Introduction:
Hello and welcome back to: Becoming a Skinny Legend with Claire. Fair warning: I’ll be including a lot of pictures in this post, because I paid 200 bucks for them! As mentioned last week, I decided to try skydiving. I know, I know, it’s not necessarily the first activity that comes to mind when we think “sport,” but I really wanted to switch it up this week! Skydiving has always terrified me, because I have a small fear of heights. Nonetheless, I love challenging myself and cherish a good adrenaline rush. So, I took the jump (literally). If you’re like me, you may be wondering who the first idiot to jump out of a plane was. Lucky for us, I did some research. According to “Skydive Euroa: the Parachute School,” based in Melbourne, Australia, the first successful skydive was accomplished by a french man, Andre-Jacques Garnerin, “who made successful parachute descents in 1797 using a canvas canopy and a small basket tied beneath a hot air balloon. The first recorded free fall jump is credited to Leslie Irvin in 1919 and the earliest competitive dives date back to the 1930’s.” Skydiving became more popular when the military began to utilize parachute technologies, and returning soldiers began practicing at a recreational level. Eventually, this lead to skydiving becoming the popular sport it is today.
Experience:
I chose to skydive at “Skydive Palm Beach.” Their website was easy to navigate, with stellar reviews and certified instructors. Like boxing, there was an FAQ section as well, which as I mentioned in my previous post, is comforting for beginners such as myself. Upon arrival, I walked through a small airport hangar, and was guided to a back room where we watched a quick informational video and signed a large stack of waivers. The instructors were some of the coolest people I had ever met, with a laidback yet hardy energy. I asked them whether anyone had died while in their care, and they laughed and assured me that they had an impeccable track record. When jumping for the first time, you do a tandem jump, which is when the instructor is on the back of you, basically performing all tasks such as pulling the chute and steering. After everything was completed in the back room, we walked back into the hangar and got in the plane. I went with my best friend, and we each had an instructor strapped on the back of us. To jump, the plane door is opened and you stand on a super thin platform outside the plane. Before I could even think, my instructor jumped us out, and we were off. There isn’t a “free-fall” feeling in your stomach that you get on a roller coaster, but you’re rather just kind of floating. For the first 45 seconds, we fell with no parachute and the wind was loud and piercing. However, as soon as the chute was pulled, the world was completely silent as we peacefully floated down. For the landing, all I had to do was brace and bend my knees. We were in the air for a total of about 15 minutes, during which I felt like I was on top of the world.
Criteria:
Calories burned: My Fitbit didn’t even register that a “workout” was occurring, as I didn’t exactly get my heart rate up. I don’t think I burned any more calories than I would doing basic everyday activities.
Quality of the workout: I’ll be honest, although skydiving qualifies as a sport, with the way I was doing it, it felt more like an activity or experience. I would assume that as you get more advanced, controlling the parachute or doing “tricks,” it’s more physically taxing. However, being tandem, all I had to do was sit back and relax – which I’m not complaining about!
Fun: This was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. The feeling directly before jumping out of the plane was pure exhilaration, and feeling the air rush against my face as we free fell was unreal. The instructors were so cheery and upbeat, and I also experienced this with my best friend, which truly made this experience unmatched. Lastly, I felt an immense sense of pride for crossing off a life-long bucket list item!
Would I go again? I would love to go skydiving again. I’m definitely interested in getting the necessary certifications to jump without an instructor. It would also be sick to skydive in a place with better views than South Florida, because although beautiful, it was a whole lot of field!
Looking Forward:
Everyone should go skydiving at least once in their lives, and I’m so happy I got to experience it! Next week we’re going to be reeling it back in a bit, as I have a session with a personal trainer. Stay tuned! Over and out.
Becoming a Skinny Legend with Claire 