MY FIRST TANDEM SKYDIVE

August 20, 2014 James Garnaut
Category: Tandem Skydiving

TANDEM SKYDIVING IN PERTH: MY FIRST TANDEM SKYDIVE!!

Tandem skydiving is often the first experience people have with the incredible world of skydiving. Perth’s Skydive Jurien Bay have introduced thousands of adventure seekers to this thrilling sport over the years; here is one account of a first jump from a happy Skydive Jurien Bay tandem skydiver!

My First Tandem Skydive

By Ake Tekorona, August 2014.

I’d always wanted to try skydiving, but never thought that I would until my partner told me he wanted to do it, so I made it happen for both of us. I decided to wait until his birthday so I could give him the best present ever! It was our first ever tandem skydive and we were going to jump from 14,000 feet.

It was only a two-hour drive to Jurien Bay from Perth and it was a pretty cruisey drive up the coast. We arrived early so I had some time to calm my nerves and get myself pumped to jump out of a plane. I will admit, I WAS TERRIFIED!! I was going to do a tandem skydive, meaning that there would be a professional skydive instructor strapped onto my back who would monitor our rate of fall, control our descent and deploy the parachute.

Everyone who was doing a skydive watched a three-minute training video about what we had to do when we jumped. The instructions were simple: look up when we leave the plane, open our arms when the instructor gives us a tap on the arm, and lift our legs when we land. After that the Skydive Jurien Bay staff strapped our harnesses on, reminded us what we had to do, answered any questions we had and then we were ready.

The Lead Up

We first drove in the Skydive Jurien Bay bus to watch other tandem skydivers land on the beach, so could see what we were about to do. I was so excited and it was awesome to watch. Once they had all landed we drove to the airport to meet our plane, less than a kilometer away from the beach.

At the plane I was introduced to Chris, who was my tandem skydive instructor. I chose to have video taken of my skydive so when we met he started interviewing me with his GoPro video camera. Chris was very welcoming and friendly and I felt very safe with him.

As the plane took off and climbed towards our jumping altitude of 14,000ft, I started to get really nervous. Watching the houses and trees become smaller and smaller and knowing that we would, in a few minutes, be jumping from the safety of the plane, was unnerving. The view of the Coral Coast and Jurien Bay Marine Park from the plane was incredible.

The Jump

Once we reached 14,000 feet, Chris nudged me towards the now open door, we were about to jump. My partner was first to jump then me. Sitting at the edge of the door and looking out at the vast openness below, I questioned my sanity. Was I crazy for doing this? And then before I could say “Wait,” we left the plane and were flying.

The first few seconds seemed to be a blur due to the sensory overload but I quickly became fully present again and it was such a rush! I felt like I was on a rollercoaster, a really big 14,000 feet roller coaster. It was beyond amazing.

After a minute of freefall, Chris opened the parachute. I felt calm and amazed and the view over Jurien Bay was awesome. It’s beautiful up there. Chris let me control the parachute which was so much fun. As we were getting closer to land he talked me through the landing position (legs up). I was concerned we were going to land hard but it was unbelievably soft thanks to Chris’ skills and the soft sand on the beach.

Once we landed on the beach, Chris interviewed me, asking what I thought of the experience. I was so relieved I was back on land but I felt so alive and I could’ve definitely done it again right away.

Rush of the Jump

It was worth the trip from Perth to Jurien Bay and I am thankful to all the staff, my instructor, Chris, and my partner’s instructor for looking after the both of us. I am forever the best girlfriend in the world according to my partner!!!!

The video that the staff at Skydive Jurien Bay edited for us both was awesome. It had all the interviews, footage of the plane ride, freefall, parachuting, landing on the beach, and cool background music. The views are just mind-blowing and I’ve watched my video over and over.

To book your tandem skydiving experience, click here to book online with Skydiving Jurien Bay today!

10 reasons to choose us

August 15, 2014 James Garnaut
Category: Tandem Skydiving

Here’s why you should skydive Perth with us.

1. We are the experts when it comes to skydiving – that’s right, our Chief Instructor, Pete Lonnon, is the most experienced Chief Instructor in Western Australia with over 30 years experience.  He has been the driving development of the skydiving industry in Australia for many years and is also a commercial pilot, Solo Skydiving Instructor, Tandem Instructor,  Instructor Examiner and Licensed Display Organiser.

2. Our safety record is flawless – Since Skydive Jurien Bay began operating in 2009 we have had no incident causing serious injury to any of our tandem skydive Perth customers. In fact, over Pete’s 30+ year career in the sport, there has never been a major tandem skydive injury under his watch.

3. Our equipment is modern and state-of-the-art – You would expect that all skydive operators have new and well maintained equipment right? Well unfortunately that’s not always the case. But with Skydive Jurien Bay it is. We have invested heavily in the most technically advanced tandem skydive equipment to ensure our staff and customers an enjoyable and safe tandem skydive experience. Click here to learn more about our commitment to safety.

4. Best value for money, no bullshit – When you pay for a 14,000ft tandem skydive with us, that’s the minimum height you’ll jump from. No less. Other skydive operators out there will sell you cheap “from up to 14,000ft” skydives, which means you will jump “from up to 14,000ft”, meaning you will most likely be taken only to 10,000ft. That’s why they sell the skydives so cheap! Don’t fall for this trap.

5. No “over weight tax” – We do NOT charge extra if you’re above 90kg unlike our competitors who will charge you up to $75.

6. We have a great reputation – We are Australia’s most positively reviewed tandem skydive across TripAdvisor, Google and Facebook. The majority of our customers hear about us through word-of-mouth.

7. Our staff are friendly and love skydiving – We love what we do and it’s obvious. From the moment you arrive you’ll feel the buzz and excitement that tandem skydiving at Skydive Jurien Bay offers. All our staff are stoked to be a part of this special experience for you and this shows through their energy and positive vibes they give out. We’re a big family and you’ll love our welcoming atmosphere.

8. Our incredible views – We didn’t get the reputation of being the “World’s Most Beautiful Beach Skydive” for nothing. Throughout your entire skydive you will be in total awe of the amazing views that the Turquoise Coast offers. It is pure eye candy and the sole reason we chose to set up shop in Jurien Bay back in 2009. There is no other way to better see the amazing West Australian coast line.

9. We’re a professional team and we win awards – Okay so it’s time to brag a little… we’ve won a few serious awards! 2013 WA Tourism Awards – Adventure Tourism – Gold, 2012 WA Tourism Awards – Adventure Tourism – Gold, 2012 Best Regional Business Telstra Business Awards, 2011 WA Tourism Awards – Adventure Tourism – Bronze, 2010 WA Tourism Awards – Best New Tourism Development – Bronze.

10. The Pinnacles Desert – Located only 20 minutes south of Jurien Bay, the Pinnacles is a true desert landscape in Nambung National Park, where the weathered rock spires of the Pinnacles rise out of yellow sand dunes. It’s an amazing site that has to be seen. It’s especially beautiful at sunrise and sunset.

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