Skydive Kenya
Author: Ingus Augstkalns, Reinis Rūtentāls0 COMMENTS
Jump in Africa!
Kenya Skydive festival, taking place in spring, is another adventure not to be missed. It's hosted by a small Nairobi airport - just a grassy field, in fact. Pilots have to watch out taking off and landing as sometimes it can be hampered by grazing cows. A jolly party atmosphere is typical there, and a wide range of weed offered by locals only adds to it.
Jumping in Kenya is attractive for its contrasts - you can soar above the amazing, exuberant African land before touching down on soft white sand right next to the blue ocean!
Joy of jumping there costs 2000 USD (total of 20 jumps, 40 USD per jump)
The best thing about skydiving is that anyone can do it, regardless of prior level of physical preparedness. It can be done just for joy or to achieve ambitious sportive targets.
HOW-TO
-To perform individual jumps one has to take accelerated free fall (AFF) training program, which provides basic skills and knowledge of skydiving. It consists of a theoretical training and 8 jumps.
Upon completion of the AFF course, an actual exercising and refining of your skills can finally start! Skydiving becomes a truly exhilarating experienced only after you have jumped for at least a 100 to 200 times.
Jumping from the height of 4 km, a free fall lasts for 55 seconds.
A training course costs up to 1000 LVL, equipment - 3000 - 8000 EUR (at world drop zones rental gear is available), after completion of training, jump prices range from 12 to 20 LVL per jump.
-Tandem skydiving jumps with an instructor do not require any prior skydiving experience. A short 30 minutes instruction and you are ready to take a plunge! It's like being a passenger and enjoying a sheer joyride! Moreover, a camera operator will follow you to capture your first free fall experience and provide a video.
Jumping from the height of 4 km, a free fall lasts for about 2.5 km before a parachute opens. In a tandem jumping, a passenger is given a chance to steer the chute as well, but at the height of 300 m above the ground an instructor takes over the lead. A free fall lasts for 50 seconds.
A tandem jump with a video camera operator costs about 150 LVL.
As skydiving training is completed, you become part of the skydiving community. Training camps, regional and world championships and skydiving festivals take place on regular bases at different drop zones around the globe, and variety of holiday packages and joy flights are available.
Skydiving can be practiced anywhere, without necessarily going abroad. "Unofficial" fun jumps can be performed almost anywhere, and you just need to rent an airplane that would take you up in the sky. And then - flip, somersault and romp to your heart's content!
For the most exotic skydiving adventures around the globe check out www.exoticskyadventures.com
*Drop zones - specially equipped airfields that have suitable for skydiving aircrafts, landing areas, windsock for indication of wind direction, etc..