Is Skydiving Fun or Scary?

Ah, the age-old question: is skydiving scary? First, let’s start with a universal truth. If you’re not feeling at least a little bit afraid of what lies before you when you’re staring out of an open airplane door, something is very wrong! It’s natural to be a little – even a lot – scared. So, is it scary to skydive?? Yes! 

But exactly how scary is skydiving? Here’s the thing – once you’re past the initial fear of the unknown, skydiving is not as scary as you think it will be. Crazy, right?

Here are a few more facts about fear and skydiving that might just help you decide to take the leap.

Skydiving is Scarier on the Ground than it is in Freefall

This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s true. Ask anyone who’s done a skydive before what is the scariest part about skydiving and they’ll tell you: it’s the time that’s spent thinking about your jump that has your palms sweating and your mind racing! 

Trying to sleep the night before, getting geared up by your tandem instructor, watching the ground get farther and farther away on the plane ride up, and especially the moment you’re standing at the door of the airplane coming face to face with the unknown … the anticipation is INTENSE!

But all of that disappears the instant you cross the threshold into the wide-open sky. It’s like your worries are whisked away in the 120 mph wind and all you’re left with is freedom and exhilaration. There’s no getting back in the plane once you step out, so all you can do is live in the now. 

Embrace every moment, including that fear, because it makes the whole experience life-changing. 

Freefall Feels Different Than You’d Expect

What does skydiving actually feel like? The feeling of freefall is a bit of a surprise to everyone. After all, nothing else in life compares to skydiving, so it’s impossible to know exactly what it feels like. 

First-time skydivers go into their jump thinking that they’re going to have an extreme stomach-dropping feeling like a roller coaster on steroids. Which sounds like a bit of an overwhelming sensation if you ask us, even if you are someone who’s into thrill rides. 

The truth? You feel none of that.

Freefall can best be described as a sort of windy floating. You feel the air supporting your body and limbs from below. You see the world spread out around you like a beautiful patchwork quilt. You hear the whoosh of wind. You feel the comforting presence of your tandem instructor behind you. And if you’re a smart cookie who opted for the outside video, you’ll be looking into the smiling face of one of our top-notch videographers, hovering just feet in front of you in the sky.

Freefall is simultaneously peaceful and exhilarating. Your mind is focused on nothing but the present moment, and your body is along for the ride!

Scared or Not, Everyone Smiles in Freefall

How scary is tandem skydiving? If you take a look at skydiving pics and videos, you’ll discover that it’s not easy to find images of people who aren’t smiling during their skydive. And that tells you all you need to know.  

Sure, the prospect of skydiving is scary. It might even be the scariest thing you’ve ever done. But once you’re in the moment, you can’t help but settle into the moment and enjoy the thrill. 

Smiling is the most natural reaction to a feeling as good as freefall. You probably won’t even realize how big you’re smiling until you feel it in your cheeks after the fact. 

And here’s a trade secret: for us experienced skydivers, one of the best parts of any jump is grinning madly into each others’ helmets from an arm’s length away as we’re trucking along at top speed.

Is it Normal to be Afraid of Skydiving?

Feeling fear before and even during your skydive is absolutely normal. It’s one of the most natural things you can experience. That fear response is what has kept humans around all this time. Without it, we’d be doing all sorts of ill-advised things without a care in the world and none of us would last very long! But the wonderful thing about evolution is that our current state gives us a lot of opportunities to square up to fear from an empowered place. 

And the best growth comes out of facing our fears. When we’re kids, conquering fear happens almost all the time – when you learn to ride a bicycle, for instance, or go down a really big slide at the playground. Facing these fears helps us to grow in the healthiest possible way.

However, as adults, the availability of fear’s teaching moments usually decreases dramatically. Life gets in the way, logic takes over, or we feel too mature to try new things. When that happens, the “muscle” that we use to conquer fear tends to weaken as the years roll by. Sadly, that weakness means that we’re less capable of nailing the daily braveries that enrich our lives.

The good news? Skydiving is a shortcut back to that childlike ability to see something you want, realize it’s scary, do it anyway, and bubble over with growth. It’s magic – you’ll see!

So, how scary is skydiving for the first time? Only you can answer that question for yourself? Book a jump today and let us help you overcome your fears! Blue skies.