My daughter really wants to try sky diving. She want's company, and I am the only friend or relative crazy enough to go with her. I need a recommendation for the best and safest way to get this done. I am hoping I can get a gift certificate to give her for Christmas. Any suggestions?

New respect Dave!

There's an outfit in Snohomish that does it, and apparently they're reputable...my folks did it together many years ago, and I know my old man spent some time researching it first.

Fish on...

Todd

If you decide to jump let me know. I'd like to do a little air swimming myself. It'd be cool to meet you and I'll bring the camera. It's something I've always wanted to and to say I was in the same plane with DV might get me a cup of coffee at the local Bikini Barista stand. As long as I also have $4 with me.

Skydive Kapowsin in Shelton 1-800-skydive

I'd have to take Dan's advise.

Snohomish is good Vedder, awesome views of the Olympics, Sound and Cascades as you plummet to earth. Make sure you do the tandem freefall from the max elevation(10,000 I think) and spend the extra $ to video tape it

If you go let me know!!!
I was gonna go in October, but the weather was terrible and I didn't feel like making the drive to Oregon and getting cancelled. Of course all my friends jumped without me. Damn.
I'm ready to do it
JD

I have heard good things about the outfit in Snoho Dave. Let me know when you are going to go. It's been awhile since I have fallen out of an airplane, maybe I'll join you. . . .

Hey Dave,
I heard Snohomish is best, only losing 3-4 skydivers a week now!
Good luck.

I did the tandem sky dive thing when I got out of school. I was in my 20s in age then and single and unemployed. I thought the skydive experience was awesome.

I am now 40 years old, with a wife and two kids and a great career/job. And when I think back to that jump, all I can say is "WFT was I thinking back then. I was an idiot for doing that."

It will definately happen. Once I make reservations I will let you guys know. I don't how many the plane can take, but I am realy , looking forward to it. I KNOW it will scare the shait outta me. But as Stam says "Go hard or go home." At my age how many good years could I be losing?

I've done 4 jumps with Skydive Snohomish at Harvey field and I'm still alive to write about it here... so that's gotta tell ya something?

All kidding aside, it was awesome! Skydiving is almost like a religious experience.

I did the first 2 jumps tandem, added the extra altitude up to 12,000 feet and had a video done of the first jump. I went static-line on the next 2 from 4,000 feet which wasn't nearly as fun because there's no free fall... but it was still pretty cool!

I highly recommend Skydive Snohomish Dave.

Here's their website.

www.skydivesnohomish.com

I did a static dive out of the Snohomish place. Spent about 4-5 hours getting some instruction, crawled in a plane that looked like it could barely fly, climbed up to 3,000 feet, hand-over-handed out on a strut under the wing, smiled for a photo, let go, counted to 5, and THANKED GLUB when the chute tried to push my 'nads out through my throat.

From there, the view from 3,000 is awesome and the instructors talking in your helmet guide you down to your landing.

Or, you can take the easy way down and do a tandem dive. Way more freefall and you don't really have to do a whole lot, other than enjoy the show.

I'm glad I did the static, as it's completely YOUR ASS that's on the line if the chute fails. You either payed attention in class, or we'll be reading about your pancake death on the news.

Dibs on Dave's fishing gear!

Only AFTER my one an only jump did the instructor tell me some of the stories about folks on tandem jumps passing out and never seeing the view, whizzing themselves and throwing up. Thankfully, at the arispeed we attained on a tandem jump I'd dried out pretty well. I agree with the comment above about some pretty sad jump planes. The old Cessna 172 we used made jumping out seem fairly rational at the time. The thrill was great, view fantastic and I'm glad I did it but not again.

Dave:
Give me a call, I'll go jump with you or at least watch!
I did my first jump at Issaquah airfield so that tells you how long ago that was!