How to Become a Certified Skydiver

Ever wanted to become a certified skydiver and taste the air in freefall? Learn what it takes to become a certified skydiver in the United States.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Motivation, determination, and confidence
• Good health
• Skydiving gear
• Money

1. Go on a tandem skydive to try it out. Before you invest the time and money to become a certified skydiver, make a tandem jump (one where you are attached to an instructor via a harness). This is a good idea because you want to get a feel as to what skydiving is like so you won't experience "sensory overload" during your training. Find a USPA affiliated dropzone near you and set up an appointment (http://www.dropzone.com). Be prepared to sign a waiver.

2. Anybody in good physical health and under a certain weight limit can become a certified skydiver. In order to become a certified skydiver, you much go through the Accelerated FreeFall (AFF) course. Course requirements change from dropzone to dropzone, but typically the AFF course has 7 levels. Eahc level you will be required to do a skydive and certain maneuvers on your jump.

3. Prior to your first AFF jump, you will be required to complete a First Jump Course. You will learn about malfunctions, gear, emergency procedures, hand signals, and other things related to the jumps you are about to do.

4. AFF levels 1-3: you will exit the aircraft wearing your own parachute. You will exit with two instructors holding on to you, giving you hand signals to correct body positions and give you directions. You will be expected to perform certain simple maneuvers such as initiating turns. Your instructors will stay with you during freefall and until you pull your parachute. If you don't pull by a certain altitude, they will do it for you. You will be by yourself under your parachute, and most likely have an instructor on the ground directing you until you land safely.

5. AFF levels 4-7: You will exit the aircraft with only one instructor who will not be holding on to you (unless you are unstable). You will be asked to perform trickier maneuvers such as flips.

6. Once you graduate from AFF, you are on your own! You should find a coach at your dropzone and do a few coach jumps before playing in the air with your friends. Now, it is time to start looking for gear and having a BLAST!

7. Next Step: Become a USPA member and get your A license!

Tips & Warnings

• Skydiving isn't a cheap hobby to get into. Expect to spend anywhere from $1200 to $2000 on your AFF, and anywhere from $2000 to $5000 on your gear.
• Don't give up. If you fail a level, it isn't the end of the world. Keep trying. Some of the best skydivers I know graduated AFF in 20 to 30 jumps rather than the typical 7. Personally, it took me 9 jumps.
• Make sure your dropzone is affiliated with the United States Parachute Association (USPA)
• Skydiving is dangerous without a parachute.
• You will be asked to sign a waiver, and you will need to be 18 years old or get a parent's signature.

[celion]

on 1/14/2008 To legally sign a contract (in this case a "waiver") you need to be an adult in your state (adult = 18, at least in every place that I have heard about). Please read the articles carefully before commenting.

[InsertNameHere]

on 1/14/2008 Some inaccuracies:
*Find a USPA dropzone on USPA.org. Dropzone.com is only useful for gossip. It also lists the non-USPA dropzones.

*AFF is not the only way to learn to skydive. Static line/IAD is also a great way to learn.

*You WILL have an instructor on the ground to help steer you in.

*AFF level 4 is still a gripped exit.

* You cannot jump with non-coaches until you've gotten your A license.

* You must become a USPA member prior to your release dive.

*The dropzone might require you to be 18, USPA says 16. Legally, there is no age limit.

*It should take you at most 15 jumps to get off student status if you are going through the AFF program. If you are seriously lagging, the DZO and S & TA are going to have a talk with you and your instructor.

[InsertNameHere]

on 1/14/2008 Some things I've noticed about the article:
*If you are jumping at a USPA dropzone you are required to be a USPA member before your release dive.

*After you are released from student status, you cannot jump with someone who isn't a coach until you've gotten your A license (per USPA).

*Static line/IAD are also great ways to learn to skydive.

*AFF level 4 is still a gripped exit (instructor holding on to you). AFF level 5 is your first non-gripped exit.

*18 is by no means a USPA requirement. The USPA says you must be 16.

*It's extremely rare to go 20-30 jumps to graduate AFF. 15 is about the upper limit before the DZO has a talk with the student and their instructor.

*USPA.org is a better resource for finding USPA dropzones. Be very wary of any information you get on dropzone.com.

*The SIM (Skydiver's Information Manual) should be purchased prior to the FJC.