Skydiving

skydiving video

Before / After Skydiving vlog

Location: SkyDive Elsinore

Address: 20701 Cereal St, Lake Elsinore, California 92530

Cost:
Tandem Jump - 160
Picture / Video Package 60+ - I went with the combo package for 130

More info: Skydive Elsinore, is also known as the closest skydiving center for Los Angeles Skydiving. It’s unique location right off of Interstate 15, south of Corona and north of Temecula, makes Skydive Elsinorethe most convenient location for people to enjoy tandem skydiving throughout Southern California. Located one hour north of San Diego and 1.5 hours southeast of Los Angeles allows people an exciting and short car trip prior to making their first tandem skydive.

Experience: So I had previously decided that I was going to skydive, because I wanted to enter into a nw chapter in my life. Even though I had already felt myself entering this new chapter, I jumped out of the plane and signed up to do so, with the intention that I would not be the same person when I landed.

Who I was before I jumped, and who I was after were going to be two entirely different versions of the same self, the same soul, and through the jump my past would be left behind, and I would be ready to embrace everything to come.

The booking process, was extremely easy and straightforward, I went to their website picked a day, I chose 4/20, because I felt that it would make the occasion more momentous, that’s a national holiday for a lot of people! It was so easy and straightforward, I just signed up online and there were plenty of openings, after which I signed some forms online and was all set to go for the day of my jump.

When I arrived at the location, it was a pretty large sized facility, there were camper vans, and RV’s, because people stay and live there while they work, or get their jumping certifications.

The people here, are angel’s on this earth. Everyone single person working at this spot went above and beyond, they were so easy going, friendly, chill, and make you feel super comfortable about the whole thing. I would honestly go back to this location, just because of the way that the people treated me.

So you enter the office, watch a short 5-10 minute safety video, and it starts out saying how people can die from this, and gives you all the cautionary info, and honestly it wasn’t scary, but the first 2mins of video was the most terrifying part of the whole day, because I think they try to scare the reality of the worst case scenario in your mind. After that the video walks you through the process of what you can expect, it’s pretty straightforward!

After you watch the informational prep video, you have the option to choose a video and picture package, I thought I would only do this once in my life, so I purchased the Video & picture for 130, totally worth it! they also take a hand cam video for you while you’re up there, and offer it for 20 dollars at the end of the jump, I thought about getting it, and it would’ve been cool, but I tipped my tandem jumper the money instead.

Jennifer, Jessica, and Daniella were the ladies that helped me register, big shoutout to them, for handling the process so smoothly!

Following this they send you down a yellow brick road, that’s what they call it, because it’s a road, paved with yellow bricks! lol. It takes you to the “waiting lobby” an outdoor open seating area with a roof, and everyone waits here for their turn to jump. While i was waiting I did some pushups, balance stretches, read my book, and squats, and met some of the other people there to jump. I was 1 of 3 tandem jumpers for the day (people jumping with an experienced jumper)

Most of the people waiting to do their jumps are actually people getting certified.

When they call your name, your instructor approaches you, and tells you what you’re going to do when you’re about to get out of the plane. You put both hands on straps by your chest area, and once they push you out of the plane, you put your legs up in between their legs and wait for a shoulder tap as you’re free falling to be able to spread your arms however you’d like.

Jump Preparation - “JOAQUIN! JOAQUIN!” my name was being called, it was my turn, I could feel my heart begin to race, faster and faster, I was getting excited to jump. After they have you put on the gear you have about 15-20 minutes until your jump. Tony was the homie. He was my tandem jumper, we chopped it up a bit, he said he had done over 5,000 jumps. I was shook. I asked him, “do you even get excited to do it anymore man? Do you still have the rush of adrenaline?”

He responded, “no, not really anymore, that actually stopped a long time ago, now it’s just something I do, still enjoy it as a sport, but it’s the community that I appreciate so much about it all, the people that are certified and want to jump all just awesome people. He also mentioned, how he used to work in an office job, but he said that this is his office now, and I thought that was cool how he delivered that message. I was thinking in my head how the world is our office if we want it to be.

I put all my important belonging’s away in one of the locker’s they have, shoutout to Tristan, for watching my other stuff!

