Checklists exist because memory fails under stress. A bungee jump day piles logistics, adrenaline, and peer energy into a few hours. Walking in with a written plan keeps small oversights from becoming big delays - or unsafe improvisation.[3] Think of the list as part of your equipment, as real as shoes and a signed waiver.
First-timers often prepare only for courage. Courage without logistics still leaves you scrambling for ID at the desk or discovering a medical exclusion after a long drive. The goal of a pre-jump checklist is control where control is available, so the only hard part left is the part that is supposed to be hard.
Health and eligibility
Confirm you meet the site’s age, weight, and medical criteria before you pay nonrefundable travel costs. Operators commonly exclude or restrict pregnancy, recent surgery, uncontrolled high blood pressure, serious heart disease, certain neurological conditions, and some back or neck injuries. When in doubt, ask your physician and the operator in writing.[1]
Be honest on the waiver. Hiding a condition to “not miss out” shifts risk onto you and the crew. If you are recovering from illness, reschedule. Extreme sports assume a baseline of fitness; they are not a rehab program or a dare aimed at your medical chart.[4] If your medications affect balance, blood pressure, or alertness, raise that early rather than at the edge.
Documents and logistics
Bring government ID if required, booking confirmation, emergency contact details, and any medical notes the operator requested. Know the weather cancellation policy and transport plan to the site. Remote bridges and gorge platforms are not always easy to reach if you miss a shuttle or underestimate mountain roads.
Arrive with time to spare. Rushed check-in leads to skipped questions and a higher stress baseline before you even see the edge. Build a buffer for parking, toilets, and the unexpected photo line. A calm arrival is a safety tool, not a luxury.
Clothing and personal gear
Wear secure athletic clothing that can handle a harness. Avoid loose jewelry, empty your pockets, and tie back long hair. Closed-toe shoes that will not fly off are usually preferred; some sites have specific footwear rules. Leave phones unless the operator has a mount or pouch system designed for jumps - improvised pocket carries are how cameras become projectiles.
Dress for wind and temperature at height, not just the parking lot. Bridges and canyon lips are colder and breezier than town. Layers you can remove before harnessing help. Skip outfits you care about staining; harnesses and nervous sweat are not gentle on fashion.
What the operator should handle
You do not bring the cord. You do bring attention. Watch how staff weigh you, select equipment, and double-check connections. At well-known sites, those steps are standardized for a reason.[2] Ask what attachment method they use and how retrieval works. Curiosity is not rudeness; silence can be.
If anything about the gear looks improvised, damaged, or confused among staff, pause. A checklist is not only for your backpack - it is for your standards. Commercial bungee’s reputation rests on process discipline as much as elastic materials.[3]
Mindset items people forget
Decide your jump style preference if options exist (solo vs. tandem, ankle vs. body harness where offered). Agree with friends that there will be no last-second shaming. Set a personal rule: you can withdraw before final commitment without a speech. Write the rule down if your friends are the type who “motivate” with humiliation.
Practice a breathing pattern you already know. Choose a short cue phrase for the edge. Eat lightly, hydrate, and avoid heavy alcohol the night before. Tell one person your emergency contact details in case you are traveling alone. These are performance basics, not superstition.
Day-of mini checklist
ID and booking. Waiver completed truthfully. Weight within limits. No excluded medical issues. Clothes and shoes suitable. Pockets empty. Questions asked. Weather acceptable. Crew checks observed. Breathing plan ready. Consent still yes. If any item fails, stop and resolve it before you walk to the platform.
Practical takeaway: print or save a short list the night before, run it twice - once at home and once at check-in - and treat any failed item as a stop sign, not a suggestion.
Sources
- AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand (2024)
- Face Adrenalin Bloukrans (2024)
- Wikipedia: Bungee jumping (2024)
- CDC: Physical activity basics (2024)
Image credits
- Photo: Mat cross at English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
- Photo: Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)