Learn to Skydive
If you’re reading this then you’re probably interested in learning how to skydive and that’s pretty cool!
You’ve probably watched a video or two and are familiar with making a tandem skydive, but did you know that you (yes YOU) can get your license and jump on your own?? I’m going to focus on learning how to skydive through an AFF program through the USPA (United States Parachute Association) as it’s a very common way to learn and I’m an AFF Instructor, but keep in mind that some schools may offer Static Line or IAD as a way to learn as well. Other countries may have their own training programs, requirements, and ratings so be sure to check out your local program if you live outside of the United States.
Want even more info? Check out USPA’s Starter Mag available here: https://uspa.org/startermag
Table of Contents:
Finding a Drop Zone
If you live in or around a major city odds are good there’s a drop zone not too far from where you live. Either run a quick search online (e.g. “Skydive Seattle” or “Skydive New York”) or check out https://www.uspa.org/dzlocator to find a drop zone near you. Give your local drop zone a call or check out their website to schedule your first jump.
Tandem: The Jump
This is the easiest way to experience our amazing sport and most people make this their first jump.
It’s not required to make a tandem first, but why not have a little fun before diving into the sport? Most people make a tandem skydive first – I even made two tandem skydives before learning how to skydive via AFF.
You’re given a quick training and overview of the gear and then it’s off to the airplane. Your instructor has a very large parachute on their back, actually two since one is a backup aka reserve parachute, and you’re attached at four points so you essentially become one body falling through the air. Before jumping out of the plane the gear is checked again and again to make sure you’re securely attached. After that, you shuffle up to the door and it’s 3, 2, 1, go!
Your main goal on a tandem jump is to listen to your instructor and have fun! There’s a lot to take in on your first jump so it’s pretty common to get a video to remember your experience. I got a video of my first jump and the look on my face is priceless!
Tandem: The Parachute Ride
After falling from 13,000′ for about a minute (closer to a minute and a half if you jump from 18,000′) your instructor pulls the ripcord and your parachute opens. This is when everything gets quiet and you really get to take a moment to soak in the views. At this point you can easily have a conversation with your instructor. After flying around for a couple minutes you’ll land safely back on the ground and you typically land sliding in with your feet up.
Tandem: Back on the Ground
You’re officially a skydiver!
You’re back on the ground and you’ve got the first time skydiver glow! It’s real and yes, it’s totally awesome. Don’t take my word for it, here’s a couple compilation videos I’ve cut together showing the post-jump stoke!
AFF: Levels 1 & 2
AFF Stands for Accelerated Free Fall as you’re learning at an accelerated pace compared to Static Line or IAD programs. With each AFF jump there are objectives to complete and it’s common to repeat a level or two since all of this is completely new and foreign to most people — it’s like learning to walk all over again.
After going through a lengthy ground school covering the basics and what to expect it’s time for your first student jump! We’ll set you up with all the gear you need for the jump including a Helmet, Altimeter, Goggles, Gloves, Radio, Jumpsuit, and of course a Parachute. Parachutes and humans come in different sizes so we’ll pair you up with an appropriately sized parachute throughout your progression.
On the first couple jumps you’ll have two instructors, one on either side of you, and we’ll hold on until you have a parachute. During the jump we’ll be helping you out and give you feedback via hand signals because as it turns out it’s very hard to hear each other in free fall. These two jumps are meant to get you used to the free fall environment and will set you up for falling on your own.
AFF: Pulling the “Ripcord”
It’s all on you, now.
At the end of your skydive you’ll be deploying your own parachute – don’t worry we’ll be right there if something comes up or you need our help!
Instead of a “ripcord” you actually throw out a small parachute called a pilot chute. In this photo you can see the pilot chute and both instructors still holding on waiting for the parachute to start opening.
AFF: Under Canopy
Once you’re under your parachute – or as we call it, under canopy, it’s up to you to fly your parachute back to the landing area based off of what you learned in the ground school. Our parachutes are steerable and can cover some distance before reaching the ground. The student landing areas are also much bigger than what you see us land our tiny parachutes into so you should have no problem with making it back to the designated area. You’ll also have a radio so we can talk to you and give you turn by turn directions should you need it.
