Experience a tandem skydive and experience the world from the best view possible. There are a number skydiving academy’s and schools which offer tandem skydiving for those people who are looking for a new adventure sports to take on. If you love adrenaline-pumping sports and have done bungee jumping or something similar but the thrill has worn off, then skydiving is definitely for you. And the best thing about doing a tandem skydive is that you are not required to have any experience at all. What generally happens is that you will get briefed for a few minutes on the ground and then you will be hopping in to the little plane that will take you up in to the air. From here the only way down is by jumping.
A tandem skydive involves you being strapped to a tandem master who will guide you throughout the jump. You have anything from between 30 seconds to one minute of free-fall. This is one of the most exhilarating experiences you will ever have. After this time, the jumpmaster will pull the parachute cord and will guide you back down to earth safely. It really is that simple.
List of skydiving schools or facilities in South Africa:
- EP Skydivers – Eastern Cape & Wild Coast
- Icarus Air Wear & Skydiving School – Gauteng
- Skydive Cape Town – Cape Town
- Skydive Central Bloemfontein – Free State
- Skydive Durban – Durban & KwaZulu-Natal North Coast
- Skydive Plettenberg Bay – Garden Routes, Karoo & Little Karoo
- Skydive Robertson – Cape Winelands
- Skydive Xtreme – Mpumalanga and Limpopo
If after the initial tandem skydive you feel like you want to progress further in the sport then there are two routes for you to take. You can be trained in either static line jumping or accelerate free falling. Both routes have their merits.
Static line jumps:
This involves you jumping from the plane with your parachute being attached to a static line that is attached to the plane. The static line does not involve you having to pull the parachute cord as the static line does this automatically. Once you have completed approximately 8 of these jumps, you will be able to progress to free falling and from there the sky is yours.
Accelerated Free Fall:
During this training you will receive basic training, however two qualified instructors will assist you. You will not be attached to them like you are when doing a tandem dive, but they will assist you throughout the jump. They will inform you of all the moves you can do as well as give you instructions on when to pull the chord. If for any reason you cannot execute the pulling of the chord yourself then these instructors are there to pull it for you so you really are in safe hands. Experts of course recommend this type as you will be assisted with learning the proper techniques to ensure that you are safe. In addition to this, you will also learn the right moves to do in the air which will make the jump all that more enjoyable.
The only downfall to this awesome sport is that it can become extremely pricey if you want to get in to it properly. For example, just a tandem skydive can be anywhere between R1000 – R2000. From there if you decide to progress further, you will be required to pay not only for the rental of the equipment, but will also have to pay for every time you jump. However, there really is nothing more exhilarating so if you can afford it, then I would definitely recommend it.