Your first skydive is amazing. It is so intense, that there are no words to fully describe the experience. Just the thought of getting in an aircraft, flying up to 14,000 feet and jumping out is a lot for your senses to grasp. Yes, I was nervous, excited and scared all at the same time. Due to the rush of sensations that accompany your first skydiving jump, in my humble opinion, you should strongly consider making your first jump a tandem skydive. A tandem skydive gives you the full experience of a skydive, while taking advantage of the training and experience of the experts.
What follows is a brief account of my first skydive experience. Upon arriving at Skydive Spaceland in Houston, Texas, my daughter and I fill out the required forms and sign the waiver of liability. The waiver is written in such a way that it seems like I'm giving them permission to kill me because the words "death", "danger", and "dangerous" are used frequently. On hind thought, I think that reading and signing the waiver is much scarier than the actual jump.
After the forms are completed and I have given them "permission to kill me", I pay the required fees, and then I'm met by an instructor that tells me what to expect, and briefs me on the hand signals that he'll be using to tell me what to do once we exit the aircraft. As you watch the video, you'll see that I completely forgot about the hand signals.
Next, I and about twenty others board a Cessna Caravan for the experience of a lifetime. I'm one of the first in. I climb in and walk to the front of the plane and sit down in front of my instructor on a straddle bench just behind the co-pilot. The plane quickly fills up as we are tightly packed in and I begin to feel what it must be like to be a sardine inside the little can. The door is shut and we are on our way.
As we approach 14,000 feet, the instructor checks and tightens my harness, and hooks the four hooks of my harness to his. Then the door opens and I hear the words "let's go" and people start disappearing. This is where I struggle to find the words to describe to you exactly how exhilarating --or-- should I say terrifying these moments feel, and even if I had the words, I don't think they would be adequate. The plane is emptying quickly and my instructor and I, slide toward the open door on the straddle bench. At the end of the bench, I hesitantly approach the door. We lean out, in, then leap into the blue. I definitely remember the fear, of being at the open door 14,000 feet above the earth, and the cold blast of air as we exited the aircraft.
We freefall for about minute, however, these moments were so brief that I hardly remember the deafening rush of wind as we accelerate to terminal velocity (120mph). I remember that the freefall was not at all like falling. It was more like flying.
At 6000 feet, the instructor signaled to me that it was time to pull the ripcord. As the chute deployed, I remember the incredible braking action of the parachute. Once the chute was fully deployed, I remember how quiet it got. It felt like someone pressed 'Mute Button'. Everything is so quiet. The descent takes a few minutes, and gives the instructor a chance to allow me to fool about with the parachute, do a few turns and spirals. As the ground got closer, the instructor took over, found our landing spot and we glide in for the landing. The ground moves faster and faster as we get closer to it, and I position my legs for what I call "a gear up landing" and prepare to slide in on my butt. The landing is very soft, and we slide on a lush grassy drop zone for about three to four feet as we touch down.
Your first skydiving experience will be the biggest thrill of your life. One you will never, ever forget! So, just go do it!
