Can You Skydive If You’re Afraid of Heights? What Actually Happens Up There
Table of Contents
Why a Fear of Heights Often Doesn’t Kick In on a Skydive
Where Nervous Jumpers Do Feel It: The Ride Up and the Door
Fear of Heights, Fear of Flying, or Vertigo?
Should You Skydive If You’re Afraid of Heights?
So, Can You Skydive If You’re Afraid of Heights?
Key Takeaways
Yes, you can skydive if you’re afraid of heights. A fear of heights doesn’t disqualify you from a tandem jump, and it’s more common than most people think: research puts the lifetime prevalence of visual height intolerance, including acrophobia, at 28% of adults, or more than one in four. Researchers link much of that discomfort to balance: standing at an edge, your eyes lose the nearby reference points they use to keep you steady. But on a skydive, you’re seated in the airplane and then harnessed to your instructor, so you’re never balancing on a ledge and from 13,500 feet, the ground tends to look like a map rather than a drop. For many nervous jumpers, the intense part is the ride up and the open door, not freefall. Medical vertigo is different from a fear of heights; if you have it, check with your doctor before booking.
Yes, you can go skydiving with a fear of heights! Being scared of heights is pretty common, and going tandem skydiving in spite of that fear is common too! You’re far from alone. Research puts the lifetime prevalence of visual height intolerance, including acrophobia, at around 28% of adults, which is more than one in four people.
Ready for the cool part? Many people who dislike standing on balconies, looking over cliffs, or being near the edge of a tall building find that fear of heights and skydiving feel very different.
Why a Fear of Heights Often Doesn’t Kick In on a Skydive
It’s About the Edge, Not the Altitude
Part of the reason someone with a fear of heights may not be affected by the height of a skydive has to do with balance and posture. As in, when you’re standing at an edge, your eyes lose many of the nearby reference points your brain uses to help keep you oriented and steady.
Research into visual height intolerance connects height-related discomfort with changes in visual exploration, posture, and balance. That doesn’t explain every case of acrophobia, but it helps explain why standing on a ledge can feel completely different from sitting inside an airplane.
During a tandem skydive, you’re seated during the plane ride and securely harnessed to your instructor while you’re in the air. And when you are at the open door of the plane, the loud and rushing wind makes it a very different experience than standing on an eerie ledge!
The View From 13,500 Feet Looks Like a Map
Here’s another thing many first-time jumpers don’t expect: the ground looks really far away. Like, really far.
At Skydive Cross Keys, tandem jumps generally leave the airplane at 13,500 feet. From that altitude, houses, roads, fields, and trees become small shapes in a huge landscape. Our eyes can’t quite process how high we are when our depth perception is thrown off, making the situation way different than standing on a ledge that’s a few hundred feet high. This isn’t a guarantee that your fear will disappear, but it’s one reason skydiving with a fear of heights can be a very different experience from standing at the top of a building.
Freefall Doesn’t Feel Like Falling
If you’re wondering what a skydiving experience feels like, the reality is probably very different from what you picture. It doesn’t really produce the classic roller-coaster stomach drop most people imagine. Freefall feels more like strong, supportive wind pressure than simply falling.
Where Nervous Jumpers Do Feel It: The Ride Up and the Door
If you’re scared of heights and skydiving, the airplane ride and the open door may be when you feel it most. As the plane climbs, you have time to think about what you’re about to do. Then the door opens, and suddenly the jump feels very, very real.
That’s all normal! Even those without a genuine fear are expected to experience some nervous jitters at these times.
Here are a few things that can help:
- Tell your instructor you’re nervous. Tandem instructors work with nervous first-time jumpers all the time and are professionals!
- Look toward the horizon instead of straight down. This can make the view feel less overwhelming and more inviting.
- Keep your breathing steady. Slow, steady breathing during the ride up can help keep anticipation from taking over. Think about box breathing – four counts in, hold it for four, four counts out, hold it for four, then repeat! Our guide to how to breathe while skydiving covers the basics.
