I went skydiving for a friend's birthday party and decided to do a tandem jump. I used to be terrified of heights, but when we leapt out of the plane I was in complete bliss. Many people think skydiving is like jumping off a diving board, but you never have the sensation of dropping. You're buffered because of the speed of the plane and the air beneath you. It's like floating.

I was working as a surgical consultant with all the latest equipment used in laparoscopic surgery. I trained surgeons on how to use it, supported them in theatre and sold the equipment to hospitals. But then I did a tandem skydive and began jumping every weekend.

A digital altimeter. When we're training or doing a work jump, it gives an alarm at 5000 feet, so I know to move away from the group. At 4000 feet there's another alarm, giving me enough time to deploy the parachute. It gives me another alarm if I'm too late, but hopefully I don't hear that too often.

We can all listen to the same tunes on our iPods and not think about other things. I also have an MP3 watch that I would wear in freefall and under canopy. But if you have a hard opening or a line twist, the last thing you want is music blaring at a 180 beats per minute.

There's what's called an automatic activation device, or a Cypress. We use that in case something happens to the parachute. The Cypress will open automatically at a certain height at which you set it on the ground. I wouldn't go jumping without the Cypress and my digital altimeter.

I had an old Sony video camera. It worked really well. A good friend of mine used the same one and it came off during freefall at 3000 feet and hit the ground. You'd think it would be broken, but we got a new lens and case and it still works now.

I've been trialling an air-to-air communication system. It's basically like talking in freefall. It works with a receiver and a little transmitter microphone that's completely insulated from the wind. It's only one way. The coach can give me information so I know what to do.

I use the Sony PC108 because it's the most durable for skydiving. I've experimented with quite a few different cameras and Sony's the best for the variances in weather.

The camera is mounted onto the side of the helmet and when you open the parachute the line comes right by your head. If you've got something too bulky on your helmet the line will catch.

They're eight-megapixel cameras and that's sensational for a digital SLR. We put it straight into a printer and print photos for customers on the spot. We also burn the photos onto DVD or CD.

Always the exit shot. When you see a person coming out of the plane for the first time they're either afraid or absolutely loving it. After a few seconds, everybody loves it.

I want a digital watch that shows the height I'm at - like an altimeter. This one is small and it has an MP3 player. It also shows wind directions and gives everything you could want from a computer on your wrist.