Skydiving at Monterey Bay

Finally....after a 9 year loooooong wait, Oct 31, 2010 was the day. I was so thrilled from the previous day, as soon as I registered, though I was a little upset that my husband didn't want to join me.

We(3 friends came along) reached the skydiving center by 8am, though our appointment was at 9:30 only. We finished all the paper procedures - signed almost 20 papers, maybe around 40 signatures. I should have had a good breakfast, instead of 2 hawaiian bread rolls, because by the time we got onto the flight it was almost 12noon.

There was not a single moment where I had a second thought about diving from the sky. I think I've waited too long, now only desperation remains. For a moment, I considered going for the 15000 feet jump, instead of 18000 feet - to save $60. I'm glad I decided to go for the 18K(4 miles), that gives an extra 30 seconds freefall. The freefall would now last 90 seconds and then we would parachute down to the land.

We went to the landing ground and waited for the 1st 2 groups to finish the jumps. As we were watching the 2nd group's flight take off, we saw the flight slowly vanishing into the sky - giving us a glimpse of how far we would go. We couldn't see the jumpers until they opened the parachutes and I loved to see how beautifully they flew around before landing gracefully on the land. My excitement started to grow.

My instructor(a man in his 50s or 60s) jumped twice before he took the flight with me. I wore the harness that would connect me to the instructor and got onto the flight. The cameraman beautifully captured all the moments, even as I was walking to the flight. I was eager to get all the instructions correct, that I didn't have time to be afraid or excited. I wore my goggles and went to the door in a crouching position. I think staying in this position would give the instructor a better control while jumping out of the flight. Just as I jumped out of the flight, I was filled with joy and amazement. I was in complete awe. I was falling towards the earth at a speed of 120 mph(or maybe more). After a few seconds, the instructor deployed the drogue parachute(a very tiny parachute to slow the freefall speed), and asked me to open my hands.

The cameraman then floated around us and took many photos. I held his hand and all 3 of us floated together for a few seconds. It reminded me of the human chain formations in the sky that I used to watch in television when I was young. All of us were falling towards the earth, but it only felt like floating. I could feel the wind on my face, but it still felt like floating.

I BELIEVE I CAN FLY.....

The instructor then made us spin around for 3-4 times, though I really couldn't feel it when I was there. I realized this only when I saw the video later. Those 90 seconds of freefall was really amazing. The cameraman was always near us(I wonder how he managed to maneuver himself) and I kept smiling at his camera(you can see the result in the photos). Suddenly I realized that I'm really flying and then I looked at the land below. It was such an incredible feeling.

How many times I've looked at birds and wondered how it would be to fly like them. Here I was, flying(actually falling.....LOL) high up in the sky, I just can't find words to describe how ecstatic I was.

The instructor kept a watch on the altimeter(measures the altitude) and deployed the parachute. The moment he opened it, we were pulled upward (or maybe I felt so because of the sudden drop in speed, not sure) and then once the parachute opened completely, we started descending slowly. He then taught me how to operate the parachute. To move left, I had to pull the left side strap(attached to the parachute strings) towards my shoulder. To move fast, I had to pull it to my hip. When I pulled it to my hip, the parachute actually tilted and it gave us a beautiful spin on the left side. The instructor then took control of the parachute.

After the freefall, this slow descending seemed dull and boring. This was the time for me to enjoy the "bird's eye view" of Monterey Bay area.

As we came down, the instructor taught me how to make a smooth landing. I landed correctly in a sitting position. When he asked me to get up, I couldn't because I was laughing like crazy. I was laughing for another 3-4 minutes. It's an incredible feeling to fall from a flight and fly like a bird.

I'm glad I was not afraid even for a single moment, that would have ruined this whole experience. I am grateful to the instructor who takes such a huge risk with beginners like me. The cameraman also did wonderful in capturing these moments - worth the extra money for video and photo shoot($89).

When I was young, I never dreamed of flying in an airplane, forget about diving from it. Life always has its surprises and I love it.

Life is Beautiful!!