What to Know for Your First Jump
Before you run, you have to walk. Before taking flight on your own, why not trust the pros with your first time skydiving experience? What’d we have in mind? We’re glad you asked.
What Is Tandem Skydiving?
Tandem skydiving is a first jump experience where you are attached via harness to a licensed, certified skydiving instructor. A tandem skydive is an introduction to the wild blue yonder that allows you to experience freefall and taste flight while trusting a professional with the majority of the responsibility.
Now that you know the basic definition of tandem skydiving, here’s a bit more skydiving information you’ll want to know for your first jump.
1. Skydiving Isn’t Without Risk, But Safer Than You Think
It’s a common misconception that skydiving is a death defying gamble. The truth is the odds are considerably in your favor, in fact, even more so than other humdrum activities you participate in each day. According to the USPA, the fatality rate for tandem skydiving is one in 500,000. According to the National Safety Council, a person is “much more likely to be killed getting struck by lightning or stung by a bee.”
Without a doubt, there are some risks associated with skydiving (you are jumping from an aircraft in flight after all). Likewise, there are a myriad of safety precautions we take to mitigate the risks involved. From state of the art equipment to aircraft maintenance and qualified, trained instructors, DZONE® Skydiving works hard to maintain a culture of safety. This approach helps give our guests confidence to exit our aircraft and get the adrenaline rush they crave!
2. Skydiving Isn’t a Passive Activity
While our instructors will take the lead and the majority of the responsibility on a tandem skydive, you will have a role to play. It is imperative that you heed the instructions your instructor gives you during the pre-jump briefing, as well as follow any additional instructions they provide to you in the plane or during the skydive itself. Furthermore, in order to do your part on a skydive, you will need to be in fairly good health and possess a moderate amount of flexibility and range of movement. If you’re not sure what that entails, give us a call.
3. Cheaper Isn’t Always Better
Everybody loves a bargain; we’re no different. However, we do believe that there is a certain value associated with price. A chef knows that more expensive ingredients have value, and in turn, their customers see a greater quality in what they receive. A mechanic knows that the right tools may be expensive, but they are required to get the job done.
It’s likely we all have gone the cheap route only to wish we’d made the investment in a quality item. Consider the cost of your skydive as an investment in your experience. At DZONE® Skydiving, we maintain a high quality in our supply chain in order to bring a high quality experience to our customers. We hire only the best, and our costs reflect that. When it comes to skydiving, cheaper isn’t always better. If the price of a skydive seems to be good to be true, it might be.
4. Weather Can Affect Your Jump
Considering the sky is where we frolic and play, skydiving is an entirely weather dependent sport. In order to safely conduct jump operations, we have pretty strict weather requirements. High winds, rain, and low clouds are often the usual culprits for weather delays or cancellations.
Fueled with excitement for their first time skydiving and a bit of anxiety, first time skydivers can become impatient with weather delays. Please trust, we want to jump as much as you do. If you’re on the dropzone during a weather hold, you’ll probably hear this frequently quoted skydiving adage: “It’s better to be down here wishing you were up there, than up there wishing you were down here.” This knowledge comes from experience. It’s best to wait for the weather to cooperate to ensure you have a safe first time skydiving experience.
Pro Tip: Schedule in the morning. Much like the doctor’s office, the later in the day you schedule, the more likely you are to experience delays.
5. Waivers Are Required
Skydiving is a voluntary activity, and if you plan on participating in skydiving at DZONE® Skydiving, you will be required to fill out a waiver assuming risk and waiving liability.
6. Medical Conditions
Within our waiver, there is a section that focuses on illnesses and medical concerns. If you believe that a condition or past injury may prevent you from skydiving, you will need to obtain a note from your physician that you are cleared to participate. We don’t ask for your personal medical history. We just ask you to fill out the word NONE, or list conditions that you feel are relevant. Feel free to contact us about this prior to your jump.
7. Round Up a Posse: Skydiving Is More Fun With Friends
You don’t have to schedule your skydive alone. More often than not, others in your inner circle have dreamed of skydiving themselves. With our online booking system, it’s easy to coordinate to schedule a group skydive. Trust us, it’s way more fun to share the experience of a skydive with your friends!