Taking Your First Skydiving Lessons

Momentarily you experience the extreme, defying all the limits of human possibility, flying.Your senses have never been more alive, your heart is racing and alongside the blinding fear is the ultimate rush.

Skydiving is an extreme adventure sport that quickly becomes a peaceful, uplifting and serene experience. As you float gently towards land or sea you are witness to the silent world below.The air is more crisp and fresh than you have ever felt and silence is your quiet companion for the journey.

A skydive is more than just leaping out of a plane and pulling a chute.It is not an impulse sport rather it is a calculated adventure.

Skydiving is a sport that has a worldwide appeal and has become the ultimate way of stretching the boundaries. For first time jumpers to seasoned professionals every jump is unique and brings with it a new rush.

Number of ways you can go about organizing your skydive

• Tandem jumps - For first time jumpers this is a good way to begin the adventure.It entails only a short ground school program before you jump with the aid of an instructor.The instructor is there to guide you all the way through.

• Solo jumps – If you want to go solo you are required to do a little training to prepare you for the jump. There are two options for first time solo jumpers.An Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) program in which you learn skydiving techniques quickly and safely before jumping.



Or a Static Line course, these take longer and are often more expensive and so have become the less attractive option for would be skydivers.

For many first time or impulse jumpers it is a heart-stopping ride which is in itself an amazing adventure. However if you understand the art a little you will enjoy the ride a lot more. Before you jump study up, read about skydiving, watch videos and visit websites.

Skydiving does come with a certain amount of physical and mental stress so you need to be sure you are ready for it.If you do embark on this wild ride, chances are you will get hooked.

Having decided you really want to skydive you will need to take lessons somewhere. You will not alone. In the United states alone over 300,000 people take their first jump every year.

Before starting, most of these people will wonder what to expect with classes. Upon arrival at the airport you can expect to be met by your instructors. After having been introduced to each other they will begin to gather some information from you.

Your weight, birthdate, I.D. card details and a bit of medical history. When taking a skydiving lesson it's important to give accurate information, especially regarding your weight and medical history. After having your personal information you will need to fill out some legal waivers. These waivers will contain lots of scary words like "accidental death" and bodily injury".

These legal waivers are intentionaly made to sound scary. No instructor wants to jump with someone who is unsure about skydiving because they are more prone to a panick attack.

Preparing for jumping

Once these things are out of the way you will probably be shown at least one video. These videos will show people skydiving with your instructor and explaining whats happening. Again, to make sure you really want to jump, your instructor might be asking you if your sure you want to do this. This may sound strange but most instructors want to be jumping with somone who is 100% positive they want to do this and are going to do this. This mental aspect of skydiving instructions is part of the program.

After your video or videos they will most likely show you a parachute and all the equiptment that goes with it. They will give you a brief description on what everything is and how it all works. Also they will cover some emergency procedures and what to expect should the main parachute fail to open.

Once this part of classes are completed it's time for business. You will be given a jumpsuit, helmet, goggles and a harness that will attach you with your insructor. Your instructor will check all your gear and re-check it again and you will be headed to the plane. Once in the plane and climbing to your jump altitude all equiptment will be checked again and to make sure your securely attached to your instructor. When your over the drop zone the door will be opened and out you will go. Expect to be falling over 120 mph with lots of adrenaline running through your system. Once the parachute opens and your safely back on earth you will have completed your skydiving lessons.

Like all new ventures, skydiving requires a learning process, and where better to learn than in skydiving school? Lessons are essential for beginners to ensure safety and that new skydivers get the most fun and enjoyment out of their jumps.

The ABCs of Parachuting Jumps

Seekers of a skydiving lesson can find a skydiving school in their areas in the yellow pages; listings generally fall under “skydiving” or “parachute.” An Internet search is another way to find a skydiving lesson near you.

A word to the wise, however: some complaints have been filed regarding online skydiving referral services. These services require that interested users provide their location first; then the service matches the user with a school. This practice can result in farther traveling and higher prices for prospective skydivers than booking directly through a school.

The Skydiving Lesson That Is A Beginner’s Best Friend

Although no agency exists compare the safety levels of various schools, potential students should conduct their own investigation by asking questions about staff qualifications, the facility’s safety record (e.g., number of accidents per year), and the type of equipment used. Before classes begin, skydiving centers require all jumpers to sign a release form that explains the risks of skydiving and contains an agreement that the jumper will not sue the facility if he or she is injured. Participants must pass medical fitness clearances (e.g., must be in good health and not taking medications that could inhibit judgment) and usually are required to be at least 18 years old.

After ground school and before the first jump is made, a good school will administer written tests so the student can explain knowledge learned during lessons, an oral test to aid in skydiving decision-making skills, and practical tests to evaluate the student’s skills and reaction ability.

Completing a student-and-instructor tandem jump is the most common method of skydiving training. The student and instructor freefall simultaneously for half a minute to 50 seconds (usually around 10,000 to 13,000 feet). A single large parachute is then deployed, operated by dual controls. Other training methods include a solo freefall, in which instructors exit the aircraft with the student and hang on to the student’s harness. The instructors provide directions to the student, who opens the parachute at about 4,000 feet. The instructor-assisted deployment is yet another method; this time, the student exits the aircraft alone, but the instructor helps during climbout and the parachute deploys immediately.