Bristol is one of the most important port cities in the Country. In 1497, John Cabot departed from it's docks to make land in Newfoundland and become the first European to set foot on mainland North America. In the 19th century, the city was transformed by the celebrated engineer Isembard Kingdom Brunel. But these feats of exploration and engineering are small fry compared to the daring stunt that you can pull off right in the heart of the Bristol docklands. Ascend above the quays and canals, look down on Brunel’s ship the SS Great Britain, and then drop back down at high speed with only a bungee cord to break your fall!

When we think of this sport, most of us picture a high bridge or viaduct over a river, and this is how the modern sport started - right here in Bristol. Two young daredevils jumped from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in 1979 before being promptly arrested. While most bridge bungee jumps involve a drop of 35-40 metres, here you’ll jump from a platform on a crane from an eye watering altitude of 50 metres. Starting at ground level, you’ll step into the steel cage with your jump instructor and be lifted high above the water of the harbour. At a height to rival Brandon Hill in the city centre, you’ll face the ultimate challenge. The gate opens and it’s up to you to face your fears, and the force of gravity - and jump! By the time you’re back on dry land you’ll be exhilarated, exhausted, and just possibly ready for more!

Where to do bungee jumping in Bristol?

Your destination is located in The Lloyds Amphitheatre, the ideal place to experience the most exhilarating bungee jump you can ever taste. It's only seventeen minutes from the city centre and is your best and only option within the region.

Kinds of jumps available

- Individual: plummeting in freefall from a height of 50 metres isn’t for the faint of heart, so completing a jump alone is sure to make you stand out from the crowd. You’ll face off against gravity in this challenge, stepping into thin air from the crane platform. What comes next is the sensation of freefall, when the only force acting on your body is the force of gravity, before the bungee cord kicks into action and bounces you back upwards. After a couple of bounces you’ll lose your momentum and hang suspended in mid air, before the crane lowers you back down to the ground. Then, if the whole experience hasn’t left you completely speechless, you can start to brag about your latest daredevilish stunt.

- Tandem: if you feel like you need someone to hold your hand during this death defying stunt, you’ll have to convince someone else to jump with you. It doesn’t matter if it’s your partner, your best friend, or even your worst enemy, they’ll accompany you during the whole experience. You’ll be fastened together, face to face, and attached to the same bungee cord before working up the courage together to leave the safety of the platform. The tandem jump works in the same way as a solo jump, but with the extra weight of another person you’re in for bigger bounces - and louder screams!

- FAB: no, it doesn’t stand for fabulous, although it’s without doubt an awesome experience that will leave any spectators at ground level flabbergasted! In fact, it stands for Front And Back jump - or should that be jumps? You’ll complete two jumps: one standard jump, facing forwards and stepping out into the air, and the second a truly hairraising test of your courage. You’ll stand facing your instructor, with your heels at the edge of the platform and lean back, back and back into nothingness. You have to have some serious control over the survival instincts in your brain to be able to drop backwards into the void like this, so the FAB jump is reserved for top tier adrenaline junkies.

Requirements to do this activity

There are some hard and fast rules in place to make sure that all jumpers are in a fit state to experience this thrill. You can’t jump if you’re pregnant, for the sake of the child, or if you're under the influence of drugs and alcohol, for the sake of yourself and the jump instructor who accompanies you. You should talk to your doctor before arriving at jump site if you suffer from any conditions that could be exacerbated by flinging yourself off a 50 metre high platform and bouncing around in mid air. Just to be on the safe side, check the small print of any medication that you’re taking, and save a big lunch for after the jump.

Medical history aside, you need to be at least 14 years old to jump. This is as much to do with fitting into the harnesses and safety gear as it is to do with being able to make the right choices. Bungee jumping in Bristol and around the country operates on a basis of informed consent, that is, in order to consent to something as extreme as this you need to have been given and understood all the information about it. There’s no upper age limit, but over 50s will have to sign a waiver, which is also necessary to demonstrate that you’re informed of the risks, and you consent to take part.

Is it a safe experience?

Once you’ve shown yourself to be of sober and sound mind, to be in good physical conditions and to understand what you’re about to do, the risks are reduced drastically. That being said, at the end of the day jumping 50 metres from a crane is still inherently risky, which is why the jump providers are regulated and committed to keeping you safe. They are required to operate with a system of redundancy, which means that the kit in use contains back up mechanisms, and so that the system remains safe in the unlikely event of the failure of one piece of equipment. And just as the cords, ropes, harnesses and the rest work as a team to make this a safe sport, the team of instructors also work together to give you all the information and encouragement you need in order to jump off the platform safely, and return to the ground with memories to last a lifetime.

Make a piece of your own personal history in the historic city of Bristol, with a gravity defying bungee jump! Book now and we’ll get to organising it.