I’ve been in your shoes… You can only skydive so many times before you look for a new adventure. It’s not so much needing something new as it is needing something to help trigger your next-level adrenaline rush. But don’t worry, that’s what I’m here to help you with.
Many other activities help get your adrenaline flowing the same way skydiving does. There is bungee jumping, reverse bungee jumping, ziplining, snow kiting, and even highlining, to name just a few. Hot air ballooning is another activity you’ll have to try as well!
Below, I have included 25 different activities you’ll love, especially if you love the rush skydiving gives you!
1. Bungee Jumping
The sport of bungee jumping involves jumping from a specific high platform, usually from a tower, dam, or bridge. The cord you use to secure yourself is elastic and will stretch and launch you back up in the air to keep you from hitting the ground.
Although this activity is usually performed from static structures, such as bridges and dams, it can also be done with the help of helicopters and hot air balloons.
When compared to skydiving it can be a similar thrill as you are jumping into the air, is it just as safe?
Check out some bungee jumping locations:
- 10 Highest Bungee Jumps in the United States
- 5 Highest Bungee Jumps in New Zealand
- Cairns Bungy Jump (The Ultimate Guide)
- 4 Highest Bungee Jumps in Canada
Read our related post 10 Activities Like Bungee Jumping for Thrill Seekers here.
2. Hang Gliding
In hang gliding, a pilot flies a motorless aircraft through the air. The aircraft is usually launched from a certain point or hill. Once elevated, the pilot will rely on the rising air masses to maintain their position in the sky.
The goal of hang gliding is to position the pilot on a cushion of air. The pilot is then harnessed to the flexible wing of the glider, and they hang using straps.
Due to modern technology and materials, hang-gliding planes can now reach high altitudes. In addition, pilots can perform acrobatic maneuvers in the air.
Read all you need to know about how safe hang gliding is here.
3. Paragliding
A paraglider is a lightweight aircraft that can be flown with an average span of around 26 to 39 feet. Its flexible wing is made of airfoils and fabric, and it’s suspended by reinforced lines connected to the pilot’s backpack harness.
Find out what to wear paragliding in our detailed outfit guide here.
The sport of paragliding involves flying a lightweight aircraft, also known as a paraglider, which is usually launched from a high point.
The pilot uses the wind to maintain their altitude and stay in the air. Although this activity started as a simple sport, it has since evolved into a multi-sport activity with different types of planes and people participating.
Read our related post 13 Activities Like Paragliding for Thrill Seekers here.
4. Paramotoring (Powered Paragliding)
During the 1980s, the development of the modern paramotor led to creating a propeller-driven aircraft that can achieve high speeds. Its wing features a pair of trimmers that allow the pilot to alter the angle of attack to allow the plane to ascend or descend.
A paramotor is a simple flying machine that consists of a paraglider, a harness, and an engine. The pilot controls the plane’s speed with a hand-controlled throttle. Like a paraglider, the pilot must perform a series of maneuvers to maintain the plane’s altitude and direction.
Learn how old you have to be to fly a paramotor by reading our guide here.
5. BASE Jumping
BASE jumping is similar to parachuting without the airplane and involves using fixed objects such as buildings, bridges, and cliffs. The sport’s acronym, which comes from the four main kinds of things thrill-seekers commonly jump from, is BASE.
Since it’s an extreme sport, hundreds of people have died from accidents during BASE jumping. One of the main challenges these individuals have to overcome is the low altitude they jump from.
With BASE jumping, you must be extremely quick to throw your chute, or the consequences will be deadly. No wonder it gives people such an adrenaline rush!
Read our comparison article “Skydiving vs BASE Jumping | What’s the Difference?” here!
6. Wingsuit Flying
In addition to BASE jumping, wingsuit flying is an extreme sport involving using a wingsuit. This flying apparatus allows an individual to jump from a stationary object without the airplane. Like the pilots of other flying objects, the wingsuit pilots who perform wingsuit flying are referred to as pilots.
