Anybody here skydive? I tried it once back in the days of round, Army surplus 'chutes and landed in the middle of a highway and almost got clipped by an Oldsmobile. I guess gear is better nowadays. Bunch of girls at work are talking about it and thought I'd give it a whirl again. Thoughts?

Never done it. The floating down with a parachute part appeals to me, but every time I think about the landing, I feel a stab of imagined pain in my bad knees. So I guess I'll pass.

How's the hip these days, by the way?

JL

If you aren't motion sick, definitely give it a go. The freefall is something that will almost give you an out of body experience, it's that far out.

Oh, and it was a girl that talked me into doing it with her. So you would be in good company there.

definitely go. i went last october over lake tahoe, and it was incredible. got a little nervy a few minutes before the jump, but wow, it really is something. the first few seconds out of the plane or so damn intense, as the acceleration just sucks your gut into your throat, but then your body adapts at terminal velocity and you're just chillin' there, on a pillow of air. it's out of this world. can't wait to go again, just gets a little costly. i guess you can't put a price on the high you get when you land and start walking around, high adrenaline...

by the way, saxfiend, the landing is cake, there are no knees involved - you stick your legs out straight and slide on your ass...

Sean, the worst mistake a person can ever make is to pass up an opportunity to sky dive. Well, almost.

The landings really aren't as bad as they used to be. Modern gear has chords that you pull as you approach the ground to "lift" yourself toward the descending chute. Combine that with directional control which can turn some of your downward momentum to forward momentum at the last minute, and landings can actually be pretty soft.

That's my two bits, now here's my advice. If the company offers it and IF your skydive site has good scenery, get a video of your dive! It will probably tack on an extra $50-$75, maybe more. But it was worth it for me! I'm usually quite the penny-pincher, but I have NEVER regretted the extra $$ I forked out for the video of my dive over Oahu. And remember - some skydive companies are great. Tip accordingly.