Take the leap of a lifetime with SC Skydiving

The climb into a prop plane that rises fast into the sky like the adrenaline pumping through your body. The little plane circles in quick loops higher and higher to reach the right elevation point. The moment of truth to jump or to have the flight of shame back to the ground. You tuck your arms into your chest close your eyes and on three, you’re free falling. Then the wind starts rushing past you blocking out all other noises except your thrilled screams. Limbs spread out and it will be the closest feeling to flying that you will ever have, until the next time you do this, that you have already decided you must. The jerk of the chute stopping you in the air for a split second making your plummet to the ground turn into a float to earth. Then lifting your feet so your tandem guide can bring you onto the grassy field with a jolt to your bum and it’s all over in a flash. All that’s left to do is strip off your gear and digest that you just checked off skydiving from your bucket list.

All that thrill and rush was NOT for me. I get my thrills from flying down a mountain on my bike, or finding the perfect cheese to go with a new wine. I’m too much of a control freak and a scaredy cat to go tandem skydiving. My boyfriend on the other hand says bring it on.

So thanks to a living social coupon we rose early on Saturday and, with our rare nasty treat of Bojangels chicken and biscuit permeating my truck, we headed out for my man’s thrilling adventure again. On our first attempt to dive the winds picked up and it was too dangerous to send a man out of a plane at 10,000 feet, but this time we just knew it was going to happen. We had the drill down and brought chairs, beverages and reading entertainment. You might be scheduled for 10:00 am but that really interprets into sometime this afternoon. The crew works quickly and efficiently but only three teams at a time can fit into the tiny plane, then getting to elevation, fueling, it all adds up to… be patient dude you get to jump out of a plane today. It was a beautiful afternoon and I was able to bring my dog so I settled in for catching a tan, reading a book on my bucket list and letting Hagan romp through the grassy fields and get belly rubs from all the anxious clients.

My man was signed up and went through the safety video quickly, the weather was sunny and breezeless and the packs of three cycled through until it was GO time. I watched with a tight stomach of nerves as they strapped the heavy harness over his shoulders and around his legs and just like that he was in the sky. I had one eye on the plane and another on my phone that kept lighting up with his mother’s worried texts, and then he appeared, a little dot high in the air. What felt like seconds to him was drawn-out eternity for me. When is the chute going to open! It finally did and he swooshed down in large circles to the ground with no incident. He was thrilled with the experience and ready to sign up again, hell ready to learn solo jumping. My man was ready to jump every day.

Are you ready for the rush? Just an easy drive to the small town of Andrews you too can check off that “I always wanted to do that” from your list. Don’t be a baby like me and take a very safe chance to skydive with some awesome guys from SC Skydiving.

Want to see what it’s all about? Ride along!

Written by contributing adventurist & writer Tatiana Fisher