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James La Barrie Posted by: James La Barrie 2 years ago

Is there a chance I can get sick on a skydive? (AHH!) Yes, skydiving motion sickness is possible, BUT it’s almost always preventable, which is why motion sickness while skydiving is pretty rare. If your worry is altitude sickness, skydiving planes typically do not fly high enough for long enough for altitude sickness to set in; it’s not a concern. 

In this article, we will jump into how to prevent motion sickness during your skydive, nausea after skydiving, and what to eat before skydiving to make your first skydive the best jump EVER.

Tandem skydiving student and instructor on ground pointing up at sky

Does Your Stomach Drop When Skydiving?

When someone says their stomach “dropped,” they’re referring to that tingly feeling in our tummies when we whoosh down the hill of a roller coaster or when we feel excited – butterflies! 

Many people think this feeling will come as they leap from the airplane and enter freefall, but that’s not the case. If it’s going to happen to you at all, it’s most likely to happen while under the parachute. The tingly tummy feeling can be one of the side effects of skydiving, but just like motion sickness, it can be mitigated. If you love this feeling, ask your instructor to really whip around under the canopy. If this feeling is your nemesis, ask your instructor to fly the canopy as docile as possible. 

The stomach drop is induced when the canopy pilot (your instructor) initiates a turn under the parachute. Centrifugal force is created, your body swings opposite the direction of the diving canopy, and the stomach drop feeling happens. This means, the harder the turn, the more of the feeling, and vice versa. Pretty cool how customizable skydiving is, huh? (And that customization is limitless when you get into learning to skydive solo.)

Female tandem skydiving student screaming in freefall

Top 6 Tips To Prevent Motion Sickness While Skydiving

Motion sickness is an unexpected challenge to an otherwise super fun experience. We’ve got six tips from the pros to make your chances of getting sick slim to none.

1. EAT! 

Wait … eating will prevent you from tossing your cookies? Precisely. When we don’t eat, our blood sugar crashes. This causes our bodies to feel tired, irritable, anxious, and you guessed it … nauseous! We don’t suggest you overindulge prior to your jump, but having a bit of sustenance to soothe the nerves is absolutely necessary. 

If you’ve succumbed to the pre-jump jitters and can’t fathom stomaching anything, try a few crackers or some fruit – something is better than nothing in this instance. 

2. DRINK! 

No, no! Not spirited libations! We mean stay hydrated with H2O. Dehydration sneaks up on you, but it’s totally preventable. The day of your first skydive is overwhelming (understandably so!) and this excitement makes it easy to forget to take care of yourself. Make a conscious effort to stay on top of your water intake and ensure you don’t become dehydrated. Staying hydrated will also mitigate any post-jump nausea. 

3. SLEEP! 

Getting a good night of rest will allow your mind and body to be fully present for your skydive. Sleep is underrated these days. We assure you that all your body systems will be much happier and work better together if you get some good rest. 

4. PREPARE! 

If you know that you’re cursed with the motion sickness gene, come ready to take it on. Do whatever you need to do to mentally hype yourself up to conquer it (we know you can)!

Female tandem skydiving student in freefall smiling at the camera

5. BREATHE. 

The majority of skydiving-induced motion sickness is a mind game. The excitement behind the jump elevates your heart rate. Your brain can confuse this exhilaration with anxiousness, and then everything flips out! 

One way to slow your heart rate and keep grounded is to remember to breathe. Yes, you can 100% breathe while skydiving – there’s plenty of air and it’s self-serve! 

6. COMMUNICATE. 

Tell your instructor if you’re worried about becoming sick while skydiving. Skydiving instructors are certified professionals who have a sincere passion for sharing the beauty of the sport with others. They are prepared to help you work through anything, but they can’t help you if they don’t know about it. 

Telling your instructor about your fear or apprehension will allow them to be able to best serve you. They can take some big deep breaths with you in the airplane, talk with you under the canopy, and fly the parachute as mildly as possible. They’ve got you covered – you’re not alone in this! 

Side note. If you find yourself feeling less-than-great under the parachute, take big deep breaths and focus on the horizon. In other words, don’t panic and look down! Take in the scenery while choosing a single spot on the horizon to be your buddy for the remainder of the parachute ride. 

Skydiving is a euphoric and freeing experience that can’t be dampened by anything, even getting sick. If you happen to be the one in a million person who gets sick on their skydive, at least you did something that the majority of people will never even try. Take these six steps, book your jump, and get ready to crush it. You’ve got this!

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