My First Skydive

It’s something that has been on the bucket list for a long time, without you really knowing why. Why on earth would someone afraid of heights dream of throwing themselves out of a plane and plummet towards the earth below with nothing but a thin layer of fabric to stop yourself becoming a very well acquainted with the ground.

Even so the day has arrived and the butterflies have taken their seats in your stomach ready for the big moment. You have paid the money and are on the way to the jump site so there is no backing out now. As you arrive you take your seat in the waiting room and await the call. In this moment you are pleasantly surprised that you aren’t more nervous, not realising how naïve this thought would prove to be.

Your name is called on the overhead. Raising from your seat, you move to the kit room to be fitted with your harness and get your briefing. You meet the instructor, the man you will be strapped to and who will be in control of your life in less than hours time.

As he briefs you with all the information you will need to know, put your head back, arms and legs out, and the most worrying, it is better for your lungs if you scream, you feel oddly confident. Maybe it is the enthusiastic nature of the man who clearly gets a kick out of doing this every day. Maybe it is because he makes it all sound so easy and harmless, what is the worst that could happen!

And then you board the plane. And it hits you. What am I doing? The butterflies return with a vengeance. As you boarded the plane first it means you will be jumping last, watching everyone else disappear into the expanse below and quickly out of sight.

Your turn slowly comes around, and you are instructed to sit your legs outside of the plane, exposed to the rushing air. Your heart racing, trying as hard as you can to compose yourself. That is when the man strapped behind you shuffles himself forward, and you are now hanging in the air by the straps alone, sitting on nothing.

Composure goes out the window and your head goes with it. Everything you were told has gone from your mind and all you can focus on is the scene set thousands of feet below. A tap on your head somewhat snaps you out of it, but your heart is still bursting from your chest. You have to be reminded to put your head back before one last question, “Are you ready?” Realistically the answer was HELL NO, but after a nod of the head and one last deep breath, you tumble forwards into the air.

The next couple minutes pass in an instant. The first and only thought in your mind is “F***!” You try to shout but all you can hear is the wind buffeting against your ears. The cool air has your senses on overload. The ground is a blur that covers your view that slowly starts to come back into focus. Suddenly you feel a tug and you are thrust into an upright position as you decelerate sharply thanks to the parachute unfolding, now billowing in the turbulence of your now slower descent.

As your senses return and the panic subsides, taking in the picture beneath is a less intense. And wow, what a sight, the countryside stretching out of sight with a city towering tall in the distance. Sights like these are common from aircraft windows and the like, but removing that safety net somehow makes the view more stunning. This truly is a birds eye view you think, as a flock of birds passes by some distance below you, cementing the abnormality of the situation. You could take in this view for ever.

Except for when you are offered the reigns of the chute, which was met with a swift no, the rest of the glide down was spent awe inspired at the beauty below, whilst also receiving a history lesson of some of the more prominent features. You watch as the previous divers form into a line as we looked to land back at the base of operations.

Your bum hits the ground. Safety. Though the experience you’ve just had was so memorable it is a relief to have you boots on solid ground. Security at last. The tingling feeling gradually leaves your bones as you relax yourself

The smile on your face takes much longer to fade…