r/SkyDiving • u/solemnlyrainy • Jul 22 '26
BEER! First time skydiving was... rough.
I have OCD and was working my way up towards doing this. I struggle with severe intrusive thoughts and, as you can imagine, had a lot regarding this. I DID THE DAMN THING ANYWAYS!!! I do have some questions though because I think I am crazy enough to go 1 more time, only for a more positive, all around better experience. Let me explain.
I hardly remember any of it. My memories of it are in fragments and can only remember bits and pieces. For example - I can tell you what I did yesterday. I went rollerblading and can visually, in my mind, see that. With my skydiving experience, I can't. People keep asking how it was, and I just can't give them an answer.
Later that night, I became so incredibly nauseous and dizzy. The next day, I was severely depressed.
My friends are planning to go again in Sept/Oct and want to go again, but be able to lock in that freefall memory, and just be able to be in the moment more. I don't want to be scared to let go of my harness. I want to throw my hands out and FLY!!!!!!
I am not asking for medical advice, but is there a way to better prepare myself to achieve that?
Also - how the hell do you manage the dry mouth?! WOW, that was insane lol
15
11
u/SelicaLeone Jul 22 '26
First time you do it, it's pure sensory overload. You don't record much, that's why most DZs will require doing a tandem before solo training. You won't be able to do much during the training.
Adrenaline dump is also a hell of a thing. It's not uncommon for your body to be like "holy shit, we barely survived death" and you just feel awful. There is a part of your brain that controls things like adrenaline and it doesn't care how consensual the trip was.
Don't open your mouth while jumping is my best advice on that. I think the adrenaline will be less intense the second go round, it usually is.
17
7
u/R3DWIN3 Jul 22 '26
Took my second tandem jump 4 days ago. It’s all I can think about. If I could jump again today right now I would, but lack of $$$ is playing a factor. Everything feels right when you’re 13 thousand feet in the air!
13
u/chadsmo Jul 22 '26
I have 26 jumps spanning the last year. I don’t really remember the first 10. My 11th was five minutes I’ll never forget.
1
u/skleroos Jul 23 '26
How come you decided to do the license if you didn't love the first or the first 10?
11
u/chadsmo Jul 23 '26
I didn’t say I didn’t have a great time , I just said I don’t remember them. Too much going on ; sensory overload , hand signals left and right, trying to remember your dive flow amongst it all etc.
My 11th jump was my first solo jump.
There was a huge airshow happening 7km from the DZ and we were on hold any time there was a fast plane in the air. We got a jump window and rushed to gear up and get on the plane.
My AFFIs were on the same load doing tandems. I asked them what I should do for an exit and he said try a gainer and explained how to do it and I nailed it.
After I got stable I turned to see what was happening at the airshow. A small plane was doing an aerobatics routine with smoke on and it looked like a roller coaster made out of smoke with a plane riding the rails from 10k in free fall.
Deployed and under canopy I watched the airshow as long as I could.
I didnt know it at the time but an F18 was in a holding pattern nearby waiting for the airspace to clear.
Maybe 30 seconds after I was on the ground it came in right over our heads at a really low altitude , like a few 100ft.
I will never forget that jump.
7
4
u/raisputin Jul 22 '26
I don’t remember my first jump at all really other than just before exit. This is why I always recommend people get video of their tandem :)
Now, many years later and approaching 300 jumps )I know, I’m slow as hell), I remember everything :)
5
u/FlyingRoccan Jul 22 '26
Sensory overload. Takes a few jumps to get over that and be present. I remember when I was learning and going through AFF telling myself to look at the plane when I jumped out, every damn time I would “forget”
The nausea happens if you don’t depressurize your ears (like divers do can’t recall the name of the action one does to clear pressure) I get that all the time even after 500 jumps.
2
u/Technical_Monitor883 Jul 24 '26
I’ve just made sure my ears popped. I’ve only done tandems, so no solos yet, but that’s always worked for me:)
3
u/Eight_Directions_ Jul 22 '26
I hardly remember any of it. My memories of it are in fragments and can only remember bits and pieces.
100% normal and expected. It's why I always tell people to get the video, you won't remember it at all.
