Skydiving is the closest thing to flying that a human can do. It’s one of the most exhilarating—and terrifying—things you can do in an afternoon, so It’s little wonder that it’s an item on so many people’s bucket lists. If you’re going to do skydiving, you have to do it right, in a beautiful place with clear views. That’s why I decided to try skydiving in Tahoe.
We were in Tahoe for three days, and it was raining for two. Awesome. Fortunately, the last day was the clearest day ever, so I decided to do something that I’ve always dreamed of: skydiving. In my last blog entry, I mentioned that skydiving was something I thought I’d do once, but I’ve realized that I loved it enough to do it over and over again. There’s something unexplainable about the experience; it’s not a one-time thing. I guess you could say I’m hooked.
I think I do pretty crazy things, but I often get nervous when I’m doing them. Skydiving was not like that. This time, I was too excited and eager to be nervous! It was just the most beautiful day, and probably the best kind of weather for to go for a jump.
Alex, the owner of Sky Dive Lake Tahoe, picked me up from Ridge Resort, which was where I stayed. I had called Alex the day before and mentioned that it was difficult to get to the skydiving place without a car, since it was low season. There was literally no public transportation available. He was kind enough to offer to pick me up. Considering that the drive is a good 30 to 40 minutes, that was incredibly generous. He said, usually tourists in this area had a car ( apparently, not me) and soon, he is working on how to go about shuttling people incase more people like me come around.
I was too excited! When I woke up in the Ridge, it was cold and foggy. I had a sinking feeling of disappointment when I realized it might be too foggy to jump. But by 8:00, the fog had cleared, although it was still cold. Alex picked me up in the clubhouse with his adorable dog, Cobalt.
We had a long conversation on our drive down. He told me how the views and weather in the Valley are so much better than on the Ridge, and as we drove, I could see he was right. The Ridge has snow-capped mountains as its view, but it felt so far away. From the Valley, the view seems massively bigger, closer, and so majestic.
I wore thick clothes and even brought down a jacket, only to realize that the weather down in the Valley is very different from that in the Ridge. It was warm, sunny, and bright. I could see why so many people want to live there. It’s only a half hour drive to Lake Tahoe, so they can ski or visit the area whenever they want without living in the cold, harsh weather. Reno is 45 minutes away, too.
The Valley is full of open space, with big plots of land and great houses. It’s mostly filled with locals, and not a lot of tourists go there. Score! As I’ve said, I love going places where not many tourists go.
Most people say there is nothing to do down there, but as we drove past the towns, I fell in love with the area. I love the sweet houses and the farm lands. We passes through a town called Genoa, which Alex said is one of the oldest towns there. It felt so quaint and antique! I was definitely digging it. Alex told me about some awesome falls and all the hiking trails from the valley. I made a mental note: come back for this someday.
A few minutes more, and Alex pulled into the parking lot for Sky Dive Lake Tahoe. We had arrived. I was welcomed by Dave and the others, and soon I was sitting at a table to fill out some paper work. While I was at it, I watched a video. The paperwork and video said the same thing:
- There are risks involved in skydiving.
- You quit claim once you sign the waiver and you cannot sue any of them should something go wrong.
- It explains what will happen from beginning to end, like how they will strap you in the harness, etc. and that they need to tighten everything to secure that you are safe.
- They explain how you can back out AT ANY TIME you wish – just tell your instructor. You also get a refund if you do so.
Yes, it might sound scary to some, but they were just being realistic. They present you with the possible risks, and if you are still willing to take part and experience the thrill, then it’s YOUR CHOICE. No way are they going to push you out of a plane against your will.
Of course, I also did my homework. I asked Alex how long he’s been skydiving. His first jump was 14 years ago, and he has been doing tandem for the last ten. He already has more than 7,000 jumps. After I heard that, I felt like I was safe and I would make it down alive. I also asked how many parachutes he was going to take, and he’d take two. Then I have two “lives,” in case something goes wrong. I felt even safer.
Sky Dive Lake Tahoe
Sky Dive Lake Tahoe has been around for two years, and they have been steadily growing as a company ever since they opened their doors. They operate year-round, weather permitting, although their low season is December to January, when the weather is not favorable. The day I went was Monday of a low season, so I was the only jumper, even though the weather was perfect. Jumps start at 8:00 am, but on days with big groups, they do their best to start around 7:00 am. Because Americans are always have time constraints, they do their best to keep wait times as short as possible. They usually work through reservations, but even if you call the day you want to jump, they will try to fit you in. Some days, they have as many as fifty jumpers! They take students up two at a time, so that’s 25 trips. Alex and his team are accommodating, but they have two main jumper restrictions for the sake of safety: you have to be over 18 and under 220 pounds.
