Risks of Not Going Skydiving

Skydiving risks are trivial compared to the benefits. In this case, we mean the risk of not skydiving has an exponentially higher and more negative effect than the risk of skydiving. Ha! Not what you expected, right?! We know it sounds crazy, but we’re here to tell you why we’re speaking the truth! 

A Quick Skydiving Risk Assessment

The risk of skydiving is one that is extremely calculated. We’re not jumping out here in the wild, wild west, but under the leadership of a world-renowned organization, the United States Parachute Association (USPA). 

We have safety at the forefront of our minds during every jump, from take off to landing and packing up for the next load. Tandem skydiving risks are even lower than going solo simply because you’re attached to a professional who has at LEAST 500 skydives. Don’t believe us? The chance of experiencing a fatal lightning strike is super rare, like unheard-of-rare, right? Well, it’s actually statistically more common than having a fatal skydiving accident. So basically, we’ve got this… and you’ve got this! 

Peep These Skydiving Stats:

Driving a car is accepted as generally safe, but the chance of dying in a vehicle crash is actually 1 in 107.

Obviously, we need to eat to survive, but choking on food is surprisingly common – 1 in 2,535 people die from choking.

We see bees, hornets, and wasps all of the time, but did you know that 1 in 57,825 people die from being stung by one?

Dying from a lightning strike is typically thought of as pretty uncommon, but the fatality rate is 1 in about 161,856.

And your chance of dying from skydiving? USPA stats from 2021 reveal 1 in 357,000 for a solo jump and 1 in 500,000 for a tandem skydive — so far less likely than being involved in a fatal car crash, choking incident, bee sting, or lighting strike!!

The Top 5 Things That Will Lack From Your Life If You Don’t Skydive

You’ll miss an opportunity for personal growth

Skydiving forces you out of your comfort zone. And as we all know, growth doesn’t happen in your comfort zone.

Going skydiving, just once or thousands of times (yes, thousands) is a soul-nourishing, horizon-expanding experience that no one can take away from you. Whatever you feel and experience on a jump is between you and the sky. It’s something that you truly cannot put into words, and even when you kind of can, someone who has never jumped just will not understand. It’s a blessing and a curse. 

After a jump, all you want to do is share it with EVERYONE. From your server at a restaurant to a stranger in line behind you and, of course, all your friends and the whole family! Not only will they think you’re the coolest person ever, but their excitement for you will open the opportunity for you to tell them they can absolutely go skydiving too! Chances are, though, if they don’t seem jazzed to consider it for themselves, you might be a little bummed. They’ll never be able to truly understand how impactful a jump is!! (Yeah, it’s truly that life changing!) 

You’ll be stuck in the “bleh” zone

We would bet all our money (not that skydivers typically have much) that every single person who has skydived will say the most significant and immediate change they’ve noticed is a change of perspective.

Being physically above all of your earthly anxieties does something to us. It makes the world seem smaller, more connected, and well, the problems just become less significant. Stress relief is a huge benefit of skydiving, and many regular jumpers (called “fun jumpers”) joke that skydiving is cheaper than therapy. Jokes aside, a lot of people actually rely on skydiving to help them feel centered and grounded.

You’ll lack confidence under pressure

The anticipation of skydiving for the first time can be stressful! From actually booking the jump to tossing and turning the night before, to boarding the plane and voluntarily jumping out of it, skydiving takes some serious gonads! But following through – facing your fear – feels amaaaaazing.

Let’s compare a stressful scenario for someone who has been skydiving versus someone who has not. Envision you’re on a roller coaster that gets stuck. Ahhh! (BTW, skydiving doesn’t give you that stomach drop feeling and it’s statistically safer!) The person who has skydived will likely only panic for just a moment, then shrug their shoulders and know it will all work out – it always does! The person who has not skydived just might lose their ever-loving MIND. 

The part of the brain that processes fear doesn’t embrace rationality. This means we can repeatedly assure ourselves that something is okay or safe, but until we do it and prove to our brains that it actually is okay, we’ll never really understand. Conquering a fear like skydiving proves to yourself – the person in your life that you need to care for most – that you can overcome any fear. It’s extremely empowering and encouraging. 

You won’t be part of the tribe

The skydiving community is like… the best community in the world. We support each other both on and off the dropzone and are the most welcoming bunch you’ll ever come across. 

Skydiving is a sport and continues to thrive because of the community. It’s the backbone. Without it, who would teach new jumpers? Who would encourage those starting out in the sport and inspire them to continue in it? We’re goal-oriented people who value a growth mindset and a positive outlook. If we can jump out of planes, what can’t we do?!  

Skydivers instinctively want to see others progress in their ability and want to advance the sport. We all prosper when we see someone else excelling in the sport… yes, even if they’re outperforming us! When one does well, we all do well!

You won’t Thrive among the fittest

Stamina, people. The physical demand from skydiving, while totally doable, is definitely a factor that shouldn’t be overlooked! The muscle memory you gain from the calisthenics involved in packing your parachute and the hauling of 20 to 25 lbs on your back all day is legit, and beneficial. It’ll be a heavy lift at first, but then it will feel natural and fulfilling.

In addition to physical endurance, skydiving yields mental endurance too – and we can apply that fortitude to other demanding situations in life. You have to hold a lot of critically important information in your brain as a licensed skydiver. You have to know the rules and regulations of the sport, as well as the protocols for any situation that may arise during your skydive. 

Skydiving just might be the closest we can get to nirvana – and not allowing yourself the opportunity to experience this level of bliss is the biggest risk of not going skydiving! We can’t wait for you to experience the joy that skydiving brings! Book your jump today!