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There are five bungee jumping questions that you need to ask when you decide to go jumping.  Here’s what they are, and why they matter. If you are a fan of this sport, get some trading pins as a collection.

# 1 – How do I want to go bungee jumping?  This question will help decide how high off the ground you will be when you do your bungee jump.  Do you want to use a commercial crane outfit, or are you looking for something more in tune with nature?  Perhaps jumping off of a bridge towards the earth and a running stream of water would be more appealing to your sense of adventure.

# 2 – What club or outfitter will I use?  This question is of primary importance, as it relates directly to the safety of the experience you will have.  Not all bungee jumping clubs or commercial outfitters are the same.  Make sure that the jump team, especially the jump master are all certified.  The club or company should participate in a certification program as well.  Do your homework here, both with the company and with local governmental offices and consumer advocacy groups such as the Better Business Bureau.  Be sure you are selecting a reputable group that abides by the best safety practices out there.

# 3 – What position will I jump in?  There are a variety of positions available to most bungee jumpers.  First timers will often want to do the swan dive, while more experienced jumpers may prefer a different method.  Some outfitters offer what is called the water touchdown.  Confident in their abilities to correctly calculate the exact length needed, they provide the opportunity to go into the water at the bottom of a bridge jump.  This is best done in an area where the water is fairly deep.  Obviously this is a more dangerous jump than the regular bungee jump position.  Knowing how you will jump and what to expect will prepare you in advance for your jump (as much as possible).

#4 – How will the recovery be done?  It is important to know how you will be retrieved once your jump is over.  You don’t want to be stuck at the end of the bungee cord, upside down, for a long period of time.  Most outfitters will let down a secondary line that you will attach to your harness, allowing them to pull you back up.  Some, however, prefer to allow slackening of the bungee cord in order to lower the jumper to the surface.  This is, however, a more dangerous method.  You should be aware in advance so you can be prepared after the jump.

#5 – How much is this going to cost me?  While this shouldn’t be a primary determining factor of if you are going through with it or not, you don’t want to get ripped off.  The average cost of a bungee jump is in the neighborhood of $100, give or take depending on your location.  This can sound intimidating, but remember, this is a once in a lifetime experience (even though many participants return over and over to this type of event), and your decision to participate should not be based solely on the cost.

These five bungee jumping questions will assist you in making the best decisions possible on your jump.  Don’t allow these things to make you timid, just remember, ‘Carpe Diem, Sieze the Day!’.

If you are a newcomer to the sport of bungy jumping and wish to find others who share your likeminded interests, or if you’re a seasoned jumper who considers this sport to be one of your main passions, you may be interested in connecting with bungy clubs and their members.  As the popularity of this sport has become worldwide, so have the clubs which cater to bungy jumping enthusiasts!

In the United States, there are currently twenty-five states which have their own listed bungy clubs.  This is quite impressive for a sport which has only been in existence in its present form for the last two decades.  Some of these states boast more than one club;  California has the most, located in Sacramento, El Segundo, Alameda, and Los Gatos.  Canada presently lists five, located in British Columbia, Alberta, Ottawa, and two in Ontario.  If you are truly passionate about this sport, checking into these bungy jumping clubs is a great way to make your experiences even better.

If you wish to do a bit of traveling to join in with bungy jumping clubs, you can proceed to Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, or Ecuador.  Whether your interest in bungy clubs is for the jumping itself or interacting with other members, these clubs in Central America and South America will give you both benefits as well as broadening your horizons in very different geographical locales.

In the United Kingdom, many of the best bungy clubs are affiliated with the British Elastic Rope Sports Association in Oxford, England.  Endorsement by this Association assures you that the clubs have met and maintain specific standards, including the Code of Safe Practice.  In becoming involved with any of these clubs, you will know that your safety is their primary concern.  It is important to note that bungy jumping clubs in the United Kingdom are not required to be affiliated with the Association, and only those who are must adhere to their standards.  Therefore if you wish to become involved with bungy jumping clubs in the United Kingdom, it is a good idea to find out beforehand if the club you are interested in has been approved by the British Elastic Rope Sports Association.

In addition to those located in the United Kingdom, twenty-four other countries in Europe list bungy jumping clubs, as well as fourteen clubs in other locations.  If traveling will be a part of your bungy jumping experiences, becoming involved in the bungy jumping clubs in the areas you will visit will certainly add to your enjoyment.  In selecting foreign destinations in which to engage in your hobby, you can go beyond the sport to the extra fun of taking part in a new culture, sampling its cuisine, learning a new language, and, above all, having the opportunity to get to know many other people who share your interest in bungy jumping.  You may choose a club close to your own home, or you can make it an even more special treat by finding one to your liking on the opposite side of the globe!

While modern bungee jumping has become known and practiced worldwide, what is less understood is the physics behind bungee jumping.  Interestingly enough, the extreme sport originated from spiritual rituals of South Pacific natives, who had no idea of the science behind the sport.  Modern bungee jumping enthusiasts find much comfort in the idea that someone has worked through the math required to perform a safe jump.  So who developed the physics of bungee jumping and how sure are the modern practitioners of the sport that it is relatively safe?  Let’s start by taking a look at the origins of the science behind the sport. Get your own custom trading pins with and help to promote this sport among your friends.

Years before the discovery of the land diving natives on Pentecost Island, a British mathematician named Robert Hooke was discovering the physics of bungee jumping.  He began working as an assistant to the famous scientist Robert Boyle in 1653.  However, it wasn’t until 1660 that he formulated and wrote down Hooke’s Law of Elasticity.  In laymen’s terms, Hooke’s law basically tells us how much tension a spring can endure, and the maximum length it will reach.  Hooke’s law can be used on any material that is considered linear-elastic, or stretching lengthwise.  Oddly enough, rubber is usually considered non-linear, because variations of stress and temperature can have a significant impact on the elasticity of the rubber.

Today, modern practitioners of the physics of bungee jumping don’t have to be as well-versed as Hooke.  Depending on the bungee cords used and their ratings, the science has been simplified quite a bit.  The commercial proprietor who is offering ‘bungee jumping’ as an extreme sport still has to be on their toes.  Cords that are manufactured to meet a well established United States military specification (mil spec) are perhaps the best to use.  This is simply because of the rigorous testing that must go in to making sure they meet the mil spec.  Most of these cords have a specific weight limit and elongation potential.  Using these numbers, along with the length of the jump and the weight of the jumper, the calculations can be made.  The length of rope needed, how many strands are needed for the weight, and how much beyond the normal length of the cord the jumper can expect to go.

The physics of bungee jumping has changed some with advances in the material used in bungee cords.  Some cords are also ‘pre-streched’ so there is less elasticity and bounce, and a more forceful shock and return from the bottom of the jump position.  The problems with some jumpers using cords that were too long are the result of not understanding the physics of bungee jumping.  Even though modern bungee cords are weight and elongation rated, some people still fail to take this into account when performing amateur jumps.  This is why it is highly recommended that anyone who wants to learn bungee jumping should consult with a professional.  This is not a sport that you can learn and practice at home.  The physics of bungee jumping have been simplified by 20th century manufacturing standards, resulting in a much safer sport for everyone participating.