Start Skydiving

My daughters decided to take me skydiving for my 43rd birthday/Father's Day present. What a great gift! I have always talked about skydiving and they, along with the great staff at Start Skydiving in Middletown, Ohio made it happen. I got to jump with my 20 year old daughter, which made it even more special. It was an unforgettable experience and I can't wait to jump again next year with my now 17 year old daughter. My instructor, Monkey or Monkey Lip (I'm sure there is a story behind his nickname but I didn't ask), was top notch. He kept me informed of what as was happening every step of the way and answered all of my questions...most of all we had fun! Rob did an excellent job with the pictures and videos as well. If you are considering making the jump, I highly recommend using Monkey Lip, Rob, and the entire staff at Start Skydiving. I can't wait to go back!

This Saturday was my first time skydiving and now I can say that this is something everyone should experience at least once in their lives. That being said I can not imagine going some place else for your first time. The staff was completely professional and the equipment seemed to be well maintained. My tandem instructor Gila helped me to build my confidence before getting on the plane by displaying a wealth of knowledge and professionalism. On the way up Gila even helped Mustache Man calm down my girlfriend before her first jump which is impressive considering how anxious she can get. In the end I can say that this was a life changing experience worth every single penny. I'm currently budgeting now to save up for another jump before the end of the year. See ya soon Middletown!

I took my first jump course here at Start less than a month ago, and within these 20 short days, I can honestly say that I have experienced more of life than I ever have in 21 years.

Now, a quick disclaimer for those who might ride these comments off as cheesy, over-exaggerated, or the product of an adrenaline rush: I know my body has physically been through some crazy stuff in the past couple of days (aka free falling through the sky from altitudes above 12,000 ft) but I can attest to the fact that my head has never been on straighter.

Learning to experience the joy of skydiving from the incredible individuals here at Start is incomparable to any community I have so far heard of or been blessed enough to call my own. Everyone from the instructors, to the videographers, the packers, team members, to the wonderful ladies at manifest, the management, the pilots, the drivers, other students, and even the kids of skydivers will show you what it means to feel safe, supported, and--wait for it-- what it truly means start living your life.

I know I know, it doesn't really get sappier than this, but I'm pretty sure the exploding sense of happiness I feel in my chest every day here at the drop zone isn't an early sign of the onset of heart palpitations due to an over consumption of Red Bull. My constant need to pinch myself to make sure this isn't just a dream (because no one could ever be so lucky) even when doing mundane things like watching someone else untangle lines while packing a canopy or seeing a smiling face on bathroom runs in between jumps is indicative of how truly amazing the experience is here at Start.

So what I could have said in lesser words is this: START SKYDIVING. Do a tandem! Get your family and friends to do it with you!
And no matter what your reservations about this amazing sport may be, know that you will be well taken care of here because if you've found Start, you are the luckiest of them all.

This was my first experience in skydiving. My tandem instructor/partner was Monkey who did an excellent job of explaining everything and made my first skydiving experience one that has be wanting to do it again. Everything went as expected and I really enjoyed pulling the tether straps to which turned us in different directions as we descended. The video was a little blurred at the beginning for the first few minutes and was able to refocus prior to the jump and during the jump. All still photos were excellent and had no blurred pictures. I would highly recommend Start Skydiving to anyone who has this on their bucket list!

This experience was awesome and I'm already recommending start skydiving to all my friends and colleagues. My instructor John Garrido was really friendly, knowledgable and informative which made the whole experience unforgettable.

Today I jumped for the first time with my husband who had to talk me into it and now I am addicted its SOOO AMAZING!! I had the best instructor Trev he made my experience so enjoyable!!! I can't wait to go again :)

Skydiving is incomparable to anything else I have ever done, so that makes describing it a little difficult. Skydiving with Start Skydiving in Middletown, Ohio, was the best thrill I have ever had. The instruction you receive inspires confidence, and at no point was I fearful because I felt comfortable that I knew what was expected of me and that my experienced instructor "PAGS" would ensure my safe return to earth.

This experience was thrilling, tranquil, unforgettable and incomparable.

