We all know what bungee jumping is. But if you sit down and think about the actual process of flinging yourself into mid air on the end of a big elastic band, you might realise there are some gaps in your knowledge. Don’t let that put you off taking your first bungee jump! In this article, we’re answering common questions from first-time jumpers to make sure that you have no excuse for not taking the leap of faith.
Where in the UK can I bungee jump?
Wherever you are in the UK, you’re not far from a bungee jump venue. The major cities of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have jump sites where cranes lift the jump platform high above the urban surroundings (don’t worry if you live in Wales, there are a couple just on the English side of the border). Then there are jumps in open landscapes, often in dramatic locations like the bridge at the pass of Killiecrankie in Perth and Kinross, Bray Lake in Windsor, Porth Beach in Newquay or the Conisbrough Viaduct in Doncaster. Finally, there’s an indoor bungee jump inside a converted steelworks in Sheffield - a dream come true for any steampunk thrill seekers out there!
Where in the UK is the highest bungee jump?
The title of Highest Bungee Jump in the UK goes to the 400-foot Chepstow jump, located in Gloucestershire, a few miles shy of the border with Wales. This 120-metre monster is, however, only operational on very special occasions. Your best bets if you’ve got a head for heights are Bray Lake, Berkshire or Tatton Hall, Cheshire, where you can complete daring jumps at a height of 300 feet.
How old do I have to be have this experience?
Not as old as you might think - to sign up for a bungee jump you need to give your consent, which you can legally do at the age of 16. But there’s a loophole! If you have the signature of your mum or dad and, we hope, their blessing, you can get jumping from the tender age of 14 years old. There’s no legal upper limit on taking part, but if you’re over 50 you’ll need to consult your doctor in advance and sign a non-standard waiver.
There are a couple of factors apart from age which can put paid to your bungee dreams. One of them is weight: 120kg, or 18.9 stone, is the limit that bungee cords used for jumps can take. In addition, you need to have a waist measurement of between 40 cm and 125 cm, that’s 15.7 inches and 49.2 inches. You can’t jump if you’re pregnant, or if you suffer from certain medical conditions - we recommend that you talk to a health professional if you have any doubts. FInally, you will not be allowed to jump if you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs, some things are just common sense.
What should I avoid before the jump?
From the rules and regulations to our advice: treat your jump as you would any other physical test - a marathon, a full-day hike, an intense gym session, for example. You wouldn’t stay out partying the day before attempting any of these, and you shouldn’t with a bungee jump either. Avoid big, heavy meals in the couple of hours before the jump while keeping your blood sugar levels up - and stay hydrated! You don’t want to feel light-headed on the jump platform.
Will I be weighed before the jump?
Yes, you will. This isn’t just to check your within the weight range listed above, but to ensure a successful jump. Weight is absolutely fundamental to bungee jumping. It determines how fast and how hard you fall and the extent to which the bungee cord stretches. No two people, unless they weigh exactly the same, will jump using the same cord with the same configuration, because the jump team has to calibrate the length of cord used in relation to your weight. Too short and it’ll be over before it’s really started - too long and you’re in trouble.
Will I feel my stomach drop?
Big time - and for a couple of reasons. First of all, there’s the acceleration that your body experiences as you step into thin air and start falling. Your stomach and intestines sit fairly loosely in the abdomen and so they’re more free to move around than other organs. In the case of bungee jumping, this causes them to move up and back against your spine, producing the feeling of a drop. But you don’t have to be accelerating to feel your stomach lurch, highly intense emotional states and shocks can also produce this feeling. Looking at the ground far below your feet and preparing to jump is easily intense enough to make your stomach drop! But, as the saying goes, the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and the feeling doesn’t last more than a few seconds. Besides, it’s all part of the fun!
Will I touch the ground/the water?
