Many consider skydiving to be the ultimate adrenaline rush, since the activity involves jumping out of an airplane thousands of feet above the ground. It’s the closest anyone can come to experiencing the sensation of free flight as you fall through the sky before opening the parachute. Skydiving is a fairly popular activity, as it is estimated around 3 million skydives occurred in a given year. If you have a sense of adventure and are considering skydiving your first tandem jump or regular jump for the first time, there are some things you should know before you jump out of airplane for the first time. This article will look at some of the things you need to know before your first skydiving jump.
- Your First Jump Should Be a Tandem Jump: If you’re a first time jumper, your first skydive should be a tandem parachute jump. Tandem skydiving is what happens when a skydiver jumps while attached to the front of an instructors harness. During your first tandem jump, you’ll jump with your instructor who will throw out the parachute at the correct altitude. Your first jump should be a tandem jump because this is typically safer for those who have never jumped before. You can experience all the thrill of a skydive without the worry of jumping on your own.
- You Need to Be Old Enough to Make the Jump: Another thing you need to know before your first jump is whether or not you’re old enough to jump in the first place. While many teenagers have a sense of adventure and a desire to participate in skydiving, the fact is you do need to be a certain age to safely skydive, even if you’re tandem skydiving. The age requirement varies slightly depending on where you go, but generally speaking the age requirement just for tandem jumps is 18. Since skydiving can be a dangerous activity, you need to be a legal adult to jump.
- Know How Long You’ll Be in Freefall and How High You’ll Be Jumping: A third thing you need to know before your first skydive is how long you’ll be in freefall and how high you’ll be jumping. Skydiving can take place at a variety of altitudes, but typically you’ll be jumping from around 13,000 feet, which will leave you in freefall with your instructor for around 60 seconds. It may seem like a short ride, but most consider the thrills obtained to be well worth it.
In conclusion, there are several things you need to know when you make your first skydiving jump. These include the fact that your first jump should be a tandem jump, since this is safer for a first time jumper. Also, you need to make sure you’re old enough to jump in the first place. And finally, you should be aware before you begin just how long you’ll be in freefall and how high you’ll be jumping. These are all important things to know before making your first skydiving jump or your first tandem jump.
