Last week I completed my first ever tandem skydive. It was one of the best experiences of my life.
I raised money for the Early Childhood Cancer charity, so I could jump. Eight members of DCU Cancer Society, went down to Abbeyshrule Aerodrome to complete the skydives.
What an amazing experience, there is so much preparation and training beforehand, with getting ready, signing documents, waivers, preparing the equipment, getting the plane ready, it takes a couple of hours. Then even reaching 10,000ft takes a further 20 minutes, and then you jump.
When you reach the height, you make your way to the open door, and before you even think, you’re falling out. Free falling is so amazing, we were rolling in the air and I didn’t want it to stop.
You free fall for around 10 seconds, and then your parachute deploys and you glide down to the ground for 30 seconds. The whole day’s preparation is worth it for those 40 seconds. It is an indescribable feeling that everyone should experience sometime in their lives.
Falling through the sky is like nothing I have experienced before. Its 120 mph coming at you, so you can’t hear your instructor, but it feels so peaceful and tranquil.
After the halfway point in the sky, your partner opens the parachute. I didn’t even feel it. People think there’s a jerk from it, but I only noticed the chute was pulled because we had slowed down.
As soon as it opened, I asked the instructor can we got back up. After we figured out what direction we needed to go, he let me steer the parachute.
You land softly, while sliding on your ass. There was a smile on my face stretching from ear to ear, and it lasted all day.
Telling people I completed a skydive, the first question they ask is “were you scared?” I can honestly say I wasn’t. It happens so quickly that your excitement alone distracts you and the instructors are great fun and make you feel relaxed but they are always professional.
One of the jumpers, told us that they don’t wish each other good luck, its bad luck to. So instead they say blue skies to each other to have a good jump. If you ever get the chance to do a skydive, make sure you take it, you won’t regret it.
Jordan Kavanagh
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