Skydive City Zephyrhills, ZHills, Zephyrhills Parachute Center — Attraction in Zephyrhills

I had Adam as my jump partner, but I will tell you that everyone who works at Skydive City was great. You feel as though you're hanging out with your neighbors.

I never jumped before and was a little anxious as we climbed to the 13,000 ft elevation. There are 2 benches that line either side of the plane. Divers straddle either one or the other, and if you’re tandem diving, your instructor is behind you on the bench.

A lot of the seasoned divers wear a device that measures altitude, so based on their behavior, one knows that the plane is approaching the level from which you dive. Your instructor buckles into your harness and pulls your straps super tight across your mid section. Under any other circumstances, you might be tempted to complain that they're too tight, but trust me, I was checking to be certain that they were absolutely as tight as humanly possible!

My instructor was Adam, a young guy in his mid-20s who was friendly and brought a sense of humor that brought levity to the moment. Right before we boarded the plane, I told him it was my first tandem jump, and his response was, "Really? MINE TOO!"

I had the preconceived idea that I would be initiating the actual jumping out of the plane and wondered if I would i find the courage in that moment to do it.

That's not how it worked at all.

The side of the plane opens, and as those ahead of you jump, you inch forward as you're still straddling the bench. When your turn arrives, your bum slips off the bench, you're holding your shoulder straps tightly, and it is only a step more to the opening.

Before there was a chance to hesitate or even feel fear, Adam propelled us through the portal, and we summersaulted into the sky. I pinched my eyes closed only momentarily and then forced myself to reopen them, intent on not missing this amazing journey and intentionally made sure I arched my back as hard as I could as Adam had instructed me to while we were on the ground.

When it was time, Adam patted me gently on my shoulder to let me know that I could let go of my straps. For the next 5 minutes we dove, spun, glided, and twirled through the air...All that I can tell you is that it's one of the most amazing experiences I have had in my life, and even now, it brings tears to my eyes as I recall the event. My partner has made certain to gift me with shared memories, and as we came into land, he was waiting for me, watching my descent as he had landed himself just moments before. It truly was incredible.

If someone offers this opportunity, don't miss it! If you brave rollercoasters, you know how crazy they can be - jumping is a cakewalk by comparison! There's none of the stomach lurching - just amazing views, and once the chute is pulled, an incredible peaceful quietness as you float to earth.

I hope to get the opportunity to jump again someday, and if I do, I hope Adam will be there to usher me out once more! And yes, I did let him know that he did a great job on his first...

This was my 3rd skydive, but it’s been a minute since my last one ⏰…

First time was 30 years ago with my sister in Wisconsin. I’ll never forget how hours later we still felt high 🙃. And how it made me feel that if I could jump out of an airplane, I could do anything! Invincible! And the perspective—the 40,000 foot view (well 14,000’ 😆) of knowing that the petty things on the surface of the Earth don’t really matter 🌎. Those feelings have stayed with me for 30 years.

Second time was 15 years ago with my husband in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷. He said he was “one and done” ✅ .

I went into this thinking this is probably my last time. It’s been on my bucket list for a while, and I thought if I get the video, I won’t have to do it again. I don’t really have pictures from the first two times, which is a bummer 🙁.

I’ve always wanted to fly since I was a little girl. I fly in my dreams quite often 💭.

I’ve tried many things to fulfill that desire to fly: skydiving, powered parachuting, powered paragliding, kiteboarding, hang gliding, indoor skydiving and e-foiling. I still want to bungee jump someday.

I think that desire to fly comes from a remembrance of our astral bodies—made of light and energy—flying around the cosmos. I don’t want to have to reincarnate just to fulfill a desire for one last skydive 😆, so I was just doing it and checking it off the list ✔️. (And trying not to add other things to the list 😆).

I didn’t think I would be that nervous because I knew what to expect. But when I was getting close to the drop zone 🚘, I started to question why I was doing this 😬. The nervousness increased on the plane ride up to 14,000 feet ✈️. When it was time to start moving toward the open door, the anxiety got real 😳.

But it was more fun than I anticipated—-the best of my 3 jumps. Maybe because I requested a little extra….

Me to my instructor (Blake): Can we do some spins?

Instructor: Absolutely! Do you like rollercoasters? On a scale of 1-10, how hard do you want me to spin you?

Me: Go nuts.

Instructor: You’re not going to get sick on me are you?

Me: No.

He didn’t hold back! We did a spin during free fall, and then a hard spin with the canopy open—it was wild 😜.

The videographer (Kristie)—it was crazy seeing her fly over to me, and how close to me she was during the freefall. As soon as it was time to open the chute, it was farewell (too risky at that point to be close).

But the best part is the plane exit: there is nothing quite like surrendering yourself into the abyss of the vast blue ocean of Sky, trusting that you will be caught—you will be ok.

If you’ve never done it and have any desire, I encourage you to go for it 👍🏼. And get the full video package 🎥.

So am I really done? My desire is fulfilled—but if someone asked me if I wanted to go skydiving, I don’t think I could...

So, my son,Tony and I had booked a Tandem Jump for Tuesday but was canceled due to the weather. We rescheduled for Friday, June 6th (my 50th birthday & the day he was leaving for Texas to start his new job at SpaceX!!) and since we were already there, we headed over to the bar. Sooo glad we did because we met some really cool people. We talked and hung out with staff, instructors, and random skydivers just asking questions and learning all we could about what to expect. We watched a lot of impressive videos and heard crazy stories of their skydiving journeys!! Matt gave us recommendations, great advice. He made some amazing smoked pork and beef brisket w/a phenomenal smoothie 😊 We came back Friday morning super excited for our 1st Tandem Jump! I was paired up with SQ and requested Stubbs for my videographer. I wasn't scared just really anxious. I felt super comfortable with SQ and completely trusted him! Although I heard all of his instructions, my brain absorbed none of them. He was patient and answered every repeat question I had, lol. It was SO intense to stand at the door waiting for the signal to jump! We did a Gainer exit and Stubbs was right there filming. He got excellent footage of the entire free fall with close ups and circled around us. I had a lock tight grip on my harness & SQ literally had to pry my hands off cause I forgot to let go! When he pulled the cord to release the canopy, It felt like we were blasting off to outer space. I don't know if I was screaming, not quite sure if I was even breathing at that point. The ride down was so peaceful and the view was stunning. Just soaring through the sky above everything, I have never felt so invincible! We had a smooth landing on our feet while Tim took incredible still shots! This experience was ORGASMIC!!! Special thanks and appreciation to Matt, Stubbs, Tim & all the amazing people that make ZHills Skydive City so incredible!!

....SQ, you popped my skydiving cherry!! Until we meet again, my friend 🤘😝

Thank you everyone for your hospitality, professionalism, celebration and being a special part of our life long...