Are you one of the many people who think hanging by your ankles from a rope is the ultimate thrill? Do you want to learn bungee jumping?

Bungee jumping is one of the most popular pastimes among younger people (and a few older ones too) today. I am told that nothing can quite beat the adrenalin rush!

Maybe you fancy traveling the world and jumping from some of the more extreme bungee jumping sites or you could try Goliath the highest jump in Canada – a 200 foot jump from a massive limestone rock overlooking a blue lagoon. Costa Rica features a bridge jump at 256 feet above a tropical rain forest!

Whatever the case may be I don’t suggest doing it alone! – of course you need specialized equipment and knowing the correct way to jump will go a long way to making sure you get the most out of the experience.

So if you’re a novice how do you learn bungee jumping?

Is Any Special Equipment Required for Bungee Jumping?

No not at all! The bungee jump operators will provide everything you need for your jump, for example the crane and bungee cord. Since many jumps take place off bridges and natural places the cord is all that you need.

If you want to look the part you can pick up jackets, boots and gear from Fogdog’s outdoor store.

The only ’special equipment’ you need to bungee jump is the commitment to jump into thin air!

How to Get Started with Bungee Jumping

Imagine if you will, standing on a platform, the ground beneath seeming so close but just far enough away that the horizon seems miles away. What does your head say? What about your heart? Do they agree?

Of all the adrenaline sports bungee jumping is probably both the easiest and most affordable to get off the ground (excuse the pun). There is relatively little training required (compared to say, skydiving) and in most cases you just show up, get a little instruction on the procedure and jump!

There are different kinds of jumps to sample, of course. Many people enjoy jumping from a static crane because they can be higher than natural jumps. On the other hand many natural jumps offer a wilderness feeling that you just can’t get with a crane jump. In the end the choice is yours.

All bungee jump operators offer pre-jump preparation training which consists of an explanation of the procedure; measuring your weight and adjusting the length of the bungee cord to the correct settings. Next a professional operator will attach the padded ankle straps, do a safety check to make sure they fastened properly. (Wow, I am nervous already!)

Next, you step into the crane with one of the operators and are hoisted upwards. Once the crane stops its ascent you will turn to face outwards and jump off!

Presuming you have gotten this far without chickening out – you are now falling, falling, falling. At some point your fall will gradually be slowed by the cord and you will eventually stop falling down. At this point wait for it — the bungee cord recoils and you start to be pulled upwards, bouncing a few times and stop, swaying a little on your cord. You’ve done it!

Now, the crane will lower you to the ground where you may be a little dizzy and either want to do it all over again or swear you never will!

Bungee jumping is definitely designed to thrill all on its own but if you feel daring you can vary the experience by doing somersaults and other acrobatics, or try jumping from higher platforms or cranes.

There are also jump sites that allow you to jump (carefully) over water. Bungee jumping like this sees you falling further than usual (past the normal safety limit for dry land) past ground level where the crane is and towards the water’s surface.

As long as the length of the cord has been judged properly you should enter the water head first (up to your waist) and then get catapulted into the air as the bungee cord recoils.

Whoopee!

What About More Formal Training for Bungee Jumping?

If you want to offer bungee jumps for a living or already run a jump site with untrained employees you may want to enroll yourself in a course like the Bungee Jump Master Training Course.

Organized by the Bungee Masters and Bungee Safety Consultants collaboration, this is a professional course designed to qualify you as a jump master. Certifications are done through the North American Bungee Association N.A.B.A. and United States Bungee Association U.S.B.A.

It is a three to nine day training course starting with the basics of bungee jumping. Depending on the training package you choose you might also get in-depth training in the history and physics of bungee jumping, procedures and techniques of running a safe bungee site, equipment inventory and specifications. Of course you will also learn all you need to know to own and run a bungee business.

So there you have it! It’s really not that complicated is it? Well, you do need a fearless attitude and nerves of steel, but if you are reading this you may already have that wrapped up. If you really want to learn bungee jumping, I suggest going for it as soon as possible. The older you get, the more it may start to seem like madness! On the other hand you’re never too old to learn bungee jumping. To end off I’d like to say good luck, and I really mean it!