There are many sports practiced around the world, many of them involving using a ball or scoring points. Meanwhile, some sports are more exotic, and this even includes skydiving. This idea sounds terrifying to some, but many Americans in fact love the thrill of going skydiving, and a skydiving center might not be far away from someone interested in this aerial sport. Parachuting is another term for this, and a tandem jump with a group is also a fine idea. Going tandem skydiving can be a lot of fun and may be ideal for someone who’s nervous about going skydiving solo, but one tandem skydiving adventure may prove to an initiate that this sport is great fun. This sport is simple to perform and much safer than some people may think it is, and it can be done year round and by nearly any able-bodied person. When someone wants to go tandem skydiving or try it solo, they can look up a nearby skydiving center and give it a try.
Skydiving and Adventure
Skydiving isn’t just for adrenaline junkies. Many Americans today have a taste for adventure, and tandem skydiving or solo skydiving may be a fine and thrilling way to do just that. In fact, the idea of a parachute is hardly new; in 1485, the famed Leonardo da Vinci drew blueprints for, among other things, a parachute. Today, parachutes are commonplace and come in a variety of colors and shapes for skydivers. This sport proves plenty popular among many Americans; the USPA has estimated that around 3.2 million skydives took place in the United States in 2017, and estimates say that 69% of Millennials (those born 1982-1995) consider themselves adventurous. For many of these people, skydiving may be just the thing.
What might a typical tandem skydiving session or solo dive involve? A typical altitude for this sport is around 13,000 feet, and that gives the jumper around 60 seconds for free falling. Tandem skydiving may last for 45 to 60 seconds or so, and there may be a four-minute canopy (parachute) ride to the ground. Most often, a sky diver will deploy his or her parachute at 2,500 feet in altitude, and tandem skydiving involves using a drogue chute to regulate the free fall rate. Before them, the skydiver may expect to fall as fast as 120 miles per hour, quite a top speed. Research says that a 150-pounds person may burn 230 calories or so per hour.
Preparing to Take a Jump
There are relatively few requirements for someone to try out solo or tandem skydiving. For one thing, the jumper should be at least 18 years of age, and the skydiver should not be pregnant or have a heart issues. Aside from that, though, nearly any able-bodied person is fit to go skydiving, and they’ll get some simple lessons on the technique and their gear before they jump out of the plane for the first time. The new skydiver will sign a liability release form, then, get some lessons on their parachute and how and when and how to deploy it correctly during the jump. It’s important for the new recruit to learn which straps or items to operate before they take a dive, and divers may get a backup parachute, too, for maximum safety. Speaking of which, new skydivers may be comforted to know that skydiving’s rate of injury or fatalities is very low, despite the extremes involved. It may be noted that most skydiving accidents are due to human error instead of equipment malfunction, and a person with a backup chute or someone going tandem skydiving is very unlikely to suffer a mishap. As long as the new diver properly learns how to use their equipment and takes this seriously, they will be ready to go.
The skydiver may also wear a jumpsuit overt their clothes in all but the warmest weather, and they may wear goggles or a head covering if they want, to protect the eyes and hair from strong winds during the fall. The diver may take a plane ride to the correct height, then jump right out and aim to land on the designated landing zone, a grassy field with a hangar.