Skydiving is actually one of the safest so-called "extreme" sports. Let's be honest: It's not bowling. You are, after all, jumping out of an airplane and hurtling 12,000 feet towards the ground at 120 miles per hour, so there is risk involved. But it's not Russian roulette either. Each year, about 35 people die skydiving, and that's out of about 2 million parachute jumps.
It should also be said that mistakes in judgment and procedure are the cause of 92% of skydiving fatalities. What does that mean? It means that if you do everything you're supposed to do during that exhilarating 60 second drop to the ground, you'll be fine.
There are some health concerns that can limit one's ability to skydive. You need to weigh less than 250 pounds and not have a heart condition. Someone who has had fainting spells, blackouts or respiratory problems should probably not be jumping and should definitely discuss this with the drop zone staff.
SoYouWanna know more? Check out our full-length article SYW go skydiving?
