Bungee Jumping FAQ

Bungee jumping is one of the better-known extreme sports. It consists of a person being tethered to a thick elastic rope before they jump off a high place, diving toward the ground, then being saved at the last moment as the bungee rope takes their weight and pulls them back from the ground. A few bounces later the bungee jumper is lowered safely to the ground. Taking up bungee jumping isn’t difficult because plenty of sites are around the country and you have no need to own expensive or special equipment.

  1. Where Are the Best Bungee Jumping Sites?

    • Permanent bungee jumping sites can be found around the world allowing many types of jumps in either city or country locations. Devotees of the sport plan their vacations to visit some of the more spectacular bungee jumps, such as the 200 foot Goliath cliff jump in Canada or the Bridge to Nowhere canyon jump in California.

    What Are The Safety Precautions?

    • Safety precautions at the site are vital and you should determine that the staff are properly trained and that the equipment they use meets or exceeds the current standards. They should be members of or affiliated with an accredited sports association and will have first aid services available.

    What Basic Bungee Jumping Equipment Is Used?

    • The basic bungee jumping equipment consists of the harness and the bungee rope. Two types of harness exist: the body harness and the ankle harness. With the body harness, you have a choice to have it attached to the bungee cord at either the back or the front. Sometimes both types of harness are worn for added security, with the ankle harness being used during the jump and the body harness being used to either raise or lower the jumper at the end of the jump. All equipment is supplied by the bungee jump operator.

    Are There Different Ways to Bungee Jump?

    • Basic bungee jumps are the swallow dive and the back dive. Both jumps are similar in execution to the dives performed off the high diving board at a swimming pool. The swallow dive is a forward jump with the arms extended outward, while the back dive requires the jumper to first jump off backward then fold forward into a downward plunge. A third jump, the elevator drop, is more advanced and consists of a feet-first jump, allowing the bungee cord to jerk the jumper into an upside-down position at the bottom of the drop.

    What Are the Dangers?

    • As with all extreme sports, bungee jumping has its dangers and are caused by the forces exerted on the body during the cord recoil. These can be minimized by expert, experienced instruction before the jump but can include damage to the eyes including retinal damage, dislocation of shoulder joints and soft tissue spinal damage.