At 10,000 feet – the wind freezing cold in the middle of summer – you look down wondering how it will feel to let go. The door of the propeller aircraft opens and you lurch forward to the edge, sitting on the floor with your legs dangling at the height, hands cold and clammy, ready for your dive.
Whenever I tell friends I went Skydiving in Dubai , many feel crippled with fear thinking “Why would anyone in their right mind want to do that?”, while adrenaline-junkies jump at the idea. Let me tell you this from personal experience: Once you’ve tried it, there are no words that can describe the ecstasy of free-falling. From excitement and nervousness to the wind hitting your face as you dive head-first, every feeling before, during and after the dive merges to bring you an experience that will make you feel more alive than you’ve ever felt [Hush.. It’s not a cliché if it’s true]. So, no matter how reluctant you are, here are some reasons why [almost] everyone, including you, should skydive one in their life:
The Freefall
The freefall after the dive lasts about 30-40 seconds. This freefall doesn’t involve you simply falling through the sky. At some point, you will realize you are floating with the wind. This moment is where you overcome the shock of having jumped off a propeller plane and once that happens, you will release your numbing grip on the parachute straps and truly enjoy freefalling to the ground [not in a ‘my death is coming’ manner, like your fear will have you believe].
The View
No, you wont have the time to enjoy the view while you’re freefalling or even while you’re on the jet plane – you will either be too afraid to look down, or you’ll be busy posing for a picture mid air [if you’re a real daredevil[. You do, however, notice the breathtaking view after the parachute opens up and you’re smoothly gliding down to safety. The sea, the little people, buildings, everything from a few thousand feet up just looks like blips on a vast land.
The Photographs [Evidence that you did it]
A photographer will make the dive with you and your tandem master. After you’re done screaming, you’re going to indulge in posing enthusiastically for some photos that you will later regret. However, this is justified. You did a sky dive, after all.
The literal leap of faith
“It’s a little late to back out now, isn’t it?” may be your last thought before making the dive. Sometimes, if you’re too afraid to jump, your tandem master will not give you a choice as he/she will initiate the jump instead [that is equivalent to a push]. So if you couldn’t muster up enough faith to make the leap, no problem! Either way you will overcome your fear during the freefall, which will become the moment you will cherish the most.
In the end, it will be an experience worth the money and worth the fright. While a skydive doesn’t eradicate your fear of heights, it can be easily deemed as a life-changing sport. On that note, hit up the Skydive Dubai website to book your dive today and make sure you have the time of your life!
Feature Image courtesy www.nowzad.org