How to Prepare Your Day for Your First Skydive

Major outings require at least a little preparation. Before your skydive, you might have expectations a mile high (we plan to exceed them), or you may not know what to expect at all. This is why we created a five-point check-list to cover your trip with Skydive Orange. Here is how to prepare your day for your first skydive.

Make Sure You’re Fit for Freefall

At Skydive Orange,  jumpers need to be at least 18 years of age and meet the weight limit of 220lbs. However, reasonably proportioned individuals up to 260lbs may be eligible to make a skydive. Individuals over the weight limit will incur an additional surcharge of $35 for every 10lbs over the 220lb limit. 

Skydiving is an active experience. In addition to the weight requirement, potential jumpers need to be in fairly good health. Jumpers need to be able to lift their legs for landing and should also be able to pull the steering toggles with at least 25lbs of force from arms lifted overhead to arms fully extended down. 

Get Plenty of Sleep

Sometimes this one is easier said than done. Making sure you have enough shut-eye is crucial to the body’s natural processes, but it is also necessary to help keep your mental state in check. If you think you might have difficulty falling asleep, prep yourself the way you would before any other big life event. Our favorite is taking a few moments before bed to sit in quiet reflection while sipping on warm chamomile tea. 

Make Sure You Eat

People are often so afraid of losing their lunch (or breakfast) that they elect not to eat before their tandem skydive. This is a big mistake. Aside from being unpleasant, skydiving on an empty stomach can leave you feeling jittery, weak, and even nauseous. Now, that being said, don’t overdo it on a pre-skydiving meal. Treat your skydive like any other athletic activity and eat a moderate amount of light foods. The morning of your jump, be sure to bring along snacks, waters, and soft drinks to enjoy while you wait.

Dress for Success

It’s important to come smartly dressed for your skydiving excursion, and we don’t necessarily mean in dapper attire. Rather, you should pick your skydiving outfit wisely. While we know you want to look like a stunner in your photo and video, if you’re dressed uncomfortably, your face will definitely show it. Honestly, your first skydive isn’t the time to make a fashion statement. So what should you wear? We suggest thin, athletic layers. If it gets chilly, you can add layers, and if it warms up, you can shed them! Plus, we are happy to provide you with a jumpsuit to put on over your clothing to protect them and you from grass or other debris. 

Bring Items to Bide Your Time

Skydiving isn’t an in and out experience. It’s much more akin to a half-day event. At least a few hours on the day of your skydive will be spent waiting, and there are good reasons why. Your skydiving experience involves a process and a myriad of factors. Each guest will go through a check-in process, a tandem skydiving training, a pre-jump briefing with your tandem instructor, an equipment check before gearing up, a ride to altitude in the plane, of course the skydive, parachute ride, and landing, and a post jump debrief.  Then, finally, it is another group’s turn and the process begins again. Additionally, within this mix, please consider that the parachutes used on each flight will need to be packed after each jump, the equipment adequately inspected, and the plane refueled. A hitch anywhere along the way can cause increased wait times down the line. It’s no one’s fault. Really, it’s just the nature of skydiving. 

In addition to the usual potentially timely nature of skydiving,  weather can also play a role. As a sport entirely dependent upon Mother Nature, who happens to fall under the regulation of the Federal Aviation Administration, we have pretty stringent weather requirements. Low clouds, high winds, and rain are all conditions that can cause weather delays. We care too much about our customers and our instructors to risk putting anyone in the air in conditions that are deemed to be unsafe. 

We know waiting can be tough. So, one of our biggest pieces of advice is to make sure you’re prepared! Bring along reading material or perhaps a deck of cards to keep yourself occupied in the event we experience increased wait times. If you’re more of a technology fan, don’t forget to bring your phone charger! You can scroll away to your heart’s content until it’s your turn to skydive.  Regardless of which method of distraction you choose, it’s better to have items to bide your time than to have nothing to do but stare at your shoes!

Done reading? Well then, we’d say you’re prepped and ready for your first skydive! Want to give it a try? Reach out to Skydive Orange today.