tandem jump. It was really fun, and I would definitely recommend going. It's amazing to just be in the air - it doesn't even feel like falling (until they open the parachute).

One thing I would recommend - if you get motion sick, take a dramamine before you go. I went with some friends and 2 of us felt really crappy afterwards. Noone had told us that we would get motion sick!

[lightbulbsun]

May 16, 2012 8:56:56 GMT -5 Cayl said:

Once you leave the plane you're only in a free fall for maybe 20 seconds

It really depends on how high you start. I jumped from 14,500 ft and we were free-falling for about a minute.

[Bernadine]

May 16, 2012 9:02:45 GMT -5 @booby said:

do you guys remember my skydiving story? i tell it everytime we discuss skydiving....

No! Tell!

[looseseal]

May 16, 2012 9:04:10 GMT -5 lightbulbsun said:

May 16, 2012 8:56:56 GMT -5 Cayl said:

Once you leave the plane you're only in a free fall for maybe 20 seconds

It really depends on how high you start. I jumped from 14,500 ft and we were free-falling for about a minute.

Yep, I jumped from the same altitude, and had about a minute of free-fall and about five minutes of parachuting to the ground. The worst part was my goggles weren't as tight fitting as could be, my eyes dried out and my contact fell out of one eye. Not a huge deal, just annoying.

[Bernadine]

This place says they get up to 2 miles, then there's a 40 second free fall and 7 minute descent.

[nestbrenda]

no, sounds horrible. Same with bungee jumping. No thanks.

[zitiqueen]

I've done static-line twice. I say go for it.

[IndiaInk]

May 16, 2012 8:56:56 GMT -5 Cayl said:

I kind of wonder if they do that intentionally so that you feel like your chances of living are better if you jump out of the plane rather then stay in it.

Lol

[Bernadine]

What's static-line?

[bonnie]

I really would love to, but I feel like that one in a million shot of dying would be me. I don't know if I'll ever be able to convince myself other wise!

[katieido]

i did a tandem jump once. it was really exhilarating, but when we were going up in the plane i must have looked absolutely terrified because the guys taking us up asked if i was going to be ok. i screamed a lot and my eyes, nose and mouth all leaked simultaneously. once the chute was pulled it was really beautiful.

[annyong]

Dooooo iiiiit! It's so much fun. You're going to want to go again right after your feet touch the ground, I promise!

[roo54]

I'm doing it for the first time in July, outside of DC as well. I also brought a livingsocial deal for it awhile ago. I'm really excited!

[Bernadine]

I still want to go though.

[eightangryreindeer]

I will still be forty for four more months!!

Let me know if you decide to do it!

[Deleted]

I went almost ten years ago as well. It was awesome and one of those things I can say I did but will probably never do again. Especially because the person that went before us "bounced".

[zitiqueen]

May 16, 2012 9:29:59 GMT -5 Bernadine said:

What's static-line?

You know in the old army movies when you see the army dudes hooking something above their head right before they jump out the door? They're hooking that cord to the airplane; the other end of the cord is hooked to the parachute and it pulls the parachute out of the pack when they fall.

Here's a video of a static-line jump. Fast-forward to about a minute in and you'll see how it works.