Skydiving is one of the most thrilling experiences a person can have. Jumping out of a plane and freefalling through the wide-open sky is an experience unlike any other! Naturally, the thought of skydiving can cause a moderate to severe case of the jitters. But believe it or not, the scariest part of a skydive happens before you exit the airplane. What is the scariest part of skydiving? How scary is skydiving? Let’s explore the truth behind the fear of skydiving.
You’ve just booked your skydive and excitement and nerves are rushing through your body simultaneously. We’ll score it at a fear level of about 3. In some ways, this is the hardest part of the whole journey! The first step in saying “Yes! I AM going to do this.” But in the days and weeks that follow, the nerves probably wane a bit. That is, until the day of your jump ...
You hop out of bed on the morning of your skydive and wonder what in the world you signed up for!! Maybe you’re as excited as you were on day one, or maybe you’re trying to formulate a way to get out of it. But! You’ve paid for the jump (or at least the deposit) and now there’s no backing out without losing money. You get to the dropzone and sign your waiver, complete the skydiving training, then wait to board the airplane. There’s no doubt that by this point, your nerves are on edge and your laughs may be more nervous than genuine! We’ll give it a fear level of 7.
After meeting with your instructor, you board the plane and begin the ascent to altitude. You look around and see that all the licensed jumpers on the plane are smiling, joking, and looking positively thrilled. You, however, feel positively on edge. You get to altitude and the light turns green indicating to jumpers that it is time to open the door and get ready to exit. Your instructor begins to scoot to the door and the moment is here. The scariest part of the skydive – fear level 10 – is the moment before you leave the plane.Your instructor counts one … two … three … and you exit together into the beautiful, blue sky!
Is skydiving scary once you jump? Negative. The instant you leave the airplane, your fears fall away. During freefall, the rushing air, the feeling of pure freedom, and the beautiful views remove any tinge of trepidation. The scary part feels like a thing of the past with the lovely mix of adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin coursing through your veins. During the skydiving experience, you’ll likely find a peace you never knew you could experience. Fear level 0 … surprising, right?!
When the freefall is over, your instructor deploys the parachute and you enjoy a 5-minute-or-so descent to the ground under the canopy where you’re able to start to process and appreciate what you just did. You experienced 60 seconds of freefall and came as close as possible to human flight. Incredible!
Note: We gave one possible fear point here because *if* you happen to be a bit afraid of heights or suffer from nausea, this could be the time that these things could bother you a bit. If you don't have either of those, take it back on down to 0.
The moment you touch down on the ground and the whole thing is over, you’ll realize your skydiving anxiety was real but overhyped. Yes – skydiving is scary, but the thought of it is scarier than the actual experience. And odds are, you’ll want to do it again! The reality is, you have just experienced a popular sport that has only been getting safer and more sophisticated over the years.
Are you crazy for wanting to skydive? Nah. Is skydiving safe? Statistically speaking, it’s a whole lot safer than the media would have you think. While there is an inherent risk in skydiving, the odds are in your favor. In 2021, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) recorded 10 fatal skydiving accidents which is a rate of 0.28 fatalities per 100,000 jumps. This takes into account the 3.57 million jumps made by all types of skydivers in that year. And the fatality rate for tandem students is lower – there has been an average of one in 500,000 tandem skydiving fatalities over the last 10 years. What’s more, there were zero student fatalities in 2021.
Though it’s considered an extreme activity, skydiving is a highly regulated sport. The Federal Aviation Administration and USPA are in charge of establishing the rules for skydiving as well as skydiving airplanes and equipment. To make sure you are prepared for the jump, skydiving centers require all first-time jumpers to complete a training program that includes instruction on equipment, safety procedures, and landing techniques. Additionally, all skydiving equipment is rigorously maintained and inspected regularly to ensure that it is in top working condition.
For many people, the fear of skydiving comes from a fear of the unknown. The thought of jumping out of a plane can be intimidating, but with proper training and preparation, the fear can be overcome. Skydive Danielson is staffed by highly-credentialed and experienced instructors who are trained to help first-time jumpers push past their fear and enjoy the skydiving experience.
Bottom line: skydiving is awesome. If you are considering skydiving but are hesitant due to its reputation for being scary, remember that the societal fear is largely unfounded and your fear is ready to be conquered! Book a jump at Skydive Danielson today! Blue skies!