Everyone knows the sinkhole of anxiety that opens in your stomach when a first date dinner conversation lulls, solidifying your dining companion’s fate as a one-and-done, usually before the appetizer is even out. A classic dinner-and-a-movie date can feel like a test of endurance, one in which only the most suitable matches can successfully walk away from with interlocked fingers.
But a new dating trend, adrenaline dating, circumvents the obstacles presented by a boring dinner date and is said to increase connection and foster romance, according to a new study from Virgin Experience Gifts. The study polled 1,000 respondents of all ages about their dating preferences, and the results are clear: dinner is out, jumping out of a plane is in.
Is Dallas' dating bar really so low that we have to risk death to make a relationship work?
Of the Texans polled, 43% said they were tired of awkward conversations on first dates, and 38% said they had been on dates where phone use was excessive. All respondents from the Lone Star State said they would go on a date designed to increase their adrenaline levels, with most opting for an amusement park. What's more, 95% said they believed a death-defying date would speed up the early stages of a relationship.
It’s simple science. Adrenaline dating works, mostly because your brain mass produces epinephrine in response to stress or danger. Imagine pre-first date butterflies, but the butterflies are hawk-sized. Now, if this seems a little bit like biohacking your brain to fall in pre-mature love, that’s because it is.
“There are possibly big repercussions for this,” said Dr. Wendy Walsh, a dating and relationship expert for DatingAdvice.com in an email to the Observer. “First of all, a source of adrenaline that creates a misattribution of arousal is a misinterpretation of one’s feelings. It can mimic feelings of love for a potential partner who hasn’t been thoroughly evaluated, and that can be dangerous.”
So an adrenaline date can jump-start a relationship, but don’t be surprised if your date is a little lackluster once you come back down from Cloud 9 — literally.
“Adrenaline dating is more like an initial high that firmly places rose colored glasses on your nose. Your ability to discern is reduced,” said Walsh.
But Walsh still recommends an adrenaline date as a fun break from the typical first date, but it can also be good for couples who need a little spark.
“I think it's fantastic,” said Walsh. “For long-term couples needing a little excitement or boost, having an adrenaline date could be just the thing they need to get their heart racing and to remind them of the feelings of love they have for their partner.”
Walsh notes that for those with a tamer streak, simply seeing a horror movie can produce the same results.
So, because we believe in love (even when considering the state of the dating scene in Dallas), we’ve compiled a list of the best adrenaline-based dates North Texas has to offer.
Scuba Diving
Bet you didn’t know you could go scuba diving in North Texas? At the Scuba Ranch (8181 County Rd. 346) in Terrell, divers can gaze at fish, jellyfish and turtles swimming in a private lake, which is 65 feet deep when the lake is full. Scuba Ranch even has a shark. It’s not alive, but you can swim all the way through its 20-foot steel body.Skydiving
Skydiving was a top-pick for the Virgin Experience pollers, with 42% saying it would build the strongest connection of all adrenaline dates. Dallas Skydive Center (3517 County Rd. 2615) is one of the best places to do it.One staff writer at the Observer has been skydiving with an ex. She says there was an increased connection immediately after plummeting to Earth’s surface with her then-inamorato, but said connection has considerably faded. She notes in hindsight that a parachute malfunction may not have been the worst possible outcome.
