Skydiving Articles

Things You Might Want To Ask About Skydiving

Is skydiving safe?

A lot of people are afraid to try this sport because of a number of myths surrounding it. It is perceived to be dangerous, which prevents many from enjoying this thrilling activity. While it is undeniable that accidents do happen and you are exposing yourself from certain risks, this is incredibly safe because of improved equipment and facilities throughout its entire history. Accidents are mainly due to the mistakes divers make. Those who are trained well and practice careful procedure and judgment are involved in very few accidents and suffer minimal – if there’s any – injuries.

Can anyone try this activity?

Generally, anyone of any health type can enjoy the thrill of this leisure interest. If one has conditions such as epilepsy or heart problems, they may first need to get the approval of their doctors. Every person who decides to experience this activity needs to fill a form which states they are in good shape to do so. Normally, the accepted age for anyone to skydive is over eighteen.

Do you suddenly shoot up when the parachute opens?

While some of the videos you have seen may give the illusion that the persons shoot up upon opening their parachutes, this is not true. Your body changes position and your rate of fall is dramatically reduced. Your body takes a standing up position once you deploy the parachute.

What happens when the parachute fails to function?

There is always a reserve parachute which you can deploy, should the main parachute fail to open. Although this rarely happens, there are certain instances when the main parachute has to be released, and deploy the reserve instead. While relatively safe, because of the potential risks involved, a reserve parachute is required for any jumper.

Will I land on a safe place?

Even before you board the aircraft, all drop zones are carefully chosen for their location, and are far away from any manmade or natural obstacles which may be dangerous for landing. Drop zones are flat areas free of trees, buildings, busy roads, rivers and electrical posts and wirings.

Will I be able to breathe and talk while free falling?

Some people think that breathing while falling in mid air is impossible, but this is not true and this is not what happens. There is plenty of oxygen up there – most of the dives are executed at around 12,500 ft from ground level. If it is impossible to breathe up there, then the divers would not be able to deploy their parachutes because they end up unconscious, would they? However, unlike what you see in movies, you cannot actually talk while free falling. All communication is carried out through hand signals. It is impossible to be able to hear each one speaking with loud high-speed winds screaming through your ears.

Is there a possibility to miss the drop zone?

For student or beginner divers, very strict wind speed limits are set for them. This will ensure that they will land safely on the drop zone. Parachutes these days are highly easily maneuvered by the use of steering toggles. There is a landing staff via radio attached to your harness that will direct you until you hit the drop zone.

After a few jumps, you will become more confident at steering your rig, and hit your target landing area each time you try skydiving.