Prevent Motion Sickness While Skydiving

“Should I eat before skydiving?”

Boy, does that question come up a lot.

We understand, of course. People experiencing motion sickness and getting sick on a skydive is a pretty rare occurrence in real life, but it’s an internet classic, no? We get the sense that most askers-of-that-question have come across viral footage of a tandem student with the unfortunate hurlies. Those aren’t particularly dignified images, so it’s an unnerving possibility to square up to.

There’s good news, however: Statistically speaking you are not going to get sick on a tandem skydive. Sure, of course, there are exceptions to the rule–but it’s easy to stack the odds in your favor with just a little preparation. Here are our best tips and tricks.

First step: Eat Something

Eat normally. Eating sensibly is a good idea for life and skydiving alike.

Don’t rock up for a tandem skydive with a very full stomach or an empty one. Not eating is a terrible idea, as your blood sugar will be super-low and you’ll be uncomfortable. Eating too much is an equally poor call, as your blood will be diverted to that bulging stomach instead of flowing to your brain where its presence is kindly requested.

If you’re very nervous and you’re having a miserable time trying to eat, make do with a higher-calorie smoothie. (One with, like, peanut butter and bananas in it. That’s our favorite, at least.) That should do the trick.

Be prepared! When you come to the dropzone for your jump, bring a few healthy snacks with you to make sure your blood sugar stays normal.

Second Step: Prepare

If you know you’ve got a history of experiencing motion sickness, you probably already know what to do: Bring your motion sickness meds along (make sure it doesn’t make you drowsy), and take them at the appropriate time before the jump.

Third Step: Stay Hydrated!

Make sure you’ve been drinking. By that, of course, we do NOT mean alcohol. (Don’t go anywhere near alcohol when you’re skydiving, for any reason!)

We mean, of course, that you need to be mindful of hydration when you’re making a jump. Make the commitment to drink water and other hydrating fluids before and after your skydive–because dehydration is a sneaky beast. It rears its ugly head with exposure to altitude and it easily hides behind excitement before it strikes.

…Now’s probably a good time to tell you that we lied.

You will get sick from a skydive, actually: But not while you’re jumping. It’ll happen afterward. It’ll be homesickness for the sky, it’ll set in the moment you land, and you’ll know there’s only one cure. And you’ll know where to find it: Right here at Skydive Monroe.

Reserve your next skydive jump with Skydive Monroe near Atlanta, GA.