What To Know
Learning to Skydive
Every Skydive is a Great Skydive
With so many training courses and dropzones to choose from, there is a lot to consider when figuring out your path to solo skydiving. Fortunately, the curricular content is essentially the same no matter where you are. It’s a matter of selecting the methods of delivery and instruction that best suit your personal learning style, goals, budget and schedule.
Why Go Solo?
Tandem skydiving offers an easy ticket to your happy place, so why spend the time and money into learning how to fly solo? The answer to this question differs from one person to another, but there are certainly common motivational factors.
Do Your Own Thing
When you’re captain of your own airship, the sky is your playground. Push yourself to new heights and accomplish the extraordinary! You can’t grow in your comfort zone!
Jump With Other Skydivers
With solo status comes the privilege of skydiving with fellow fledglings as well as with licensed skydivers of all stripes. Get in on the action on high and learn from the best!
Skydive At Other DZs
Once you have your A License, you can jump at USPA-affiliate dropzones the world over. Sounds amazing, right? That’s because it is! And many are open year round. Get after it!
Popular Training Platforms
There are several methods for learning to skydive, the most popular being Accelerated Freefall (AFF), Tandem Progression (TP), and Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD). Each has a prescribed curriculum and solid reputation – and each requires a significant investment of time and resources.
The training method you choose will depend on your preferences, and likely your location. Check out our Learning to Skydive FAQs and conduct further research about which method will work for you – a good dropzone will happily answer all your questions about their training programs.
Skydive Training Pro Tips
Practice Patience
If weather is a challenge in your area, consider a DZ close to an indoor skydiving wind tunnel. That way, you can practice critical freefall skills while nurturing relationships with your sky fam. Just be sure to jump every 30 days to stay current.
Prepare to Pony Up
Before the sticker rains on your parade, here’s the silver lining: you don’t have to buy gear until after you’re licensed, and once you’ve earned your A License the cost to jump is nominal (like, less than $50 USD per jump - phew!).
Maintain A Growth Mindset
As you progress through the license levels - which vary from country to country - you are afforded new privileges. It’s not about hierarchy, it’s about competency and safety. The more you jump, the better you get. Make every jump count.
Size Makes A Difference
There are pros and cons to DZs of different sizes. When choosing the dropzone for you, pay attention to the planes, their standard altitudes for exit, and – depending what you want to accomplish – staff member ratings. If you want to get into different disciplines, look for load organizers. Need to work on specific skills? Check out the coaching opportunities. Of course, year round versus seasonal and proximity to home are important criteria too.
Biz DZs
Big dropzones tend to have more amenities, most significantly more than one and/or bigger planes (meaning quicker climb and higher altitude), and operate at a faster pace. They often have an accomplished staff, host notable events, and attract big talent. If you want all the bells and whistles and aim to crank out a ton of jumps, a big DZ may be right for you.
Small DZs
Smaller dropzones, on the other hand, tend to prioritize the opportunity to give everyone individual attention over amenities. They operate at a slower pace so as to engage every guest one-on-one, promote more of a familial vibe, and cultivate DZ culture. Smaller DZs are typically staffed by people fueled by passion and are committed to advancing the sport.
What Are You Waiting For?!
DZ Locator
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