Is Indoor Skydiving Similar to the Real Thing?

We often get the question, is indoor skydiving in Oklahoma similar to the real thing?  Flying is flying, right? The short answer is…no. While often, skydivers will utilize the indoor wind tunnel to fine-tune skills and techniques, the sky, and all the freedom it offers, cannot be found in the confines of a windy tube. 

Here’s the deal with OKC indoor skydiving:

Indoor skydiving emulates only one segmented portion of the entire skydiving experience: the freefall. In an indoor setting, you can successfully experience the sensation of freefall by flying your body on a column of air within the flight chamber. With indoor skydiving, the body flight mechanics are very similar to skydiving, but you miss out on quite a bit. 

Flying to Altitude and Exiting the Airplane

Indoor skydiving can never emulate the feeling of take off in an aircraft, as your stomach swims with anticipation and you watch the world grow smaller and smaller beneath you. On a skydive at Oklahoma Skydiving Center, you’ll travel up to 14,000 feet, a feat no indoor skydiving tunnel can match. With indoor skydiving, there is no jumping from an airplane: you simply enter into the wind through a door located on the side of the chamber. Sound anticlimactic? It is.

Truly, there’s no way to re-create the thrill of jumping from an airplane. You just have to do it. 

Canopy

In skydiving, we often refer to the parachute as a canopy. Indoor skydiving cannot offer the canopy portion of a skydive. With outdoor skydiving, you get the full experience of a skydive and the canopy ride to the ground. As you develop in the world of skydiving, you’ll begin to learn different canopy maneuvers. Indoor skydiving cannot offer that. 

The View

Indoor skydiving takes place in a round tube. The view will be the spectators around you. On an actual skydive, there are nothing but views: a big vast open world around you to explore. On a skydive, you see the world from an aerial view. You see boundless space—no walls around you, no barriers, just freedom. All in all, indoor skydiving is just a simulation, and most birds don’t do well in cages. 

The Benefit of Outdoor Skydiving in Oklahoma Over Indoor Skydiving

Outdoor skydiving pushes your boundaries. Even the bravest of heart will feel a little discomfort on their first skydive. This discomfort is a signal for growth. Conquering your fear and taking that step from the airplane door to the wild blue yonder beyond gives you something indoor skydiving cannot: a feeling of fulfillment.

 Most people who land from a skydive feel like they are on top of the world, like they can face anything. And you know what? They’re right. They were on top of the world, if even for a minute, and even after landing, they know that they have what it takes to face whatever life throws them.

Ready to make it real? Let’s schedule your tandem skydive at Oklahoma Skydiving Center today!