The Venue
The venue was pretty cool. They had benches for you to sit on while you watch the video, and they even have snacks, like chocolate, chips, and drinks. The snacks are a $1 donation—you don’t have to pay, but come on. It’s just a dollar. Pay up! They also offer water, which is free. In case you have to wait, there is a game room with foosball and game boards. Like I said, though, they do their best to make sure you don’t have to wait. Also, there is a big space in the back to gear up. And just in case you were wondering, the toilets are clean. That’s usually a pretty good indication of the general state of cleanliness.
The Experience
After I watched the video and filled out the paperwork, I had to choose a suit. Most were camouflage, in military style. After I suited up, the team put a harness on me. According to Alex, the harness attaches to you in 14 different ways. He had to adjust every one of them! I stood patiently as he worked his way through the loops and snaps. As he went, he explained a lot of things to me. He also asked if I was nervous, and surprising, I wasn’t at all. I had done it before, and all I remember is loving every minute of it. All I felt was excitement!
After getting through the complicated harness, Alex talked me through what to expect for my jump:
- A few minutes before the jump, he will tighten my harness and attach me tighter to himself.
- Then, he will put on my mask. It has to be so tight that it might be uncomfortable. For me, it actually wasn’t too bad. Also, he told me that the mask would probably fog up—something to do with temperature and a bunch of scientific stuff. Once he opened the plane door, the mask would clear up. Sure enough, that’s what happened.
- He would do all the work of maneuvering me to the end of the plane, but I needed to keep my feet hanging out of the plane just before the jump.
- I had to arch my back after we fell out of the plane and hold tight to the harness with my arms. I can release and relax after he taps me.
- I should keep my head up, because if I have it down I can only see one view. If I keep it up, I can see everything: the lake, the mountains, the valley, and the desert. Stunning!
Finally, after all this, we were on our way to the airport. Alex took a video of me before I went up. I think a video is a great idea! I can’t think of a better skydive souvenir. For the video, Alex asks you how you’re feeling before the jump and why you’re doing it. My answer: Why not?
We climbed into the plane. During our ascent, the view was impeccable. On one side, I could see Lake Tahoe and snow-capped mountains, and on the other I could see the desert and green fields of the valley. The contrast was breathtaking. I was in awe. Alex mentioned that in the summertime, the view is less stunning – more shades of brown and no snow—but still pretty fantastic.
When the time came, I sat on the edge of the floor with my legs out the door of the plane. WOW! I was 17,000 feet above sea level! Still, I wasn’t the least bit nervous. It was so different than my bungee jumping experience. I think it’s because this time, someone would do the jump for me. We sat there for a few moments, and then, just like he promised, Alex leaned back and hoisted the two of us forward. Down we went!
Obviously, he probably saw how daring I am from the beginning. I got a few extra spins here and there, which was just bonus awesomeness for me! Despite the cold weather and the wind gusting into my face, I was IN LOVE! The scenery was just gorgeous. It makes it worth it to do a second jump… and maybe a third, and a fourth, and a fifth! We were freefalling for a while, enjoying the view below us, and of course taking tons of photos. It was so surreal.
I wanted to take my Go Pro with me, but Alex told me that you have to have at least 200 jumps before you’re allowed to record your dive. This is mainly because you’ll probably end up focusing more on fiddling with your camera than on the jump. This is so true! I guess I’d rather enjoy it in person, anyway, and let Alex do the photo snapping.
When it was time to pull the chute, everything became suddenly silent. The wind disappeared and we could finally hear well enough to have a conversation. I told Alex that his job is pretty freaking awesome. What an incredible feeling—and he gets to do it every day!
The thrill was not over yet. Alex warned me that he was about to adjust my harness. I would fall a few inches, but I wasn’t going anywhere. I hardly felt the drop, but I was glad he had warned me.
Alex maneuvered the chute a little and asked me if I get motion sick. I told him no, and boy, was I glad that I don’t! He started playing around with the controls, and we begin spinning through a fantastic series of twists and turns. I pulled right first, and we twirled around and around. I tried the left, too. We did one trick where I pulled left until he gave me the cue, and then I pulled on the right, and then on both. It was so much fun! My inner child and the adventurous spirit in me was screaming with joy; I was one happy girl.
