I’m not usually a fan of the adjective “amazing”, but it’s one of the only words we can think of to describe tandem skydiving. Along with “unforgettable” and “terrifying”!
If you’re only here to see our faces flapping on the way down, you can go straight to our videos. We won’t be offended.
Skydive Wanaka
We booked our tandem jump with Skydive Wanaka, and we would massively recommend them. The booking process was easy, and the people who work there are so friendly. From the minute we stepped into their aircraft hangar, we felt really taken care of.
The “beautiful strangers” are just brilliant. I jumped with Anthony and Karl jumped with Simon. They made us feel SO at ease (well, as at ease as you can be when you’re about to fall face first out of a plane at 15,000ft). Also, a special mention to our camera flyers, who captured some insane footage of us!
Who was more nervous?
Me! Karl wasn’t bothered at all until we got onto the plane! Until that point, he was just excited. I, on the other hand, thought about the skydive for days before we did it. I was terrified.
So, I won’t lie. The experience itself was still terrifying. Sitting on the edge of a plane, feeling the freezing cold wind in your face as you stare down at the ground below you is scary. Seriously scary. But there is nothing like skydiving and the feeling is impossible to describe. It is incredible. We are SO glad we did it.
What happens during a skydive?
It all happens SO FAST!
First, we had a safety briefing and were then taken to change into our jumpsuits and have our harnesses fitted. Skydive Wanaka also recorded a short interview with us before we boarded the plane.
Before we knew it, we’d taken off and were heading up towards the clouds! In the plane we sat in two rows, facing backwards. As we reached 15,000ft, we were given oxygen masks (which was a particularly scary moment)! Then, the door opened and it was time to jump…
I jumped first, followed by Karl and our friend Scott jumped last.
The moment we sat on the edge of the plane will stay with us forever. Just indescribable. Freefall is such a rush. It doesn’t feel like “falling” at all. The only way to describe it is like a cross between floating and rushing. Oh, and it was COLD. (We did our skydive in New Zealand winter season, after all).
Before we knew it, our parachutes were deployed and we were jolted back up towards the clouds before gliding gently back towards the ground. One of the highlights for us was when our tandem masters guided us towards each other, so that we could wave to each other at about 5,000ft!
Despite me jumping first, Karl landed before me (probably due to his slightly heavier weight). Our landings were much easier than we expected, and very gentle due to there being no wind.
When we landed, I was almost in shock. It is so difficult to come to terms with what you’ve just done. Karl got straight up and helped his tandem master up… I stayed sat down and had to be helped to my feet!
Would we skydive again?
Yes!!!
I can’t say I wouldn’t still be absolutely petrified second time round, but I would do it again. Karl would do it again tomorrow, he loved it.
Why you should skydive in New Zealand
New Zealand has a reputation as one of the best places in the world to skydive. The views of mountains and lakes go on forever. If you’re heading to NZ and thinking about doing a skydive… go for it!
Yes, it’s expensive. But it’s also the ultimate once in a lifetime bucket list experience, and you can’t really put a price on that.
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