If you’re thinking of giving the activity a try, then you may be wondering, how do you enter and exit the wind tunnel during indoor skydiving?
Luckily, it’s not too hard!
To enter the wind tunnel, simply fold your arms across your chest and lower yourself forward. To exit, lay on your back, raise your hands, place your feet in the doorway, and stand.
This will take a bit of practice to get just right, so don’t worry. Once you’ve got that down, you can learn to maneuver!
How to Enter the Wind Tunnel During Indoor Skydiving?
In order to enter the wind tunnel, you must first gear up.
This involves putting on:
- a helmet
- knee pads
- elbow pads
- goggles
- and a wind suit
Once you’re suited up, and you’ve been through the initial briefing, you’ll be ready to enter the tunnel.
Read before you go – Can You Indoor Skydive If You Have a Medical Condition?
So, how do you enter and exit the wind tunnel during indoor skydiving? The process is simple, but it takes a bit of practice to get just right.
Go easy on yourself and give it another try. The first few times (and as long as you need it), you’ll receive some help entering the wind tunnel from your instructor. So never fear!
You don’t step into a wind tunnel. Instead, you must enter horizontally.
When entering the tunnel, all that you need to do is fold your arms across your chest and lower yourself down and forward into the tunnel. The window will pick you up and lift you, and you’ll need to keep your balance. Going slowly should do the trick!
Learn to Balance in the Wind Tunnel
Once you’ve entered the wind tunnel, it’s time to find your balance.
This is easier the better you get at entering the wind tunnel smoothly – practice makes perfect, and all that.
So, how do you find your balance?
The first step is proper form. This calls for a raised chin (so you can see around you/others can see your face and you can see their face), and an arched back.
It’s also good to breathe calmly and relax. This will help your body respond to the currents more naturally, keeping you steady and afloat. Learning to maintain this form will help you stay stable and in control!
Start to Maneuver
Once you’ve gotten balancing down, you can start to try to maneuver.
To start, you can move side to side or forward and backward, depending on how you position your limbs and body.
So, here’s how you maneuver:
- To move side to side is quite simple. All that you need to do is lower your arm and shoulder. Do this on either side, and you’ll turn that way, i.e. left arm and shoulder down to turn left. You can lower your arm and shoulder more to turn more deeply, and even – eventually – to flip around and do other tricks, as you can learn from a qualified instructor!
- To move forward when indoor skydiving, all that you need to do is stretch out your legs, therefore tipping your body upward and propelling you forward (do this slowly to avoid falling forward too much).
- On the other hand, to move backward while indoor skydiving, you’ll need to bend your legs and stretch out your arms. This will tip you forward and cause you to move back!
- Once you’ve got the basics down, you can give some tricks a try. These include the Eagle, the Reverse Eagle, and more. Remember, practice is the answer!
Exit the Wind Tunnel
Once you’re done with your indoor skydiving experience, it’s time to exit the wind tunnel.
To accomplish this, approach the door and lay on your back. Put your hands up, and feet in the doorway, and stand.
Then you can step out, nice and easy. Once again, this may take a few tries to perfect. This is normal!
Looking to master the art of indoor skydiving? Take the leap and read our Indoor Skydiving Guide for Beginners now!
Final Words
As you can see, entering and exiting the wind tunnel while indoor skydiving may seem a bit daunting, but it’s really quite straightforward.
It helps to watch the instructors do it, which they usually do after the briefing. To enter, cross your arms on your chest and lower yourself forward into the tunnel. To exit, lay down, raise your arms, place your feet, stand, and walk out the door!
