The Best View Ever of Vero Beach

[Tommy]

If you really want to see Vero Beach, then the best view you will ever have is from 13,000 feet, free-falling through the air. At Sabastian Airport, about 15 minutes from Vero Beach is a place where you can do a tandem skydive with an instructor. If you stop at the Sabastian Chamber of Commerce on Highway 1 on the way, you can pick up a coupon for $10 off.

It's called Skydive Sabastian, and you can jump with a certified instructor in tandem (you are both connected to the same parachute and he controls the jump). You go up in a Twin-Otter Airplane and jump out at 13,000 feet. You free-fall until you reach 6,000 when you pull the ripcord.

This is one of the most fun things I have ever done in my 54 years of life. If you've got the money and the guts, then forget about Splash Mountain and have some real fun.:bounce:

[tinkerdorabelle]

54 and jumped, wow!

[WebmasterDoc]

Tommy....where are the photos??? ;)


Sounds great!

[KCritter]

Tommy,

How much did it cost? DH really wants to do that the next time we go to VB. I'm not so sure about me, though.

[Renee']

Tommy, Good for you...sounds daring but fun. I agree about the view. We fly over (at about 1,500 ft. in our plane) and it's fantastic. I'm completely secure in the plane....not sure I could muster getting out of the perfectly flying plane though. :) Sounds like an experience of a lifetime.

[Tommy]

The normal cost for the jump is $159, but with the coupon it is $149. Like I said, you have a lot of forms to fill out and you have to watch a 10 minute video that says you know you can get killed doing this and you won't sue if you do.

Here's the photo. I know it is larger than the guidelines appear, but I used Photoshop to reduce it to 18K so that should not bother anyone.

http://ttowery.memphis.edu/images/skydivesebastian.jpg

[JimB.]

Voluntarily JUMP out of a PERFECTLY GOOD AIRPLANE ????????

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Are you OUT of your everlovin' freaking mind ???????????

;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)


Remember, it's not the fall that hurts, it's the sudden stop at the end.........




this reply posted by a guy that used to fly airplanes off of ships.................................;) ;)

[Tommy]

I agree Jim....Thing is, I logged over 5,000 hours military time as an EWO (Electronic Warfare Officer). Was a crew member on B-52s and RC-135s and have 350 hours civilian Pilot time. I trained in the USAF for 20 years how to get out of an airplane and to survive. I was taught how to use an ejection seat, how to do a PLF (parachute landing fall), was towed behind a jeep in a parasail, and then later did the same thing behind a skiboat at water survival school. I never had to, or got to, jump out and I felt that unless I did, all that training would be a waste of my life. Now I did all this in the USAF with a jumpsuit, nomex gloves, jumpboots, and a helmet. When I jumped at Sabastian, I had on shorts, a t-shirt and sandals...go figure!

[nickglover]

Way to go! Could you see the resort? (I think I would have my eyes closed or be screaming too loud!)

[A1A1]

Sounds very, very scary. But I'm glad some people are courageous enough to try. I can live these things through them.

Just returned from Vero last week. Sad to say that while we were there, a visitor from Switzerland died when his parachute did not open...It was at the Sebastian location Tommy mentioned above. Be careful, you take your life in your hands a little more with daredevil stuff.

[ohioMickey]

Since reading this thread my pulse and blood pressure are about twice what they should be!

...deep cleansing breathes......whew!

[Tommy]

I checked the Miami Herald's archives on the web to confirm the accident and found out that the week before I jumped, the Swiss man was on a solo jump when he became unstable and did sereral tumbles during the drop. He got his position corrected and became unstable again before crashing.

I guess that was why I watched the video before the jump. But yet, people also die on roller-coasters, so does that mean that we have to stay off of them?

I jumped with an experienced (6,000 jump) instructor with a normal chute and a reserve chute. It was still a great experience.

:bounce:

[PamOKW]

Tommy, thanks for the great idea and the discount info. Seeing as I haven't yet tried TofT, I think it'll be awhile before I take this jump. ;)

But....we always like to hear new ideas for things to do. ;)

[mattsdad]

If they would offer parasailing it would suit me fine, thank you very much