While something like that does seem exhilarating, nothing screams safety like discount skydiving, eh? As witnessed in your pics, though, something about those tandem jumps that seem only slightly less homosexual than two guys on a moped (not that there's anything wrong with that). And why the need to flash the shocker at the instructor afterwards?
I'm pretty sure when you're hurtling out of a plane that's going about 250 mph 14,000 feet in the air for the first time in your life and all you see out in front of you is open expanse, you're not thinking about the slightly homosexual connotations of the instructor being strapped to your back. You're most definitely thinking "Thank God this guy is behind me, otherwise I'd be pissing myself right now."
remember.. ARCH, LOOK, REACH, PULL. unless you are tandem or static lining it. Got a few jumps in my logbook over the years. There used to be a dropzone out of Beaumont that would let you jump through clouds. They even had C130 and helicopter jumps. for a beginner, I would do static line before tandem jumping though.. personally, I HATE tandem jumping.
Maybe for some Bud Light <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KQgJNTG9xEc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It's something I definitely recommend and yeah I go to UH lol. It was discounted yes, however they have had no tandem accidents to date thankfully, so it was nothing that really bothered me. Saved me $$$. It's not the shocker rather the hand sign for the University of Houston which is how Joshfast figured I attend UH. (guessing you aren't from the Houston area). Very true. To skydive, your first time has to be a Tandem (at least from what I have seen), and to have someone experienced handling your parachute is something I prefer my first time. Experience > Inexperience. The last thing I am thinking about is the instructor attached to me in that type of manner, especially in the air; it's my safety and the experience of skydiving. Go do it! Really something everyone should do imo. Once you do it, you won't think that again, rather when is the next time I am going to do it.
I'm not in Houston, I don't even know the nearest place to me (Jonesboro, Arkansas) that has this available.