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Skydiving instructor Chad Stevens performs a tandem jump at Lake Elsinore. Skydive Elsinore is th

Chad Stevens adjusts the harness connecting him to his inexperienced student and conducts yet another examination of the equipment that will save two lives in the next few minutes. The hand on his altimeter points to 12,000 feet as the faces surrounding him vacillate between fear and elation.

Stevens points to the airplane window and, with a sprightly grin, says to his student, “This is the view from my office. I love my job!”

It was love at first flight when Stevens completed his inaugural tandem jump. Within two weeks of his first date with adrenaline at 120 mph, he registered for an Accelerated Free Fall course, the necessary training for solo jumping. That year he completed 365 jumps. Soon after, the former Loreal chemist aborted his corporate life for the high life – as a full-time skydiving instructor.

“Jumping out of an airplane is a powerful tool. If you haven’t done it, you haven’t explored the mind,” he said.

Stevens lives at work. His mobile home shares the drop zone of Skydive Elsinore with 14 other residencies belonging to instructors. They call the town of Lake Elsinore home, located approximately an hour-and-a-half drive from Los Angeles. There, the staff of Skydive Elsinore expects to elevate the lives of college students and recent graduates this summer by taking them on tandem jumps and enrolling them in Accelerated Free Fall courses.

A sunny summer skydive proved ideal for third-year French literature student Kumar Swaminathan, who chose jumping in clear skies for optimal visibility.

“Jumping in the summer of 2004 was expensive enough that I wouldn’t do it regularly, but it was worth it,” he said.

The cost of skydiving in Southern California has escalated this year, partly because of inflation and the rising cost of gasoline, Stevens said.

Despite the recent rise in price, Jordan El-Saden, a fourth-year political science student, wants to make his first jump after graduation but before starting a career.

“I’d like to get some friends together and jump this summer, before we go our separate ways,” El-Saden said.

Laurent “Lob” Lobjoit, the jump-school manager at Skydive Elsinore, said the natural high and sense of satisfaction derived from skydiving lures college students.

“A lot of UCLA students are adrenaline seekers who like to get a rush. Jumping at Skydive Elsinore is a good way to legally get high and feel challenged at the same time,” he said.

Established in 1959, Skydive Elsinore is the longest-running skydiving operation in North America, according to the company’s Web site. Presently, this long-running drop zone grants discounts to students and groups of three or more. All tandem rates include instruction, gear, the jump, a certificate and a T-shirt. Digital pictures or a DVD, which can be shared over the Internet, are common purchases for first-time tandem jumpers.

Those who find jumping solo a better fit than tandem may obtain the necessary United States Parachute Association A-License by completing the jump school’s 8-level Accelerated Free Fall program and a total of 25 jumps. AFF students often lodge in the bunk room or camp at the drop zone for $7 a night. However, the program’s levels, ranging from $179 to $329, can be divided over a period of time to accommodate students.

Other limitations students face in taking the leap are meeting the age requirement of 18 and overcoming a fear of death or serious injury. Lobjoit, a veteran of 11,800 jumps, feels skydiving is a relatively safe sport.

“Skydiving is safer than driving around in Los Angeles traffic,” he said.