Your top questions about the world of skydiving answered here!
Where can I learn to Skydive in Australia?
What opportunities are there in Skydiving?
Should I wait until my friends are ready to learn with me?
Short answer - don’t! Don’t wait around for your friends if they aren't ready or keen on learning to skydive. It may seem daunting booking the course and going to the drop zone by yourself but everyone is in the same boat - people rarely go to a skydiving course with someone they know. You’ll meet everyone you need to at the drop zone. The skydiving community is welcoming and friendly - you’ll make a new network of friends from all walks of life, who all share the same passion.
How many jumps do I have to do before I can go solo?
Most people are surprised to learn that you don’t need to have done any tandem skydives before you start learning to skydive solo. After a day’s ground training, you will be wearing your own parachute for your first jump - not attached to anyone else. On the AFF course - you will have two instructors holding onto you for your first jump - but you will be jumping by yourself in the sense that it is not a tandem jump. The last jump on the AFF course is a completely solo jump - with no instructors in the sky with you. The AFF course normally takes around 7-10 jumps to complete, depending on the course style and your progression.
When can I learn to wingsuit?
You need a minimum of 200 jumps to start wingsuiting. This is because you need the experience to be able to control and fly the wingsuit safely through the sky. At the start, 200 jumps sounds like a lot, but licensed skydivers often do 10 jumps each weekend - so they add up pretty quickly if you are motivated!
Will my skydiving license be valid overseas?
Yes! Once you have your skydiving license it is recognised all over the world.
How much does it cost to become a licensed skydiver?
Like any sport at the start, it can initially be costly while you are paying for instruction, but once you are fully licensed, jumps in Australia cost on average $40! Each drop zone has their own pricing structure - some offer ‘AFF-only’ packages, while others also offer A license packages - so that would include your AFF course plus the additional jumps you need to get your A license.
What happens if I go to another Drop Zone before completing my training?
You will be given a log book when you start your skydiving course. After every jump, your instructors will fill out your log book and document your progression. If you go to another drop zone before you have achieved your skydiving license, they will look at your log book and make an assessment from there.
What happens if I forget to pull my chute?
Before jumping by yourself you undergo a lot of intensive training. Your instructors will make sure you understand exactly what to do, and you will do practise drills on the ground. On the first jump of an AFF course - you have two instructors holding onto either side of you - so if for some reason you did not deploy your parachute, they would be right there to do it for you. Skydivers also jump with an electronic back up device known as an automatic activation device - which deploys their parachute if they fail to do so themselves by a certain altitude. You will learn more about this on your skydiving course.
How long does it take to become a skydiving instructor?
It depends on how dedicated you are. To teach people how to skydive you will need a minimum of 200 jumps, and to become a tandem instructor you will need a minimum of 500 jumps. There are many other jobs in the industry that you can do before you have the experience to become an instructor.