Start skydiving it's your best option, Jonnie and BRad were so nice and they did an awesome job :) thank u guys.. Greetings from Chile:)

Start Skydiving is a great place to go for your first jump. They are extremley professional and friendly. They love to have fun and make you feel so relaxed. The clouds caused a bit of a delay, but it was so worth the two plane rides and the wait to finally be able to jump. Check out the youtube videos. Lonnie is AWESOME! I felt safe and had so much fun. I can not wait to go back and jump again!

My son and I just experienced our first skydive at Start this week. I was extremely nervous going down there, but my mind was immediately put at ease when I saw that my son's instructor was Pags and mine was Monkey Lip, both of whom took the time to introduce themselves to us 2 weeks ago when we arrived there but the conditions were too windy to jump. Their confidence and professionalism are what gave me the courage to relax and enjoy the experience! From the moment we took off in that airplane to the moment we glided back to land under our parachute, I felt completely safe and had the best time of my life! I'm absolutely going to tandem jump again and I can't imagine going anywhere else! Thank you so much, Pags, Monkey Lip, our camera woman, and the entire staff!!

My instructor was Pags. He was a great instructor! funny, amusing, and professional. If your looking for a great experience on your first Dive, I would totally ask for Pags

For a 40th Birthday present, it is ranked as #1. My wife, family, and friends set it all up for a surprise party and the gift of skydiving. I was definitely in a state of shock. The morning of the skydive it was beautiful with a few scattered clouds and a little bit chilly. Great weather for skydiving. The staff was very professional. The prep was quick and to the point. Out in the hanger to suit up and off we were into the wild blue yonder. As I watched the buildings get smaller and smaller I was nervous and excited all at once. Once we reached altitude, nothing else mattered. The freefall was the longest moment of my life. Overwhelmed and out of breath the canopy opened and we floated to the landing. I would definitely do that again. If you get the chance I fully recommend skydiving. I still get goosebumps telling the story to family and friends that will sit and listen. I usually tell them to watch the video for the great footage. I also have the still photos available to get printed into a book. Thanks again to the crew at Start Skydiving for a great time.

They were extremely nice and accommodating. They prepare you, reassure you, and make sure you have the best experience possible with your jump. So much fun!!!

After the legal stuff it was all good, Everyone there was courteous and very proffesional. I recieved excellent instruction and treatment. I had the priviledge of meeting great people who made me feel like a friend well knowing that I was quite nervous. Pags and Melanie where the one's I did my jump with and where resposible for me being much more relaxed as we where climbing to jump altitude. From the door to the ground these two where awesome. Start Sky Diving is a great place to do your first jump, I've already started to think about my next jump.

Start Skydiving was an awesome place to do my first jump! They were all so nice and helped make the experience awesome! I was impressed by how nice everything was... I pictured a hole in the wall with a ratty plane but I was wrong... the facility and all the equipment was very clean and nice! I would recommend this place to anyone that wants to skydive!

This was my very first skydiving experience and I have to say it won't be my last. Everyone was super friendly from start to finish. My instructor John Garrido was so great. I have never flown in a plane before and that, I would have to say was the scariest part. It was something I will definitely never forget. I highly recommend it!

I was scared out of my mind (see YouTube video) but my great, awesomely fantastic and handsome tandem instructor was behind me 100% (literally).

Thanks Matt Harvey! You ROCK!!!

This was my first time skydiving. I brought two of my daughters and we were celebrating my oldest daughter's birthday. We had an absolutely wonderful time!. The staff was the best. My tandem instructor was John Garrido and he did a fantastic job! Very professional. Keep up the great work!

Start Skydiving in Middletown, OH rocks! This was my first time skydiving ever and I absolutely loved it! I had such a fun time that I bought another jump! How awesome it is to have workers with great personalities, professional skills, and the dedication to making sure you have a good time! 'Monkey' was my tandem instructor and he was the best! He was very clear and precise with what was going to happen every step of the way. He has 3 rules: 1.have fun, 2. have more fun, and 3. have even more fun! I loved my video and pictures too! They were very professional and creative! Start's location was very easy to find because there were frequent signs. The weather was absolutely beautiful! The plane was sweet and seemed very safe! It was totally worth driving 3 hours! Everything about Start Skydiving in Middletown, Ohio was fantastic and they definitely deserve a high rating!

