Skydiving is the ultimate adrenaline rush, but skydiving in one of the most beautiful places in the world able to make the experience even more amazing. Pacific Skydiving Center in Wailua, HI, has taken Hawaiian residents and tourists on skydiving tours for over 42 years. Their licensed instructors are military-certified, logging thousands of jumps.

If you are considering skydiving for the first time, the experts share three things to expect from the experience: 

• You Won’t Be Alone: All first-time jumpers do what is known as a tandem skydiving. In tandem skydiving, you and the instructor are harnessed together. This ensures a trained professional will be there to deploy the parachute, guiding you safely back to the ground.
• The Anticipation Is the Worst Part: The Pacific Skydiving Center instructors insist that the scariest part of all is standing in the door before the jump. The longer you wait, the greater the anticipation and fear, and the greater the chances are of you backing out. The instructors do not allow tandem students to wait in the door and encourage them to jump as soon as possible to lessen the fear.
• You’ll Be Going Very Fast: Tandem jump heights average around 8,000 feet. From this height, you can reach about 121 mph during free fall. You’ll be given goggles to help with the wind factor, and instructors recommend anyone with long hair to have it tied back securely away from their face. Additionally, loose t-shirts, closed-toe shoes, and even a hoodie are recommended attire to help cope with the wind and cold.
• The Fall May Be Different Than You’d Expect: Perhaps, the most exhilarating part of your jump will be the free fall. The fall itself only lasts about 60 seconds, but you’ll be accelerating as you go down. Many first-timers are surprised that the free fall does not mimic the sensation in your stomach of falling when you’re going down a roller coaster. Instead, it feels as though you are floating through the air.

Whether it’s your first time skydiving, or you would like to take a professional skydiving course, call (808) 637-7472, or visit the Pacific Skydiving Center’s website.