Is It Okay To Eat Before Skydiving?

To eat before your skydive or not to eat? 

Eating before your skydive is highly recommended! If you’re concerned about feeling sick or passing out during your skydive, then the worst thing you can do is not eat! Eat a well-balanced meal before your jump to ensure a great skydiving experience! 

Why Eating Before Your Skydive is Important

Eating before you make your skydive is important and it’s not because we don’t want you to arrive hangry (though we don’t want that either). Just as it’s a bad idea to exercise on an empty stomach, it’s definitely not a good idea to skydive on an empty tank either. The skydive experience is a major rush – physically, emotionally, and mentally. If you arrive depleted, there’s a good chance you’ll feel nauseated which will spoil your experience. 

What Should You Eat Before Your Skydive?

Eating a “well-balanced” meal can mean different things to different people, so we’ll keep it simple: don’t overeat whatever it is you’re eating. Arriving for your skydive feeling as if you just had Thanksgiving lunch is a recipe for trouble. Save the celebratory meal for after the jump! For breakfast, we’d recommend fruit, oatmeal, or a simple bowl of cereal. Avoid Taco Bell for breakfast (the breakfast burritos are delicious, though). The same holds true for lunch – something light and healthy is always better than something fried and heavy. A healthy salad and water work great! 

Here at Wisconsin Skydiving Center, it’s normal for large groups to come out and use one of our many grills set up in the spectator area. It’s not uncommon to eat brats, burgers, and dogs post-jump with all of your friends.

What Should You Drink Before Your Skydive?

Let’s not overlook hydration especially on a hot summer day. Drink water and lots of it. You’ll want to be hydrated and not on pop or Red Bull (contrary to popular belief, Red Bull doesn’t give you wings). As it relates to alcohol before your jump, this is a no-no for sure. Every participant wishing to skydive must be sober and not hungover (sorry to get serious on you here). If you’re not of clear mind and body… you won’t be permitted to make your skydive! 

What Happens If You Puke During Your Skydive?

Puking during a skydive is uncommon, but it’s a real possibility if you don’t adhere to the advice above. Being sick almost never happens during the free fall, but it can strike while flying under the parachute or immediately after landing. If you feel like you’re going to be sick, your instructor will love it if you lean to the side as… you know… no one likes to get puked on! Other than feeling nauseated, there’s not too much else that would happen.

Does Your Stomach Drop During a Skydive?

The “stomach drop feeling” experienced on a roller coaster isn’t really felt during a skydive. Once exiting the airplane, you may have that stomach-in-throat sensation for about one second, if at all. When leaving the top of the first hill on a roller coaster, the train builds speed from 0mph to 40mph which gives that sickly sensation. Because you’ll be exiting an aircraft that’s cruising at 100mph, the transition from 100mph to terminal velocity (120mph) is mere seconds. Truthfully the drop feeling is not something to be worried about with a skydive.

Is Skydiving Scarier Than Being on a Rollercoaster?

We’d be lying if we said that a roller coaster is scarier than making a skydive. A skydive is scarier as you are legitimately exiting a moving aircraft into open airspace! Find us a roller coaster as thrilling as that and we’d like to ride it! Skydiving is definitely scarier than a rollercoaster, but it’s also 100x more fun! (And very, very safe.)

Can You Breathe During a Skydive?

While skydiving can take your breath away, you can breathe during the entire skydiving experience. Many people say that they have trouble breathing and that’s often because of the huge rush of air during free fall (imagine sticking your head out the window of your car while driving down the highway at 60mph). You can breathe, but you’ll do so while an extreme amount of wind is hitting your face. (You get used to it).

The moral of the story is skydiving is more fun than a roller coaster – it’s definitely scarier, and if you don’t want to throw up, be sure to eat a healthy meal and pump that water! See you in the sky!