How Do You Breathe When Skydiving?
How Do You Breathe When Skydiving

If you have really decided to go skydiving, you probably have a thousand questions. One of them can be the following – how do you breathe when skydiving? Well, there is a misconception in one part of the public opinion that you cannot breathe during a free fall. The truth is something completely opposite.

Breathing during a skydive is actually not much more complicated than breathing on the ground. In this text, we will try to answer as many of your questions related to this topic.

We’ll also share some helpful tips to help you have a successful first skydive jump.

There is a common misconception that you can’t breathe during a skydive, yet this is a false idea. You can indeed breathe while skydiving. How exactly? You need to relax, breathe through your nose, and breathe out through the mouth. Do just that!

Table of Contents

Are You Able to Freeze While Skydiving?

Maybe you think you’re going to freeze? Or that you will experience a panic attack or an attack of hysteria. Anyone who has ever suffered from anxiety or panic attacks knows how challenging it is to breathe in those junctures.

But don’t you worry at all! We need to reassure you right at the beginning. You probably won’t panic or be scared if you’re averagely brave like most individuals are. We can guarantee that, by all means. Yet, you may be thinking how can we be so sure of this statement?

When you look from the open door of an airplane at 15,000’feet above the ground, up in the sky, the landscape below looks very different than it does from a cliff or skyscraper.

In reality, it resembles a Google Earth map. This is why you won’t be afraid and you will not panic. However, you’re going to have mixed-up feelings. Of course, you will feel nervous while putting on your equipment and going into the plane. You will overcome this in a minute or two, so don’t bother.

If you do a little research on the internet about other people’s experiences, as most do, you will see that they are mostly positive. So be brave and face your fears, it will be worth it.

Note: It may sound a bit strange, but with a proper tool for this, you are able to take your phone skydiving.

How to Breathe While Skydiving – Basic Tips

It’s frequently considered that you can’t breathe or open your mouth during a skydive, but this is false. You can, by all means, breathe while skydiving. The point is to relax, breathe in using your nose, and breathe out through your mouth. It’s simple as that!

Your breathing depends primarily on the height from which you will jump. The higher the altitude you are at, the thinner is the air and the harder it is for you to breathe.

Now, let’s focus more on the process of breathing itself. When jumping from either altitude, apply the following tips:

  • While still in the plane, breathe slowly and steady, through your nose and out through your mouth. This will ensure that you have the proper amount of oxygen to stay focused and calm.
  • Take a deep breath before you leave the aircraft. We strongly recommend that you yell. If you have trouble breathing during freefall, yell again! This technique is very effective. After all, you will see for yourself.
  • Try to keep your head up and your eyes on the horizon in order to help the air spill around you instead of having it rush into your nose and mouth.

Tip: Do you enjoy surfing? Be aware that it is not safe to surf in a thunderstorm. That said, avoid this approach.

Is Skydiving Scary?

So, what does skydiving sound like, you may be wondering if skydiving is scary? Truth be told, it kind of is. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be nearly as exciting. The big accomplishment in life usually comes from fronting something that frightens us and then working through it until we see the victory. 

This is true empowerment, for sure. It’s vitally important to embrace the fear, fight with it and ultimately breathe through it. This procedure is a great metaphor for achieving anything in life! 

The difficult part about skydiving is frankly the fear of the unknown and not the material act of skydiving itself. This truly goes without saying! The cognitive challenges of readying to leave the aircraft are where fear lives, but strolling through the door and jumping into free fall is bliss! 

Many would tell it’s even healing! In skydiving, as always, we must calculate risk and reward, and as many of the visitors would swear, the rewards of skydiving are amazing! 

Should I Skydive if I’m Afraid of Heights

Are You Able to Pass Out During Your Skydive?

Yes, it may happen that you pass out during your skydive flight. This can occur when beneath a parachute. Still, it’s not because of worry or lack of oxygen, but instead due to being dehydrated or having not consumed any food before the actual skydive. 

There is a lot of anxious energy directing to the jump, and when you eventually exit the airplane, the body radiates tons of energy and adrenaline. Let’s say there is nothing left to support that wave. In that case, it’s likely to pass out under the parachute. 

During free fall, this is less likely to happen. This is because the excess adrenaline is causing you to stay alert. 

Tip: If you love surfing, you should know that surfers may lose their surfboards while they are on the waves. Yet, there is a way to stop this from happening.

Should I Skydive if I’m Afraid of Heights?

There is a mistaken thought that you can’t skydive if you are afraid of heights. Yet, surprisingly, fear of heights isn’t so critical for a skydive. 

You may believe that is not true, but it really is. It may amaze you that being on a ladder will invariably feel more unsafe than being at the entrance of an airplane. It may also stun you that skydiving will do nothing to immediately fix your fear of heights–though it will help you to address all kinds of fears, albeit in a systemic sense.

If you have been wondering if your fear of heights can block you from carrying that jump, try not to worry too much. The fear of heights can be a fact. However, it does not confine or impact the chance of skydiving. The fear itself is bigger while being on a ladder, though. 

Note: A good night’s sleep is crucial for your exhilarating skydiving venture. It will diminish your fear and anxiety letting you relish this unforgettable adventure.

What if the Parachute Doesn’t Open?

This is a typical query, and there is a likelihood that the parachute may have some type of issue. Multiple skydiving centers wouldn’t want you to comprehend this, yet it can and does happen periodically.

Having a parachute issue is rare, yet should it happen, hope isn’t all gone thanks to the spare parachute option, comprehended as the reserve. 

All skydiving parachute plans have a main and a reserve parachute. 

Should there be a requirement to toss the main parachute, doing so is as easy as tugging on a handle that frees the main and then dragging on a separate hold to deploy the reserve. 

Now, what if the tandem tutor were to faint and is incapable of deploying the reserve? Don’t worry, there’s a lovely piece of tech built to endure that concern as well – it’s named an Automatic Activation Device.

That is a tiny computer system that calculates altitude and momentum. The system intelligently realizes that if a tandem tutor and trainee are still falling beyond a predetermined measurement point, the computer will then automatically deploy the reserve. 

It’s an extraordinary piece of tech and a device that needs to be on all the tandem parachute systems.

Note: If you jump without a skydiving jumpsuit you will be freezing at higher altitudes. It would be most useful to wear a jumpsuit in accurate size. The skydiving center will supply you with the appropriate skydiving equipment.

How to Get Over the Fear of Skydiving?

There’s only one explanation, yet it’s really burdensome. So, mind these basic steps. Handle all of your fears first. For the majority of skydivers, fear of heights is not as tremendous of a skydiving blockade as the beat when you discern claustrophobia.

Firstly, consider being positive and exercise being in that sealed airplane for a few junctures. Subsequently, comprehend that fear is a good thing, in fact. It holds your balance and prevents you from anything silly. Think of your fear as a means to sustain you from harm on your first skydiving adventure.

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