Tandem Skydiving
What Is Tandem Skydiving?Tandem skydiving is an extremely popular form of skydiving and an
excellent introduction into the sport, it allows one to experience the
adrenalin and excitement without having to commit excessively to the
activity at hand. While AFF training and static-line jumping consists of
hours of training prior to the jump, going tandem only requires around
30 minutes of ground preparation prior. The reason for this is that
while both AFF and static-line skydives require you to learn how to
control your canopy and establish a deep knowledge of maintaining
specific body positions in free fall, with tandem skydiving you only
need to know the basics about how you should position your body relative
to your tandem master. The fact that your tandem instructor will be
responsible for your chute leaves you with the ability to spend more of
your effort focusing on the sheer excitement of the jump, as opposed to
what procedure who'll be doing next.
You, the tandem student, will be strapped to a tandem instructor by
use of a secure harness system which makes use of a shoulder strap on
either side, a chest strap which secures across your chest, as well as
leg straps. You will be strapped onto the chest, or front side of the
tandem master, so you can be sure that you'll have the best view in the
house.
While tandem jumps are most common as once off introductions to
skydiving, they are also sometimes used in conjunction with training
courses, specifically in the early stages of a course. Using tandem
jumping in training methods
when you want to learn how to skydive
can be extremely effective as it allows the student to experience both
freefall and canopy flight without the feeling of being thrown into the
deep end, so to speak. There are also students who look to perform
several tandem skydives prior to their training course in order to
familiarize themselves with the environment.
A tandem freefall generally lasts between 45 and 60 seconds, followed by a four minute canopy ride to the ground.
Where To Start?
For starters, you want to make sure that you are going to be
skydiving at a drop zone that has a good reputation. There are over a
thousand drop zones around the world and each offer a different
experience, some good and some poor. Dropzone.com has been developed
around helping you to find the best drop zone in the area of your
choice, and providing you with user ratings and reviews to help you make
your decision. Look for drop zones with large volumes of positive
reviews, and take the time to read through them and see what issues
other users may have experienced at any particular drop zone. Unlike
static-line progression for example, tandem skydiving is done at almost
every drop zone, so you should be fine in that area, but be sure to
check and make sure.
When comparing drop zones it's vital to make sure you that you
understand what you will be receiving with your jump. A tandem skydive
can take place between altitudes of anywhere from 10 000 to 14 000ft, if
free fall time is of importance to you it's certainly worth querying
this topic with the drop zone. Another important question is, if you're
paying a lot for your jump, are they offering you the best services for
the amount you're paying? Does your jump include
video footage or
still photography,
most have this as an extra cost - so be sure to check what the drop
zone is charging for their video services. And if it does offer video
services, is this filmed from a mounted camera attached to the tandem
instructor or are they pulling out all the stops and having a separate
photographer joining the jump solely to take some quality photographs of
your jump. These are all aspects which should be examined and
considered when you're scouting for the best drop zone in your area.
Once you've located a drop zone near to your destination, give them a
call or send them an e-mail, they should be more than willing to
address any questions you may have about your jump and guide you through
the booking process, setting you up with a date to jump.
Some Advice To Consider Before Making Your Tandem Jump
While you're likely to be walked through the correct dos and don'ts
during your pre-jump ground briefing, it doesn't hurt to prepare prior
to the day for what you should be doing and what you shouldn't be doing
for your jump.
- Remove jewelry and accessories prior to Tandem Skydiving.
At 120mph, it begins very easy for loose jewelry or accessories to come
loose during free fall and get lost. It's a good idea to leave the
jewelry at home on the day of your jump.
- Remove piercings, specifically nipple rings. When
the canopy is opened during flight, your chest strap will pull against
you, and there have been cases where people have had nipple rings pulled
when this occurs - learn from their mistakes. Remember that there are
also harness straps around your legs, so be sure to remove all
piercings that may be impacted. Removing all piercings leave less
gambling for something getting snagged, but nipple and surface piercings
are definitely best removed.
- Tie up your hair. Whether you're male or female, if
you have long hair it is a wise idea to tie it up in a manner that
makes it least likely to get caught in the harness at any stage - and
also remain out of the TIs face. Tucking it into the helmet once tied is
also not a bad idea.
- Stick close to your tandem instructor. Once you're leaving the manifest for your jump, be sure to remain close to your tandem instructor.
- Always listen to your tandem instructor. They are
the ones that know best, despite what you think you know - as an
inexperienced tandem skydiver, your tandem instructor should not be
questioned when it comes to anything related to the procedure of, or the
jump itself.
- Be respectful and polite. While you may be
frustrated at things like weather holds, it's important to remain calm
and realize that these events are often out of the control of the
instructors and the manifest staff.
Tandem Instructors
The tandem instructors or tandem masters are going to be the ones in
control of your skydive. The fact that the tandem instructor has control
over the safety of the jump has prompted strict rules and regulations,
especially within the United States, as to who can lead a tandem jump.
The current requirements set in place go a long way in providing peace
of mind that you're going to be in excellent hands when in the air.
Before a skydiver is able to be the tandem instructor on a jump, he has
to go through several procedures.
