5 Must-Know Safety Tips Before Skydiving In The USA

Author: Shubhankar Sen on Jun 29,2022

Skydiving is one of the most famous adventure sports in the United States. The popularity of the sport is increasing every passing day as more and more people want to experience the thrill and adrenaline rush in their veins when they jump off a flight fifteen thousand feet above sea level. This way, you see nothing but vast grasslands below, sandwiched in between the Alaskan snow peak mountains on one side and the Hawaiian beaches on the other.

However, irrespective of how interesting and appealing this may sound, skydiving is one of the most dangerous adventure sports you can go for. In recent years, the total yearly fatality count of people who died while skydiving in the US has been recorded to be between ten to fifteen. Thus, for skydiving, there are many safety measures and precautions that you should take before jumping off a flight. Fret not. Suppose you take the basic precautions and safety measures and understand the instructions given by the skydiving coaches properly and attentively. In that case, you can spare yourself the threat of any mishap.

Must-know safety tips for skydiving in the USA

1. Safe clothing

Before going skydiving, you need to know what clothes you should wear to ensure safety and comfort. You are advised to wear fitted athletic clothes that are thin and non-sticky. This is generally good advice as you will have to wear the skydiving gear on top of your clothes and carry a parachute set too, which requires that your clothes are not too baggy or thick to accommodate the skydiving gear and parachute set.

2. Know what and how much to eat pre hand

Before diving off, you need food to get the energy to pull yourself together physically and mentally. It would help if you had a light, moderate and nutritious meal before going to a skydiving experience. Ensure you have enough water and other liquids to keep you hydrated for a few hours and calm throughout the experience. You are also advised not to consume alcohol, drugs, or narcotics until at least 24 hours before you are off to skydive.

3. Do not panic

The most crucial safety tip for your skydiving experience is that you should calm your nerves down and mentally prepare yourself beforehand that you will be undergoing a thrilling adventure. You know that the sport does not involve much of a physical effort from your side; it requires your mental strength. Skydiving requires you to be strong mentally so that you can perform all the other safety measures and precautions with a calm and composed mind and not in a rush and a panic state. 

4. Check your equipment

Before actually jumping off, make sure to run a quick and basic check if you are carrying all your safety gear and if all the belts of your skydiving suit and parachute have engulfed you tight and correctly. This is a crucial step to stay carefree about faulty equipment in between your flight. A few minutes spent rechecking your gears and belts might help save a lot of injuries and even a chance of fatality.

5. Understand the basic terms

Make sure to note the basic terms and terminology used by skydivers in your mind beforehand. This can save you a lot of time and hassle while you are about to have one of the best experiences of your life.

If you have jumped once and have reached the parachute landing base safely and securely, give yourself a good rest and drink water to calm down the adrenaline rush in your body. Take time to process the incredible and thrilling experience that you have just had and let it reflect in your brain. After that, go for another dive round if you are confident and strong enough! Many skydivers enjoy their first times so much that as soon as they land on the ground, they want to go up and skydive again. This is a common phenomenon, as reported by skydiving instructors and coaches. 

The safest places for skydiving in the USA

When people are asked where they would like to skydive, they generally think of a scene with lush and green mountains with a transparent brook or a stream flowing between the high rising mountains. Contrary to this common conception, the United States offers skydiving options that make you upfront with sceneries ranging from mountains to beaches and the vibrant blue seas. Some of the most beautiful places to skydive are listed below.

1. Poconos Mountains, Pennsylvania

For greenery seekers and people who are all heart eyes for green and forested mountains, Poconos Mountains is where you would want to jump off from ten to twelve thousand feet above sea level. The Pennsylvania Skydiving Center at Poconos is conveniently reachable from New York and New Jersey by car. The Skydiving Center is headed by a few of the oldest members of the United States Polo Association. When you dive, a great line of green and luscious foliage is presented before your eyes. It is a gorgeous scene when you look down from the sky to the natural green paradise ahead.

2. Zion National Park, Utah

Zion National Park in Utah is home to high-rise and steep red cliffs surrounded by plentiful green forest trails. Apart from offering adventure sports like hiking, trekking, and camping in the national park, the skydiving center at Zion provides an exclusive chance to look over the national park from a unique perspective that lies a few thousand feet above the ground. The park also offers long trails after your paragliding experience to cool down that rush while enjoying the beauty and wildlife.

3. Key West, Florida

Suppose you want to look beneath the clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico at the coral reefs and the chromatic blues of the water bodies. In that case, you can plummet from a height of ten thousand feet above the sea. While diving down, you can have a treat to the eyes and enjoy the view of the water bodies beneath you.

4. Waialua, Hawaii

Waialua in Aloha State is one of the most encapsulating places to enjoy a view. When you are enjoying the exquisite view, it gets even better and becomes a lifetime achievement. The skydiving centers in Waialua offer a few of the highest jumps, from ten thousand feet, fourteen thousand feet, and even twenty thousand feet above sea level. With just one skydive, you can cover the entire island view, from Pearl Harbor on one side and the North Shore on the other.

5. Anchorage, Alaska

If you want an extremely unusual place to skydive, you might want to consider skydiving in the Arctic Circle. The Anchorage skydiving center in Alaska allows you to jump from a height of about ten thousand feet above the ground and witness the highest mountain peak in North America, Denali mountain, which is situated in the Denali National Park. You also experience snow-covered peaks, glaciers, and other uncertain terrains that Alaska is home to. This would give you an experience of a lifetime with the cold air and white peaks.

6. Snohomish, Washington

We can all agree that the skyline and stars complement each other very beautifully when one looks up from the roads in Seattle. Have you ever thought about what this would look like from a bird’s eye? Skydiving centers in the Snohomish River Valley can assist you in providing this experience. With only a twenty-minute drive from Seattle, you can get your hands on many outdoor adventurous activities, including skydiving in the Snohomish River Valley. You can opt for any height ranging from three thousand feet to thirteen thousand feet above sea level. 

Conclusion

We agree that skydiving is a highly threatening adventure sport to take up. But, we can assure you that if you gather up the courage to dive off from the sky into the beautiful scenery, it will be an experience you will enrich throughout your life. The United States provides incredible and extremely vibrant scenery and opportunities to fulfill your skydiving dream. If you keep all the safety measures in mind and carry yourself without stress and only thrill and excitement, you are good to jump off the flight! For more information on how and where to take up such exciting and thrilling activities, follow leisure.com.