What Is Tandem Skydiving?
Skydiving Tandem 101
Get ready to fly!
What does “tandem skydiving” mean? Good question.
When you make a tandem jump, you are skydiving with an instructor who leads you throughout the tandem skydiving process. You are securely attached together via a specially-designed tandem skydiving harness, piggy-back style. The tandem student is in front, enjoying an unobstructed view of the world from 2+ miles (3.5 km) up, while the tandem instructor is in back, taking care of the logistics required for a super-fun and safe descent.
What Happens During A Tandem Skydive?
From the ground, it can be difficult to wrap your mind around what happens between taking off in the plane and touching down on the ground. Here’s a step-by-step guide to skydiving tandem.
Step 1: Gear Up
Step 2: Hop In
Step 3: Jump Out!
Step 4: Float Around
Step 5: Touch Down
Step 6: Celebrate!
Who Can Tandem Skydive?
Skydiving rules differ from one country to another, but every dropzone will note a skydiving age limit and a skydiving weight limit.
The minimum skydiving age is typically 16 or 18, and often those who are under 18 need written consent and accompaniment from a parent or guardian. Weight limit specifications are issued by skydiving gear manufacturers and set by individual dropzones.
Need more info? Check out our Tandem Skydiving Requirements and FAQs pages.
What Does Skydiving Feel Like?
Kiss your comfort zone goodbye – skydiving for the first time feels like nothing else you’ve ever done!
Skydiving with an instructor gives you the ultimate introduction to the awe-inspiring, super empowering, and life-changing experience that is human flight!
You Get High
You Go Fast
You Stop Time
You Make Friends
Is Skydiving Scary?
First time skydiving can be scary, but usually it’s actually the anticipation of skydiving that fuels the fear. Your adrenaline starts pumping and the jitters get a hold of you – even seasoned skydivers feel it. In fact, it’s a major part of the appeal of skydiving!
Skydivers wholeheartedly believe that freedom lies on the other side of fear. And the surge of elation, self-confidence and empowerment that floods your system before, during and after you jump is most definitely akin to freedom. Best yet, the feeling stays with you!
Why Tandem First?
Tandem skydiving is the best choice for first-time jumpers because it enables you to experience the unbridled exhilaration of skydiving without bearing the responsibilities.
And though they make it look easy, tandem instructors have a lot to do in order to let you leap into the great blue yonder, sail around the sky under canopy, and land safe and sound back on terra firma.
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Can I Go Solo?
Can I skydive alone? It’s a question heard around the world! The answer varies from one dropzone to another. Some require that you make a tandem jump first; others greenlight the opportunity to learn to skydive from jump one.
How many jumps to skydive solo also varies, but the methods for learning how to skydive solo are pretty standard: Accelerated Freefall (AFF), Tandem Progression (TP), and Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD). Each paves a way to earning your skydiving license, the most common method being AFF skydiving.
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Skydiving Costs
If skydiving prices give you sticker shock, it’s important to remember that cheapest is not necessarily best. How much tandem skydiving costs has everything to do with the quality of the gear, the upkeep of equipment, and the credentials and experience of the ground and sky crew. If you find a skydiving bargain, you’d be wise to do additional research on the dropzone – including reading reviews.
Some forgo the option to professionally document their tandem in favor of saving some dosh, but declining a media package is the number one regret expressed in every language! Although it may be tough to justify in the moment, remember: you only make your first skydive once. Get the video!
Is tandem skydiving worth it? Absolutely!
Is Tandem Skydiving Safe?
Thanks to dedicated engineers across the globe, skydiving technology and training has seen tremendous advances in the past several years. In fact, according to the United States Parachute Association, skydiving is safer now than it’s ever been. Of course, other countries track skydiving incidents and accidents, but the US is home to the largest single governing body in the sport, and their stats go back to 1961.
So, with 2021 USPA data in mind, what are the odds of dying while skydiving?
| Number of People | Cause of Death |
| 1 in 107 | Car accident |
| 1 in 2,535 | Choking |
| 1 in 57,825 | Insect sting or bite |
| 1 in 161,856 | Lightning strike |
| 1 in 357,000 | Solo skydiving |
| 1 in 500,000 | Tandem skydiving |
Whether you phrase it – “How safe is tandem skydiving?” or “How dangerous is tandem skydiving?” – the answer is reassuring. What’s more, the USPA’s 2021 report states this average of one tandem student fatality per 500,000 tandem jumps goes back 10 years.
You should never say that skydiving is safe, because there is significant risk involved – but the numbers show that it’s safest skydiving with an instructor.
Skydiving Instructor Requirements
Newcomers to any sport benefit from guidance from someone more seasoned, and when it comes to “jumping out of a perfectly good airplane,” you definitely want a professional to have your back.
How to become a tandem skydive instructor varies from place to place, but most countries require instructor candidates to have logged:
- At least 500 skydives
- A significant number of recent jumps
- Numerous hours of freefall
- Multiple years in the sport
They must also pass written and oral tests, demonstrate mastery of emergency processes and procedures, and undergo a thorough medical assessment.
Tandem instructors may seem laid back and relaxed, but in truth they are disciplined, highly-trained, credentialed and experienced.
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