Are you looking to buy your first set of gear, but have no idea where to start? Look no further, here are our Top 5 tips!

1) Listen to your Instructors

It is really important to seek advice from your Instructors before buying anything. What may have been suitable for one person, may be totally unsuitable for you. People have wasted a lot of money buying gear that doesn't fit, isn't airworthy, or is unsuitable for their skill or currency level.

2) Suitability

Your Instructors will help you ascertain what gear is suitable for your needs - eg. if it will fit you, what size canopies you should be jumping, and which accessories (jumpsuit, altimeter, helmet) are suitable for your skill level and goals.

3) Compatibility

As well as the gear needing to be suitable for your needs, each component also needs to be compatible with the rest. It is no good having a perfectly fitting container that can't hold the size of parachutes you need. Packer As and Riggers will be able to tell you if a container and parachute are compatible with one other.

4) Components

You will need a reserve parachute, main parachute, AAD, container, jumpsuit, altimeter and helmet. Risers, toggles, D-Bags and pilot chutes are all part of the container.

5) Condition

Ask someone qualified and impartial (eg. a Packer A, Rigger or Instructor) to check the condition of used gear, before you commit to buying it.

So whether you want to buy brand new, or second hand, remember to take all of the points above into consideration, to make sure you're going down the right track.

Let the gear search begin!

[Photo Sources: Cameron Puttee, Skydive Oz, TBH Media]