HaveAGoJo: Tandem sky diving is an oddly unscary experience for me

HaveAGoJo tandem skydiving

Me and my fellow virgin tandem skydiver, Mark someone or other

Fear is oddly absent as I dangle my legs out of a rickety old plane at 14,000ft ready to plunge down to Australia’s coastal town of Byron Bay. I’m attached to a professional tandem skydiving partner so it isn’t just a random leap. My main concern is hoping to avoid falling into the jaws of a carcharodon carcharias. That’s a Great White shark to you.

Hurtling towards Queensland’s coast, strapped to a complete stranger, zillions of miles from home, you’d think I’d be scared, right?

I’m not an emotional concrete block; tandem skydiving is the sort of thing that would usually scare the crap out of me.

Shock, disorientation, nausea, pain, surprise and relief are all felt during the jump, yet somehow, not scared.

Scaredy cat? Not really

I’m not scared when asked whether the harness is comfortable. Nor when John, my tandem instructor, has to go and speak to a student about a lesson, leaving someone else to finish strapping me in.

When John returns and his replacement asks if she’s strapped me in correctly, not a flicker from me.

When 10 of us, attached in pairs, are stuffed into the back of the plane, its insides ripped out and corrugated sheeting fitted as the ‘door’, not a concern.

Silent treatment

When John says he’s not ignoring me, he just has sinus problems and won’t be speaking much. Then tipping his head back and closing his eyes, I just shrug.

Higher than the peak of Mount Warning and being advised there’s still 1,500 feet to go. All good.

Three minutes time is called and final preparations begin. Us tandemites are strapped tighter to our instructors and we lower our goggles. Uh-huh.

When I hang outside the door, feet behind me, head back, arms under the straps, ready to plunge into oblivion… Yeah, okay, that was a moment.

One of my favourite places, Byron Bay, but I didn’t want to be splatting on the sand (Photo copyright Jo Gunston)

Shock hits as we tumble forwards, wind racing past my ears, mouth locked agape and dry as a dusty plain. Disorientation grows as the world spins around me, a blur of aqua marine, lush green and cobalt blue; nausea drains my stomach.

‘Stop the ride I want to get off’ flits briefly through my G-force addled brain.

HaveAGoJo Jo Gunston tries tandem sky diving

The tandem instructors finish up ready for their next jump

Pain hits when my right ear sparks with pressure, dissipating after clamping my hand to my ear to relieve the wind rush.

Surprise as a jerk on my shoulders signifies the ’chute opening and ballooning with air, abruptly halting our rapid descent.

Relief as quiet descends and I’m floating 12,000 feet above the earth’s surface in awe of coastal seas, raging surf and inland forests.

Coming in to land

I’m not even scared when I’m asked to hook my hands under my knees, raise my feet and prepare to land, in a seated position, on the grassy airfield.

As John gathers up the canvas and signs my certificate, though, my thumping heart tells me that while my head may have been fearless, my body is all kinds of jelly.

Like this? Well let me recommend these for you too then
#HaveAGoJo – I try indoor skydiving
#HaveAGoJo – I try tandem hang-gliding… wasn’t entirely confident with the instructor
#HaveAGoJo – I try polo… despite being afraid of horses (it’s okay, I didn’t cry much)

 

Author: Jo Gunston

Freelance sportswriter Jo Gunston works for the likes of Olympics.com and also publishes additional content at sportsliberated.com. A favourite personal sporting moment for the former elite gymnast was performing as a 'dancer' in the London 2012 opening ceremony.

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