Top Tips To Prepare For Your First Skydive
Getting ready for your first skydive, or even preparing for a repeat jump is thrilling but can feel a little unnerving and uncertain. These feelings are totally normal leading up to a skydive and the build of anticipation is part of what makes the overall experience so fulfilling when your feet touch the earth again.
Here’s some tips and pointers to help you feel extra prepared for the big day….
1. Get a good night’s sleep
Do your best to avoid the late-night doom scroll of skydive videos online. A good sleep is just the ticket to keep the anxieties in check and set yourself up to arrive at our drop zone rested and ready to fly. Switch off the social media and opt for some mindful meditation instead.
2. Eat before you arrive
It’s a common misconception that you shouldn’t eat before a jump. Skydiving is very gentle on the body, so we advise you do eat before you arrive at the drop zone. A light, nourishing breakfast such as toast, cereal or oatmeal works great. If you arrive on an empty stomach, when that adrenaline kicks in you may feel a bit sick. Food is very good.
3. Dress for success
Avoid the temptation to serve your best looks, this is a time for comfort and practicality. Everyone who skydives is fitted with a skydiving jumpsuit and a harness that runs across your shoulders, so opting for tee shirt, pants/shorts/leggings and close-toed shoes, and avoiding dresses/skirts and sleeveless tops will have you best prepped for a comfortable flight. Don’t worry, you’ll still look very cool in the jump gear!
4. Drink water & hydrate
It’s generally quite good for being a human, as well as preparing for a skydive. Drink a good amount the morning of your jump and bring your own water bottle with you to the base. We have cold water machines on site to keep your bottle filled. If you’re concerned about the bathroom, don’t worry – we have gender neutral toilets and you can go as many times as you need, right up until we prepare for the jump.
5. Avoid coffee/caffeinated drinks
In good old NZ we LOOOOVE our coffee, but if you can do your best to hold off on that first oat flatty or Monster until after the jump, you’ll be able to feel much calmer about the experience. Let’s just say you’re not going to need it!
6. Breathe
Simple breathing exercises can help calm your nervous system and centre your body. We have heaps of delicious clean air in NZ, so take as many long, deep slow mediative breaths as you can.
7. Don’t fear the drop
If you’re worried about a sinking or dropping feeling more common with jumping into water, hitting a speed bump, or riding a roller coaster. Rest assured that you don’t really experience that when you skydive. Because science! – When exiting the plane, you are immediately supported by the relative wind, and it will feel totally different to anything you’ve ever experienced before.
8. Bring a Buddy
We love having friends and family at our Drop Zone and it makes for an awesome group experience if you have mates & loved ones there to support you. Bring along your buddies – the joyful energy may even convince them to jump!
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If you’re still feeling a low hum of nervousness, just remember that the tandem skydivers you’re jumping with have thousands of jumps under their belt, an
d despite years of experience, our crew completely understand and remember what it is like to make that first jump. We’ve got you covered!
Go on – get up here! It’s epic!!