Our ride began to come to an end. He explained to me how we had to land. He said that the ground comes up to meet you faster that you’d expect, and all I had to do was lift my legs and toes in front of me. If I could stand, then I should try; if not, we could land on our bums. I was glad that he warned me about each step, so that I could know what to expect. We had a little time to burn, so we played around a bit more until said to me, “Ok, I’ll take the controls now. Lift your legs.” Boy, the ground did come up fast! I had no idea how much speed we had picked up. It really just felt like gliding, but we were apparently falling pretty quickly. Fortunately for me, I’m good at following directions, and we landed oh-so-smoothly—and NOT on our bums!
It all started and ended so fast. Everything that happened took just a few minutes! The second my feet touched the ground, I wanted to beg like a little kid, “Just one more, please?” Of course, I restrained myself. Although I totally would have done it again if I could!
Dave was there waiting for us in the landing area, taking photos and congratulating us for our smooth landing. I was so happy that I couldn’t stop smiling. To be honest, though, I’m usually smiling anyway! I smiled even bigger when I saw the Jeep that Dave came to pick us up in. Man, pimp my ride! It was one cool Jeep. The day just couldn’t get any better. In the Jeep, Dave gave me some water and drove us back to the office. They transferred my photos and videos to a USB, and since nobody else was there, we watched some of the clips.
What a wonderful day, and what a great experience! The whole things was definitely worth it, and you really get a lot more than you bargain for. You know, I was raving about my first sky dive experience in Australia because I got to tick off a bucket list item, but this—I might rave about this forever.
I seriously considered going for a second jump, but it was time to say goodbye. My mom, grandma, and her siblings were waiting for me, so I had to go. As soon as I got in the car, I started talking about my jump and never stopped! Of course, they know that I’m a daring soul, but still they laughed about how ecstatic I was.
If I ever find myself in Tahoe again, this is one activity I will definitely come back for—that and the hiking trails. I don’t know why people hardly go to the Valley. Some may say that there’s nothing to do there, but I left a piece of my heart in the scenic valley.
What an amazing experience. If you are going to skydive, I can’t think of a better place to do it.
Exactly how I felt
Wow thats two recommendations on Skydiving in Lake Tahoe. Sounds like gfreat fun and your energy was oozing off the post…Well done you wow!
I used to live in CA and spent a great deal of time at Lake Tahoe but more for skiing and summer water fun. I did not realize they do sky diving too! A great adventure.
You should go back now. It opened like 2 years ago. It’s really nice.
Wow, that sounds like so much fun. I would love to go skydiving but I’m scared of heights!
Me too, I am a little bit scared of height! But they look like having so much fun up there.
Yikes! This sounds amazing. I would have done something like this before having my son. I don’t think I could do this as a parent! It sure does look exciting!
I would love to see the earth from that perspective. I can’t because I’m afraid of heights. LOL BUT I would LOVE to!
You are so brave! Skydiving has always been so interesting to me, but I just couldn’t. The view is SUPERB, as well! <3
Skydiving is on my bucket list, but I have yet to take the leap (literally!). I would imagine Lake Tahoe is the perfect scenic backdrop.
Oh wow what an absolutely amazing sounding experience – sky diving is something I would love to have done once upon a time. I can only imagine what it is like to see the world from so high up. x
Sky diving will always be on my bucket list, it’s just really something that you have to try at least once in your life. I didn’t know Lake Tahoe offered such an opportunity! I would love to go and try this someday!
Wow, I get nervous just reading about this. It does sound super fun though! It’s awesome that you did this!
This is not for the faint of heart! Not for me, haha!
oh my god! what a brave you are! i’ve been invited for around 3x for free to try out this but i can never do it haha I have the fear of shit things can happen, and i dont be in that situation while my daughter is still so young haha mybe when she turns 21? haha love to read your exprience
You just fulfilled one of my bucket list, I’m so jealous. I can’t wait to do it for myself. Looks like you had a great time!
Looks like you have so much fun. I wish I can do skydiving too in our country, such a great experience!
I’ve always wanted to try skydiving as it is so fascinating. It is in my to do wishlist. Great post.
Wow, I would love to try sky diving but I am not that brave! Your experiences look so much fun.
Same here! It sounds like so much fun, but I am terrified of heights!
Yeah, the moment I see the pictures, my stomach got upset. However, I want to try it!
That is in my bucket list definitely! It is a great experience
Thank you for sharing this incredible experience! You sure seem to be that kind of people who can’t stay in the same place for too long, always looking for an adventure haha
OMG. I couldn’t do it, but I can see how this would be the ultimate for any thrill seeker. The view is spectacular.