IT WAS TIMEI met my videographer, his name was Jay, also a cool dude, everybody was chill vibes the whole time, honestly how could you not be chill experiencing that al the time. We did a quick interview, I said in the video how I love my family, and I was born ready to do this jump.

The plane seated about 12 people, including me, and as we piled in, we had to watch our head, because there was not enough room to stand.
It was so cool to even be in a small plane like that, I had never had that experience, I wasn’t afraid at this point, just excited.

When everyone is inside, you buckle up, and the plane takes off with the door still open, once w’re airborne they slide the metal door from the roof, it’s separated into panels so it can curve with the shape of the plane. It’s about a 15 minute flight until the jump, and you see the ground getting further and further from view.

I’m not going to lie to you, I’m terrified of heights, ask anybody that’s been to angel’s landing with me, they know LOL such great experience to. Recommend that highly.

At this point, we are about 14,000 feet above ground, and the plane’s door opens, and the people in front of me start jumping out of the plane one at a time. The fear hadn’t hit me, I wasn’t scared, and I wasn’t nervous, I felt so at peace, but when I saw the peoples bodies flying out of the plane, and their bodies falling straight down from the window. I didn’t say it out loud, but my mind was like, what the fuck did I just get myself into. Haha. Excuse the language I am merely repeating the first thing that cam to mind at the time. I wasn’t gonna back out though, no way, momma didn’t raise no bish.

So It’s my turn, we can’t walk and my tandem jumper, Tony, and I are sliding across the bench to reach the door. Jay hops out of the plane, and then we are now at the edge of the door, you’re not allowed to look down, because when they push you out of the plane you have to have your head facing upwards!

It felt great to get pushed out rather than jump though, because I didn’t have to think about it, and once you’re free falling, you are falling at 120 mph, it was the most exhilarating experience I have had to date.

Does your stomach drop? not at all!
Can you breathe? absolutely! at first I felt like I couldn’t, but it was honestly me still being able to process everything that I thought I was trying to breathe, but I wasn’t. It was almost as if being in state of shock.

I knew Jay the cameraman was watching me on video, and I did make an attempt to look at the camera, but I didn’t want to, because I was too busy trying to live in the moment soaking the whole experience in as best as I can.

Then tony spun us, and that was rad, it was a thrill to be spinning above the world, in our local atmosphere. Felt like a spaceman, or an eagle, just kidding, I felt like a dude falling out of a plane with no choice, but to enjoy the ride! haha.

After about a minute freewill, Tony pulled the parachute and There’s an abrupt jerking motion you experience as the parachute expands, and slows your momentum. Make sure it’s not too tight on your groin area, because that stuff pulls hard, and once you’re up there you can’t adjust….

So once the parachute pulled, Tony was cool, and I’m sure they do this with everybody, but they let you steer the parachute, and what a thrill, when you pull to the right, the harder you pull the harder it swings that direction, and i kept going back and forth catching the wind, and this is where I felt my stomach drop, cause I did it too fast! lol.

So once you’re getting closer to the landing zone, your tandem jumper takes over, and you prepare as best a you can to land, they tell you to life your legs as much as possible, so you slide in on your butt. I had my legs so high, that when we landed he said stand stand, because my butt hadn’t hit the ground, so he took all the force on his knees. So I threw my feet down real quick and my butt never touched the floor, and when I landed and stood at the same time, I hit his chin with my head, thank goodness he had a helmet on, cause the impact was hard. So after this I did my ending interview and headed back to the lobby area to take off the gear and grab my stuff.

I felt like I was on Cloud 9 when I landed. I was elated, and it was perfect. I jumped with the intention of being a different man when I landed, and it really felt like I left my entire past was left behind me on that jump. I’m extremely self aware, and in tune with myself in regards to healing past traumas, and working through any issues I experience, and I had already worked through everything (which is why I wanted to the jump in the first place) and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint at all!

When you take off everything and check out, they give you a t-shirt white or black (it comes with the package to jump).

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that if you want to catalyze change in your life, then skydiving is a great way to do it. I was already having a new profound appreciation for life, BEFORE I jumped, and after I jumped it just amplified that 10x!

The only moment is the one we are presently living in, so make the most of it!

thank you for taking the time to read this article, I appreciate you, and hope you enjoyed it!! :)

lmk what you think in the comments below! Any feedback good or bad is welcome!

-Joaquin Jonathan-Jazz Gomez-Garcia