Skydiving Zicatela
One of the thrills of Zicatela in the winter is watching the skydivers come to earth. Jumping from a plane looks scary, and truth is, it is. But it is also absolutely exhilarating.
The cool thing is that you don’t jump by yourself. You are tethered with a harness to an instructor who is certified by the United States Parachute Association. I kept telling myself, this person has a lot of experience and doesn’t want to die. Before the jump, the instructor walks you through the mechanics of skydiving: free fall, piloting the canopy and landing.
It’s a very short flight from the airport to Zicatela. Once the plane reaches an altitude of 13,000 feet (4,000 meters), you are set to go. As I stood at the door, I had serious second thoughts. But before I could tell the pilot I had changed my mind, I was in free fall.
Free fall lasts a minute; it felt like an eternity. The wind was so intense that my eyes were tearing and I could hardly see. My skin seemed to have separated from my muscles. Then the instructor pulled the cord, releasing the parachute. The wind disappeared, and I was overcome by a sensation of serenity. The view was amazing. I felt I had gotten my money’s worth.
Then it was time to land. The instructor pulled tightly on the cords as we approached the beach. Legs up, we slid onto the sand. The whole jump lasted around seven minutes. After that came the adrenaline rush and a deep sense of relief. Skydive Puerto Escondido http://www.skydivepuertoescondido.com
