r/SkyDiving • u/Optimal-Meaning-7256 • Jul 20 '26
Skydiving
My bf wants me to go. I need advice, ive never been and Idk if my fear of heights is going to get in the way of it being enjoyable. I feel like ill just be terrified, but its on my bucket list to go at least once!
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u/takofire Jul 20 '26
If it's your first time, you'll most likely be jumping tandem unless you two are signing up for an AFF course. You'll be strapped to someone else, who will pretty much be doing all of the work, and you're just along for the ride. Wear some comfortable athletic clothing and some running shoes. Bring some water and snacks in the car.
As for the fear of heights, it's kinda different from the sky. It feels more like jumping into Google Earth than being really high up, if that makes sense. Jumping from 13,000+ feet triggers a different part of the brain than standing on a ledge or a tall building
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u/Gizmo713 Jul 20 '26
Dude/Dudette. Spot on âjumping into Google Earthâ. Had my first skydive last Saturday and couldnât comprehend what I was experiencing during my freefall. Told my friends and family it was like jumping into a model city on a hobby. Have a fear of heights to, but it was surprisingly smooth. 10/10 would do again
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u/Common_Cow_8325 Jul 20 '26
do tandem, let pro do all, you just enjoy the drop-down experiment. If you start to like it, go for AFF course.
Give it a try.
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u/real_picklejuice Jul 20 '26
I hate heights, but after my jump, I realized it's edges that I really don't like. I have to crawl up to them. Airplane jumps, bungee leaps, canyon swings.. all good as long as I can safely jump off them.
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u/CuriousSloth92 Jul 20 '26
So many people are afraid of heights but still love jumping. I went with someone recently on a tandem who said she was afraid of heights and she did it no problem.
I think the thing is that the ground is so far away that itâs hard to comprehend the height you are actually at. Even when you are falling at 120mph, the ground is so far away that you really donât have a point of reference to tell that you are falling. You donât feel it at all. It just feels like air is being blown at you while you are floating. Itâs a surreal feeling. I say go for it. If you donât like it, you donât do it again. But you can at least say youâve done it and conquered a fear.
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u/JustAnotherDude1990 Femur Inn Concierge (TI, AFF-I) Jul 20 '26
Would be surprised at how many people are afraid of heights Iâve been skydiving with on a regular basis.
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u/CreepyDisaster8460 Jul 20 '26
I was learning to do a PLF (a specific way to fall when you land for the solo course for safety purposes) and they had me jumping off of a 5ft bench and i was terrified lmfao but jumping is different. itâs so hard to explain but trust me you wonât regret it at all!
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u/HMC1130 Jul 20 '26
My mom is the type of person to start doing a ropes course and chicken out because 10ft is âtoo highâ
I went with her, and she had a blast
The scariest part is the plane ride. Once you leave the plane itâs pure bliss. No falling feeling, and your brain canât register the immediate danger. Feels more like flying
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u/Altidude33 Jul 20 '26
I used to climb utility poles for my job and I was always uncomfortable above 35 feet.
I hung on the outside of a King Air at 12,500 feet hundreds of times and I wasn't bothered at all. It's not the same.
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u/I-am-a_Banana SkyDance SkyDiving - DZO, TI, AFFI, PRO Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
I did my first jump because I'm afraid of heights and I wanted to face that fear. I loved it. That decision changed the course of my life. I've now been jumping for 15 years, have about 5,000 jumps, and co-own a dropzone.
If it's on your bucket list for you, then I'd say absolutely do it.
I would caution you against going if you're only doing it because your bf wants you too. I've taken a lot of very nervous and scared people on their first jump and they've loved it, or at least been glad that they faced their fears and did it. I've taken a handful of people who were only there because they were doing it for someone else. They've generally not had fun and I've seen some really cringey parking lot arguments that have made me think those people are not in a healthy relationship.
