Once you get over the hump of bungee jumping anxiety, you’ll want to explore the different jumping styles to see which makes your experience even more exhilarating. What are all the various ways to go bungee jumping?
Here are different ways to bungee jump:
- Front flip
- Backflip
- Backward starfish
- Ankle dive
- Elevator drop
- Forward lumberjack
- Backward lumberjack
- Backward plunge
- Superman front dive
Are you ready to pull off one or more of these awesome bungee jumps? We’ll tell you how to do each one ahead, so make sure you don’t miss it!
9 Types of Bungee Jumps You Need to Know
1. Front Flip
Let’s start with one of the easier bungee jumps to pull off that looks epic and feels highly rewarding. It’s the front flip!
Have you ever done front flips into a swimming pool, on a trampoline, or even in your backyard? If so, then front flipping off a tower or platform when bungee jumping will come incredibly naturally to you.
Here’s how to pull off this stunt successfully.
Before you jump, stand straight, and press your legs together. Then lift your arms above your head, keeping them straight too. Your body should be completely straight from top to bottom when in this position.
Lift your arms high to create distance between your hands and feet. Next, bring your trunk, head, and arms down but do not bend your knees. They have to stay straight.
You’re also not bending at your waist when doing a front flip, not if you’re doing it correctly. Your legs and torso should create a line so that as your torso lowers, so do your legs.
Since you can’t use your hands to brace you on a platform, you’ll have to tuck your arms in as you roll forward, using your back for momentum.
Before you know it, you’ll be off the platform and into the sky!
2. Backflip
If you’ve done a few five-star front flips when bungee jumping, then change it up and challenge yourself with a backflip.
It helps to have backflipping experience, so please practice on level ground before you go bungee jumping. A trampoline will give you more bounce which could help as you practice.
How do you do a backflip? It’s simple, especially if you do front flips often.
Stand in position, lifting your arms high over your head and spacing your feet apart at shoulder distance.
Your neck and back should remain straight, and you should look in front of you, which is good practice when bungee jumping so you don’t look down.
Bend down at the knees until you’re high squatting, but don’t bend your back. Your chest should be aligned with your knees but aiming upward, and your arms shouldn’t have come down.
Next, swing your arms back, keeping your elbows loose and your palms skyward. As you do a backflip, move your knees near your chest, grab your knees with your hands, and tuck them in.
By now, you’ll be in the sky!
3. Backward Starfish
Another back-facing bungee jump to try is the backward starfish, which some jumping enthusiasts also affectionately refer to as the backward happy starfish.
If you’re feeling reticent about pulling off a backflip or front flip on a bungee jumping platform, then start with the backward starfish. It’s not all that challenging and still creates a different sensation than simply jumping off the platform.
So how do you do the backward starfish? It truly couldn’t be easier.
When standing on the bungee platform, make sure you’re backward instead of facing forward.
Stand with your legs shoulder-distance apart. You can spread them more than that if you’d like for a more dramatic effect, but make sure you still feel steady when standing.
Next, lift your arms out directly to either side of you. Your arms should be straight out and your legs straight out as well, no bent knees or elbows here.
Finally, keep your head and neck straight, watching what’s in front of you.
As you’re given the green light from your instructor to jump, let yourself fall backward in this position. Although it’s tempting, do not move your arms and legs as you fall.
The point of the backward starfish is sustaining it during your entire bungee jump. Once the bungee cord has been released all the way, you can slacken your muscles and let your limbs fall.
4. Ankle Dive
A more classic style of bungee jumping, many jumpers want to successfully do an ankle dive. The sensation of flying through the air completely upside down will transform any bungee jumping experience and make it feel brand-new!
So how do you do it, exactly? Well, an ankle dive is as much about your technique as it is about the equipment you have.
You’ll have to talk to the staff at the bungee jumping company and let them know that you want to do an ankle dive. They’ll then equip you with ankle harnesses. You’ll receive one harness for each leg.
You’ll also have a waist harness, so don’t worry about safety concerns, as you’ll be strapped in nice and tight. However, the staff will attach the bungee cord to the ankle harnesses rather than the waist harness.
That’s the whole crux of an ankle dive, after all, to jump primarily with your legs.
Alright, so what do you do once you’ve got your equipment on? Well, not much! Gravity will take care of a lot of it for you.
Stand facing the platform or away from it. It’s your choice and shouldn’t affect the success of the ankle dive.
Look straight out ahead of you, keep your arms at your sides, and then let yourself go into the air. As you fall, the connection point of the bungee cord will move your body so you’re completely upside down.
You’ll dangle upside down until you’re pulled back up, which shouldn’t take long!
5. Elevator Drop
The elevator drop is the next type of bungee jump to try. This jump earned that nickname because, when you do it correctly, it’s sort of like riding in an elevator down to the ground floor.