A wingsuit is a suit designed to allow the participants to perform their activities safely. It features a wing that’s made of fabric that’s stretched from the wrist to the hip. It also has a pair of booties designed to fit the feet.
A wingsuit’s surface area increases the jumper’s surface area, increasing its wind resistance. In addition, particular suits feature vents that are cut into the fabric. These vents allow air to enter the suit, creating a semi-rigid wing that can extend the wearer’s vertical flight.
7. Parasailing
In parasailing, people are attached to a boat using a parachute-like canopy. As the vessel moves, the parasailer, tethered to the boat, is lifted into the air.
This recreational activity can be done both in tandem and solo. It’s a great way to get a bird’s-eye view of the scenery.
The first gliding parachute was first created in 1961, but it wasn’t until 1974 that a boat that could tow a similar device was invented, which led to the creation of parasailing. Although parasailing isn’t considered a sport, it’s still a recreational activity that requires little skill or effort.
Check out our parasailing articles:
- Do You Get Wet When Parasailing?
- What Is Tandem Parasailing? (The Ultimate Guide)
- How High Do You Go When Parasailing?
- Can You Parasail When It’s Windy?
- How Old Do You Have to Be to Parasail?
- Can You Parasail In The Rain?
8. Ziplining
If you’re willing and able, you can take a ride on a zipline! This activity requires profound courage and a willingness to disregard your instincts when racing down a wire at speeds around 70 miles per hour!
A zip line is a cable usually started at a higher point than its end. Through a pulley system, a person or cargo may easily travel down the wire, which has reduced friction to help the rider speed up.
Despite the growing popularity of the activity, it still needs to be determined precisely how many people use the lines for recreational purposes. However, it’s widely believed that some people have used them for practical reasons.
9. Snowkiting
The evolution of wakeboarding and kiteboarding is called snow kiting. It’s a sport similar to wakeboarding, but it is just a little different. Unlike wakeboarding, a recreational activity involving riding a boat, snowkiting consists of using a combination of equipment and techniques.
Snowkiting is when you strap yourself into a wakeboard and use a wing or kite for leverage. However, you do this in the snow instead of going into the water.
While snowkiting is mainly done on snow, it can be done on mountains or frozen fields. To start, secure your board or skis while on the frozen lake or area. Then, bring your kite with you into the air. Although it’s a relatively simple sport, it requires a lot of skill and practice.
10. Kiteboarding/Kitesurfing
Kiteboarding is a type of watersport that involves using a sizeable steerable board to pull yourself around the water. The goal of this activity is to control the movement of the kites through the bars and lines that are connected to your harness.
Kiteboarding requires a certain amount of power, and the kite can be used to generate it by flying specific patterns. Professional athletes can jump as high as 60 feet and float for hundreds of feet.
Wind-powered surface watersport Kitesurfing uses a surfboard or a kite to move across the water, and this activity harnesses the wind’s power. The rider then uses the board or parachute to propel themselves across the water.
11. Speed Riding/Speed Flying
For those looking for a new challenge, speed flying is a winter sport that combines the elements of paragliding and air travel. People have been using modified kites and parachutes for the past few years to create a new flying experience.
This new sport has quickly gained popularity in Europe, and it’s attracting both spectators and participants. It was first established in France, and this activity is also practiced in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.
This extreme sport is similar to BASE jumping and Skydiving, but it’s hazardous and can lead to death. Wings can reach speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour, and unlike paragliding, you don’t have a safety parachute.
12. Cliff Jumping
The Olympic high diving event inspired the concept of cliff diving. In 1770, King Kahekili of the Hawaiian Kingdom of Hawaii jumped from Kaunolu, a 63-foot-high cliff. Without causing a splash, he became known as the “birdman.” His regular practice of flying from cliffs inspired his warriors to follow suit.
This sport is relatively easy to learn and is not complicated. Unlike other extreme sports, cliff diving doesn’t involve equipment or services; instead, it’s just your body moving through the air as you jump from a certain height.
You typically don’t want to jump from a height over 65 feet, and you also want to ensure the water is deep enough to avoid any potential injuries.
