My First Skydiving Experience in Algarve, Portugal
Updated: Jun 10, 2021
Stomach drop sensation, icy winds on the face, stiffed body muscles, a lot of adrenaline rush, and inaudible screaming. That's how I would describe the first 5 seconds of the actual skydive.
Planning The Skydive
Deciding to jump from a plane cannot be a sudden decision; in fact, it should never be; it's a legal offense. I wanted to skydive since I was in school as it is the closest and easiest way to feel how flying feels. But when and where to do it were always the most pressing question.
"Those who don't jump, will never fly."
One of my friends returned from his semester exchange program in Europe and described his first skydiving experience in Prague. He did the skydive under 200€ (~17,000 ₹). It was the cheapest skydive experience that I had ever heard. Coincidentally, my semester exchange was scheduled one month later, in September 2017, and guess where it was, Prague! I made up my mind that I will experience my first skydive there.
After 2 months, I arrived in Prague, and within a few days, I found out that skydiving there seasonal, and the last dive happened on the day I arrived. My dream of skydive also fell with the onset of the fall season.
After 3 months, when I was on the train to Lagos, I discovered the Skydive Algarve in Portimao, as mentioned in my previous blog. I had the time and funds, so I booked a slot in the morning for the day after the next day. Within 48 hours, I was about to experience one of the most incredible adventures discovered by humans.
On the skydiving day, I woke up with a terrible dream that I didn't remember. I totally got scared about my upcoming skydiving plan after a few hours. Anyway, we got ready and went for a long drive to Skydive Algarve in Portimao.
The route was beautiful, and the anxiousness for the skydive started increasing. I called up my parents to tell them how much I love them, but they didn't even pick the phone.
Preparations For The Skydive
We arrived at the facility, and I checked in at the reception. The skydiving experience cost me 300€, 200€ for the skydive, and 100€ for the video/pics. I chose the altitude/height of the dive of 14000 feet and signed a waiver that they are not responsible for any mishaps, including death. This sounds ironic, but it is the standard practice across the globe. Now my training started. I had to watch videos regarding all the safety instructions. Then my instructor guided me about a few essential steps (pretty standard ones) like tapping shoulder signs, facing up during the jump, etc.
I was scared, way too much than anyone I have seen who went skydiving. One of the factors was the weather. Europe's weather is unpredictable in winter, and it can rain anytime. I came out of the training room, and the first thing I saw was the weather. It was clear, blue, and sunny with a cool breeze. Little did I know about the temperature above the clouds.
Small Mishap
In the aircraft hanger (that's what it seemed like), many individuals were folding their parachutes for their jump. This was the first time I saw the parachute in real. I held the canopy and the suspension lines to see how it feels.
The parachute owner was furious at me for touching his parachute without permission. He had to start the folding from scratch again. He was right though, even a slight mistake like tangling of a few suspension lines there could cost him his life. I apologized and moved to my instructor for my interview.
Second Thoughts
The next step of the process was the interview. The cameraman took the interview video of me. He asked several questions: whether I was nervous, How was feeling, Is it my first jump and the best question was, "Do you want to say anything to your friends and family?" The last question scared the shit out of me.
"Fear is temporary, regret is forever"
I expressed my doubts to my instructor, and he said something that put an end to my fear. He said, "Listen Jai, I have done 5000 jumps in my career. We both are tied up with the harness, and whatever happens with you will happen with me as well. I might not care about you, but I have a wife and two young daughters at home. I have to make sure that I am safe, and if I am safe, you are safe". After hearing this little pep talk, I was ready to board the flight.
Actual Experience Of First Skydive
The airplane ride is what I considered to be the hardest part. This was when I began second-guessing myself again. I became increasingly aware of the reality of my decision. There were 10 people on the flight for the skydive. Only I was the one for his first skydive; everyone else was jumping solo. Inside the aircraft, the instructor attached his harness to mine. He repeated the instructions about what to do while jumping. The instructor and the cameraman were talking to me. Still, the excitement of skydiving and the noise of the aircraft obstructed their voices.
Now we were at 14000 feet, and the door of the aircraft opened. At the moment, all I could feel was the wind coming inside. One by one, everyone jumped or, should I say, disappeared. Watching someone jump out is startling. Within seconds, it was my turn to jump. We moved towards the door; I was fascinated by sight.
Standing at the edge of the door and looking out at the vast openness below, I froze. I forgot all the instructions, and the instructor had to do a lot of work. This was a point of no return, and then all three of us jumped.
Stomach drop sensation, icy winds on the face, stiffed body muscles, a lot of adrenaline rush, and inaudible screaming. That's how I would describe the first 5 seconds of the free fall. Now I realized that I was plummeting towards the ground at 200 kmph, and I was completely living in the moment. The sensations are indescribable.
The free fall lasted for 60 seconds, and what I felt during that is indescribable. It is the closest I came to flying. It is nothing that we feel in a roller coaster where your direction and speed change all the time. Here you simply fall with the same speed and same direction.
After 60 seconds, the parachute was deployed. The speed of our descent was reduced. I could hear my voice again and also of my instructor. He unfastens the harness, and now I was more comfortable. Now it was like sitting on a chair enjoying the view peacefully. My decision of oceanside skydiving was perfect. The view of the coastline of the Algarve from the sky was mesmerizing.
This peace is so rare in our society these days. It can either be achieved in a skydive, scuba dive, or somewhere far from human establishments. My instructor gave me the parachute controls for spins. Then we gradually proceeded towards our landing zone that was visible now.
The parachute ride took approx 10 minutes, and the landing was extremely smooth. The cameraman was already there recording my landing. I thanked both of them for this skydiving adventure and thanked God that I am alive.
After the Skydive
Now only the admin stuff was remaining. I collected my free t-shirt, pen drive with the video and pics, and my skydiving certificate. I had 30+ miss calls from my parents (quite expected). I called and told them about the experience; they couldn't have been madder at me. They still scold me sometimes (it's been 4 years), but it was worth it. Jose was waiting there for me, and we left off on our next adventure in Portugal.
Is Skydiving Worth It?
This adventure was nothing like I had imagined. It was one of the best moments of my life, and it is challenging to express it in words. But it was good for me only once, and I might never do it again. Skydiving is not dangerous, but in my opinion, a second skydive is not worth it. However, it is definitely worth it to try at least once in your lifetime if you have the time and resources.
Basic Information About My First Skydiving Experience
Skydive Location
Skydive Algarve, Portimao
Skydive Pricing
200€ for the skydive, 100€ for videos/pics
Skydive Altitude/Height
14000 feet
Duration
10-15 min for an actual skydive and 3-4 hours for the complete activity
Comments