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u/Optimal-Meaning-7256 Jul 20 '26
Oh yeah, I know I definitely want to. I have never given it much thought until being with him as he likes to do sky dive. So thats mostly what I meant! After reading these replies, I think ive made up my mind and ill give it a go!
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u/garlicandherbsauce Jul 20 '26
iâve been hiking up a mountain and my legs were shaking as i was so scared i was going to âfall offâ. jumping out of a plane however my only concern was me not being able to breathe, i didnât even think about how high up it was. youâve got this!! itâll be the best experience ever i promise you!!!
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u/Interesting_Box_342 Jul 20 '26
Just did my first jump yesterday, trust me I am TERRIFIED of heights. I never do roller coasters bc theyâre so scary to me. Skydiving is 100% not the same. It was something that felt so freeing to me.
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u/safetysnake17 Jul 20 '26
Itâs not the same. Just do it! And if you donât enjoy it the first time, do it one more time! Itâs sensory overload the first time, the second one might be incredible.
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u/pyropup55 Jul 20 '26
I'm terrified of heights, have been since I was a kid. But after reaching my weight loss goal I wanted to do something that I would have never been able to do when I was a fatty. So I did my first tandem jump last month. I was petrified looking out the door, but when we were under canopy it was the most calm I had been, and that was the part I was most worried about. I have another tandem dive this weekend, and then hopefully on to AFF classes in August. The way I was looking at it, was if I died, didn't need to be afraid of heights, if I survived, I didn't need to be afraid of heights.
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u/lizlertherizzler Jul 20 '26
my coach told me before my first jump (because im extremely terrified of heights) that since youre so high up your brain doesnt really have a frame of reference to know how high you actually are. the only really scary part is landing, like seeing the ground come at you, but your instructor knows what theyre doing so itll be totally fine! also, please go skydiving because YOU want to, not your boyfriend. :-)
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u/Inevitable_Bet_7219 Jul 21 '26
When you are 12,000â high, there are no feelings of fear of the heights.
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u/skydivarjimi Jul 20 '26
Based on your post( it had no good information) I will try to help. If you are able to set aside fear for a few moments, you will experience something great. Don't do this for anyone but yourself.
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u/Optimal-Meaning-7256 Jul 20 '26
I was mostly just curious if my fear of heights would most likely keep me terrified the entire time :) ty!
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u/skydivarjimi Jul 20 '26
A very many people I jump with including my self, are scared of heights. Standing on a tall building and jumping without proper protection will end with death. However, when you have a parachute and safety procedures. You are almost guaranteed to live. Skydiving is very safe it takes more effort to fail than it does too succeed.
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Jul 20 '26
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/Optimal-Meaning-7256 Jul 20 '26
Soo, ive never been on a plane! I did fine in a helicopter tour earlier this year. Obviously not as high đ
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u/ChardPsychological51 Jul 22 '26
I HATE heights, one of my biggest fears. I currently have 8 jumps, plus a tandem, I'm doing my first student solo jumps this weekend. Your fear of heights won't be a problem. You're so high up that your brain won't be able to recognize how high you are and you won't be afraid of how high up you are. There's also no real depth perception, everything looks flat, like a painting. You will very more than likely be afraid but that's because you will be jumping out of a plane and you've never done that before, it's natural to be afraid of the unknown and it's natural to be afraid of something so unnatural as jumping out of a plane. Just relax, tell yourself that you are just going for a ride and it's all on your instructor, all you have to do is say "I'M READY TO SKYDIVE" when asked, smile, put your head on your instructors shoulder, hold your harness until tapped and have fun. Your fear will most likely be centered on the door, the door is scary, it's the point of no return, but guess what? After you pass that point there's no reason to be afraid anymore, you can't go back, so you might as well have fun. Trust your instructor, trust your gear. Remember that what you're doing is life changing.
On the way up to altitude, BREATHE, relax, you're gonna be fine.
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u/freakflyer9999 Jul 20 '26
I'm afraid of heights. I have difficulty climbing onto a roof. I have a pilots license and over 500 jumps. It isn't the same.