13. Extreme Roller Coasters
Over the years, the evolution of roller coasters has led to the creation of new attractions designed to provide an adrenaline-filled experience. These types of rides allow people to experience the speed of a Formula 1 car.
One of the most impressive attractions currently available in Japan is the Do-Dodonpa, an air-launched roller coaster capable of reaching up to 180 kilometers per hour.
Extreme roller coasters take riding a roller coaster to a whole new level. Most average coasters go for height or speed, but extreme coasters mix it all into one ride. There are coasters where the seat twists, turns and flips while the rollercoaster goes through its loops and corkscrews at unimaginable speeds.
14. Reverse Bungee Jumping
The reverse bungee, a slingshot or ejection seat, was first invented in 1978. It has since grown in popularity and is regarded as one of the most popular attractions. Some installations feature a camera that records the ride’s passengers.
These attractions, referred to as reverse bungee rides, are usually operated as stand-alone attractions inside amusement parks. Due to their limited capacity, these installations generally require separate entrances.
The ride takes place on a platform equipped with two telescopic towers. These towers are designed to feed two elastic ropes to a car made from a tubular steel structure. The vehicle is secured to this platform using an electromagnetic lock. When the electromagnet is off, the capsule is propelled vertically, reaching an altitude of up to 80 meters.
The passengers are free to move between the two ropes, which provides a disorienting and chaotic ride. After several spins, the ropes are gradually relaxed, and the rider slowly come down to end their ride.
15. Zero Gravity Flight
For a zero-gravity flight, pilots perform a particular maneuver designed to simulate the sensation of weightlessness inside an aircraft It reproduces the feeling of Martian and lunar weightlessness in three phases.
The nose of an A310 Zero-G Airbus is lifted upward by the pilot after a horizontal flight. The force experienced by the passengers during this maneuver is 1.8 times greater than that of gravity on Earth.
The nose-up can last for around 20 seconds. During this maneuver, the pilots lower the plane’s engine speed to reduce its velocity as it flies upward. Then, as it enters a parabola, it starts to experience weightlessness.
During this weightlessness, the riders can move about the airplane to experience zero gravity for just a few seconds before returning to their seats for landing.
16. Aeroplane Aerobatics
Practicing aerobatics helps improve a pilot’s ability to bounce back from certain flight conditions. Although many pilots engage in this sport for recreational purposes, some also participate in competitions.
Aerobatic flying involves the rotation of the plane in a variety of ways. Some of these maneuvers are spins, which can displace the aircraft’s vertical position. This type of flying requires a broader range of skills and exposes the plane to tremendous structural stress.
There is a place in Las Vegas (also Lake Tahoe and San Diego) where you can play airplane laser tag and have the chance to fly a stunt plane! You can ask your pilot to do any trick you want. There’s nothing quite like it! I can’t think of anything I’ve done to this day that beats this feeling.
17. Rappelling/Extreme Rock-climbing
With rappelling, ropes are passed through an anchor and a belay device attached to the harness. Although rope climbing is commonly used as the descent following an upward climb, this sport has become popular!
Typically, you fold yourself up into a harness attached to the lines that pass through the anchor, and you climb or descend. Both options have slightly different setups.
In certain countries, the term “rappelling,” or abseiling, is also used to describe the technique of descending a mountain using a rope secured to an anchor. This type of climbing is more efficient than doing it on your own.
18. Flyboarding
In water sports, flyboarding is an extreme sport involving athletes using equipment known as flyboards. These are personal water vessels that are equipped with a water jet pack.
Due to the sport’s recent emergence, it still needs to be clarified if there’s a standard set of rules that can be used by the various organizations that conduct flyboarding tournaments.
Although flyboarding is a recreational activity, it can be conducted in various competitive events. One of these is the Flyboard World Championships, held in 2012.
19. Cliff Camping
One of the most extreme sports that can be done is cliff camping. This type of camping involves hanging a tent on a platform suspended from a sheer mountain face.
In the past, multi-day climbers often slept in tents on the mountain to get a good night’s sleep. This camping was once the only way for experienced climbers to rest after a long day of climbing.
