6 Tips to Overcome Your Fear of Skydiving

Do you dream of soaring through the sky, but find yourself frozen with fear at the mere thought of skydiving? If you’ve wondered, “How do I get over my fear of skydiving?” rest assured that you are not alone in that feeling. Skydiving pushes the boundaries of your comfort zone and forces you to confront your fears in a way nothing else can. However, with the right mindset and preparation, you can overcome your fear of jumping and experience the freedom of jumping! Here are 6 tips to help you conquer your fear and take that leap of faith.

1. Understand That Fear is Normal

Is it normal to be afraid of skydiving? Yes! It is perfectly normal to be afraid of something that you’ve never done before because, well, you’ve never done it before! You cannot know what to expect! 

The idea of jumping out of a plane 13,500 feet above the ground can be daunting. Remind yourself that fear is a natural response to a perceived threat. Embrace your fear, use it as your motivation to conquer it, and then reap the benefits of the adrenaline surge that will follow your accomplishment! Recognize that many skydivers have faced the exact same skydiving anxiety and have come out way stronger on the other side.

2. Take Baby Steps

Even birds have to spread their wings and practice flapping before they take their first flight from the nest. Luckily, you can “dip your toe” in the deep blue sky (so to speak) with a visit to our indoor skydiving facility located just seven miles from the dropzone! If you’re wondering “what does skydiving feel like,” the wind tunnel is a perfect place to experience the sensation of freefall without the sky-high commitment. 

While there are fairly significant differences between indoor skydiving and skydiving, the wind tunnel does a great job of mimicking the aerodynamics you will experience in freefall. Having the opportunity to test out what it feels like to fly before making the leap from an actual plane can do a considerable amount to prepare you for skydiving and keep that skydiving anxiety at bay.

3. Calculate the Risks

Just like everything else in life, there are calculated risks that come along with boundary-pushing physical activities and extreme sports. Uncovering the risks of skydiving can provide you with some comfort ahead of embarking on your thrilling adventure. Statistically speaking, skydiving isn’t actually as risky as you might think. Over the past decade, there has been an average of one tandem skydiving student fatality per 500,000 jumps.

4. Skydiving Feels More Secure Than Other Extreme Sports

Making comparisons to other extreme sports might help to ease your fear of jumping from an airplane. We’ve all been on the receiving end of heads turning, eyes widening, and even a big “NO WAY” or two at the mention of skydiving. 

We’re not exactly sure why people freak out so hard – other than the possible misunderstanding around the safety of our sport. I mean, some people actually rather go bungee jumping before skydiving because they think it’s safer. In truth, bungee jumping has far fewer back-up safety features than skydiving does. 

In a tandem skydive, you’re securely attached to a professional skydiver whose job is to operate all of the skydiving equipment in order to get you safely back to the ground. In a bungee situation, you’re hooked up to the bungee rig by a professional but then you’ll make the leap completely by yourself. 

Not to mention, in a skydiving rig, there are several backup systems in place such as the reserve parachute, which activates if there’s a malfunction with the main parachute, and an Automatic Activation Device (AAD) which deploys the reserve should the skydiver be unable to do it themselves. Whereas, in bungee jumping there is a single cord and if that snaps, there is no backup. You get the gist …

5. Bring a Friend

We can use a hype man (or woman) every now and then – what are friends for anyways!? Overcoming your fear of skydiving is much easier when you have the support and comfort of your friends or loved ones. 

Going through your first-time skydiving experience with your posse by your side means having plenty of people to preoccupy your mind while waiting, to seek comfort from in a new environment, to lean on for encouragement, and to maybe even crack a few jokes and lighten things up. We have free spectating areas for your friends to watch from the ground and cheer you on as you land. Heck, maybe you can even convince them to jump alongside you and take advantage of our awesome group rates. Who doesn’t like to save a bit of cash!?

6. Knowledge is Power

One of the most effective ways to overcome your fear of skydiving is with research. Reminding yourself of the facts when you’re feeling anxious during your skydiving experience can be a great way to combat those intrusive thoughts that pop up along the way. 

You’ll also want to research the skydiving center that you are interested in jumping at. Each dropzone has their own safety rating, special amenities, and quality of staff. At Skydive Paraclete XP, we set ourselves apart with our world-class instructors, knowledgeable staff, expertly maintained turbine aircraft, and comfortable amenities (restrooms, climate-controlled waiting area, covered, and on-site restaurant). You are more than welcome to visit before your scheduled jump to get a feel for the dropzone, meet the staff, check out the skydiving equipment, and ask any questions you may have!

It might be time to stop thinking about it and just take the first step in accomplishing your dreams of flying. Book your skydive with the premier skydiving destination in North Carolina, Skydive Paraclete XP. Maybe you’ll surprise yourself with how brave you can be! Blue skies.