Are you afraid of heights but still dreaming about skydiving? You might be surprised to learn that being afraid of heights does not necessarily mean you can’t enjoy a tandem skydive.
Many people who are uncomfortable standing on a tall building, looking over a balcony or climbing a high ladder discover that skydiving feels completely different from the fear of heights they are used to.
One of the biggest reasons is simple: skydiving happens at a much higher altitude, where the ground is so far away that your brain doesn’t have the same sense of imminent impact.
At Thai Sky Adventures, tandem skydives take place from up to 13,000 feet (4,000 metres), giving you an incredible perspective over the Thai coastline and surrounding countryside.
Learn more about our tandem skydiving experience.
Why Does Skydiving Feel Different From Standing Somewhere High?
When you’re standing on the edge of a tall building or looking over a cliff, your brain can clearly see the ground below you.
You can judge the distance, see the surface you’re standing above and imagine what would happen if you fell. This can trigger a very strong fear response.
Skydiving is different.
When you’re thousands of feet above the ground, the landscape becomes extremely small and distant. You don’t have the same visual relationship with the ground that you have when standing on a balcony or looking down from a cliff.
There is no obvious feeling of “I’m going to hit the ground.”
Instead, you’re surrounded by open sky and moving through the air.
This is one of the reasons many people who describe themselves as afraid of heights find that they are surprisingly comfortable once they are in freefall.
It’s a bit like the difference between looking down from a balcony and looking out of an aeroplane.
On a balcony, you can see the ground immediately below you.
From a skydiving altitude, the ground is incredibly far away and your visual perspective is completely different.
Why Does Being Higher Sometimes Feel Less Scary?
It sounds strange, but the enormous altitude of a skydive can actually change how your brain perceives the height.
When you’re standing somewhere relatively high, you have a clear reference point. You can see the ground, estimate the distance and imagine falling onto it.
At 13,000 feet, however, the ground is so far away that individual buildings, trees and people become difficult to distinguish.
The horizon becomes much more important than the ground directly beneath you.
Rather than feeling as though you’re about to fall onto something, you’re experiencing the sensation of flying through the sky.
Of course, everyone reacts differently. Some people who are afraid of heights may still feel nervous during a skydive, and that’s completely normal.
Will You Still Feel Nervous Before Skydiving?
Absolutely!
Being nervous before your first skydive is completely normal — even for people who aren’t particularly afraid of heights.
You may feel nervous when you arrive at the drop zone, while you’re getting your harness fitted or especially when you board the aircraft.
Then there’s the climb.
As the aircraft gets higher, you may start thinking:
“What have I got myself into?”
That’s completely normal.
But once the door opens, something interesting happens.
Instead of standing somewhere high and looking straight down, you’re moving through the air. Your attention is on your instructor, the incredible view and the experience of freefall.
For many first-time skydivers, nervousness quickly changes into excitement.
What Does It Feel Like to Fall From an Aeroplane?
Skydiving doesn’t necessarily feel like standing on a tall building and feeling yourself fall.
Once you leave the aircraft, you’re moving through the air with your tandem instructor. You’re not standing on an edge looking down at the ground.
Your body is supported by the airflow, and your instructor is connected to you throughout the skydive.
At Thai Sky Adventures, a tandem skydive from 13,000 feet includes approximately 55 seconds to one minute of freefall, followed by several minutes under the parachute.
The experience is very different from simply looking down from a height.
If you’d like to understand exactly what happens during a tandem jump, our complete tandem skydiving guide explains the experience from the aircraft climb through to landing.
You Don’t Have to Be Fearless to Skydive
You don’t need to completely overcome your fear of heights before trying a tandem skydive.
You simply need to be willing to experience something outside your comfort zone.
Your tandem instructor will explain what you need to do before the jump and will be with you throughout the entire skydive.
Your job is surprisingly simple:
Listen to your instructor, enjoy the experience and have fun.
You don’t need previous skydiving experience.
You don’t need to know how to pack a parachute.
And you don’t need to know how to deploy the parachute yourself.
That’s exactly what tandem skydiving is designed for.
What If I Panic at the Aircraft Door?
This is one of the biggest concerns we hear from nervous first-time skydivers.
The important thing to remember is that being nervous doesn’t mean you can’t do it.
You can be nervous and still jump.
You can have butterflies in your stomach and still smile for the camera.
You can be scared and excited at exactly the same time.
Your tandem instructor will guide you through the exit and the skydive, allowing you to concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than worrying about the technical aspects.
Why Tandem Skydiving Is Great for First-Time Jumpers
Tandem skydiving allows someone with no previous skydiving experience to experience freefall while securely attached to a qualified tandem instructor.
Before the jump, you’ll receive a briefing covering the important things you need to know.
You’ll then be connected to your instructor using a specially designed tandem harness system.
Once you’re in the air, your instructor manages the technical aspects of the skydive while you experience freefall and enjoy the view.
You can see our current tandem skydive options and book online.
Is Skydiving Safe for Someone Who Is Nervous?
Being nervous doesn’t make skydiving inherently more dangerous.
Tandem skydiving is an established form of recreational skydiving with specific equipment, training and procedures designed for first-time participants.
Skydiving equipment also includes multiple safety systems. For example, an Automatic Activation Device (AAD) can initiate reserve parachute deployment if specific altitude and descent-rate parameters are met.
At Thai Sky Adventures, tandem jumps are conducted by experienced, certified instructors, and safety is a fundamental part of the operation.
You can learn more about our approach and instructors on our About Thai Sky Adventures page.
Could Skydiving Actually Help You Overcome Your Fear of Heights?
It might.
Everyone is different, so there is no guarantee that skydiving will eliminate a fear of heights.
However, many people discover that experiencing height in a completely different environment changes the way they think about it.
You may discover that your fear isn’t necessarily about being high.
It may actually be about being close to the ground with the possibility of falling.
Skydiving is a completely different situation.
You’re not standing on a tiny ledge.
You’re not leaning over a balcony.
You’re not climbing a ladder.
You’re flying through the air with a parachute and an experienced instructor.
So, Can You Skydive If You’re Afraid of Heights?
Yes — being afraid of heights does not automatically mean you can’t go skydiving.
In fact, many people who are afraid of heights find skydiving surprisingly enjoyable.
The altitude is so great that the ground appears extremely distant, meaning that the feeling of imminent impact that can make balconies, cliffs and tall buildings frightening isn’t necessarily present during a skydive.
You may still feel nervous.
You may have butterflies before exiting the aircraft.
You may even question your decision for a few seconds when the aircraft door opens!
And that’s completely normal.
But once you’re in freefall, you might find that your fear has been replaced by something else:
Excitement.
Then, when your parachute opens and you begin floating peacefully back towards the ground, you may find yourself thinking:
“I actually did it!”
Ready to Face Your Fear?
If you’ve always wanted to try skydiving but have been worried about your fear of heights, a tandem skydive could be the perfect way to experience it.
At Thai Sky Adventures, you’ll be accompanied by an experienced tandem instructor from the moment you prepare for your jump until you land safely back at the drop zone.
You don’t have to be fearless.
You just have to be willing to take that first step.
The view from 13,000 feet is waiting for you.