Skydiving is one of the most amazing things we can do for fun. Jumping from an aeroplane and falling towards the earth at terminal velocity is difficult to describe, and no matter which words you use it is impossible to capture exactly how it feels. Skydivers generally want everyone to experience the thrill of freefall and to actually do it for yourself is the only way to really understand.
Many decades ago when people first figured out how to do skydiving as a leisure activity, it did not take long for them to wonder if it was possible to have two people attached together using a single parachute. If this could be done it might mean that only one of those people would need to be experienced, and the other could be pretty much anyone. After a lot of thorough experimentation by some courageous and intrepid humans, it was proven that this indeed could be achieved – and tandem skydiving was born.
Tandem skydiving is achieved by having two people joined together via a harness to what is basically a double-size parachute system. The instructor is on the back and the student is on the front, which allows the joined pair to fall towards the ground in the belly-to-earth position that is the most stable orientation when new – and also likely the one you imagine when you think of what skydiving looks like.
In the beginning, skydiving was new, untested in many areas, and involved no small amount of courage. After many years of refining everything involved, jumping from aeroplanes is now a global leisure pursuit and even a competitive sport. Tandem skydiving has developed over this time into a very efficient process that allows people to experience what skydiving is all about in a polished and thoroughly professional way.
Not much! The tandem skydiving experience is designed specifically to get people jumping with the smallest amount of training possible. Before you go up there is a short briefing, then you gear up and get in the plane. Each tandem pair is made of one instructor and one student, and while the jump itself happens separately with each pair exiting the aircraft into their own bit of sky – the rest happens as a group. You can be with your friends and family for the briefing, and as here at Skydive Mossel Bay we have a big plane you will likely ride up together at the same time. After your freefall descent and parachute flight, you will be reunited in the landing area for the photos, the hugs, and the high-fives.
Here at Skydive Mossel Bay, we are set up with everything needed to facilitate your tandem skydiving experience in the best possible way. Safety is our top priority and we have some of the most experienced skydiving instructors in the world. Not only do we have one of the very best skydiving planes available that can zoom fourteen people quickly and comfortably to altitude, we also have some amazing scenery to rival that of anywhere in the world. We also have a highly trained team that is able to offer you an ‘outside’ or ‘third eye’ camera – a far superior way to capture your first skydive on video and in high-quality images to share with the world. We pride ourselves in being able to cater to large groups, which only makes the experience even better, so be sure to bring your friends!
Tandem skydiving gives people access to our amazing sport in a simple and accessible way, but there is so much more to learn. Tandem pairs are made of a student and an instructor. Nobody is just a passenger. We want everybody to become skydivers, and a tandem jump is just the first step of a skydiving career. Your instructor will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have about how things work in greater detail, and point you in the right direction once you have completed your first jump. Join us!
