Skydiving for the First Time: What I Wish I Knew

Thinking about skydiving for the first time? I’ve been there, and I can tell you that the thoughts running through your head before you jump are probably much scarier than the actual experience.

In 2019, me and my fiancé, at the time, went skydiving at Sky’s The Limit Skydiving Center, and it is still one of the most thrilling things I’ve ever done. Since this article was updated in 2026, and the experience happened in 2019, some of the procedures, requirements, pricing, and other details may have changed, so always check directly with the skydiving center you plan to visit for the most current information.

But the actual experience? I remember that very well.

I had made a little tradition out of planning something new for our birthdays every year. It gave us a chance to experience something together that we had never done before, slowly knocking one thing at a time off of our bucket lists. Skydiving definitely qualified.

Before doing it myself, skydiving sounded like one of those things that was absolutely terrifying in theory. You are willingly getting into an airplane knowing that eventually, you are going to jump out of it. There’s really no way to make that thought sound normal.

But after actually doing it, there are a few things I wish I could have told myself beforehand.

The Anxiety Doesn’t Last

The anxiety leading up to skydiving was probably worse than the actual jump.

From the moment our plans were finalized, I could not stop thinking about it. I kept imagining the fall and questioning whether I really wanted to go through with this. There were definitely moments when I came close to talking myself right out of it.

The night before, my nerves were at an all-time high. I’m pretty sure my brain went through some version of, OMG, am I really about to do this? What the heck am I thinking?! over and over again.

And somehow, despite all of those thoughts, I eventually found myself sitting inside an airplane preparing for the fall of a lifetime. Nothing quite prepares you for sitting near that open airplane door high above the ground with clouds floating past you. THAT was the moment when everything became very real. I remember feeling like I could practically faint.

If you know that gut-wrenching feeling you get when a roller coaster reaches the very top and you know the drop is coming, that was pretty much how I felt leading up to the jump.

But here’s the part that surprised me most: once I out that door, that feeling disappeared.

All of the anxiety, fear, and anticipation I had carried with me up until that moment was suddenly gone. I wasn’t sitting there thinking about how scary skydiving was anymore. I was doing it.

And that was when I could finally appreciate how incredible the experience actually was. I was flying through the sky, looking around and thinking, I cannot believe this!

Skydiving Changed the Way I Thought About Fear

Afterward, I was amazed, ecstatic, and ridiculously proud of myself. More than anything, though, skydiving changed the way I thought about fear.

You can spend so much time building something up in your mind until it feels like this giant monster you could never face. Then you finally do it and realize the anticipation was much bigger than the experience itself.

That doesn’t mean ignoring real risks or doing something just because it scares you. Skydiving is an extreme activity, and choosing a reputable company, listening to the professionals, and knowing your own comfort level still matter.

But for me, the experience was a reminder that fear can grow the longer you sit with it. It can be paralyzing, even. Once I finally faced the thing I had been so afraid of, I realized it wasn’t nearly as powerful as I had made it in my mind..

That did something for my confidence. I remember thinking, Okay…what else can I do? I’m so glad I didn’t let fear stop from an experience of a lifetime

And Yes, You Get the Bragging Rights

I’m not even going to pretend this wasn’t part of the fun. I WENT SKYDIVING! 🪂 And of course I’m going to talk about it! We were also the first people among our family and friends to do anything like this, which made the entire experience feel even more exciting.

There was definitely something fun about being able to say that I had jumped out of an airplane. I loved telling people about the experience, showing the footage, and watching their reactions when they realized we had actually gone through with it.

And I’m not going to lie, I enjoyed the little bit of admiration that came with people thinking we were incredibly brave for doing so. Plus, you come away with some pretty amazing memories and, if you purchase a photo or video package, some very cool footage to look back on later.

My First Jump Was a Tandem Skydive

Because I had no skydiving experience, my jump was a tandem skydive. That meant I was securely attached to a trained instructor who stayed with me throughout the entire jump and handled the technical parts of the experience.

Knowing that made me feel much better about going through with it.

Apparently my imagination had already decided I needed several nightmares about a parachute not opening and me becoming a pancake on the ground, so having an experienced instructor attached to me definitely helped calm at least some of that fear. 😂

If you’re planning your first skydive, check with the facility you’re considering to find out its current tandem requirements, safety procedures, age and weight restrictions, training process, and what you need to know before arriving. Since my jump happened in 2019, I don’t want to assume that every requirement or procedure today is exactly the same as it was when I went.

What I can tell you is that having an instructor there made my first skydiving experience feel far less intimidating.

Would I Recommend Skydiving?

Absolutely.

Would I tell you that you won’t be nervous?Absolutely not. 😂

I was terrified leading up to my jump. I questioned my decision. I overthought it. I sat at the opening of that airplane looking at the clouds and probably wondered what possessed me to think this was a good idea.

And then I jumped.

The fear disappeared, the experience took over, and I came down feeling incredibly proud that I had actually done it.

If skydiving has been sitting on your bucket list and fear is the only thing stopping you, my experience taught me this: sometimes the scariest part is everything you imagine before you ever take the leap.

You can also watch my original skydiving video and see me go through all the emotions from that day.

Have you ever gone skydiving? And if you haven’t—be honest. Would you actually jump out of the plane?

Sometimes the things that scare us the most become the stories we’re happiest we were brave enough to live.

Thanks for doing life with me,
— Lexi 🤍