THE HAWAII & ASIA SERIES PT8
O’AHU, HAWAII
Any adventure seeker tends to have skydiving at the top of their bucket list and I was no different.
YOU TEND TO FEEL MOST ALIVE WHEN YOU ARE CLOSEST TO DEATH
Anyone who knows me knows when I set out to do something, I like to do it right. When I was travelling up from South & Central America I always wanted to get back to the Asia before making my way home. I seen this as the perfect opportunity for two things.
The cross the date line which has strangely been a bit of a bucket list thing for me to do. Flying over this imaginary line and immediately losing a day just appealed to me, I have no idea why.
The other thing was a skydive and I could think of no better place than Hawaii to do my first skydive. Again there was no logic reason for this other than knowing I was in Hawaii, a place most of us don’t get to visit.
Skydiving over Hawaii
SKYDIVE WEATHER
I knew here that my fate rested in the hands of the unpredictable weather gods. For people not familiar with Hawaii, yes it might often be sunny but skydive weather can be a little hopeful at times. But I signed up for the following day and low and behold it was cancelled.
Now this kicked started the thought of the next few days being the same. Flights aren’t cheap to Hawaii and I was due to head to Manila in just a few days so it was make or break.
Skydiving over Hawaii
SKYDIVE HAWAII
Fortunately, the following day it appeared positive, we arrived at the airport and instructors told us to cross our fingers. They explained there was a gale coming in which was hard to know if it would pick up or make it this far. Regardless they put me to work immediately and after a quick video we bolted for the plane.
I wasn’t at all nervous at this stage which surprised me but I wasn’t yet looking out of a place flying at 18,000ft! They say that a bungee is harder than a skydive as you need to physically jump yourself. With a skydive as long as you get yourself into the place for takeoff you’re then at the peril of the instructor. Regardless of whether you want to jump or not, he will!
RELATED READ: A HANGOVER & THE 134 NEVIS BUNGEE
18,000FT
Gaining altitude, the nervous and excitement really settled in, it was actually going to happen!! The next thing I remember is the airplane shutter coming up and 1 by 1 the other skydivers taking a bow out the plane.
Jumping out of a plane sounds ridiculous but you get to a height where it no longer affects you like it should. The ground was 18,000 ft below me which was a lot easier than the bungee jump which was 43metres.
THE JUMP
Anyway out I went and that’s when the thought hits you. There is no going back and if something were to go wrong then that would be it. You tend to feel most alive when you are closest to death! It was here I could appreciate the beauty of skydiving in Hawaii as opposed to anywhere else.
Absolutely it’s something I would do again and again but its got to have something different to offer rather than just anywhere. I had initially tried to do it in San Jose LINK, above a glacier which would be incredible.
BACK TO THE PHILIPPINES
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s not an easy step for some I will admit but give it a go and you will be dying to say go again!
NEXT UP
The most scenic train ride in the world! Click to read.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
85/229
This post is part of The Hawaii & Asia Series, click to explore or for episode 1 click here.
