Freestyle Diving

Many people, especially inexperienced skydivers, believe that freestyle skydiving simply means jumping out of the plane and enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing against your face. While it’s true that this is the main benefit of freestyle skydiving and something that you should definitely take some time to enjoy, going into freestyle skydiving without having at least some basic moves under your belt could mean spinning out of control or getting caught in a position that is difficult to get out of. Here are some basics that you should know before attempting the awesomeness that is freestyle skydiving.

First, you always want to practice in a skydiving tank before trying it out from a plane. These tanks are simulators that will allow you to experience what it will be like up there without any of the danger, should you make a mistake. The first position you should try to attempt is the face-down position. With this technique, the diver’s entire body is facing the ground. It’s a very stable position and easy to get in and out of. A jumpmaster may actually get you into a position where you start to lose control so that you will be able to regain control in the air should that happen. If you don’t actually practice it in the tank, prepare yourself simply by talking it through with the instructor and visualizing it in your head so you won’t panic in the air. If you feel confident enough to get really fancy, try doing a back loop. You can do this by lying on your back and then slowly turning your head and body backward. Don’t worry if you only make it halfway through the loop, it’s still a freestyle skydiving move!

What to do Once You’ve Landed

You may think that once you’ve sailed through the air and are back with both feet planted firmly on the ground that your skydiving experience is finished. Well before you bask in the glorious ride you just had, there are a few things you have to do first.

The first thing is to make sure that you and all of your equipment make it back to the hangar safely. This means looping all of your chains and cords so they don’t become mangled and damaged, packing things such as your ripcord, goggles, and gloves into your helmet and making sure that your canopy doesn’t rip or snag on anything. Be extremely careful with all of the equipment - it is your responsibility until you make it back and any damage could cost you hundreds of dollars!

Once you are out of your gear and have passed off all of the equipment, you want to review the jump thoroughly with an instructor or someone else who was there. This is not only important so that you can take time to review mistakes, focus on what you did well, and allow you a moment of basking, but it’s also necessary if you ever want to earn a license. When you apply for a license, only jumps that have been documented, witnessed, and signed by another party are considered so you may as well start doing it from your very first jump!

The Different Levels of Skydiving Licenses

For those who want to take their love of skydiving beyond just a hobby, you can become a student at a recognized skydiving school and start training to earn a license. Licensed skydivers are much more capable of doing certain things, both while in the air and on the ground, and are also given more responsibilities than just the hobbyist or student skydiver. However, just like most things that are licensed, the licenses for skydivers vary depending on which license the skydiver holds. Here are the different levels of licenses that you can try out for, should you choose to really jump start your love of skydiving!

An A-license shows that the skydiver has taken all of the necessary schooling to become an advanced skydiver and is now recognized by the USPA in the most basic of ways. License A skydivers can perform many tricks in the air including water jumps, basic relative work jumps, they can be their own jumpmaster, and they can assemble their own parachute.

A skydiver who holds a B-license can also be their own jumpmaster, assemble their own chute, and perform the relative work jumps as well as night and water jumps. They are considered to be an Intermediate Level and can also try to break and set records.

C-License is considered to be an advanced level and not only can most of the air work be performed at this level but skydivers can also be other’s jumpmaster as well as their own and can compete in formal competition. Skydivers recognized as having a USPA C license are also eligible for the USPA Jumpmaster rating.

Needless to say that the most advanced license of skydiving is the D License, or the USPA D. Not only can one do all that the above-mentioned licenses can do, they are also eligible for being appointed Safety and Training Advisor, a very respected position!