AFF: Level 3
It’s time to let you go!
You’ll get some more training and at this point, it’s time to let you go. After a nice exit and once both instructors feel like you’re falling pretty stable they’ll let go of you! The instructors will stay close by the whole time and will be able to re-grip and assist you if need be.
AFF: Levels 4 through 7
Once you’ve proven you can fall on your own you’ll be down to one instructor while you work on some turns, flips, rolls, and eventually horizontal movement aka tracking.
After Level 7 you’ll be able to finally jump solo without any in-air supervision. We’ll still be around to help you out on the ground and in the airplane. These solo jumps are a great time to enjoy the sport a bit more without the stress of completing objectives. You’ll also be able to hone your skills a bit more before your coach jumps and your final A License Check Dive.
Coach Jumps
Once you pass your AFF jumps and before your A License Check Dive you’ll need to make some coach jumps. These jumps can be made with a USPA Coach or AFF Instructor and are basically fun jumps working on flying with other jumpers. They’re so much fun and a peek at what jumping with regular licensed skydivers is like.
A-License Check Dive
You’ve Got This!
This is it, your last student jump! The goal is do show that you can do some maneuvers, get stable, be in control, and deploy your parachute on time. It may sound intimidating when you have very few or no jumps, but by the time you get enough jumps this jump should just be a fun jump where you get to do some flips and turns and laugh the whole time!
Once you complete all of your other objectives and have 25 jumps you can get your A License and jump with other Licensed skydivers! Getting here may take more than 25 jumps, and that could just be a scheduling thing or because you had more training/coaching before passing a previous jump. I didn’t get my A License until jump 47 as I was waiting to take packing class – you need to learn how to pack before you can get your license (don’t worry, it’s like folding laundry).
Part of the Sky Family
You’re a licensed skydiver now! Welcome to our sky family. We’re an odd and eclectic bunch of humans from all over the place and we gather in the sky because it’s incredible. We like to look cool, have fun, be safe, laugh, and enjoy a cold beverage once everyone is back down at the end of the day. We have silly games, special rules about jump numbers and getting pied, beer fines, and fun types of skydives that never seem to get old even to someone like me who has been jumping since 2013 and has 3000+ skydives.
What Next?
At this point you can jump your own gear (assuming it’s appropriate gear for your skill level and number of jumps), jump tickets are cheaper, you can go jump with your friends who also have their license, and you can really start to enjoy the sport even more! There’s a lot to explore and enjoy at this point so before you know it you’ll have a ton of jumps!
After getting some more jumps you’ll be able to travel to other Drop Zones and check out different sights and even new and exciting aircraft.
The learning doesn’t stop here. There are canopy courses where you can learn more about your parachute, new licenses to obtain (B, C, and D) with different requirements for each, new disciplines to explore, and new skills to develop. There are camps and events all over the place and so many rad humans to meet along the way.
Wingsuiting: Getting Started
Once you get your license, go have fun and jump your butt off! Learn how to fly your body and get good at landing your parachute. Have fun and learn from each jump.
After a minimum of 200 jumps you can seek out a qualified wingsuit coach and we can teach you how to fly a wingsuit.
Teaching someone how to wingsuit involves a lengthy in-person class that usually takes me around 4 hours to teach. Luckily, I have an Online Ground School that lets you take the ground portion at your own pace. You can take the course here: https://skydivetraining.org/courses/wingsuit-skydiving-ffc/ and reach out to me via my Contact Form.
Additionally, you may use Squirrel’s contact form to schedule a course or find other qualified coaches in your area on the coach page at https://squirrel.ws/coaches
Wingsuiting
After your First Flight Course you’ll be flying a beginner wingsuit for awhile, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get to have fun! There’s plenty to work on and learn in the smaller wingsuits and it’s just like learning to skydive all over again. I often throw on one of my small wingsuits when I want to go have a silly fun time and can’t stress enough the importance and value of learning the basics in a small suit.
After 175-200 or more wingsuit flights in the beginner to intermediate suits you can keep progressing in the larger wingsuits.
Special flights like wingsuit rodeos or XRW require special care and you should seek out additional training before attempting any special flights for the first time.