Look before you jump...out of that plane!

If you're looking for adventure, or you're a thrill-seeker searching for your next bit of excitement, skydiving could be worth a try.

See comments below

PRINT    E-MAIL

Related service pros
Skydiving & Parachuting
Art Schools
Business & Secretarial Schools
Dance Schools
Flight Schools
Real Estate SchoolsSwimming & Lessons

Just kidding!

But if you're looking for a little adventure, or you're a thrill-seeker searching for your next bit of excitement, skydiving could be worth a try.

How do you start?

Skydiving is a skill. That means your first step is going to a skydiving school. Find a list of skydiving schools on Kudzu.com. You'll want to ask prospective training centers a few key questions before your first visit. Find out about the types of training offered, the equipment used and the certification of the instructors.

According to the United States Parachuting Association, there is no one organization that rates the schools' safety, but the USPA has its own requirements, and you can find out more on their website.

Types of skydiving

There are a few different methods of skydiving:

• Tandem freefall: Most people jumping for the first time choose this method. In the tandem method, the student and instructor are attached to the same parachute. They freefall together for 30 to 50 seconds, depending on the altitude, and descend together under a single parachute with dual controls.
  
  
• Accelerated freefall: This method includes training in climb-out and exit of the aircraft, freefall, canopy flight, landing and emergency procedures. The student exits the aircraft with two instructors, and they freefall together for 30 to 50 seconds, depending on altitude. The instructors maintain a grip on the student's harness to provide in-air instruction, and then the student opens the parachute and pilots it to the landing area.
  
  
• Static line/instant opening: Instruction is similar to that of accelerated freefall. The student jumps from the aircraft by himself, with the parachute deploying immediately. He then pilots the parachute to the landing area.
  
  

• You should be physically fit and weigh no more than 250 pounds.
  
  
• Because skydiving is dependent on wind and cloud conditions, call ahead to make sure conditions are right for jumping. If you've already completed your training, you can jump any time.
  
  
• While you may be anxious, enjoy it! It's safe as long as you are with professionals and have had the training you need.