Rec and Sports

Information On Skydiving : Safety Considerations

In this part of our go skydiving guide we’ll give you an overview of the risks involved.

The chances of being injured when skydiving are low. Statistically, risk profiles vary depending on age, gender, experience, weight and other factors, but practicing the necessary moves and skills enables any parachutist to jump with a higher degree of safety. Novices will learn these drills and skills on the ground and will also be observed by instructors while in the air to verify that the correct procedures are followed.

It is vital that jumpers stay constantly alert. By being constantly aware of your own body, your equipment and your surroundings, you will be well placed to anticipate or address any problems. Everything may seem to be fine and you can feel in full control – but while you are in the air, things can change in an instant and letting your mind wander can mean you only achieve awareness of a problem once it has already become serious. You can’t afford to relax until you’ve landed on the ground and have removed your parachute pack.

Often a number of people with different levels of skill and experience will be jumping close together and soon after each other. It is very important to be aware of nearby jumpers and what they are doing. Newbie skydivers are taught how to track – or move in free fall horizontally through the air – so that they get a safe distance away from other people before opening their parachutes.

Once your parachute is deployed, and the canopy is flying, it’s even more important to be aware in order to avoid collisions and possible canopy collapse. Even if the chutes continue to operate normally, an in-air collision at 50 mph (80 kph) will likely cause you to become unconscious and suffer broken bones.

Equipment must be thoroughly checked before taking off. Ideally, this critical task will be done by a professional. Always insist that this procedure is undertaken and always watch it being done yourself – never allow it to be omitted due to time constraints and don’t accept an assurance that the job was done earlier.

The weather also has a strong influence on skydivers’ safety. No reputable skydiving school should let you to jump in windy or potentially stormy conditions. As conditions can quickly change, on some days instructors will say it is all right to jump but soon after say otherwise – or they may say you can now jump after having earlier said it was unsafe to do so. This is normal and responsible behavior.