How to Become a Skydiver

The best things in life are on the other side of fear.

Many children and adults alike dream of flight. Flight has captured the human imagination from the very beginning. We are fortunate to be alive at a time in which we have planes, helicopters and various other flying machines. However, none of those quite scratch the itch quite like skydiving does. So let’s talk about the incredible sport of skydiving, and how to get started!

Like many out there, you may have skydiving on your bucket list. Something to be done once in your life. Or perhaps you have already made that first tandem jump. Maybe even several! But did you know you could turn this into a monthly, weekly, or even daily thing? AND that it can be (wait for it), affordable?

All it takes is 7 Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) course jumps, a 3 coach jumps, a groundschool class, a tiny bit of studying, and 25 total jumps to become a fully licensed skydiver.

Here’s the breakdown:

Step one: Ground School. This is a classroom style lesson that usually takes about 4 hours. During this lesson, you will go over the basics of canopy flight, freefall position, canopy malfunctions, and a few other things. The lesson also usually involves a little bit of hands-on work.

Step two: 7 AFF jumps. These 7 jumps will take you from your first solo skydive in which you have two instructors holding onto you the entire time, to your first solo dive with only one instructor who (theoretically) doesn’t touch you at all. Over the course of these 7 jumps, you will practice deploying your parachute, getting stable in freefall, turning in freefall, staying aware of your altitude, and various other things necessary for you to skydive safely.

Step 3: Coach Jumps and Canopy Card: During your coach jumps, you will practice slightly more advanced freefall skills, like docking with other people in freefall and jumping at a lower altitude. During this timeframe, you will also practice canopy maneuvers and work on landing accuracy.

Step 4: Learn how to pack. In order to get a license, you need to understand the equipment you are jumping, and how to set up said equipment. This will involve learning how to pack a parachute. And just for a little added flare, you also need to jump a parachute that you pack yourself. We were all terrified for this part! But trust me when I say, parachutes were engineered by people waaayy smarter than us to open. You’ll do fine!

Step 5: Test and Check dive. There is some book based knowledge required to get your license. Don’t worry, it’s just a 25 question exam. On top of that, it’s designed for skydivers to be able to pass. In other words, ADHD, procrastination, and a reluctance to study instead of practice is anticipated. The check dive is basically a practical exam. On your 25th jump, you’ll do a coach jump in which the coach gives you a handful of tasks designed to prove you have learned all the skills necessary to skydive safely with other people. It’s only 60 seconds long: name a practical exam easier than that!

Upon completion of these steps, you will gain your skydiving A-license. This allows you to travel and jump out of planes around the world. At this point on, the sky is yours!

So what’s stopping you?

I’ve found that there are 2 facts of life outside of the standard “death and taxes.” You will never have enough time, and you will never have enough money., So you’ve gotta just do it anyway!

What are your biggest barriers to becoming a skydiver? Let’s talk about them in my next post!