Go indoor skydiving!
One of the best ways to prepare yourself for the feeling of actually skydiving is to try indoor skydiving. Of course indoor skydiving can’t prepare you for the experience of going up in a plane knowing that you’re going to be jumping out of it. But it can give you the chance to understand what the actual feeling of skydiving is like.
If it is something you are nervous about this can be a good option for you – many people who try indoor skydiving are pumped to try the real thing afterwards.
And new technological advances means that it is now possible to wear virtual reality headgear, which provides you with the most authentic skydiving experience outside of jumping out of a real plane! For those who are not sure whether it’s something that they would enjoy doing, this can be brilliant way to get a better understanding of it.
Learn what to expect
The last thing you want is to get a shock on the day of the skydive itself, so make sure you do some background reading into what you can expect. The provider of your skydiving experience will have plenty of information available, so go through thoroughly what you will be doing on the day. This can help to calm your nerves and make you feel more comfortable about exactly what is to come.
The worst thing that you can do if you are feeling nervous is to push the thought of doing the skydive to the back of your mind. This means that you will have to confront all these thoughts on the day. Watch videos and get a good grip of what you will be doing – this will allow you to enjoy the day even more.
Get plenty of sleep
The day before your skydive it is a great idea to remember that you’re going to need a decent night’s sleep. You want to fully rested and alert for the big day so you should take a look at your schedule and ensure that you’re not doing anything that will keep you up until the early hours.
It’s worth remembering that you will probably feel nervous before bed so try to plan some ways to deal with potential restlessness. One good tactic is reading (although don’t read about what you’re going to be doing tomorrow!). Of course you shouldn’t be tempted to take any kind of sleeping pills as these will leave you feeling very drowsy and unpleasant in the morning. Just plan for a good night sleep and do what you can.
On the day
The important thing is to treat your skydive as a normal day – eat and drink as you would normally, although you probably shouldn’t eat an enormous three course meal before your dive. Many people worry that if they have anything in their stomach, they will feel sick. But you’re actually more likely to feel nauseous if you don’t have anything at all.
It’s an extremely bad idea to rely on any ‘Dutch courage’. Drinking alcohol for any reason before skydiving is dangerous and something that you should never do. You will be stopped for attempting your jump and will likely be denied any kind of refund. Besides, this is something that you want to experience completely sober so you can enjoy it.
Going up in the plane
If you find yourself getting nervous as the plane takes off and you begin to wonder whether this is really a good idea – don’t panic! It helps to remember that this is a feeling that every person who skydives has had to go through and there is nothing wrong with feeling nervous; you’re jumping out of a plane after all. Just remind yourself that you are in the hands of experienced professionals with exceptional safety credentials.
Words by Mike James in association with Into The Blue
