In all honesty, when we sit back and think about the feeling you get from skydiving, we can't exactly say it's a feeling. It's more like FEELINGS. Like a spontaneous amount of feelings ranging from pure happiness, to raging excitement, to that little bit of fear on your way up to altitude and then right back to uncontrollable excitement. All in all, skydiving makes you feel some type of way and it's mostly AMAZING!
So you're here, at Skydive Danielson. You've entered the building and are taking that initial deep breath of "what the heck am I doing here?!" all while approaching the waiver kiosk. You are going through the waiver, initialing, signing and checking off all the boxes. You're having random small talk with the guy next to you, because let's face it, you're in this together. The feeling you're most likely having right now is either joy or a little bit of fear. For the most part, from what we see behind the counter, it's joy.
After you have going through your training class and made sure you have emptied your pockets and left your keys in our little key basket inside the office, you are now able to put on a jumpsuit. Now you're probably thinking something along the lines of "whoa, ok, I'm really doing this". You find the right size, take off your shoes, slip on the jumpsuit, zip it up, put your sneakers back on and head outside. The Instructor is going to call you by name, introduce themselves to you and start putting your harness on you. They might toy around with you and ask you if you want the pretty parachute or the parachute that works, feel free to mess with them as well. You're more than likely excited right now! This is a fun time and we are really cool, laid back people, just hangout and enjoy the process of getting geared up!
So, unlike your usual commercial airline planes, our plane, even though it's quite big for us skydivers, is pretty small for the majority of our customers. So when you first take a look at it you might be thinking "Holy cow, I'm not getting in that thing" but once you're in there and you're all cozy'd up to your instructor as well as the others next to you, you feel way more content and at ease. Taking off in the airplane can be really exhilarating and can also be super relaxing. It's a really pretty sight to see, taking in the New England surrounding areas from Long Island Sound, Block Island, Downtown Providence, the Connecticut coast line and even all the way out to Boston on a nice sunny day!
When you hear the instructors or licensed skydivers in the airplane with you all yell, "DOOR", get ready for some fun! This means it's time to skydive. You instructor has at this point, already double and triple checked everything with your harness and their harness. They will scoot you guys up to the opening of the plane and you're now able to see and feel everything. There is lots of wind, lots of excitement, a minor amount of fear and a whole lot of HOLY CRAP coming out of your mouth! You're out in less than 3 seconds so the next group can get right out of the plane with you. This is one of the most exciting, if not THE most exciting time in your life, live..it...up!
This is one of the most liberating and freeing emotions your body and mind will ever consume! You are completely FREE in free fall. Your mind doesn't usually go to a scared or crazy place, you usually are at peace and feel sheer happiness when you and your instructor are both falling at a rate of 120mph towards this big beautiful green Earth we live on. You should remember to look out on the horizon, because if you look down, you will not be able to see the beauty around you and you will also not be able to breathe! So look out and take it all in!
This is a purely relaxing state of mind for you. Being under canopy is like being in a swing almost. Except your just simply gliding along and feeling the nice fresh air all around you and you're now able to speak to your instructor and sight see together! It's a really cool and beautiful time to be under canopy and floating back down to Earth at a very slow and steady average of 15mph.
This is the feeling of accomplishment! YOU DID IT! Some part of you might have thought you wouldn't be able to go through with it, but you did it and you kicked ass! We are proud of you, excited for you and hope you take on our $165 return customer deal and come again! You are feeling righteous right about now, sort of like a king or queen looking out over their land and saying, "this is mine". You feel unstoppable, as you should! Don't forget to come back inside when your instructor is all done removing your harness. After you hang your jumpsuit back up, we have a certificate for you and a coupon to come back!