west side sky divers

What an amazing experience, from the introductory class at the beginning to the landing at the end of the jump, the experience was everything I could have hoped for. My incredible tandem jump with Patio allowed me to cross another item off of my bucket list and to experience falling through the sky at 120 mph! The ride down once the chute was pulled was magical! If it is on your bucket list or if you are just an adrenaline junkie, I highly recommend West Side Sky Dive!

I never imagined that I would actually do it...but I did! In early August, along with my niece and two of her friends, I jumped from an airplane, making a tandem skydive for the first (but certainly not the last) time. West Side Sky Divers in Winsted, Minnesota (a short drive from the Twin Cities) offered just the right amount of humor to take the edge off this seriously fun adventure. The team members were friendly, fun, and professional. They confidently walked me and my group through the procedures for a safe jump and landing. They checked and rechecked my harness and gear. Safety was clearly the priority.I was fortunate to jump tandem with Joe, the owner, who has more than 8000 jumps under his belt. Although he jokingly reminded me that "you should be nervous, people die doing this", he reassured me that it was going to be a great experience with humor and personal interaction. The other instructors came with great experience and personality as well (their website shows the numbers of jumps each instructor has). Each of us felt comfortable with our instructors. The jump itself was incredible! I wasn't entirely sure how I would feel falling at approximately 120 mph...but it sure didn't feel like I was falling so fast. It was an odd mix of rush, adrenaline, and freedom. Pulling the chute and then flying under canopy was just amazing and, actually, peaceful. Our landing was uneventful (in a good way) as well. Overall it was an awesome experience! None of us had a bad thing to say about the experience and at least I and my niece plan on doing it again within the next year. My sister, hubby, brother -in-law, and 76 year old dad may join us.If you are contemplating a skydive, I would highly recommend West Side Sky Divers! From looking at the website, they even accomodate those with special needs considerations. Go for it!