You know, except there are no elevators, and you travel a lot faster than any average elevator could!
You’ll need a full-body harness to do an elevator drop. Once you’re equipped, head to the jumping platform the same way you would when bungee jumping any other time.
While you could face forward when doing an elevator drop, you’re supposed to stand backward. It makes the jump more exciting and less predictable. Plus, you’ll get to wave to all your friends if they’re watching you jump!
Keep your legs and arms straight at your sides. You’ll reduce your rate of drag so you can fall through the air more effectively.
Don’t aim your head downward, but rather, keep your head and neck straight, your gaze focused on what’s directly in front of you.
Position yourself close to the edge of the platform and then do a little bunny hop or two until you’re off the platform.
You should have a good idea of how many jumps you need to do until you exit the platform. If you’re caught off-guard, you might move your arms and legs, ruining the elevator drop.
Once you’re airborne, keep your arms and legs at your sides. You’ll fall feet-first, so it’s easy to want to change position, but do your best not to. That’s how you truly master the elevator drop, by pretending you’re riding an elevator.
Admittedly, elevator drops are scarier than many of the other types of jumps on this list, so maybe work your way up to this one. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart!
6. Forward Lumberjack
Next are two bungee jumps that are inverses of one another, the forward and backward lumberjacks. We’ll begin with the forward lumberjack.
You may wonder, with a name like that, what this type of bungee jump could have to do with lumberjacks. Well, not much. It’s more about standing like a soldier, so the name maybe could stand to be more accurate, but oh well.
Okay, so how exactly do you do a forward lumberjack? Well, you’ll need a full-body harness for starters, so make sure you wear one of those when planning this type of jump.
Again, you usually only have to mention that you want to do a certain style of bungee jump, and the staff at the company will hook you up with the right harness and gear.
Once you’re elevated to the jump platform, it’s time to get into position. Again, as you would when doing the elevator drop, you want to stand as stock-still as you can. Keep your legs and arms together and maintain a straight position.
Watch your head and neck placement especially and straighten your back as much as you can.
Position yourself on the platform so you’re facing forward. Don’t look down, as your body will be knocked out of alignment.
When you’re ready, allow yourself to fall. The full-body harness and your jumping style will create a pendulum-like forward movement that at first feels really trippy but then becomes very fun!
7. Backward Lumberjack
Forward lumberjacks sure are cool, but if you’re eager to expand your repertoire, you should also begin incorporating the backward lumberjack into your bungee jumps.
The backward lumberjack, as we’re sure you probably could have guessed, works in much the same fashion as the forward lumberjack, just backward.
That means you’ll need a full-body harness. You’ll ascend to the top of the platform and stand backward.
Just like before, keep your legs and arms at your side, your neck and back straight, and your head facing forward. You need to be as stiff as a tree to pull off a lumberjack, including both forward and backward lumberjacks.
As you fall from the platform, you’ll have backward pendulum movement this time. You may find that you enjoy this even more than the forward lumberjack!
8. Backward Plunge
If you’re into backward jumps, you’ve got to plan a bungee jumping experience soon so you can do the backward plunge.
You won’t jump stiff-bodied here, so it’s different from the last handful of bungee jumps we’ve looked at. Rather, the backward plunge gives you a chance to sort of launch yourself.
Here’s how it’s done.
First, you need a full-body harness, so ask for one when you’re getting set up to jump. Once you’re atop the bungee platform, it’s time to get into position.
Since the backward plunge is well, backward, you need to stand with your back to the platform.
Next, crouch down. Don’t bend down, and yes, there is a difference!
When bending, you’re angling yourself at the waist, whereas crouching puts you in more of a seated position. Your back should stay straight when in a proper crouch, which it may not be when bending.
Now that you’re in a backward crouching position, let yourself fall whenever you’re ready. Try to stay in the crouch as you fall and voila, you’ve done the backward plunge!
9. Superman Front Dive
We saved what may be among the coolest types of bungee jumps for last, the Superman front dive. Now you can feel like a superhero when bungee jumping!
The Superman front dive and its feat of heroics require a full-body harness. You’ll go to the top of the jumping platform and should face forward.
Get yourself into a diving position as though diving into a swimming pool. On the edge of the platform, crouch down, bending at the knees while keeping your back straight.
Lift your arms above your head and touch your open hands together but do not interlace your fingers. Tuck your chin too but otherwise, keep your head and neck straight.
Move off the platform by rocking your upper body and letting your legs travel with your upper half. You’ll feel like you’re plunging through the sky but in the best way possible!
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, 9 great ways to liven up any bungee jumping experience. We recommend these techniques for more experienced bungee jumpers eager to try something different.
If you can practice some of the moves on level ground before you’re up on the platform, that will help you feel readier. Have fun!