10 tips to overcome the fear of skydiving

Do you dream of flying in the open sky, but are you petrified by the fear of jumping out of a plane and falling into the void? If you also ask yourself "how can I overcome my fear of skydiving?", you should know that you are not the only one who feels this way. Parachuting or skydiving pushes the limits of your comfort zone and forces you to overcome your fears like nothing else can.

The only things that help you overcome your fear of jumping and enjoy the freedom that jumping gives you are the appropriate mentality and preparation! And even if skydiving can increase your adrenaline and make your heart beat faster, don't forget that they are part of the fun! It is an experience different from anything you have done before, but one that you will definitely like!

Here are 10 tips that will help you overcome your fear and take the leap of your life!

1. Understand that fear is normal

Is it normal to be afraid of skydiving? Yes! It's perfectly normal to be afraid of something you've never done before and you don't know what to expect!
The idea of ​​jumping out of a plane 4000 meters above the ground can be daunting. Don't forget that fear is a natural response to something you perceive as a threat. Embrace your fear, use it as motivation to overcome it and then reap the benefits of the adrenaline rush that comes with success. Many parachutists have faced exactly the same fear, but they have come out much stronger from this experience.

2. Take small steps

Even birds have to open their wings and learn to fly before taking flight from the nest. Fortunately, there is a chance to test skydiving with a visit to an indoor skydiving center. If you ask yourself "how do you feel when you jump into the void?", the wind tunnel is a perfect place to experience the sensation of free fall without actually being in the air.

Although there are quite significant differences between indoor skydiving and real skydiving, the wind tunnel manages to imitate very well the aerodynamics you will experience in free fall. The chance to see how it feels to fly before jumping from a real plane will prepare you for parachuting and you will be able to avoid the fear of jumping.

3. Calculate the risks

Just like in any other life situation, physical activities that exceed your limits and extreme sports have calculated risks. If you know exactly what the risks of skydiving are, you can have a certain degree of comfort before embarking on your thrilling adventure. Statistically speaking, skydiving is not as risky as you might think.

4. Parachuting is safer than other extreme sports

The comparison with other extreme sports could help you to escape to a certain extent the fear of jumping from a plane. It is possible that one of the reasons for the fears when it comes to parachuting is the misunderstanding of the exact safety in this sport. Some people prefer bungee jumping to skydiving because it seems safer, but in reality bungee jumping has far fewer backup safety features than skydiving.

In tandem skydiving, you are safely attached to a professional skydiver, whose task is to operate all the skydiving equipment to return you safely to the ground. In bungee, on the other hand, you are connected to the jumping platform by a professional, but you will do the jump completely by yourself.

Not to mention the fact that the skydiving equipment includes several backup systems, such as the reserve parachute, which activates if there is a failure of the main parachute and an automatic activation device (AAD) that opens the reserve parachute in case in which the parachutist cannot do it alone. In bungee jumping, on the other hand, there is only one rope, and if it breaks, you have no backup.

5. Look at videos and pictures of jumps

To better know what to expect, look for photos and videos of other people's jumps. The good part about these pictures is that even though people look absolutely terrified before they jump out of the plane, most of them have a huge smile on their faces when they end up in free fall.
Moreover, most of those who do tandem jumps don't even remember the fear they had, and when they reach the ground they only talk about how much they enjoyed it.

6. Distinguish between myth and reality

There are many myths about skydiving. From the myth that you can't breathe in free fall to the myth that skydiving makes you feel like you're on a roller coaster, there are a lot of stories about this sport, so it can be difficult to know which one to believe.

The truth is that you can breathe in free fall and, instead of feeling like you're falling, you'll feel like you're cushioned by air. The experiences of each of us are different, but most of those who jump once, love this sensation and would do it again!

7. Call your friends

We all need the support of our friends from time to time. It is much easier to overcome your fear of skydiving when you have the support and support of your friends or loved ones. If you have the chance to go through the experience of parachuting with your loved ones, you will have something to think about, you will find comfort in a new environment, you will have encouragement and necessarily some jokes, so that things will be easier . In addition, you can convince your friends to jump with you.

8. Information means power

One of the most effective ways to overcome your fear of skydiving is information. Read everything you can about skydiving, about risks, equipment, statistics. When you feel anxious, you will only have to remember everything you read and you will fight the thoughts that do not leave you alone and that change your mood.

9. Visit the jump site

Usually, the fear of the unknown is what scares us the most before the first jump. Skydiving is not the type of activity you do every day, so it can be difficult, if not impossible, to imagine what it will be like. Even if you have friends who have jumped, you can never really know what to expect until you feel it on your skin.

Look carefully for information about the place where you will jump, about the safety rating of the dropzone, about special facilities and about the quality of the staff. After you are sure that you have chosen the right place, visit it before you jump, to meet the team, to check the skydiving equipment and to ask all the questions you have.

10. Talk to team members

Talk to the instructors and team at the skydiving center. Sharing your fears will allow them to offer you additional support and explanations to reassure you.

The discussion with the team members will definitely help you to reduce the feeling of fear. These people have hundreds, if not thousands of jumps, and many of them have felt the fear of parachuting at some point. They can best describe the feeling you have when you jump and tell you what to expect.

The bottom line... it's better to skydive scared than not to skydive at all. So, stop thinking, it's time to take action, overcome your fears and join those who do skydiving. Be convinced that you will not regret it! You can opt for a Clinceni parachute jump - and you will have the most successful experience.