How to Extreme Skysurf Safely

Fly like an eagle, but be safe. Skysurfing, which lets you surf through the air as if it's an ocean, is among the most exhilarating of extreme sports. But as fans know, it can also be one of the most dangerous. Safety is paramount in this kind of parachuting. Check out these tips for safe freestyling and return to savor the experience another day.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Get the proper training. Even experienced skydivers need specialized instruction before attempting to freestyle with a skyboard. Find a reputable instructor who has been qualified to teach freestyle and skysurfing techniques by the U.S. Parachute Association. Your coach must have extensive experience with freestyle forms, and have done the things he or she will be teaching you. Training should include emergency procedures specific to skysurfing, along with instruction on pre-flight essentials, avoiding landing hazards, staying separate from other skydivers and how to move and land with a board.
2. Be in good physical condition. Skysurfing is a very demanding sport--and a very unforgiving one. Skysurfers need to be strong and in excellent health to maneuver the skyboard, avoid injury and land safely. In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration requires that skydivers carry a certificate of their medical fitness to engage in the sport. The USPA also recommends completing a medical statement that it provides prior to a jump.
3. Make note of wind conditions. This is a normal precaution for all skydives, but it's even more important to know what the wind is doing before attempting a skysurfing dive. The USPA has established the following safety guidelines concerning maximum ground wind speeds for solo students: 14 mph for ram-air canopies and 10 mph for round reserves. Wind speed is unlimited for licensed skydivers.
4. Be sure of drop zone safety. Skydiving areas should be unobstructed and have minimum radial distances to hazards, such as large tree clusters, power lines, buildings, towers, roads and bodies of water. The distance away from these for solo students and Class A license holders should be 100 meters. For Class B and C license holders, it's 50 meters. The hazard distance is unlimited for Class D licensees.
5. Protect yourself with routine safety gear, such as a flotation device when the landing area is within a mile of water. Always remember auxiliary canopies. Wear a hard helmet and close-fitting, unrestrictive clothing, and bring an audible and visible altimeter. Have oxygen on hand in the aircraft for skydives above 15,000 feet.