There are two types of people. Those who want to go skydiving and those who don’t! I’m on the latter end, but my husband’s on the former. This isn’t an uncommon dilemma!

If someone in your family (yourself included) is looking for the thrill of a lifetime, skydiving might be right for you. My husband recently decided he wanted to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, and I thought—what better place to experience that thrill than the Ozarks? So we booked him a dive.

Here’s what the experience was like.

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The Experience

Just a few days before our trip down to the Ozarks, we locked in checking off this bucket-list item. We booked this experience at Ozarks Skydive Center near Miller, Missouri, since it was near where we were staying and had great reviews. It had been raining all morning, so we called before driving to the facility to make sure his 4pm weekend jump was still on. It was…

We headed to the facility, which consisted of several semicircle airport hangar buildings clustered together out in the country. I hung around throughout the whole process even though I wasn’t going to be jumping. That seemed to be an acceptable thing because I wasn’t the only “groupie” lingering near a loved one.

Pre-Jump Preparations

Upon arriving, we checked in, paid the remaining balance, and then filled out lots and lots of paperwork. Skydiving is inherently dangerous. The paperwork is a contract that states that you understand the risks and that your family won’t sue if anything goes wrong.

We watched a short video with a quick tutorial of “what to expect” that also covered a brief explanation of why you have to sign a contract in the first place to jump.

After filling out paperwork and watching the video, my husband got hands-on, on-the-ground training with a skydiving instructor on the steps to safely jump out of the plane. This included acting out the proper footing placement and body positioning that make for the best jump experience.

After that, there was a lot of waiting. We waited, and waited, and waited. It seemed like forever. We had been there for about an hour and a half by the time the instructor got my husband harnessed up for the jump. We got to watch several plane-loads of skydivers jump, both solo and tandem jumpers.

Loading into the Plane

The time finally arrived, and it was my husband’s turn to go up. He loaded into the plane with another jumper and two instructors (one for each jumper), plus the pilot in a super tiny plane. Each person had to strategically enter the plane in a specific order to make sure everyone fit inside. There are no seats in the plane for passengers. You sit on a mat on the floor (facing backwards)!

The Skydiving Experience

From here, my husband explains the rest of the experience:

“The flight took a little more than 20 minutes to get to jumping altitude. When we were there, the instructor clipped our harnesses together and tightened everything one last time. He asked me if I was ready—Thumbs up! 👍 The door was opened, we stepped out onto the ledge, we turned, and then he nudged us out.

At first, for a split second, I felt a falling sensation. But, for the rest of the free fall, it just felt like floating. This lasted about 20-30 seconds. I heard a noise and WHOOSH—the parachute opened, and immediately the free fall was over, and the gliding portion ensued. This lasted about two minutes.

While I was gliding, I was given the opportunity to steer. As we neared the ground, the instructor took over and guided us safely to the ground, where we landed on our butts in a grassy field.”

Post-Skydive

◀ Here’s what someone looks like right after they finish skydiving for the first time!

It was a wild combination of a sweaty hot flash, queasy tummy, plugged-up ears, and adrenaline pumping through his body.

He was not expecting the rollercoaster ride that his stomach went through during the experience. After first jumping out, the air was cool and comfortable and his stomach was fine. As soon as the parachute opened, the temperature warmed up and his stomach felt uneasy. The sharp turns while gliding made things worse and he began to feel queasy, but made it down without getting sick. Another jumper before him had thrown up on the ride down.

You’ll celebrate your experience with your fellow jumpers and receive a certificate proving that you’re nuts you went skydiving!

After getting out of the gear, we walked over to the Hangar Kafe to grab a bite to eat. It was so cool and unique, and we recommend it to everyone, even if you’re not skydiving—read about our dining experience at Hangar Kafe.

Know Before You Go Skydiving

Here are a few pointers from my husband’s experience that he wanted to pass on to others for their first jump:

1. Hydrate before your jump 💧
2. Eat a normal meal before you arrive 🍔 (or bring snacks)
3. Bring plenty of water to drink before and after your jump 🥤
4. Limit your consumption of alcohol the night before
5. Bring your earplugs 👂
6. Consider anti-fog goggles 🥽
7. Dramamine might help prevent motion sickness 🤮
8. Wear pants that you don’t mind getting grass stained 🩳
9. There will be lots of wind when you’re falling 💨

A few more tips to know:

• Your family/loved ones can hang out with you before you jump
• You might wait a while for your turn
• It’s probably even more fun in groups of 2 or more
• You can purchase a video package for additional $$ (around $100 extra)

Booking the Dive

The first step to planning your skydiving trip is to pick an outfitter that offers Tandem Skydiving. Tandem skydiving allows first-time divers to skydive while secured to a trained professional. Here’s a list of skydiving venues in the Ozarks:

• Ozarks Skydive Center – Miller, Missouri ↗
• Flight Providers – Bolivar, Missouri ↗
• Skydive St Louis – Sullivan, Missouri ↗
• Skydive Fayetteville – Fayetteville, Arkansas ↗
• Paradise Valley Skydiving – Clarksville, Arkansas ↗
• Skydive Cherokee – Muskogee, Oklahoma ↗

You can expect to pay around $260 to $300 for your first tandem skydiving jump experience in the Ozarks. The place we booked through requires jumpers to be 18+ years old. You’ll be able to book a time slot and pay online. You may be able to fill out the paperwork before you arrive, but in our case, we filled out the paperwork in person.

Since it’s literally a life-or-death situation, we highly recommend that you read reviews and the company’s website before booking your experience.

10 Steps to Go Skydiving in the Ozarks:

To recap, here are the 10 steps to going skydiving in the Ozarks.

1. Choose a Venue
2. Book online
3. Pay a deposit
4. Check-in at facility
5. Pay & fill out paperwork
6. Get Trained
7. Harness Up
8. Load in the plane
9. Get Strapped Together
10. Jump!

Was Skydiving in the Ozarks Worth it?

Yes, if you’re someone who wants to experience skydiving in your lifetime! My husband said he is ready to do it again. But he would choose another venue next time to jump from a higher altitude and experience a longer free-fall. Overall, it was a good first experience.