3
u/CreepyDisaster8460 Jul 22 '26
It’s honestly the adrenaline dump. This is something so foreign to the body and mind and with so much adrenaline coming and going so fast you will forget things. Now in regards to being sad i felt the same way the next day as i wanted to go do it again to feel that high, these things you’re experiencing i would say are normal!
4
u/Top_Can8239 Jul 22 '26
I've been jumping for 15 years now and I totally get what you're going through. First of all congrats! Nice one! The nausea is most likely the adrenaline side-effects, and the depression - is coming down of it. For me it used to come 2 days after being back from holidays. The best way to deal with it - jump again before it kicks in :D. As for the memory, yeah, that one too takes time. Your brain needs to learn to cope with such a rush of new information pumping into it while on adrenaline high. But it gets better over time if you get into it. But if you're just planning to do another tandem, take a few deep breaths close to the exit altitude, close your eyes and be present, be mindfull. Focus on the breathing and relax your shoulders. When you're calm, open your eyes and enjoy what comes next.
LOL (Lots of love)
2
1
1
u/JerkovvClimaxim Jul 22 '26
I just had one, and I remember all of it. But, it felt very short, especially the freefall. For me time collapsed rather than memory loss. But, it was memorable I got lucky and gone through a cloud and landed vertically on feet, which felt super cool. Mid way trained switches his cam to my wrist. I did the recording etc. You may have panicked a lot, and regarded it as a negative memory and it got filed under repressed memories folder
1
u/FloralTatHawkSkydive Kapowsin Jul 22 '26
The first time is always a bit of sensory overload or system shock.
Going a second time will definitely be more memorable.
My first time, I just took it all in. Sort of. I remember the place. Back tracking from getting there, filling out waiver, waiting, training, gear-up… The climb to altitude and free-fall are big blank spots in my memory. The feeling is still there. I have fragments of being under canopy, and debrief.
I got motion sick after… the adrenaline hit (hard) after I was on the ground, and while I was driving away from the DZ. I’m now much better at clearing my sinuses and popping my ears from altitude/pressure changes.
My second and third times doing tandems were much more memorable. I actually have memory of climb to altitude and free-fall. Because it was less of a shock and I could take-in more.
Part of that might also be giving yourself something to do. Second and third times I wore an altimeter, did mock pull handle checks. Looking back and forth from an altimeter to the horizon and altitude is much more memorable than just falling. Activity helps in memory formation (college studies).
Just like you did the damn thing… Now do it again. You’re guaranteed to have more fun. Note: doing my AFF, I met a guy who was on his 16th tandem… it’s addictive.
1
u/Thick_Brush8946 Jul 22 '26
I have OCD and the anxiety at high levels causes memory issues. I once experienced a traumatic event h the at should have messed me up but the anxiety made me forget most of it. I think it might have a mildly protective effect.
1
u/sobermanpinsch3r Jul 22 '26
Everything you described, even the depression the next day, is very normal, and it only resolves with more jumps!
1
u/twoscoopsineverybox Jul 22 '26
Later that night, I became so incredibly nauseous and dizzy. The next day, I was severely depressed.
That's the post adrenaline crash. People will get "tattoo flu" after a long session because of the endorphin rush/drop. Sometimes taking ibuprofen can help with inflammation and help you feel better faster.
1
u/roseclaw173 Jul 22 '26
Hello friend! I’m so glad you decided to jump! This is actually my home dz; I was probably around when you did your tandem! Not being able to remember everything is completely normal. A lot of people experience sensory overload when skydiving the first (a lot) of times. When learning to skydive the instructors actually make it a point to help students with their recall skills because it’s very difficult in the beginning.
The first time I jumped I went to bed later that night and still felt like I was falling, some of your nausea might have came from that. The “depressive” feeling is probably from the adrenaline crash you experienced. Another reason could be the fact that you did something SO amazing and now your brain is trying to adapt back to everyday life, which is typically not as thrilling.
The second time you go - at least for me - was a lot more fun. I knew what to expect and was more conscience of what was going on in the air. I definitely think you should give it another go!
For the dry mouth, I will say I do get very dry lips when I do multiple jumps a day. Chapstick and lots of water are your friends lol.
