I always wondered what possesses a sane person to strap on some fabric held together by string and jump out of a perfectly functioning airplane at an insane height in the air. If you’ve had the same thought run through your mind, I’m hoping my experience at Skydive Swoop in Dundas Ontario will help you understand. I was in contact with Skydive Swoop via email a few weeks back when I inquired about coming up to do the feature for the site. And from that day until I landed safely on the ground as the sun was setting in the background on this outstanding Saturday evening, I was not only treated with a high level of professionalism, but with a sort of mentoring way that assured me that I was in good hands.
Hey! I’m the son, brother, cousin, husband, father, uncle and friend to many people who all showed concern when I mentioned that I was going skydiving… I didn’t even tell my mom about what I had planned as I knew she would protest. At home, I was lucky to have Caron and our daughter’s full support. Tehya even accompanied me this faithful day with camera in hand and excitement in her steps as I did, as Caron my usual partner in crime was at work.
We arrived a couple hours early for my scheduled jump time as I wanted to get a feel for the place, the people who run it and those in attendance who were scheduled to skydive like me. After meeting with Sandro (aka fez) who I’ve been chatting with online since I first made contact, he gave me a quick tour of the facilities. There’s the main reception area which is housed in what looked like used shipping containers, the video and classroom area as well as an outfitting area where you get dressed in the fancy jump suits. Tehya told me when she saw us head to the plane before take-off that I looked like an astronaut heading out to the shuttle. I’ll be honest… it did fell friggin cool!
To the right of the office/reception area are a few benches (park like) where just about everyone gathers before and after jumping and to the back there are a couple domed tents which are used as staging areas. Basically used as a hang out for members of the club and for inspecting and packing the parachutes. Remember to arrive early so you can walk around and see how they prepare before jumps.
Since each skydive is determined by weather and many other factors it’s recommended that even if you have a scheduled jump time, that you not only arrive early to go through the pre-jump training, but be prepared to have your jump time pushed back. As in my case, storm clouds rolled in so we had to wait an additional 40 minutes or so for things to clear up. Safety takes priority!
While chatting with Fez I just had to ask, why? Why do you and everyone here take this risk on a daily basis? If I recall correctly he said something like this… ” It allows me to concentrate on one thing and blank everything else out of my head. I have so much focus on the jump itself that all other stress and worries takes a back seat for the few minutes… it’s all about appreciating life and the moment” he said. Now I can certainly relate to what he told me.
After our on-ground training and briefing session I was then introduced to the fella who I’d be doing the tandem jump with, Brian. He took me into the outfitting area where I got dressed into the cool blue jumpsuit. I’m a pretty big fella, so after everything was tightened and strapped on, I felt like a sausage ready to burst through it’s casing. As I mentioned above, safety is the number one priority at Skydive Swoop, so every strap on the harness was checked and double checked to ensure they were secured correctly. If you choose to have the video package, this is when you’d start seeing the paparazzi start following you. I highly recommend you do get the video and still pics… it’s something I know I will cherish the rest of my life. Can’t wait to have people over so I can show off.
Since each tandem master has their own way of body positioning etc, we went through the steps we covered earlier in the general briefing once again and by this time I could see that we were being waved on to the tarmac where the plane was waiting. Everything up to this point was pretty normal, but as we walked to the plane (point of no return?) I could feel my pulse get quicker and I had a sort of nervous walk.. or was that the tight fitting harness which felt like a thong gone wrong.
Being the only person without a parachute on the plane, as I got into position with my back facing the pilot, I was strapped on with a seat belt. As we began to climb all I could think about was “I’m actually doing this?”. I think this is when it hit me that I was actually about to skydive. What seemed like forever we climbed and climbed. Brian and cameraman who happened to be Fez engaged me in conversation which took my mind away from what lay ahead. A quick peek at one of the gauges and we were only at 5,000 feet.. we had another 5000 to go. The images below started getting much smaller and you could see for miles in every direction. The temperature of the air dropped a few degrees and though I was wearing the jumpsuit over my street clothes, I could feel a slight chill. At this point we once again went through the jump routine and it was time to get strapped on to my tandem master, Brian. The tight area in the plane combined with my large size made this a bit tricky, but with the on-ground training we had earlier… it went smoothly. The door slammed open with the rush of air and it was “go” time. BTW, as I was being connected to the tandem master I could feel my pulse really take off and I started to hyperventilate a bit… same thing happened to me a few years back while snorkeling in Cuba so I knew I had to control my breathing and relax.
Maneuvering to get in position when the door opens and you’re hit with that rush of cold air is not as easy as you practiced on the ground. But with the expert help of Brian we were quickly in position. With hands tucked into my chest as instructed, we were off… within seconds of leaving the plane and free-falling at about 120 mph I found myself asking.. “why the f*@k am I doing this?… never again!” The rush is truly unbelievable and for the 5000 feet or so of the free fall, you’re in a world I’m sure you’ve never been. It’s very difficult to describe, but as quickly as I questioned why I was doing this I got the feeling of conquering not only my fear of heights but being in charge of my life and surroundings. I was doing something I never thought I’d ever be crazy enough to attempt. It felt like facing your worst nightmare head on!
