The Skydive Chronicles - Dive 1

Thursday, April 9th 2009,
This is when me and my roomie planned the ultimate adventure. Both were skeptic about the dive, but went ahead. There were a lot of talks about the deaths, injuries possible with the dive, but then it would not be called a extreme sport otherwise – correct?

We booked a slot for 1:00PM for saturday.

Saturday, April 11th 2009,
10AM: This is when the sun shines for us. I got up, having slept for just 4 hours, thanks to the anxiety and anticipation of sky-dive.
12PM: We are on our way to sky-dive Miami. The drive to homestead was beautiful, a typical country side drive in US. The roads were two lane as usual but driving was fun nevertheless barring a few retards who read the speed signs wrongly.
1PM: We are at our destination. I park my car just outside their office and start walking towards our destination which by this time is just a few yards away. I observed the plane in which we are supposed to takeoff, which is a 6 seater without seats! And is standing in the runway…
We reach the office where we are initially shown a video, where this person in a huge beard comes and tells us the ‘negatives’ of sky diving! What does the ‘negatives’ include? A few stories of death, lots of stories of injury, and primarily implying that in case of an eventuality the company conducting skydives is not responsible for anything – not even medical coverage! Talk about confidence inspiring!
We complete our paperwork required, basically sign the “If I die, its my fate” documents.
By this time, the confidence left over in me is almost over, with just a few drops of it remaining for the jump…
It was still not time for us…
2:00PM: our ‘agreement’ was all signed and we were told that it will be another 2 hours before we are ready to go. We left for Quizzinos (another burger joint if you may call it) to have our sub (lunch if you may call that).
4:30PM: we reach our location only to find that there are 2 more batches to go before us. Well this was not the frustrating part, but the anxiety buildup and the feeling of ‘can I do it?’ that was building up with the passing time was the frustrating part..
5:30PM: The good news arrives. We are next ones to go. We head straight to the dressing room, where our ‘dressers’ are waiting, and they hand us our blue jumpsuits. They complete the formalities by securing the safety harness and stuff, and we – are – ready – to ----- GO!
5:45PM: This is when I meet my instructor ‘Randy’ [More about him in the next part] who was very optimistic about my safe return and maximum fun, and my photographer (I was so tensed that I did not remember her name) [How did I remember Randy’s? his name was on the certificate]. I was literally out of color just before I boarded the flight, and there was a constant ring in my head which sounded like ‘I should go back’.
5:50PM: The flight takes off, and I can see the runway getting smaller and smaller with each passing second. This was somehow a confidence booster. Weird? – You haven’t known me if you felt it sounded weird.
The time freeze: After a 10 – 15 min flight (I still don’t remember how long it was), we reach an altitude of 13500 ft. My altimeter, which has markings till 11, then starts back at 0 to denote 12 shows 1.5 i.e 13500 ft. This was another confidence booster. Now that you are familiarizing with what you may call weird.
At 13500, the doors of the aircraft opened, Randy secured me to him, and we inched forward towards the door, When I was inching forward, I could barely feel my feet moving forward, I was so numb at that point, all the confidence I had built up during the flight, just vanished. When I reached the door, I looked down, I saw clouds, Just below me! I heard a motor roar from inside (that was my adrenaline factory starting) and I was R E A D Y!
The best part of skydiving is the one moment, when you are just outside the door, your hand on your chest, your body outside the door, your instructor who is still inside. You feel suspended high in the air for the next few words – Ready – Set – Arch, and then when you are still feeling the cold air hitting your face, you feel the speed build up and you are on your way down!
I could not believe myself, I saw I was amongst the clouds, just like a bird who is swooping down to get its prey, That was when I saw my photographer, she was feet away from me, and was doing all tricks she could do.. I tried saying ‘YESSSS I DID IT’ but guess what, my voice drowned in the wind! – If I say I LOVED IT, I am grossly understating what I felt.
After some time of freefall, the parachute opens up and I felt I was pulled back by a truck! And then it was glide down to the landing point with the setting sun.. I was in a state of euphoria! A feeling that cannot be imagined, and can never be explained with a few words that have gone in here…

Somebody once told me, 350 is a huge amount for a dive, I would say, If I had to re-live that moment, I can spend that amount any number of time..

I booked my second trip, that very day.

Oh yes, Randy did tell me that he was skydiving for 23 years!