And remember, you don’t have to feel fearless to make the jump!
Fear of Heights, Fear of Flying, or Vertigo?
Is It Normal to Feel Afraid of Heights on an Airplane?
Yes, but a fear of heights and fear of flying aren’t necessarily the same thing. You might be completely comfortable flying but uncomfortable looking down from a balcony. Or you might be nervous about flying because of turbulence, the aircraft itself, or being unable to leave, but don’t mind eating in a restaurant on a skyscraper balcony!
So if you’re asking, “Is it normal to have fear of heights while flying?” The answer is yes – we weren’t really made for this type of thing! But it doesn’t necessarily predict how you’ll feel during a skydive.
Plus, the ride to altitude at Cross Keys is relatively short at right around 10 minutes!
Can You Skydive With Vertigo?
Feeling nervous or lightheaded at a height isn’t necessarily medical vertigo. Vertigo is a specific sensation of movement or spinning when you aren’t actually moving, and it can be associated with conditions affecting the inner ear or balance system. If you’ve been diagnosed with vertigo or a balance disorder, talk with your doctor before booking. Medical vertigo is different from simply being afraid of heights and feeling anxious or dizzy.
Likewise, if your fear is severe enough to interfere with everyday life, it’s worth talking with a qualified professional. A skydive isn’t a treatment for a phobia, although a professional may suggest exposure therapy, such as a skydive!
Should You Skydive If You’re Afraid of Heights?
For a nervous first-timer, tandem skydiving can be an awesome way to show your fear who’s boss. You’re attached to a certified tandem instructor who handles the technical parts of the jump. Your job is to listen to your instructor, enjoy the experience, and take in the view.
For someone who lives with a genuine fear, tandem skydiving can still be a great option, but chat with us, your loved ones, and your doctor if you feel the need before booking! We skydive because it’s fun and empowering to conquer fears, not because it’s unenjoyable and terrifying.
Before booking, check the requirements for tandem skydiving so you know you’re eligible.
How to Get Over a Fear of Jumping From Heights
You don’t necessarily need to “get over” your fear before skydiving. And when it comes to things like jumping from a cliff into water, it can help to do it over and over again! By doing this successfully, we’re teaching our brain to not be scared and showing it that it’s actually okay.
Understanding what you’re actually afraid of can help. If it’s standing near an edge, you may find that skydiving feels surprisingly different. If it’s the anticipation surrounding a jump, knowing what to expect and talking to your instructor can make a difference.
Our first-time skydiving tips can also help you feel more prepared before jump day.
How Scary Is Skydiving for Beginners?
There’s no way to promise that skydiving won’t be scary. No matter how incredible, it’s a totally unnatural thing for us wingless humans to do!
You might feel nervous on the ride up. You might feel it when the door opens. You might even wonder why you thought this was a good idea in the first place. But for many people, the anticipation is the hardest part. Once you’re outside, you’re no longer standing at an edge looking down. You’re soaring through the air with your instructor, surrounded by wind and an enormous view unlike anything else you’ve ever experienced.
If you’re wondering whether skydiving is scary, remember that nervous, fearful, excited, amazed, and exhilarated can all happen at once!
So, Can You Skydive If You’re Afraid of Heights?
If you’re asking, “Should I go skydiving if I’m afraid of heights?” don’t assume the answer is no.
You might be nervous. You might be scared. That’s okay! You may also discover something pretty amazing: once you’re out there, being 13,500 feet above the ground doesn’t necessarily feel like being afraid of heights at all. It feels empowering, exhilarating, and downright amazing. And if you’re still worried that you’ll be scared, it doesn’t take long! Freefall lasts around a minute and the canopy flight around five minutes – you’ve got this!
Ready to find out for yourself? Try tandem skydiving at Skydive Cross Keys today!