Skydiving Myth Busters

[I:1:J]Skydiving is one of the most exciting extreme sports around, but many people shy away from trying it whether it is because of money or because of fear of injury. However, there is no concrete basis to many of these misconceptions. Whatever the reason, this article's goal is to demystify this wonderful sport, so that more people can be encouraged to try it.

Myth 1: You need to be in good shape

People see sky diving as extremely physically demanding, and they think that you need to be in tip-top shape to do it. Although it is true that you need to flex some muscle, you don't necessarily need to be an Olympic athlete. As long as you doctor doesn't feel that sky diving will be harmful to your health if you have a condition, then he can give you a permission slip that will allow you to sign a medical form for attesting that you are fit enough to participate. You don't need to be particularly strong either to learn how to jump.

Myth 2: You have to be young

Another misconception is that only young people can sky dive. Although most skydivers are between the ages of 18 and 40, as long as you have the drive and desire to learn, there is nothing that says you cannot start learning sky diving at a late age. With the advent of new safety precautions, more and more older people are learning how to sky dive. To make a point, even former President Bush jumped from a plane at the age of 80 to celebrate his birthday!

Myth 3: You need a lot of money

One big factor that discourages many people from sky diving is that it is quite an expensive hobby. Parachutes and jumpsuits are very expensive, and you have to hire a plane and pilot every time you want to jump. Initial classes are also expensive.

However, some people have found ways around this problem. Some people have discovered that they can set up charity events and get people to sponsor your jump. If you get enough people you can fund your jump and the remaining proceeds will go to the charity of your choice. There are many organizations that already hold these sky diving charity events on a regular basis, and they are usually free for those that want to join.

Myth 4: Sky diving is dangerous

Although it is intuitive to think that it may be dangerous to leap out of a plane thousands of feet above the ground, sky diving is actually not as dangerous as it seems. According to studies, the annual number of deaths in the US due to sky diving is 1 in every 100,000 jumps. This makes sky diving no more dangerous than driving a car or riding the bus. Plus, with all the safety measures and technologies being used today, the risk of injury is greatly minimized.

If you are one of those that are hesitant to try skydiving, then hopefully this article has changed your mind, or at least, has sparked an interest. The rush one gets from sky diving makes it a very fulfilling sport, and the sky diving community is full of friendly faces who will help you every step of the way.