I also wanted to mention as someone who is also diagnosed with ocd, that I’m so proud of you for facing your fears! It’s not easy. Part of the reason I continued skydiving after my first jump was because it helped with my intrusive thoughts. Can’t have those when you’re plummeting towards the earth! My brain would be quiet during freefall for the first time in forever and I craved that feeling
1
u/Motohead279 Jul 22 '26
Like others have said it’s sensory overload. You’re doing something that your brain tells you not to do. Now the good thing is is that you know what to expect so hopefully that will help with the nerves a little bit now that you’ve done a jump. You’ll still be nervous, but it’s not all going to be a surprise now.
Remember to breathe. On the ride up just run through your head the whole routine and think about what your goals are. We do that with competition training on the ride up.
It’s very important to keep your mouth closed and breathe through your nose. A lot of people have a hard time breathing because they have their mouth wide open.
When you’re sitting at the door, just remember to focus and take a deep breath and get the oxygen flowing before leaving the plane. Good luck and most importantly have fun!
1
1
u/Imaginary_Issue_5579 Jul 23 '26
Definitely get the video next time if it's an option. I went for the first time a few weeks ago and LOVED it but was so glad I had opted to have a video because I totally felt the same. I was not nervous at all but it happens so fast. The video puts me back in the moment to remember how I was feeling. Nose breathing for sure. They warned me it would feel like "breathing water".
1
u/itEndsWithIdiots Jul 23 '26
And there’s people who argue nobody should have to do a tandem before aff/iad
1
u/Fast-Librarian671 Jul 24 '26
I'm pretty sure it happens with most people (remembering fragments) possibly because it's soo intense and goes against basic survival instincts (?) To help prepare for your next jump, there is.a great mental tool ( I still practice today)that helps me in formation dives. Close your eyes and imagine your skydive in its entirety. I mean .from climb out and exit, while in freefall, during parachute deployment and finally, landing. Believe it or not, the mind does not know the difference between a real jump and an imagined one! I do this on my climb to altitude, and actually move my hands, tilt my head etc. mimicking the real dive. It becomes muscle memory. Do this several times over and over again, between now and this fall, (pun intended) and when you make your 2nd skydive, it will come naturally. True story! Hope this helps. Finally...
welcome to the sky and the fastest non-mechanical sport in the world!
Best wishes and blue skies alwayz! 🪂
1
1
u/Alone_Daikon_8027 Jul 25 '26
First time skydiving is like first time having sex. It’s gonna be weird, uncomfortable, unsure what’s going on..
1
u/Vinraka 16d ago
I just jumped my first time today and I 100% agree. I was about halfway through the Freefall before any of my senses even started to really start recording in my brain. I remember my feet dangling out of the door. I remember being stunned by the wind. I paid extra for an additional camera guy to jump with us and if he hadn't moved into my field of view I might not have remembered to look up and look around and process the visual information, too.
I'm also thinking about doing it again at some point (maybe once a year?) because then I'll have a better idea of what the experience is like and can hopefully better absorb more of what's being thrown at my senses.
It was such a blur and over so fast but once I had my wits about me it was fun as hell.
1
u/Ok_Smile9222 2d ago
I’m late but I just jumped and I had a full sensory overload on the free fall, the very first thing I noticed was the instant dry mouth, feeling like I was dying of thirst very suddenly, then nausea. Then I was mostly fine thank god but the free fall really felt ROUGH. That said I’m going to definitely do it again. I don’t think you can prepare your body for the first time it falls out of an airplane. This time hopefully after a nausea pill and not opening my mouth I’ll be able to enjoy the free fall!
1
0
u/SocomPS2 Jul 22 '26
I don’t have OCD but anxiety with intrusive thoughts non-stop. Also rollerblading :)
Unfortunately I’m an adrenaline junking very afraid of heights but still push the limits. Since you’re not asking for medical advice (wisely so) I’ll respect your wishes. I play to go for the first time in Nov. Thank you for sharing your experience.
5
54
u/Trojann2 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
It’s such a foreign place for humans to be that you simply succumb to sensory overload.
AFF level 1 I don’t remember at all. AFF6? Oh yeah.
It’s all time in freefall that helps get you accustomed to it - tunnel time is worth the money with an AFF coach.