Skydiving is an uplifting, soul-nourishing experience that boasts many physical, mental, and emotional health benefits that will leave you feeling superhuman even hours after the jump is over. But if you’re feeling under the weather or have a medical condition, you may want to reconsider embarking on this sky-high adventure for several reasons. Let us explain.
In our almost 30 years of experience at Skydive Danielson, we would NOT recommend skydiving if you’re feeling ill from any kind of cold, flu, or even allergies. Trust us, we’ve learned the hard way! Skydiving with a cold is quite painful and miserable, if we’re being honest, and can lead to even more issues than you started with. As much as we would love to get you in the sky as soon as possible, we would much rather you wait until you’re feeling 100% to fully enjoy the most thrilling adventure of your life! It’s worth the wait.
Skydiving with a cold is definitely not recommended. So, what’s the big deal? Why is skydiving with a cold so taboo?
If you’ve ever been in a commercial airplane or driving up and down winding mountain roads, you may have experienced the somewhat uncomfortable “ear-popping” sensation. This is due to the quick decrease in air pressure as you make the climb to altitude, making the air pressure in the middle ear and the air pressure in the environment imbalanced, causing the eustachian tubes to feel blocked. Usually a yawn, swallow, or Valsalva maneuver (blowing through your ears) can open up the eustachian tubes and equalize the pressure - but when you have a cold, this is not the case.
Skydiving from an airplane at 14,000 feet and freefalling at 120 mph has the same effect. So if you choose to skydive with a stuffy nose or skydive with the flu, you’ll not only experience an embarrassing boogery mess (not a good look) as you release the pressure on your quick descent back to the earth, but you can also create a perfect situation for an ear infection to brew or in extreme cases, risk perforating an eardrum. OUCH!
You don’t necessarily have to be in the best shape of your life when making a skydive, but skydiving itself can be physically demanding – it requires coordination, balance, and precise movements. The symptoms of the flu, such as dizziness, sinus pressure, fatigue, and impaired concentration, can compromise your ability to safely execute the necessary maneuvers needed for your tandem skydive. Additionally, the cold air at higher altitudes may intensify your symptoms, making the skydiving experience even more uncomfortable and making it harder for your body to heal/recover.
In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the question of whether one can skydive while infected with the virus is a pertinent one. COVID-19 primarily affects the respiratory system, so engaging in activities that require deep, controlled breaths (such as skydiving) may not be advisable. Moreover, tandem skydiving often involves very close contact with tandem instructors and fellow jumpers which increases the risk of transmission.
Even if you’ve recovered from COVID-19, some individuals still experience lasting cardiovascular and respiratory issues, which could impact your ability to handle the physical stresses of skydiving. Please consult a physician if you have concerns about jumping after recovering from the virus.
Beyond the considerations for colds, flu, and COVID-19, there are several other skydive health concerns, medical conditions, and factors that could make skydiving unsafe:
As always, we recommend consulting with your physician if you are questioning jumping out of a perfectly good airplane with any type of cold/flu symptoms. After all, we are experts in skydiving and not equipped to offer any medical advice. If your doctor approves, we usually approve!
For more questions about skydiving with a cold, or other medical condition or for an update on our COVID policy, please contact one of our helpful team members at Skydive Danielson. Blue skies!