KathyGrant

You sound a lovely instructor! I wish I'd had you!!! However, when I look at my photos, there was nothing for me to grab hold of to help in the steering, as I was hanging quite a bit lower than the instructor. The bits to hold and steer with, are quite high up, and only reached by the instructor. I would really like to try again, but I would make sure I had some seasickness pills on board! Having said that, when I study my photos, and my video, there are times when I can see just how high we were (13,000 feet) and it makes my stomach churn with fear! I wasn't at all afraid at the time, as I felt completely safe, and didn't look down, apart from when the chute was open. I would be nervous of having a melt-down in the door of the plane!

Thanks Pixie. I have used Stugeron when I have been sailing on choppy sea, and it wasn't too bad. I don't remember feeling sleepy, though. Stugeron was also favoured by serious sailors, so I guess I'll have to road-test both of them, to see which one works best. Whereabouts are you in the UK? I'm in South Norfolk.

Thanks for that. I replied to your pm.

I haven't a clue as to what sort of harness it was, and I wasn't offered the chance to help with steering, so I guess it wasn't an option. The instructor was lovely, and did his best to reassure me and encourage me, after all, he didn't want me to vomit either! He did loosen it a bit up top, because he thought I was being strangled a bit, but nothing was mentioned about the leg straps. I understand they have to turn to steer, otherwise we could have ended up in another county! Lol! But you're right about being a passenger in a car. I do get car sick if I'm in the back, under certain conditions. I can definitely NEVER map-read.

Thanks, Wendy. If I had known it was going to be a problem, I'd have said something. I'm a bit surprised that they didn't ask us during the briefing. Too late now, though! I'll certainly remember to mention it next time, plus investing in some heavy-duty anti-emetics!

Thank you for your reply. I had a large banana before setting off, so had plenty of calories on board. To be honest, I was very surprised at how calm I felt, with no expected adrenaline rush! I was totally reassured and relaxed by being tightly strapped to an experienced instructor who had over 9,000 jumps under his belt. Even when we tipped out of the plane, I only felt mild surprise and alarm, which lasted a microsecond. I loved the free fall. It was brilliant!

I did my first tandem jump yesterday. I was really looking forward to it, and wasn't at all nervous, for some reason! During the flight, I had a lovely chat with my instructor, and still felt very well. On exiting the plane, I felt slight dizziness, until we stabilised. The free fall was BRILLIANT! I was only slightly fazed by the massive jerk when the parachute opened, but still no problem. My lovely instructor started to twist and turn to navigate back to the airfield, whilst describing various landmarks. Then, the shit hit the fan. Nausea kicked in, BIG TIME! He was really kind, advising me to fix my eyes on the horizon and breathe deeply, and I managed to survive the landing. I had to sit in the car for ten minutes, before I was well enough to do the hour-long drive home. All in all, my severe nausea lasted about two hours. It reminded me why I never go on fairground rides. Please, can someone give me some advice on how to prevent this? I would really like to try again, but cannot face that ordeal again. I live in the UK, so any recommended drugs may not be available to me. Thank you for your help!