Sky driving with the people at Lake Tahoe I would love to try. Your post and Alex on the video make it seem funner as well as something less scary. I have to admit that the older I get the moire daring I feel for some reason. Thanks for sharing.
The views would be amazing that high up. You are very brave to do this.
I’m pretty adventurous, but this is just a big NO for me. However, I’m so glad you had a great time and shared all of your great pics. Go you!
Wow. What an amazing adventure. I give you major props for trying this, as i don’t think I could ever see myself crawling into that tiny plane and jumping out of it.
It’s funny that you would say most people think there’s not much down there (Lake Tahoe) and I felt the same way until I spent some time there about 40 years ago! It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen! No, I didn’t skydive, but I enjoyed a lot of the other sports and adventures. Thanks for bringing back the beautiful memories.
Skydiving is on my bucket list! I hope to do it one day. It looks like you had such a great time!
It sounds like so much fun! Those pictures in the air are crazy!
For several years now I’ve wanted to skydive myself. This place looks like an amazing place to do it at.
Long drives are nice for talking. 🙂 I’ve been tandem jumping before. It was fun. 🙂
Oh my! You are so brave! I don’t think I could ever skydive, but I can imagine that it must be quite the experience.
yay!What that’s cool. I don’t think I’m brave enough to try that haha! Btw, I super love reading your blog, it feels like I’m traveling too!
This is pretty cool. I would love to try sky diving.
I absolutely love skydiving. It is so peaceful and you can’t beat the views.
Same thought! I love sky diving too and they look like having fun in the air!
I have always wanted to try skydiving, I can just imagine the sense of clarity I would get and what rush it would give me.
Wow, you have the greatest time of your life and I can see that on your smiles! I wish I can smile too if I will do this.
aaggghh, even just looking at the pictures and I’m dizzy. Well done for doing it though. A braver woman than I.
Wow, you are so brave! I don’t know if I could ever do that. It looks amazing though!
Skydiving is one of my biggest dreams! And Lake Tahoe would be such a perfect place to do it. You can tell from the pictures that it is beautiful, but to see it in person is completely different!
That’s great that they offer a refund if you back out. I went a few years ago here where I live and you couldn’t back out and get a refund! Main reason I jumped-LOL!
Og my- you are such a brave woman! Looks wonderful…but I am so affraid of highs.. that I would probbaly die doing such thing;)
Skydiving is such a great fun for adventure lovers & I think you have had a wonderful time out there doing it. The pictures look breath taking & I admire your strength on the same as I am so scared of such stuff!
Skydiving looks like so much fun. I still would love to experience it. Someday I will! I actually love heights, so this is something I have to do sometime.
Dude this looks so awesome! I’ve always wanted to do this, looks like it would be simply breathe taking. Where I used to live they had a sky diver school and you could see the people jumping out of the planes over the house.
Even though I don’t have the nerve to do it, I enjoy looking at your pictures.
Whoo! I want to go to Lake Tahoe Skydiving so bad! Some friends told me that skydiving experience was great, I am a little nervous to try this because I need to ask my doctor first if I should do this or not due to my health issues. Good thing is that I have no motion sickness. 🙂 Thank you for sharing this.
Looks like you had the best time of your life. I wish I could do it some day soon. I am in Pakistan and will discover if we have this kind of stuff here.
Kudos to you for loving your skydiving experiences, I’m so scared of heights and aeroplanes, skydiving is not an options for me! The scenery is gorgeous though and so great you get a video of your experience!
Skydiving is something I have never ever considered doing, primarily because I don’t like heights. LOL! But that does not stop me from admiring those who have done so, like you. It sure looks like a lot of fun.
This sounds awesome! I would love to have the courage to do that! Your pictures look amazing!
Oh WOW!!! Thats all I can think of right now. That looks so much fun, but not sure if I could do that or not. Glad you all had a great time.
I’m starting to conquer my fear of heights which is why I added skydiving to my bucket list. I might consider this location. Haha
xx
withkerr.wordpress.com
Omg amazing!!! I don’t know if u would have the guts to go through with skydiving but I like to say I would totally do it one day !
If you do, do Lake Tahoe make it worth it.
I am sure the excitement can’t be compared. I just wonder though if did it ever cross you mind of thinking not to proceed? Ha! If I am on your case, I will really take the challenge but the battle in my mind can’t be explained. lol
That sounds amazing! I would love to go skydiving. I consider myself an adventurous person but the closest I’ve ever been is going in a hot air balloon in Albuquerque. I’m glad that you were able to communicate how adventurous you are to Alex so he could give you the extra twists and turns!
