Doing a tandem skydive has been something I've wanted to do for a long time, and when a friend suggested we just go for it and do it here, I had no idea what a treat I was in for.
I did a lot of reading ahead of time (mainly to psych myself up for it), and this place came with a great reputation...online, anyway. I went into the experience with an open mind and a critical eye.
There was more than enough e-mail communication with us ahead of time. Papers to fill out, things to watch for (mainly weather), etc.
I think I expected to find just a grass strip, a small shack and not a lot else. I was so wrong. As you drive up, you see that this is a small yet full-blown skydiving facility, obviously well established and well maintained.
I'm unclear what some other reviewers are talking about regarding the front desk folks. The two women I dealt with could not have been more pleasant and helpful. In fact, everyone here seems to love their job.
You can watch videos of other jumps while you wait. You can talk to anyone on staff and ask questions. If you get there at the right time, you can see solo and tandem divers coming in for landings. Every single one I saw walking back to the office was happy, and practically all had the "we have to do that again" attitude.
The folks inside who run you through what to expect and what to do really seem to know their stuff. It's a very relaxed atmosphere that at the same time carries a deadly serious undertone--there's no chance for you to think that this is an easy, care-free experience. There is always a risk of death or injury involved, but the statistics are very much in your favor. (Accidents make the news because they are so rare. If jumping were too dangerous, it would be illegal.) If you pay attention and do as your told, you'll get your money's worth, and more.
Instructors do more than just cinch up the harnesses and (eventually) take you with them out the side of a plane at 12,000 feet up. The ones we dealt with (Chris and Adam) were friendly and knew just how to put first-timers at ease. Plenty of jokes and plenty of disarming techniques all served to make this an enjoyable and exciting experience from start to finish.
We watched a video that essentially emphasized the various warnings we received in all of the forms we had filled out ahead of time. Then we met our instructors and started to suit up into the harnesses. You don't have to dress in anything special, and you won't get a jumpsuit or anything like that (in case you're expecting that; I was not). Adam and Chris checked each other's work, and then we made our way out to the plane.
On this day, my friend and I went up together, and we had paid extra for video and stills, so the small-ish plane was full with two instructors, two clients (us), our own dedicated videographers, and a couple of other staffers (plus the pilot).
As we climbed, the atmosphere inside the plane remained fun. We were "interviewed" for our videos, we ran through final checks, and I felt complete and total trust that we were in excellent hands. (I don't think they knew what to make of my dry sense of humor.)
The door slid open and in rushed the blast of air. The videographer steps out first and then...
[INSERT YOUR OWN AMAZING EXPERIENCE HERE]
Safely on the ground, we did a couple more "interviews" then walked back to the office to wait for our videos.
The website says leave 3 to 5 hours for the entire process; probably this is to account mainly for weather delays--we experienced one that kept us on hold for about an hour at most. The post-jump wait for the videos wasn't long, so we had time to remove our gear and think about what just happened. And we weren't abandoned while we waited; our instructors hung around and chatted.
Tipping is not expected but we both felt our instructors deserved it. I just hope we tipped appropriately! (Hard to ask how much it should be.)
The staffers watched our videos with us, gave us thumb drives containing the video and still photo files (along with certificates and other fun stuff), and then my friend and I were on our way home.
I can't recommend this place highly enough. Looking forward to doing this again. And again. read more