Make mine a double!

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Part 5 22/02/07 Make mine a double!! Skydiving Lake Taupo.

After the aborted skydive attempts at Wanaka, Jen had time for the tension to really build up for skydiving at Lake Taupo. Just like the Wanaka company, they offered 9, 10 and 15,000 feet jumps. The 15,000 feet is the daddy with 60 seconds of freefall - double the 30 second freefall time of the 9,000 feet jump. The theory behind the experience is quite simple. You’re only gonna do it once so you may as well go for it and pay for the 15,000 feet experience and the additional camera jumper for your DVD!

The jump suits weren’t as funky but Jen and Jerry still looked the part in their red jumpsuits, retro pilot leather bonnets and goggles. We waved Jen and Jerry into the plane and then sat back staring at the sky as the plane circled, climbing until we could see it no longer. Our next view was off some tiny little white dots in the sky as the stabilizing shoots were just visible to the human eye, moments before the jump masters pulled the main shutes. The camera operators land first, swooping in low and fast, showing off their landing prowess to the spectators and then we spotted the black trainers of Jerry and white trainers of Jen as we stared at the handful of falling jumpers trying to work out who was who.

Landed and buzzing from the rush of adrenalin, Jerry and Jeanette met us with huge smiles. We awaited the editing of the DVDs in the viewing room, a bit of a wait ensued as the camera operators had gone straight back up with another group. Disaster!! Jen’s skydive footage had been wiped over by the staff without downloading it. All the other jumpers had DVD’s but not Jen!!! Whilst watching the DVD of Jerry and the other jumpers, one of the staff came over with a proposition “I’ve been on the phone to the boss and you can jump again for free to re-make your DVD” So much for only having to do it once. Jen had the choice to face the fear again or walk away with no DVD footage. It was only meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience but instead Jen faced back to back 15,000 foot jumps. Of course it was great value for money and besides the staff do 4 or 5 or more a day so there wasn’t much persuasion needed for Jen to suit up and wave goodbye to us with our feet planted firmly on the ground once more.

Supposedly your brain is taking in so much information so quickly on your first skydive that you don’t remember that much about the experience of the freefall but on the second one you actually get a chance to take in the view and process some of the information being thrown at your cerebrum during terminal velocity.

The biological results of such a huge adrenalin rush are hunger and tiredness. Jen was both hungry and absolutely shattered but she’d done back to back skydives and we’d never hear the end of it !!! and this time she had the DVD proof!

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Photos

2 jumpers
Jen and Jerry. Skydivers only past this point!

Free oxygen
for those 15,000 feet daredevils

Don't look down
Jerry about to jump

Jen leaving the plane
...first or second time???

View of angles
The curve of the earth

Relief after the rush
Back on Tera Fimra - and the more firmer the less terror!!