Vegas Indoor Skydiving simulates free fall

If you ever wondered if you can sky-dive nude in Las Vegas, the answer is yes.

Sort of.

In 2009, Kendra Wilkinson of "The Girls Next Door" reality show bared her breasts to do her indoor free fall at Vegas Indoor Skydiving, 200 Convention Center Drive. Ever since, says general manager Brad Hess, requests to fly naked have skyrocketed.

"It has happened after hours," Hess says.

That's probably the most unique request they've received since he has worked there, Hess says.

Vegas Indoor Skydiving opened in 1982 under a different name, Hess says, and the current owner took over in 2005 and renamed it. It's one of 14 indoor sky-diving locations in the United States.

For $75, $50 or less for locals, you can find out what it feels like to jump out of an airplane. The experience lasts about three minutes and simulates the act of free-falling, Hess explains.

What does that mean? Imagine a pingpong ball floating on the air from a hair dryer. You're the ball and the hair dryer is a giant vertical wind-tunnel fan that can reach speeds of as much as 120 mph.

People think three minutes isn't that long, but once you experience it, Hess says, you realize it feels a lot longer. It's not a passive ride; it's an athletic activity, he adds.

The price includes everything needed: training class, a flight suit, goggles, ear plugs, gloves and a helmet. The whole experience can take as long as 90 minutes.

Summer is the peak season, as most customers are leisure travelers, Hess says. He recommends that locals avoid holidays and summer months or come early in the morning. Waits can reach as long as two hours.

The great thing about indoor sky diving is that you get to sky-dive without having to actually jump out of an airplane. And just about anyone can do it; Hess says a 4-year-old has done it.

However, there are restrictions. People with bad backs or people who have been drinking cannot indoor sky-dive. There also are height and weight restrictions. It's not a matter of safety, Hess says; it's about quality.

"There's a height-to-weight ratio. A taller person who weighs more has more surface area to catch the wind," Hess says. "Outside that guideline, we don't know that our fan can lift you up."

For restrictions, visit vegasindoorskydiving.com or call 731-4768.

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@review journal.com or 702-380-4564.