Skydiving: When Sh*t Gets Real!

It’s easy to be all talk, that is, until sh*t gets real.

On a skydive, this comes somewhere muddled amongst the moments when the door of the aircraft opens filling the cabin with the brisk air at altitude, as nervous goosebumps prickle your skin while you slide toward that open door, and as you precariously line your toes against the edge that separates you from freefall.

So, what do you do when sh*t gets real? With 40+ years of experience dealing with sh*t just got real moments, we think we’ve got it just about figured out. Here’s what you need to know.

1. It’s All In Your Head.

Skydiving is a total head game. Don’t get psyched out. Anticipation of your skydiving adventure is much more frightening than skydiving itself. You won’t be the first to wait trembling for your turn to board the plane or be entirely unique if you wonder “what in the world am I doing” as the instructor says “Ready. Set. Go.”

We will have you know, within seconds of sh*t getting real, it gets really great. Once you’re in freefall, you can let your worries go. The only thing you’ll focus on is how much fun you’re having. Give yourself a mental break and keep this in mind as jump time approaches.

2. It’s Safer Than You Think.

Let’s talk statistics.  According to the United States Parachute Association, out of 3.2 MILLION jumps, there were only 24 recorded fatal skydiving accidents. That equates to .0075 fatalities per 1,000 jumps. For tandem skydiving, the stats are even better. Over the past decade, there has only been one student fatality per 500,000 tandem jumps. In fact, data gathered by the National Safety Council reveals a person is more likely to be killed by a bee sting or being struck by lightning than on a skydive.  For more on skydiving safety, you can view the most recent statistics on USPA’s website.

Since its inception, skydiving has experienced great technological advances. While as an extreme sport, skydiving is subject to inherent risks, we can boast an excellent safety record. You’re better off skydiving than you are on your commute to work. Seriously.

3. If Granddad Can Do It, So Can You.

For skydiving, there is an age minimum but no maximum. All that is required is to be young at heart. Plenty of seniors see skydiving as a great way to have fun, and not just to cross an item off their bucket list with tandem skydiving either. There are clubs and specific record attempts for licensed sport skydivers who in the “regular world” may be considered “past their prime,” Don’t you let them hear you say that, though. These skydivers can certainly show you a thing or two. Clubs include the Skydivers Over Sixty (SOS), the Jumpers Over Seventy (JOS), the Jumpers Over Eighty Society (JOES), and even the Jumpers Over Ninety Society (JONS).

Inspired? You should be. Impressed? You better be. All things considered, you’re a young whippersnapper. Are you really going to let granny show you up?

4. Until Sh*t Gets Real, You Won’t Know What It’s Like To Be Fully Alive.

It’s easy to become dull, complacent, and comfortable. But here’s a secret: nothing remarkable occurs within the boundaries of your comfort zone. You want to know when memories are made and magic happens? It’s when sh*t get’s real. Let’s put it this way. If your life became a biography, would anybody want to read it?

Leave the boring behind and start an epic story with a tandem skydive at Skydive Perris today!