I absolutely adore everyone that I’ve come across at Start Skydiving! I’ve done two tandem jumps including this one within the past two years and one static line at Warren County Skydiving. My first jump ever was with Gila and that dude was kickass! He made my entire time there from suiting up to jump fantastic! My second time doing tandem today was with Trev and it honestly felt like the first time! He was incredibly patient and kept me calm the entire time! He even had me jump similar to that of an AFF jumper for next time I jump! What an exhilarating experience! I will be back! Best of all I got to take my brother for his first jump!

StartSkydiving made my skydiving experience the best time ever. I have wanted to skydive for a long time and finally scheduled it. Unfortunately the first time we went we weren't able to jump due to the weather and the clouds being too low. We ended up having to reschedule but StartSkydiving made it very easy to reschedule and we had no problem finding another day and time to come. I am so glad that we didn't jump on the first day because the weather was prefect for my actual jump with blue skies and bright sun. My instructor Gila made the experience fun and stress free. He made sure I had fun and I was relaxed. We had a great time and I can't wait to go back and do it again! I would recommend StartSkydiving to anyone for their skydiving experience!!

I would recommend Start Skydiving to anyone looking for a great experience! My tandem instructor, Gila, really made the experience what it was. He was so excited, fun, and interactive that he was able to calm my nerves about Skydiving for the first time. He was also very clear about all the steps of the jump and repeated that multiple times, which helped me to grasp the whole situation. Not only did Gila have fun and joke with me but he also interacted with my dad (who also jumped) and my family and friends who were on the ground. That made the experience even better! Gila's enthusiasm for Skydiving is so apparent and you can really tell that he loves his job. The fact that he had almost 5,000 jumps under his belt help relieve a good amount of my anxiety!
Melanie also jumped with us and shot the video and took pictures of me and my dad throughout the experience. She was so peppy and spunky which made it hard not to want to be peppy too! Her excitement pours onto you and you can't help but smile when ever you see her!
I am so glad that Gila and Melanie were the two people in my jump with me and my dad today. They truly made the experience what it was.
If you are able to request an Instructor or photographer, these two are the ones to get!
We also did not wait very long. We honestly didn't think we would be jumping until 1pm but were were done and waiting for the DVD to finish by 12:30. There seemed to be alot of people jumping too. I feel like the whole process was pretty smooth and the wait time was alot less that what we expected.
The only suggestion I would have would be to create alittle more order in the office. They also seemed to need one more person in there too. We filled our waivers,watched the video (which seemed alittle old, but its purpose and point were clear), were rung up, but then had to wait until someone was able to walk us to the hanger. Or if there was alittle more structure to how the process went in the office, that may alleviate the amount of people standing around wondering what is next.
But everything was absolutely great!!

Thanks again Start Skydiving and Spunky (Melanie), Funky (Gila), and Monkey (my dad's instructor)!!!

I am very happy I chose start skydiving to have my first jump. Everyone was very friendly and professional. We did not have to wait around at all. We also had the privelage of using the rear dump plane we were able to walk off of. The back flip was amazing! Will always recommend them for anyone wanting to go. Cheers!

It was probably the coolest thing I have ever done. Everyone is super nice and willing to help you with any questions you have. They make sure you know everything that is going on before you jump and while you jump. Super Awesome. I will return. My skydiver was Pags and he is super nice and professional.

This was my first skydiving experience and the most exhilarating experience in my life. I drove from Columbus because after reading reviews, this was the number one place to do it. Upon entering, the staff was extremely down to earth, everyone was so welcoming and hospitality was within all of the staff. Gila was awesome. He was very thorough at explaining what was going to happen to me, repeating, and just making me feel comfortable. He was hilarious too, and really took the edge off all the nervous/excited/anxious energy I was feeling. I wish the facility had more to do while killing time, we arrived about 3, and didn't jump until 7! (due to gusty winds) but everyone was nice and I got to know the instructors/staff just because we were all stuck on the ground :) I'd do it again in a heartbeat. You have to get a video!