Skydiving vs Bungee Jumping: Everything You Need To Know And Which Is Better
Both were dreams I didn't think would come true for many years. However, when I was eighteen years old my long time best friend made my bungee jumping goal a reality. Then, less than two years later, I soared from 13,000 feet in a tandem sky dive!
I will never forget these truly awesome experiences, but how do they compare? I have put together this little guide to everything you need to know about both bungee jumping and skydiving to help you determine which is for you. And maybe you would like to do both!
If you are really crazy, you could opt for the highest bungee jump in the world at Macau Tower in China. Special equipment had to be developed to make this 764 foot (233 meters) jump possible. The listed price for one jump is $3,588!
Yeah, no.
I jumped from Navajo Bridge (467 feet) in Arizona for $100 before tip.
I intend to go again someday and I have my eyes set on a bungee jump from a giant tree in Redwood State Park.
Skydiving for me felt a lot safer than jumping off a bridge with a massive bungee cord strapped to my ankles.
All day, tourists walked the bridge while snapping pictures of Marble Canyon and watching our group jump off Navajo Bridge one at a time.
I will never forget these truly awesome experiences, but how do they compare? I have put together this little guide to everything you need to know about both bungee jumping and skydiving to help you determine which is for you. And maybe you would like to do both!
THE SKYDIVE FALL IS LONGER
Free fall from 13,000 feet lasts about a minute and it is one outrageous minute! I seemed to just float out of the plane with no alarming "drop" feeling in my stomach. It felt like huge gusts of wind were blowing me further into the sky, and it was so high up that the ground didn't seem to be getting any closer. The sensation of being weightless is the most rewarding part. It felt like true freedom!
The whole experience was so extreme and so hard to wrap my mind around that I want to do it again, maybe several more times.
On the other hand, falling from a bridge or platform takes only a few seconds. Of course, with a stretchy bungee cord, I rose and fell several times. Still, I like bungee jumping better even though it didn't last as long as my skydive, but I will get to that soon.
The whole experience was so extreme and so hard to wrap my mind around that I want to do it again, maybe several more times.
On the other hand, falling from a bridge or platform takes only a few seconds. Of course, with a stretchy bungee cord, I rose and fell several times. Still, I like bungee jumping better even though it didn't last as long as my skydive, but I will get to that soon.
THE COST OF BOTH VARIES A LOT
Cost of Bungee Jumping:
Not only will you have to be crazy daring to skydive or bungee jump, you will have to want it enough to pay the price. Cost largely depends on location and in both cases, the height of the jump.
Bungee Jumping typically costs between $100 and $150 dollars a jump, but some companies will let you do multiple jumps with a small additional fee.
If you are really crazy, you could opt for the highest bungee jump in the world at Macau Tower in China. Special equipment had to be developed to make this 764 foot (233 meters) jump possible. The listed price for one jump is $3,588!
Yeah, no.
I jumped from Navajo Bridge (467 feet) in Arizona for $100 before tip.
I intend to go again someday and I have my eyes set on a bungee jump from a giant tree in Redwood State Park.
I'm not sure yet if this is the way I want to go about my second jump, but with Bungee Adventures, you can jump from a 200 foot tree for just $149!
Cost of Skydiving:
Again the prices vary a lot. Unless you know someone who can hook you up, you will need to really want it.
Some companies will take you on a tandem dive from 12,000 feet for $175 like Skydive Hawaii. Some will charge you $225 for just 9,000 feet, so take your time in choosing location and the company.
Most likely, the cheapest skydive you will be able to find in the US will set you back about $150, and that will likely be a 9,000 foot free fall.
If you want something a little more hardcore, I would recommend an 18,000 foot skydive for $370. It's located in Michigan and it's the highest skydive you can do on the continental US. If I ever get to go again, this is the dive I would like to do.
Also, Skydive Hawaii offers a 20,000 foot tandem skydive for $1600. From even 18,000 feet you will be required to use supplemental oxygen and the temperature up there can be well below freezing.
It's totally worth it:
Don't get too freaked out by some of the prices I listed here. It is possible to do both for well under $500 total.
As with anything, shop around before deciding for or against either of these activities. I have done both and I believe it will be worth it do both again at a reasonable cost.
SKYDIVING FEELS SAFER
The manager at Skydive Moab did his best to frighten me as he helped me suit up.
With a mischievous grin he said, "It's going to be so cold, and super windy, and so loud, and disorienting." To which I replied, "Yeah! That's exactly what I want!" The disappointment on his face was priceless.
Skydiving for me felt a lot safer than jumping off a bridge with a massive bungee cord strapped to my ankles.
For one thing, I took my dive with an instructor who had done it over 3,000 times. And my friend went with a guy who had skydived over 10,000 times!
My greatest sense of security came from the knowledge that my instructor would tell me when to pull the parachute cord, manage the landing, and be with me the entire time.
Don't get me wrong, our bungee guides made sure we were safe too. All of the guides jumped and one of them went first so we could see the proper way to swan-dive off the bridge.
