From Check-In To Landing: What To Expect on The Day of Your Skydive

If it is your first skydive with Skydive Long Island, you might be wondering what the experience will be like. With the following play by play of your day, we hope to put your mind at ease and your questions to rest. Here's what to expect from check-in to landing (and even after).

1. Arrival

Be prepared to be welcomed with a smile. At Skydive Long Island, we know a skydive is a momentous occasion, and we aim to treat it as such. Like any momentous occasion, you might be feeling the flutter of a few butterflies in your tummy! This is completely natural. Nearly everyone feels a little nervous before their first skydive. It's all part of the process.

While we try to expedite your experience as much as possible, it won't be a matter of parking your car, walking in, and putting on a jumpsuit. There are many factors that go into getting you in the air, and so, you should expect to spend a few hours at our facility. In addition to the necessary steps we must make to ensure an exemplary skydiving experience, there is also Mother Nature to contend with. Please be aware that in order to ensure both the safety of you and our instructors, we have to wait until conditions are optimal before sending you up on a skydive.

2. Check-in / Paperwork / Payment

During check-in, there will be a few last-minute details to square away. All of our guests have the option to fill out a digital waiver before they arrive to speed up the check-in process, but if you have not yet done so, you will be asked to sign a Release of Liability Agreement before proceeding.

At check-in, we will also need to see the photo ID of each skydiving participant and the credit card used to make the reservation. If you did not pay in full for your reservation online, at the time of check in, we will collect the remainder of your payment. Before completing the check-in process, you will also have the opportunity to add a skydiving media package.

3. Instructional Video

After completing the check-in process, you will sit through an instructional video to cover specifics and set expectations for your participation in the skydiving process.

You'll also be sure to see this individual. His name is William "Bill" Booth. He is the innovator responsible for what we call the "three-ring release system." This piece of skydiving technology revolutionized the industry and enhanced skydiving safety.

4. The 20 Minute Call

It's showtime! In the skydiving world, we set our clocks according to 20-minute increments. This is the amount of time we've found it takes for a plane to make it to altitude and back again. When it is your turn, you will be put on a 20-minute call. During this time, you will meet with your tandem skydiving instructor and be fitted with a tandem skydiving harness.

5. Boarding and the Flight to Altitude

At the end of your 20-minute call, you will walk with your tandem skydiving instructor to board the aircraft. Once you are safely secured, the plane will taxi down the runway and take-off. Breathe deep and take in the coastal views. On your way to altitude, you can see Long Island Sound, the twin forks, Westhampton beach, and of course, the Atlantic Ocean. The whole experience will start to get real as you realize soon you will be outside of the plane taking in the sights with your knees in the breeze!

6. Skydive and Landing

After reaching the appropriate altitude, it's time to really fly. Attached to your skydiving instructor, you will make your way to the door of the aircraft. Following their instructions, you will kneel or sit and prepare for exit. Ready, set, and there you go-on to your skydiving adventure! After experiencing the thrill of freefall, your instructor will deploy the parachute and give you the option to steer if you choose. Even if you're not the most directionally savvy, there's no need to worry, your professional skydiving instructor will ensure you make it back to the drop zone and land where you took off at the Brookhaven Airport.

7. Receiving Your Video

At Skydive Long Island, we make use of the newest in skydiving video technology. Gone are the days of experiencing an exhilarating adventure only to be grounded and forced to hang around waiting on your skydiving video. After your skydive, there's no need to wait at the dropzone for your freefall media production because your video will be sent directly to you electronically!

It's nearly time to skydive! We look forward to seeing you, and we hope you're excited to see us too! If you need any further information, please don't hesitate to call Skydive Long Island today.