Skydiving allows people to feel more than just fear, says a BYU–Hawai student and a skydive instructor
People can conquer their fears even in extreme activities, said a BYU–Hawaii student and a skydiving instructor. They said skydiving is a daring activity people should experience once in their lives. Skydiving is undoubtedly an extreme sport, but with modern equipment and training, it is less hazardous than most people perceive it, according to skydivingstl.com.
An unusual celebration
June Solidarios, a junior from the Philippines majoring in hospitality and tourism management, said skydiving allowed him to feel something he never felt before. He said, “It’s an awesome and amazing feeling, just free falling. It feels like you’re flying and falling at the same time.” Solidarios said he couldn’t describe how it felt. “You have to try it to feel it,” he added.
Solidarios said he loves celebrating milestones in his life. “I am a sentimental person. In celebration of my second year in Hawaii, I wanted to do something crazy. I wanted to skydive,” he continued. He said he asked his friends to join him, but many of them said no. “Eventually, I had this group of friends who were down to do it,” he added.
Solidarios said one of his friends was going on a mission and before leaving, he wanted to do something crazy as well. “We suggested that we go skydiving,” he continued. He said they wanted to make the experience more fun and unique. “We decided to skydive wearing our Sunday best,” he added.
The day they were supposed to skydive was rescheduled because it was cloudy, said Solidarios. Unfortunately, his friend left for his mission before the rescheduled date, he said. “We still did it on his behalf, and we called him after skydiving,” he continued. The experience was terrifying and fun, said Solidarios. “Even talking about it makes my hands sweat. The moment you jump, I think it’s the first five seconds that you’re just terrified, but after that, it’s pure bliss,” he added.
Solidarios said the only decision a person makes when skydiving is the part where they pay. “After that, all the decisions are made for you. Your schedule, who your instructor will be and even when to jump. I just let it all happen,” he continued. He said he felt safe despite the experience being scary. His instructor had been working for 20 years and it gave him an assurance knowing his instructor knew what he was doing, he added. He said “I recommend doing it at least once in your life. I would definitely do it again.”
Taking control
Oren Peri, a United States Parachute Association (USPA) licensed skydive instructor from Wailua said, “Most people are afraid of the unknown.” He said most times people have control in their lives and having a stranger take control is odd. “This is what an emergency situation feels like. Most people’s apprehension comes from not knowing what’s gonna happen,” he continued. Peri said fear is not a tangible thing, and it is only an emotion. “You just have to conquer your own mind and your own head. If there’s no need to fear it, then there’s no need to feel it. Relax, enjoy and have a good time,” he added.
Being relaxed is the most important part of skydiving, said Peri. He said, “When you are not relaxed, you don’t have any control of your body. It is really about relaxing up [in the sky] letting the winds sculpt your body.” Peri said he had been skydiving for 28 years and working with Skydive Hawaii for 12 years. “My mother was a skydiver, that’s how I got into it,” he added.
Peri said because her mother was a skydiver he didn't have much fear of skydiving. “I just made my first jump to make my second jump,” he said. Fear of heights has to do with the vertical reference from where a person is standing from off the ground such as standing on top of a building or a cliff, said Peri. He said, on an airplane, it is just like looking at a picture. “There’s no vertical reference, no sensation of vertigo, you don’t feel weird or anything like that,” he continued.
A bonus of doing skydiving is you get to see the island from above, said Peri. He said, “The airplane ride is great… You get a little tour of the North Shore.” He said skydiving feels more like floating than falling. “It is a relaxing sensation so it’s just nice and calming,” he added. Peri said when the parachute opens it gets more quiet and calm. “It’s a two sport in one and you get both of them by doing tandem skydive,” he continued.
The tandem skydive option allows people to have a stress-free experience, said Peri. “You’re here with a bunch of professionals. We go home at the end of the day, that means you are going home too,” he said. Instructors provide their customers the best skydiving experience possible, he added. Peri said instructors know what they are doing and people are in safe hands. “If it’s something you wanna do, do it as quickly as possible. Do not leave time for your mind to create stories, problems and hypothetical situations,” he added.