Bungee jumps take place either above water or solid ground. The former is more common with bridge and viaduct jumps, but there are crane-based jumps that are set above lakes or canals too. Don’t worry, you’re in very little danger of touching either at the lowest ebb of the jump - when the elastic cord is at full stretch, because the jump team will have calculated the correct amount of cord to attach you to. Hitting the ground could result in serious injury or worse, but coming into contact with the water wouldn’t necessarily be so bad. In fact, if you hop over the English Channel to Normandy, France, you can do just that at the Souleuvre Viaduct - immersing yourself to the waist in the waters of the River Souleuvre.
How will they remove me from the bungee cord?
There are two methods in common use, each better suited to a) where you’re jumping from and b) what you’re jumping over. The first is the lowering method, which can be employed at crane jumps. The crane simply descends, with you dangling on the end of the bungee jump, until your feet touch the ground. This works when you’re jumping directly above solid ground . For jumps over the water, or jumps that take place form bridges, the downwards route isn’t favourable or possible. In these cases, a rope will be lowered to you, which you clip onto your harness before being winched back up to the jump platform. When you’ve got your feet on something solid, a member of the jump team will help you remove the cords, harnesses and ropes.
Which is scarier - bungee jumping or skydiving?
This is a tough one, because scariness is very subjective. What we will say is that bungee jumping is a short, intense experience with all kinds of sensations and emotions packed into a short time frame. We’ve mentioned the acceleration, the stomach drop and the nerves, but there’s also the multiple changes in speed and direction as you bounce at the end of the bungee cord and the vertiginous site of trees, buildings and landscapes slipping past in a blur not far in front of your eyes.
Skydiving, on the other hand, is a more drawn-out process and doesn’t involve so many abrupt changes. There’s no lurch in the stomach, because you are already travelling at a high speed in the aeroplane before jumping out, reducing the sensation of acceleration. In addition, the transition in speed as the parachute is opened is much smoother than the braking process provided by a bungee jump. But then you have to consider that you might be jumping from a height of 15,000 feet, almost a hundred times higher than that of some bungee jumps. All in all, it’s hard to compare the two, but we think that bungee jumping just edges it.
How many bungee jumps go wrong?
Laws, regulations, codes of practice and common sense keep the number of errors in bungee jumping vanishingly small. It's been decades since anyone died from bungee jumping in the UK and safety procedures have been thoroughly overhauled and updated since then. In the USA, a study has put the risk of death from this sport at 1 in 500,000.
Does the bungee cord ever snap?
Again, the chances of a bungee cord snapping in the UK are so small as to be almost negligible. A story about a cord breaking in Thailand went viral online in recent years, but the regulatory frameworks for extreme sports in the two countries doesn’t bear much comparison. All equipment used in jumps in this country is correctly stored, maintained and deployed.
What is the lifespan of a bungee cord?
Bungee cords have a lifespan of 500 to 1,000 jumps, depending on the type, manufacturer and thickness. They will be replaced well within their “best-before date.”
How much weight can a bungee cord take?
The load that a bungee cord can hold depends on the material, diameter and internal structure of the cord. The jump team at your venue of choice will be responsible for choosing a cord that’s the correct strength for your weight. There are upper limits, of course, and that’s why there’s a maximum weight limit in place for jumpers.
How far can a bungee cord stretch?
This answer might surprise you - bungee cords can stretch up to 2 or even 4 times their original size! Don’t be disappointed if you’re preparing for your jump and notice that bungee looks on the short side, the distance you fall will be much greater!
What's the difference between a bungee cord and a shock cord?
Essentially, they’re the same kind of thing but used for different purposes. Bungee cord is used for bungee jumping, shock cord is used for securing luggage and cargo in transit. Don’t attempt to use one for the purpose of the other!
So there you have it, our beginner’s guide to the most extreme sport on the market. We think it’s pretty comprehensive but if you have any questions we haven’t answered, doubts we haven't addressed, let us know in the comments. If you’re completed your first bungee jump, congratulations first of all, and why not check out our article about the wildest bungee jumps that you can find around the world?
