Skydive Snohomish — Attraction in Snohomish

I did my first skydive here on June 24, 2021, and it was probably the best, most exhilarating moment in my memory. Pure happiness, thrill and wonder. Starting from the beginning: I didn't even know I was going to skydive until my father (who I was visiting from NY) surprised me by driving into the parking lot 1h before my time slot and announcing "you're going skydiving!!" So no mental prep for me!

Upon entering the office I was greeted by the super sweet admin kids, Brighton and Laila, who answered all my questions and in general hyped up what was to come. Following the safety video and short training session, which I think were more than enough to quell anyone's fears, we moved to the airfield to get harnessed.

The team of instructors and chute packers were extremely coordinated and operated as a single entity. At no point in time did I feel lost or left waiting, even though there were 15 students per class and three times the spectators milling about the area. My instructor, Nikita, was informative, friendly and energetic, and importantly very meticulous, which I noticed while harnessing and also while preparing to jump, so here's a nod to SkySno's standards, I suppose!

The plane, with its tight quarters, loud engines and lack of a proper door, got me really excited and ready to go. When we jumped, and we were the first tandem group to go, I think I felt the biggest adrenaline and endorphin rush of my life!! A moment of disorientation (for me, not for Nikita) as we gracefully found the proper freefall position, and then it was just mind-blowing sight after mind-blowing sight. Puget Sound, Seattle, Bellevue, Rainier, Baker, the Cascades, the sunset!!!!! Being surrounded by such beauty, being able to see everything... the feeling is just profound.

We did some fun turns for the remainder of the freefall before Nikita released the parachute - another amazing and indescribable feeling. And then as if things couldn't get any better, two hot-air balloons came into view, right below us! As we descended we circled around one of them, waving and blowing kisses (me), with the sunlight making the balloon look like a living rainbow, the snowy mountains forming a delicate and majestic backdrop. Nikita let me steer the chute (with assistance) for a few seconds, because life just keeps getting better, and then took over to let me enjoy the sights for the last couple minutes of the drop.

Landing was smooth and comfortable, and I don't think I could decide whether or not to be in shock or to cry in happiness. Nikita seemed as pleased as I was, and sincerely happy that I had had an amazing experience, which I appreciated. Once we walked off the airfield, I was given a certificate of "Ultimate Freedom" (truth) and a little souvenir bottle, and both Nikita and Brighton saw me off with big smiles, congratulations and invitations to come dive again.

This surprise skydive literally changed my life! I've already signed up for an intro course back in NY to get started on my Class A license. Salient points, because I realize I've written an essay -

If you can dive here, do it, especially if you're an east coaster! The views are INSANE! Get the extra 30sec of freefall and the GoPro video! Totally worth the money. Most importantly, the environment at SkySno is wonderful. Everyone is warm and friendly, and they make each individual - even the spectators - feel welcome and attended to. I never felt like I was just another task on the checklist; everyone I interacted with genuinely cared about me having the best possible experience. Diving here is something I'll cherish for the rest of my life! I will 100% be back, with the whole...

A small group of us went skydiving for our friend’s 40th birthday. I did not want to dive. I have never wanted to dive. In fact, you could say I have actively always wanted to never skydive. Unfortunately, I have this toxic trait of supporting my friends (don’t worry I’m in treatment) so I agreed to skydive too.

I did my best to express my trepidations to my tandem instructor, Nate, so he knew what was being strapped to him (a ball of anxiety). He was extremely calm and talked me through it. My panic and I appreciated it.

The group agreed for me to go first as watching people jump before me would cause me to anchor Nate inside the plane. As we stood to approach the door, Nate was again calmly talking me through each step. I didn’t hear him, though, as I was too busy losing my ever loving crap.

We jump, and boy oh boy, was I absolutely terrified. The screams abounded. I must offer Nate a sincere apology, both for all the swearing, and for my braids whipping him in the face. He didn’t even mention it though, what a pro.

While the free fall was not my jam, I LOVED being able to steer the parachute. My goodness. Best part for sure. Nate again was so kind and calm, walking me through instructions.

When it came time to land, Nate explained we’d be landing in the standing position. That wasn’t great news for me, as I’m accustomed to falling down. However, with his instructions and leg strength, we landed on our feet!

On a scale of 1-10 for things I didn’t want to do, skydiving gets an 8. Maybe a 10. On a scale of 1-10 for a calming presence in the midst of things I don’t want to do, Nate gets 1,000. He made the experience good enough for me to consider doing it again!

Deets: did the 60 second free fall and video package. Both were definitely worth it. Being able to watch the videos countless times after has really kept the experience alive, and I love that I’ll be able to watch it with fond horror when I’m 90. In like 100 years.

All in all, best experience it could have possibly been. Massive thank you and shoutout to Nate - thank you for making...

If I could give an endless amount of stars I would. I invited some of my co-workers to "jump out of a perfectly good airplane" this past summer and it was the most fun I've had with a group of people in a long time. This was my 3rd jump with Skydive Snohomish in 10 months. My first instructor Brian made it super comfortable and engaged in conversation during the plane ride up to ease my nervousness. My second instructor Brent was so much fun and you could tell he loves his job. His enthusiasm only fueled mine and I couldn’t wait to make that leap into the blue skies. Finally my third instructor Kory was great and he has like what, a million jumps under his belt? OK not really a million, but with all of their experience, I felt safe with each one of them. My co-workers were all scared and excited. Only a couple of them have done it before. I'm happy to say they had a blast and while terrified of heights, they were made comfortable enough to jump out at 13,500 feet. We loved it so much we decided to make it an annual thing and get as many people as we can to join us! I wish they offered AFF training at this location, because I've been inspired to get my license! Safety is their number one priority and so I understand that they can’t offer it. If you're apprehensive because you're afraid of heights, I PROMISE you it feels like flying and not falling. Nothing compares to the view you get. To those who jump, no explanation is necessary; to those who don’t, no explanation is possible. I would jump out of a plane every single...