How To Skydive For the First Time

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Admit it, daredevil—you've been waiting to fly since the day you were born. Find a great instructor, throw on that jumpsuit, and get ready for freefall!

To complete this How-To you will need:

To be 18 or older
An accredited, reputable jump school
Good health
Photo I.D.
At least $200
Attentiveness
A sense of adventure

Warning: Skydiving can be extremely dangerous. Investigate your skydiving school thoroughly, and consult a doctor to make sure you're medically fit to jump.

Step 1: Find your school

Make sure the school and instructors you choose are certified and rated by the United States Parachute Association. (If you're outside the U.S., look for a certification from The World Air Sports Federation.) Research their safety records and overall reputation online.

Tip: Skydiving schools are sometimes referred to as "drop zones."

Step 2: Be healthy

You need to be in good shape, which means you shouldn't be taking any medications that affect coordination or decision-making process. If you have a pre-existing condition, consult the jump school to see if they think they can work with you. Also, don't scuba dive or donate blood for at least 48 hours, and don't drink alcohol for at least 8 hours before your jump date.

Tip: If you suffer from obesity, epilepsy, alcohol or drug addiction, heart disease, or a tendency to black out, choose a different sport.

Step 3: Pick a day

Once you've decided on a jump school, pick a day and book it. You may be asked to put down a deposit in advance, and to call to confirm your reservation.

Step 4: Prepare for your jump

On the day of your jump, eat a small meal before heading to the drop zone. Wear comfortable clothing that can fit under a jumpsuit, and avoid overly tight or baggy clothing, flip-flops, and high heels. Also, if there's any inclement weather, you may need to wait a little while, so bring something to keep yourself occupied.

Step 5: Fill out the forms

At the school, you'll be asked to provide I.D. and review and sign several legal forms. Usually, these documents certify that you understand the risk you're about to take, and state that you waive the right to blame the school if anything goes awry. These forms look scary, but they're fairly standard. Read them through, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Step 6: Pay up

Your first skydive with an instructor can cost as much as $200 (if not more), so make sure you've got the resources to pay before you go.

Tip: For discount rates, try booking your jump for a weekday or as part of a larger group. You may also pay more if you'd like to get a DVD of your jump.

Step 7: Go in tandem

Don't expect to go solo. It's likely that, for your first dive, you'll go as a tandem where you're strapped to the front of an instructor. It's still super exciting, and much less dangerous since your instructor's right there to help.

Step 8: Learn the ropes

Before you head up, you'll be given an orientation class, where you'll spend time getting comfortable with the gear, the terminology, what to expect, how to react, and what signals to look for. Each school's instruction is a little different, so even if you think you know what's going on, pay close attention.

Step 9: Suit up and head out

Once you're appropriately attired with a jumpsuit, a harness—which will hook up to your instructor—and goggles or glasses, you're ready to board your flight.

Step 10: Jump

When the moment's right, your instructor will let you know that it's time to jump. Since your plane will ascend to a height between 10,000 and 14,000 feet, you'll enjoy as much as 65 seconds of total freefall before your tandem buddy signals you to pull the rip cord, which will deploy the parachute and slow your fall.

Step 11: Land

Once you're on the ground, you'll sign a logbook, proving that you completed a training dive. It's official—you've made your first jump!

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Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• adventures
• air
• diving
• extreme
• freefalling
• planning
• recreation
• sky
• skydiving
• sports

[RobtheBig]

TIP: If you fail at skydiving the first time its not for you

[rachelbsays]

fat people cant jump

[chrisstevensjunior]

gotta do this..  someday.. im 17 xD

[HumanLycan100]

how great is your decision making when you decide your gonna jump out a plane :D

[knifer4life27]

im only 14, but i just want to become a base jumper, and a pro. skydiver as well! I will LOVE BASE JUMPING AND SKYDIVING FOR LIFE, UNTIL THE DAY THAT I DIE!!!! :D B.A.S.E.=Building,Antenna,Span­,and Earth. :D

[monkey298]

Anybody could do that simple skydive... if you wanna see some extremely difficult crazy skydiving watch this /watch?v=aGRQF0rhmwg&lc=_kTlPY­XsLJ6oCt3ZUd9Jm7-OKzcOe-HG_d4r­2URlCII&feature=inbox Alex Adams is the best skydiver alive.

[tomrule7]

@heroKYH28 you need to open the parachute at the right time otherwise if its to early the wind will pull your chute away from the target area and you could end up who knows where thats why if you open it at the right time you will end up on the target or near the target -im 12 and i know nothing about skydiving but this is obvious

[aralm23]

Fuark yeah, doing this for my 18th birthday

[heroKYH28]

what would happen if you pull the parachute too early? like 10 -20 sec earlier? what about 30 secs earlier?

[warningmayownu]

i did i but you forgot to tell me to get a fucking parachute now i am in the sky typing this on my iphone your a bitch

[starscreamthe7th]

I remember when i was in the army taking a skydiving training course there was one guy who couldn't make the inital jump. He was the strongest guy there and all of us together couldent throw him out.

[mobiltec]

Tandem jumps do NOT count as a training dive. They count for nothing.