Skydive Newport – New England’s Most Scenic Tandem Jump!
So first things first, I was pretty damn scared in the days leading up to the jump. I basically asked anyone and everyone who’d ever jumped out of an airplane what the experience was like. I even went as far as to call our old friend Dave Rogers, an ex Navy SEAL who lives here in Newport. Dave assured me that gravity was in fact a constant and that I’d eventually make it to the ground after I left the plane. The choice I had, as he put it, was whether I was going to scream like a baby or seize the moment and enjoy the trip. I fell somewhere comfortably in the middle of that spectrum…
When I arrived at Skydive Newport, I was immediately greeted by Nicky Sergi, an 11 year skydive veteran with over 6,500 jumps. Nicky would serve as my instructor and jump partner. Nicky is cool. Period. You know how when you meet cool people and you’re like “um, why can’t I be that cool?” Yep, he’s that dude. Nicky took the time to explain every aspect of the jump and even had the patience to repeatedly answer my one big question, “what happens if our harnesses become separated?” (answer: they won’t) I’m pretty sure I asked that one at least 47 times.
When it was time to board the plane, four of us squeezed ourselves in and headed for 10,000 feet. I then asked Nicky another 81 times to explain why our harnesses wouldn’t become separated and if my increasingly sweaty forehead was possibly caused by malaria because I certainly wasn’t nervous at all. (read: I was scared shitless)
The views from 10,000 feet are quite amazing and I even managed to look down a few times and view our glorious island without puking on myself. Nicky said I was doing just great. Liar! 🙂
In the video, when we get over the drop zone and the door opens, if you listen carefully you can hear me say “WHAT THE FUCK!” quite loudly. Sorry mom!
Team 1 shimmied through the open door and magically disappeared. “Holy shit, they just jumped out of the plane….Holy fuck, I’m next.” My rational brain and my reptilian brain were in a major battle.
But then something cool happened. We jumped. I had a split second of mind rebellion. And then it was, it was AWESOME. It was peaceful. It was fun. I didn’t even feel like I was falling, I was flying. “Holy shit, I’m flying!!” My stomach didn’t flip, I didn’t puke and I didn’t pass out. So I got that going for me! It honestly was the coolest feeling I’ve ever experienced.
Once Nicky deployed our shoot, it was cake from there on in. And the landing? Smooth as can be. Just an incredibly great experience that everyone should try. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Go and try it for yourself.
Tandem jumps at Skydive Newport cost $220 and the video/photo package is an additional $95. (Pro tip – Get the video!)
call Skydive Newport today!!! 401-845-0393
– Christian Winthrop, Buzz Extreme Sports Correspondent
PS – I want to go again!
PPS – My goodness, I didn’t realize how fat I’ve become!