During the 1980s, experienced climbers in Yosemite National Park started using army cots to sleep in between climbs, and this was a safer alternative to using a hammock to rest. However, in today’s day and age, there are cliff camping tents created explicitly for this sport that you can use.
20. Extreme Water Slides
If you’re planning on vacationing this summer, pack your board shorts or bikini because these slides will make you want to get on them. Since the first water slides were introduced in the 1940s, designers have continuously pushed the limits in their design.
Thrill rides developed using the latest technology, such as the Spiral Vortex, the first water coaster, and a fully rotating slide-wheel, have been featured recently.
The tallest water slide in the world is known as the Kilimanjaro, and it’s reportedly the fastest, with a speed of 57 miles per hour.
There’s also one of the most popular attractions in the world called Verruckt, a water slide made up of a series of steps designed to take riders through a breathtaking view. It’s not for the faint of heart!
21. Heli-skiing/Heli-boarding
While heli-skiing is primarily for the rich and famous, others can also enjoy it. It’s excellent value for money due to the quality of the available powder.
One of the most popular types of freeriding and snowboarding is heli-skiing. This type of activity involves taking a helicopter ride over the mountains, and it’s a fantastic experience that allows you to take in amazing views. You will then touch down, and ski through some of the best areas while being guided by the helicopter.
Due to the high number of areas that heli-ski operators can access, there’s a high likelihood that you’ll be riding virgin snow. For those who are into powder, heli-skiing can allow you to experience the best of both worlds.
22. Highlining
This activity provides an adrenaline rush like none other! It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or 40th time; you’ll still get the same heart-stopping action.
Unlike free solo, where the athlete is intentionally unsafe, slackline highlining involves using a harness and a lifeline.
The sport of highlining involves performing various types of tricks and stunts that are usually performed at great heights. The discipline it takes to do this is a great challenge and requires a lot of mental and physical strength.
23. Ski Jumping
The jump used in ski jumping involves a landing hill, an in-run, and a take-off table. The distance a person can travel on each jump is evaluated using the K-point, a line drawn in the landing area.
The goal of a ski jumper is to land the longest jump after they slide down on their skis, which is done using a curved ramp.
Aside from the jump length, other factors, such as the competitor’s style and the weather, are also considered to determine the final score. This activity was first introduced to the world during the 19th century.
24. Windsurfing
A windsurfer uses a board powered by the wind to sail across the water. The people of Polynesia initially performed this activity. The design for windsurfing was developed in the 1960s.
Surfing uses waves to propel itself forward, while windsurfing relies on the wind to drive itself across the water. This allows windsurfers to practice their sport anywhere with strong winds and a significant body of water.
For beginners, it’s best to test your abilities on a lake first, as the wind is less intense than the winds on the coast.
25. Hot Air Ballooning
The international organization known as the FAI has recognized hot air ballooning as one of the safest air sports. According to the NTSB, there have been only a few fatal accidents involving this activity.
Hot air ballooning is a type of activity that involves flying a hot air balloon. This activity provides a bird’s-eye view of the ground and is very quiet. Since the balloon flies with the wind in its direction, passengers feel no movement.
The first instance of a passenger-carrying balloon that used hot air to propel itself was made in France by the Montgolfier brothers. After experimenting with flying with animals and unmanned balloons, the first tethered flight with humans aboard occurred on October 9, 1783.
Final Thoughts
Every situation has pros and cons, and the same can be said for adrenaline junkies; the plus side is that we live as no one else does! We experience true freedom and continue pushing ourselves beyond the limits we never imagined possible for ourselves.
However, the downside to this is that you eventually get used to the adrenaline spikes, and it may feel like you’ve reached a standstill in your journey. But that’s not true! You have to find the next right sport for you, which I’m sure is listed in this article!
Have any activity ideas? Feel free to let us know!
When Heather is not participating in extreme sports you can find her working the events across the country, or writing about these amazing adrenaline rushes. She loves to go skydiving, snowboarding, parasailing, hang gliding, dirt boarding, off-roading and hiking.