If there’s ever one thing that keeps people from skydiving, it’s the fact that they’re scared they won’t be able to breathe during their jump. That’s what kept me back from my first jump, actually. And I’ll tell you my experience as well as the experience of many others.
It can be hard to breathe while skydiving. The wind is racing in your face at 120 miles per hour. However, if you scream, you will force all the air out of your lungs so that it won’t be such an overwhelming breath when you do breathe in.
Please don’t let breathing be an issue, or a make-or-break situation when it comes to skydiving. It’s such an amazing experience, you don’t want to miss out on it.
Do Some People Find it Challenging to Breathe When Skydiving?
It can be difficult to breathe with 120 mph wind striking your face. Many people think it’s caused by a panic attack or adrenaline, but it’s simply the wind hitting your face and your body’s response to the force. This is what is known as the mammalian dive reflex.
When you plunge into ice water or turn your face into a heavy gust of wind, you are experiencing a primordial hardwiring that has always been a part of us. The mammalian dive response closes your airways to prohibit breathing in water. While this isn’t water, it’s still the same reflex that’s activated.
Hence, experiencing breathing difficulties as you exit the airplane — potentially for the first time in your life — and that cooler air strikes you, on top of the excitement already overwhelming your system, is not unheard of.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t happen to everyone and it’s also not often enough of a concern for you to need to spend additional time stressing about it. If it does occur, mouth breathing is undoubtedly the best option to counteract this.
What Should You Do If You Feel Like You Can’t Breathe?
If you feel like you can’t breathe, scream as loud and as long as you can. Trust me! As you scream, you are forcing air out of your lungs via your mouth, which makes room for the air that the wind is shoving into your face.
On my first jump, I had a full blown panic attack. I told my instructor that it most likely would happen and she said that’s okay! When it happens, yell as loud and as long as I can, and if I passed out, that was fine! I just had to be awake for the landing.
The yelling stopped my hyperventilating and took me out of adrenaline overload. It worked so well, that I thought about incorporating it into my daily life… however, I decided against it as I didn’t want to appear to be a crazy woman to my neighbors.
Should You Breathe Through Your Nose or Mouth When Skydiving?
Breathe in slowly and steadily through your nose, then exhale through your mouth as you fly. This deliberate breathing will keep you calm and focused and ensure you have enough oxygen to be aware.
It’s hard to feel whether you’re breathing or not. So what I do now, is I get some saline mist and I spray it in my nose, and I drink lots of water before I go.
While it’s not okay to chew gum while falling, the pilot usually has a little trash can so that you can spit your gum out before you jump and wont’ have a dry mouth on the way down. This helps you to feel yourself breathing so that you don’t begin to panic.
However, please ask your crew of instructors beforehand as each facility has different sets of rules.
Do You Need an Oxygen Tank When Skydiving?
Oxygen is only needed during the ascent in a HALO Jump from 18,000 to 30,000 feet. You will breathe via a straightforward, transparent oxygen mask until it’s time to leave the aircraft.
As a matter of fact, all skydivers must start pre-breathing oxygen an hour before departure due to the high altitude and low air pressure.
Can You Suffocate While Skydiving?
Contrary to widely held belief, you can breathe while skydiving. Relax and breathe in through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. It is that easy! If you feel the need to regulate your breathing, breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds and out for 6. If you feel that’s too much, then inhale for 3, hold for 2 and blow for 5 seconds.
Some people hold their breath while getting off an airplane because it takes their breath away, but you can breathe. You will not suffocate while skydiving. The worst thing to happen would be fainting, but even fainting is okay. It is not dangerous.
Can You Pass Out as a Tandem Jumper?
Yes, you can pass out during a tandem skydive. The problem is that it’s infrequent and almost always avoidable! Most people who faint during a tandem skydive do one of the following:
- Still skydived on the day they were sick.
- Skipped breakfast or lunch. (Learn what to eat before skydiving here)
- Had too much alcohol the night before (DO NOT DO THIS!)
- Hyperventilated on the way up and held their breath for the jump
- Have a health condition
The instructors will teach you how to breathe during a jump. Follow their instructions and make sure that you practice typical self-care before your jump to decrease the risk of passing out.
However, again, passing out is not dangerous. You will wake up when the parachute deploys and things calm down. Just be prepared to land!
Final Thoughts
It can be pretty difficult to breathe during skydiving due to the constant wind in your face. However, if you take slow, deep breaths through your nose and out your mouth, this will help to ensure you’re breathing efficiently.
When in doubt, scream it out! Forcing the air out of your lungs will allow the air back in without overwhelming your system. Do not believe me? Try it the next time you jump. You can thank me later.
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.