After playing around during free-fall to sync with Fez and his camera, we broke off and deployed the parachute. There’s a sort of jerk as the canopy opens above you and with my weight I could feel a bit of pressure on my shoulders/arm pits. I guess this is where most of my weight was distributed with the harness and how I was hooked up to Brian. As the canopy opens things really slow down, as you’re not free-falling at the same insane rate any longer. This is when you can really get a grasp of things. How high you are, the beauty of what’s below you and the fact that you’re soaring like an eagle.. until! That’s when Brian handed me the controls and told me to pull down with my left hand. WOW! I think this causes you to release air from the canopy and not only do you start a mini free fall again, but you start a sort of corkscrew motion in the direction of the side you pulled down on. Yes I was now in control of this flight and after the left side, you know I had to try the right. Not sure if it was the adrenaline or not, but any fear or question I may have had about why I was doing this was completely removed from my thoughts. There’s been some very special moments in my life, like witnessing the birth of our three daughters, seeing Caron for the first time (I can still remember the location, time, temperature, what she was wearing and what she said to me), seeing my youngest sister get married, seeing my mom after not seeing her for about 10 years.. there’s been some cherished moments that’s permanently engraved in my thoughts, and this experience is a welcome addition to my special moments.
We once again went through the landing procedure and as the sun set in the background, we made way for the ground. Darn that gravity.. stealing such a wonderful experience from me so quickly.
It’s now been about 3 weeks since my jump and to be honest, I’m still on a natural high. The feeling of accomplishment is something that reignites every time some asks me about the skydiving experience, when I look at pictures and though I couldn’t understand why Caron cried when she watched the DVD of the jump.. I too got choked-up when I watched it a few nights ago. We returned to Skydive Swoop a week later to get the digital pics and video footage that Fez provided and being there at the jump zone certainly aroused my desire to suit up and get back up in the air. Let’s be clear.. I’m not an adrenaline junky or someone going though any mid-life crisis… but I’ll say this – I now know why people jump out of planes for fun!
I’m elated to know that my first time skydiving was through Skydive Swoop in Dundas Ontario. From the minute I stepped onto their property I got the feeling of belonging. Everyone there was super friendly and I guess with the experience they have, they know how to make you feel safe and confident about what you’re about to do. There wasn’t a person up there without a smile and ready to answer any question you may have. The club is like an extended family… well that’s the vibe I got. Fun loving people who are safety conscious, there for a general good time. and willing to share what they know to help grow the sport.
We were even invited to stick around and camp that night, but due to other commitments we had to pass.. it would have been nice to sit around the campfire and chat about the days activities and hear some old ‘war’ stories which I’m sure the members would be willing to share.
Some quick facts about Skydive Swoop in Dundas Ontario.
Jump Zone Location
Dundas Air Plaza,
461 Highway #5 West.,
4.5km West of Highway #6
Dundas, Ontario
SWOOP averages more than 3,000 skydives annually
SWOOP is one of the oldest member-run skydiving clubs in North America, celebrating their 30th season in 2009.
The main difference between Skydive SWOOP and the other skydiving operations in the area, is that they are a non-profit organization and club with the desire to share the sport with others. The fact that they are small, allows them to spend more time with customers and give them a far more personal experience. Maybe this is why I got the sort of “family” vibe as I mentioned above.
Go dressed comfortably…running shoes (bring an extra pair just in case you lose a shoe in free fall), jeans is fine as long as they are not too tight and restricting. If the weather is still ultra hot on the day you’re booked, feel free to wear shorts and a T-shirt. You’ll have the option to wear a jumpsuit if you wish. I highly recommend wearing the jumpsuit as it gives you a better appreciation once you’re in gear.
You can bring food and drink and note that there’s a ZERO alcohol tolerance during jumping hours. There’s a Wendys and Tim Hortons just down the street at Clappison’s Corners where you can easily run over to if you’re hungry.
You’ll have to arrive at least an hour prior to your scheduled jump so you can fill out the waiver, review a safety video, and the instructor will go over a few basic things you’ll need to know…..same procedure we do with all our students. I encourage you to arrive early and walk around, see whats being done in the prep tents and do make conversation with staff and fellow jumpers.
If you’re thinking about doing a tandem skydive or an instructor assisted deployment skydive or a progressive free fall skydive, there’s no other place you should consider doing so than with SWOOP. If you have any doubts I’m sure they would welcome you to come up for a visit and watch as many people of all ages take the leap. I cannot tell you how comfortable and welcomed we felt while at the jump zone at SWOOP and the same can be said for the other first timers we chat with that day. The individual attention you get gives you a level of comfort I feel is necessary when you have terrified people wanting to do something they’ve never done before. Something many people would never even consider.
I went from never thinking I would ever skydive to wanting to give it another try the first opportunity I get. Next time Tehya and I will be suiting up as I know she wants to follow in her papas footsteps and be like superman even if for a few minutes. I now know why people jump out of a perfectly functioning plane.
Special thanks to Sandro (aka Fez), Brian and everyone at Skydive SWOOP in Dundas for such an exciting time. I think it would be almost impossible to top this experience.
For more info on the tandem skydive with SWOOP in Dundas Ontario, including schedules, booking a jump and possible discounts, do check out their website at: http://www.swoop.on.ca/
P.S. I now have my first jump certificate hanging on the wall in front of desk where I can see it daily as a reminder of what I’ve accomplished with the help of my new friends at SWOOP.
Before you go we’d love for you to leave us your comments below, even if it’s just to say hello. And don’t forget to join us on FaceBook (for our latest updates, including discounts, coupons and more pictures from my tandem skydiving with SWOOP) and do tune in to our videos (escapades) on the youtube channel we’ve created.