We went in order by weight, starting with the heaviest. Since I was one of the lighter jumpers, I got to see about twenty people take the leap before me, but then I was antsy all day until it was my turn. And, as it turns out, 467 feet is more terrifying than 13,000 feet.
In reality, bungee jumping is technically the safer activity. Statistically, a person is five times more likely to die skydiving than bungee jumping.
When it comes to stepping out of a plane, our brains do not register the danger of falling from such a high altitude. Even though I was speeding toward the earth at 125 mph, it felt like I was floating above an endless Google earth image. But it was real! And the view of the desert was fantastic!
It wasn't until I landed that I really noticed the affects of adrenaline pumping through my veins! The whole experience was so extreme and so hard to wrap my mind around that I want to do it again, maybe several more times.
In reality, bungee jumping is technically the safer activity. Statistically, a person is five times more likely to die skydiving than bungee jumping.
When it comes to stepping out of a plane, our brains do not register the danger of falling from such a high altitude. Even though I was speeding toward the earth at 125 mph, it felt like I was floating above an endless Google earth image. But it was real! And the view of the desert was fantastic!
It wasn't until I landed that I really noticed the affects of adrenaline pumping through my veins! The whole experience was so extreme and so hard to wrap my mind around that I want to do it again, maybe several more times.
BUNGEE JUMPING IS SCARIER (AND BETTER)
All day, tourists walked the bridge while snapping pictures of Marble Canyon and watching our group jump off Navajo Bridge one at a time.
Several people told us that they had done it before as well as a skydive. Without fail, every one of these people declared that bungee jumping is scarier.
At that time, I hadn't done a skydive yet, but I can tell you now, it's more comfortable than diving off a bridge.
Like I said, with skydiving, there is no "drop" sensation but that is not at all the case with bungee jumping. That is precisely why I like it more.
Jumping out of a plane with an experienced instructor strapped to your back simply requires less bravery than leaping off a bridge.
I had been anticipating the jump all day but before I knew it, I was standing barefoot on a steel railing 467 feet above the Colorado River. Then, in the brief moment after count down, when the voices of my fellow bungee jumpers had faded, there was a split second of quiet.
I had been anticipating the jump all day but before I knew it, I was standing barefoot on a steel railing 467 feet above the Colorado River. Then, in the brief moment after count down, when the voices of my fellow bungee jumpers had faded, there was a split second of quiet.
Standing there above a chasm in the calm evening was the most unnerving moment of my life. Even now, as I recall the memories, my heart is beating hard.
Bungee jumping may have been the scariest thing I have ever done and so I am very proud of myself for overcoming that fear. My friend remembered cursing the whole way down on his jump, but for me, once I took that leap, all my fears left me.
All my senses seemed to overload and it all happened so fast! As I was falling I knew that if something were to happen to me, I couldn't do anything about it so I might as well not panic.
Some friends have asked me if I got jerked suddenly after the initial dive. Not at all. The bungee stretched out so smoothly that I barely noticed I was bouncing back up. Suddenly I was weightless (What a feeling!) and about to fall again. I did as instructed and tucked my knees so that I wouldn't get whiplash the second time going down. Oh! It was amazing!
The scariest part came after the jump when I was about to get back on the bridge. They sent a rope down and I hooked my harness to a carabiner and the group slowly pulled me up. At the top I had to hold onto the railing while they detached the rope from my regular harness and the bungee from my ankle harness!
Some friends have asked me if I got jerked suddenly after the initial dive. Not at all. The bungee stretched out so smoothly that I barely noticed I was bouncing back up. Suddenly I was weightless (What a feeling!) and about to fall again. I did as instructed and tucked my knees so that I wouldn't get whiplash the second time going down. Oh! It was amazing!
The scariest part came after the jump when I was about to get back on the bridge. They sent a rope down and I hooked my harness to a carabiner and the group slowly pulled me up. At the top I had to hold onto the railing while they detached the rope from my regular harness and the bungee from my ankle harness!
For a few seconds there was nothing keeping me from falling except some guy's hand. The ankle harness prevented me from swinging one leg over the railing at a time so it was awkward trying to get over. I distinctly remember thinking, "If I am going to die today, it would be right now." That's probably not how it is always done but it brought true fear.
Jumps are often done off a platform which, I imagine, makes it easier to climb back up. Sometimes jumpers are lowered to the ground or river but this bridge was much too high for that.
Jumps are often done off a platform which, I imagine, makes it easier to climb back up. Sometimes jumpers are lowered to the ground or river but this bridge was much too high for that.
I suggest you do some research before booking your jump and ask the company about their procedures. In most cases you won't get your money back if you back out at the last minute.
MY FINAL COMPARISON
Both gave me an awesome adrenaline rush, but I prefer bungee jumping because it was more of a challenge and I love conquering fears! If you want an adventure but you're not sure how well you will handle it, I suggest you try skydiving first. Either way, you will have a great story to tell!
If you could only choose one, would you go skydiving or bungee jumping? Share in the comments below!
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