Wow Karla! Kudos to you! i’m really not a fan of heights so im amazed by people who enjoys these kinds of activities! but even though I’m not good with heights I also def would love to do this someday!
Oh my god I wished I dare to do this. It must be such a great experience to fly like that. To be above the earth! Amazing that you did this!
Wow, what an amazing experience!
Gah! My feet are tingling just at the thought… I’d be too scared to do this!
wow you are really great and brave on conquering your fear.. i mean, i still remember your bungee jumping video and now this, you just took it in an all new level literally haha… this is indeed a great experience and I just don’t know if I will have the same courage to try it
Stunning captures. I could feel the excitement and liberty on every photo. Great experience indeed! 🙂
Whoa! adding this to my bucket list! talk about having an adventure haha I have to do this!!
It truly looks like a beautiful place for skydiving. However, I am way too much of a pansy to try it myself lol. Glad you had such an amazing experience!
My brain burped, because I read, ” We had a long conversation on our DIVE down.” I would be screaming! But… you were talking about the car 🙂
What a fantastic experience! the pictures and the scenery are just stunning!
My spouse might be up for something like this! I however am a scaredy cat. Looks awesome though!
Skydiving is in the list of things I have to do before I die. I’m glad you had an amazing experience!
Looks like a pretty cool experience, Glad you were able to do this and share it! Amazing photos!
Wow! This sounds amazing. A little scary for me but it looks like you have a great time.
Oh what an experience. This looks like a blast, I doubt I’d ever have the guts to do this but oh boy I’d love to!
Great adventure, it may look risky but those who are addicted to adventure ..enjoy it like anything.
Oh my gosh!!!! That looks like such a rush. I’ve often thought about doing it but I don’t think I can handle it with my terrible motion sickness… even a swing makes me feel ill, not sure I can handle the sensation of free falling.. but gosh would it be an unforgettable experience.
I love your experienced! I would love to make mine too but I am afraid of heights! Yikes!
That sounds like a really great place for skydiving. I’m not brave enough to do it myself but my young adult kids would love it.
That sounds like a great adventure! We almost made it to do some sky diving by us, and still think about it from time to time. This certainly makes me think all the more about it.
I don’t think I am brave enough to do this. You are so brave and from the smiles in your photos, I am sure you enjoyed it so much. Like you said, you are hooked. I look forward to your next skydiving adventures.
I’ve always wanted to go to Lake Tahoe and your pictures inspire me to look into a trip! I don’t think I could go skydiving but I love your sense of adventure.
I’m so jealous! I’ve always wanted to sky dive!
I know a couple of young men that went sky diving for the first time to celebrate graduating. I just don’t know if I could bring myself to do it. Maybe I am getting old.
Looks like you had an amazing time. Thank you for sharing!
This looks and sounds like a total blast!! I would love to go sky diving one day!
This seems amazing, and the view is great! My daughter keeps talking about wanting to skydive, I bet she would have loved to do this.
Wow! I bet it is quite an experience of your life. I can’t do that ‘coz I am terrified with heights. You are one brave woman and my hats off to you too.
Skydiving scares me honestly, but you look like you had such a great time! Bravo!
WOw what an amazing experience. I have always wanted to try this.
These are amazing photos. I would love to try skydiving but i do not think i am brave enough to make it out of the plane.
Yikes! My heart is racing just thinking about it. I just hate the free fall feeling and this terrifies me. You are brave, girl!!
Better you than me! Skydiving is not something I would ever want to do, but wow, the scenery is amazing!
Oh my gosh! This is on my bucket list! And those views are stunning!
Skydiving sounds both fun and scary! I have a fear of heights so mostly scary lol But oh my lord!
I loved reading about your skydiving experience! I am way too wimpy to ever do this so it was fun to read about it through your eyes.
OMG! This is really interesting! I want to try Sky Diving. for sure you really had a great time and you really enjoy your Skydiving adventure 🙂
That looks AMAZING!!! The land alone is gorgeous, but what a view you had!!! My hubby keeps trying to get me to go skydiving like this – I’m scared LOL
You had such a great experience! I’d love to try this one day.Your photos and video are so inspiring!
Skydiving seems so much fun but I have always been afraid of heights. The video makes me want to try skydiving and I would love to do it with this company. Thanks for sharing your experience.
There are some things I am not going to do unless a gun is held to my head…and this is one of them