What Does A Skydive Feel Like?

Key Takeaways
Many first-time jumpers imagine skydiving feels like a roller coaster drop, but the reality is very different. Instead of that stomach-dropping sensation, skydiving feels more like floating. During freefall, the wind supports your body and creates a stable feeling. After the parachute opens, the experience shifts from intense and loud to quiet and peaceful as you glide back to the ground. The entire skydive includes about 45 seconds of freefall followed by 5-7 minutes under canopy. While every person experiences jumping from a plane a little differently, most feel exhilarated, proud, and surprised at how natural it all felt.

For many people considering their first skydive, their biggest question is: what does it feel like to skydive?

Many first-time jumpers worry they will get the stomach-drop feeling when skydiving, but the reality is very different. Instead of that roller coaster sensation, skydiving feels more like floating on a powerful cushion of air while moving through the sky at about 120 mph.

A typical tandem skydive begins around 10,000 feet or higher. After exiting the plane, you’ll experience about 45 seconds of freefall before your instructor deploys the parachute around 5,500 feet. From there, you’ll enjoy a calm 5 to 7-minute parachute ride back to the ground.

Each phase of a skydive feels different. Understanding what to expect can help take away some of the mystery and make that first jump feel a little less intimidating.

Does Skydiving Feel Like a Roller Coaster?

Many people worry about the roller coaster stomach-drop feeling. You know the one: the slow climb up the hill, the click-click-click, and then the sudden plunge where your stomach jumps into your throat.

Skydiving is very different.

When jumping out of a plane, you’re not going from sitting still to suddenly dropping. The aircraft is already moving forward at a significant speed. When you leave the door, you simply move into the airflow created by that forward motion and transition smoothly into a stable belly-to-earth position in freefall.

Another factor is visual reference. On a roller coaster, you can see the ground rushing toward you and your brain easily understands the height and drop. At 10,000 feet, there aren’t nearby objects for your brain to measure distance against. You know you’re high, but there’s no building or cliff beside you to trigger that same dropping sensation.

Because of this combination of forward motion and lack of visual reference, most people don’t experience that stomach-drop feeling in freefall.

What Does Freefall Actually Feel Like?

Freefall can feel intense at first, mostly because of the sensory overload. 

Once you leave the plane, the first thing you’ll notice is the wind. At around 120 mph, freefall is loud, and the wind is strong. A good comparison is when you’re driving down the freeway with all the windows down.

Despite the speed, the airflow actually supports your body. Skydivers use that wind to control movement in freefall. For tandem students, your instructor handles all of that, but you’ll still feel the pressure of the air against your body.

The temperature is usually cooler at altitude as well. The air rushing past you will feel refreshing, similar to stepping into air conditioning after being outside in the heat.

The overall sensation is a combination of wind, fresh air, and freedom. As soon as your feet leave the plane, there’s nothing left to do except experience the moment.

Can You Breathe While Skydiving?

Yes, you can absolutely breathe while skydiving. When people get excited or nervous, they sometimes inhale repeatedly without fully exhaling. Combine that with 120 mph wind hitting your face, and it can feel unusual at first.

The key is simple: relax and remember to exhale.

If you’re still struggling, there’s another solution instructors often suggest: scream. Seriously. Besides being fun, screaming forces you to exhale and resets your breathing pattern. Plus, interacting and screaming, smiling, laughing in freefall always makes for a better video.

What Does the Parachute Ride Feel Like?

Around 5,500 feet, your tandem instructor will deploy the parachute. This transitions you from the fast, loud environment of freefall into a much slower and quieter experience. 

Most parachute openings feel like a smooth deceleration rather than a sudden stop. A good comparison is braking firmly in a car, where you feel yourself slow down.

Once the canopy is fully open, you shift into a seated position in the harness and begin flying the parachute back toward the landing area. This is often the most peaceful part of the skydive. You have several minutes to take in the view and enjoy a perspective of the world that few people get to see. Soar with the birds, float next to clouds, and absorb what you just did.

You’ll still feel the wind and fresh air, but it’s dramatically quieter than freefall. In fact, it’s usually easy to have a conversation with your instructor during the canopy ride.

Temperatures are also closer to what you feel on the ground. As a general rule, temperature drops about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet of altitude, so it tends to warm up slightly as you descend.

Landing does require your participation, and this is typically considered the riskiest part of skydiving tandem. Your instructor will brief you before the jump, but typically you’ll just need to lift your legs during landing so your instructor can complete the landing successfully.

How Does Skydiving Feel Emotionally?

How scary is first-time skydiving? We all remember our first time, and yes, it was scary before the jump – but once you’re out the door, not so much. 

The emotional experience of skydiving can vary from person to person. Everyone comes into the jump with a different mindset and different things happening in their life. Many first-time jumpers notice a progression of emotions throughout the day.

It often starts with nervous excitement when booking the jump. Those nerves may grow on the drive to the dropzone and during the plane ride to altitude. When the door opens, the reality of the moment really sets in. Then you exit the aircraft, and suddenly there’s nothing left to worry about except enjoying the experience and landing safely.

During freefall, many people describe feeling completely present. Every day stresses fade away because your entire focus is on the moment you’re in. There is no time to worry about your student loan or stew about the person who cut you off in traffic this morning.

Under the parachute, the experience often becomes calm and peaceful as you glide through the air and take in the view. By the time you land, the most common emotion is exhilaration and pride. You did it!

And the best part is that skydiving often serves as a reset. The things that felt insurmountable before you jumped can feel more manageable. The perspective shift is real. If you can jump out of an airplane, you can do anything!

How Long Does a Skydive Last?

The entire skydiving experience typically takes a few hours from arrival to landing. On a weekday, you can usually expect to spend around 2 to 3 hours at the dropzone. Weekends are busier and so it can take a bit longer, typically 3 to 4 hours. Remember, skydiving operations are dynamic and the sport is weather dependent.

A typical timeline looks like this:

• Check in and complete your paperwork
• Participate in a short safety briefing and pre-jump training
• Take a 15-20-minute airplane ride to jump altitude
• Experience about 45 seconds of freefall
• Enjoy a 5-7-minute parachute ride back to the ground

The jump itself happens quickly, but the feeling afterward often lasts much longer.

Ready to Experience It Yourself?

Reading about skydiving can help you understand what to expect, but the only real way to know how it feels is to experience it for yourself. From the rush of freefall to the quiet glide under the parachute, a tandem skydive is something most people remember for the rest of their lives.

If you’re ready to see what skydiving actually feels like, take the first step and book a tandem skydive at WSC today! We can’t wait to fly with you – blue skies!