Always Wandering

I have always been on the prowl for activities that make my head scream of excitement, and my heart pump with exuberance. Free falling from a plane is one of those, and (I would bet) is on any adrenaline junkie’s bucket list. It has been on mine for more than half a decade. With a lot of prodding and a bit of kismet, I booked myself a tandem jump slot last summer with Skydive Legazpi.

The session starts with a brief class on the basics of the activity. The instructor introduces skydiving as a popular high-flying extreme sport. A tandem jump is an easy way to experience skydiving for the first time. Tandem jumps offer the thrill of a free fall while securely harnessed to a professional instructor. The instructor then demonstrates use of the equipment, and completes it with a comprehensive safety instruction. Finally, the support crew fits me with a harness, and ushers me to the tarmac.

As the plane climbs to 10,000 feet, the instructor straps himself to four (4) points of my harness, and gives further instructions. He once again goes through the fundamentals of exiting the plane, free falling, paragliding, and landing. It takes about ten minutes for the plane to reach the assigned altitude; more than enough for me to have a full scenic view of the city below plus the majestic Mayon Volcano.

At 10,000 feet, the instructor points where we land after the jump, then motions that it is time to place my legs outside the plane. He taps my shoulder to lean back for the impending jump. With a slight push, we tumble out of the plane and freely fall for twenty (20) seconds at approximately 200 kilometers per hour. He pulls out the parachute, at the same moment I recall the thrill. The instructor shows off some tricks, and even allows me to pilot the canopy. We stay up in the sky for ten more minutes before my bravest adventure to date ends with a soft landing in an open field.

I am on a high. You only live once. Now, on to the next rush of euphoria.

Skydive Greater Cebu* operated Skydive Legazpi last summer. Their regular jumps are done at Bantayan Island in the province of Cebu. Contact them at +63 923 8751689 and +63 927 7069005 for information on schedule and pricing.

*This is not a sponsored post. The author’s boyfriend paid for the full price of the jump.