First he has to be an experienced skydiver with a minimum of 500
jumps and 3 years of skydiving experience to his name, secondly he must
possess a 'master parachute license' which has to be issued by an
FAA-recognized organization, such as the USPA (United States Parachute
Association). Furthermore, they are required to undergo training and
acquire a certification related to the canopy they are going to be
flying. On top of these requirements, the USPA has a few more of their
own. Up until late 2008 in the United States, one was able to either be a
tandem master with a manufacturer's rating or a tandem instructor which
required the USPA training, though this was changed and now requires
all those leading tandem jumps in the United States to hold a tandem
instructors rating. The details of the ratings systems and the
requirements vary between countries.
One thing that separates the best drop zones from a bad drop zone for
those doing a tandem jump, is the attitude and behavior of their tandem
instructor. Luckily, if you've done your research and found yourself a
good drop zone, this shouldn't be a worry and you may well end up making
a new friend in the process. A good instructor is one that is able to
answer any questions you have, while at the same time making you feel
comfortable and relaxed. The best instructors find a perfect balance
between safety and professionalism and humor, after all the jump is
pointless if you don't enjoy yourself.
Should I Be Nervous About Tandem Skydiving?
It's completely normal to feel nervous about skydiving, even those of
us who seek adrenalin constantly have some level of nervousness at
times. Jumping out of a perfectly good plane, whether it is while
experiencing a tandem jump or even
the thrill of wing suiting,
is not something natural to us as humans, and you can be sure that
you're not alone in what you feel. With that said though, as with many
areas where what you're facing is foreign and unknown, your fear often
tends to turn to excitement once you're in it. I have seen a countless
number of first time tandem skydivers being a bit unsure in the
beginning but once their feet touch the ground their mind set changes
completely. These are often people performing a bucket list jump with no
intention of ever skydiving again, but after they've experience the
feeling of free fall, they are hooked - and often end up booking their
AFF courses to become a licensed skydiver just a few days later.
Tandem skydiving has an excellent safety record
for most parts of the world and you can take comfort in the fact that
according to the United States Parachute Association, around half a
million people each year choose to tandem skydive in the US alone.
How Much Does A Tandem Jump Cost?
The price of tandem skydives vary between drop zones, generally
you're looking in the price range of about $70 to in excess of $300.
This cost can either include or exclude the cost of things like a camera
man and a DVD copy of your skydive. We highly recommend that you look
into the prices and the specifications at each drop zone. For more
information read below...
A typical run through of your average tandem skydive. As can be
noted the drop zone in this video offer the option of a dedicated
videographer.
Things To Know About Tandems
There are typically restrictions on age when it comes to performing a
tandem jump, the exact age varies depending on country and drop zone.
The typical requirement from most drop zones is 18, though some drop
zones do allow for 16 to 18 year olds to perform a tandem jump as long
as they have parental consent. It is best to speak to your local drop
zone about their age policies.
When booking a tandem skydive it's important to know what to expect,
often once off tandem jumpers go in without knowing what a skydive
entails, how drop zones operate and what to expect.
Understand that skydiving hinges on the weather conditions, when the
winds are too strong or it's too cloudy, or if there's fog - you may
well find yourself on the end of a weather hold. This is an aspect of
skydiving that no one is free from, and the experienced jumpers get just
as disappointed when they don't get to head out. Weather holds can last
anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 days, depending on the conditions.
Because of this it's best to plan your skydive around your local
weather, if you're in an area with lots of summer tropical rainfall - it
may be best to book in the autumn or winter months when rainfall is
less likely, otherwise booking for an earlier time in the day before
daytime heating causes the development of thunder showers.
In areas of winter rainfall, summer is obviously your best bet,
though nothing can ever be guaranteed. There are areas where weather
holds are rare, and if you're in one of these areas that sees little
annual rainfall, you're likely to see your jump happen without any
hassles.
It's highly recommended that you discuss deposits and payments with
the drop zones prior to booking. While most DZs will gladly discuss
openly and honestly with you their rules and restrictions in regards to
deposits and refunds, many fail to bring up this topic prior to
finalizing their booking and they end up upset when they find out that
there is no refund issued for deposits on jumps that are postponed due
to weather holds.
The Technical Side And Skydiving Gear
There are a few things you should remember when you are looking at the more
technical side of your skydiving gear.
Skydiving canopies are designed specifically for certain disciplines
of skydiving, for speed and immediate response smaller canopies are used
- such as those designed for swooping, these smaller canopies are also
more dangerous, allowing for less margin of error. For tandem skydiving,
where safety takes priority, the canopies (parachutes) used are much
larger than those that you find in swooping for example. This is both
because the canopy is going to need to carry twice the regular skydiving
weight and because of the desired gentle nature of the canopy flight.
The rig that is used by your tandem instructor is set up so that it
will provide optimum safety for you on your jump. The rig contains an
AAD (automatic activation device) which is a safety device that is
designed to automatically fire the main chute after a skydiver descends
past a certain altitude and has not yet fired the main canopy. There is
also the special tandem canopy, which will be the parachute that is
deployed during freefall, also known as the main. There is also a
reserve canopy, this is a backup that exists in case of a failure on the
main, an example would be, if a main canopy opens with a line twist and
one is not able to recover from it - the main would be cut and the
reserve deployed. These are packed into what is known as the container,
the backpack looking item on the back of the tandem instructor. The
instructor will also be carrying an altimeter on him, usually around the
wrist, which can provide visual or audio information on the progression
of the descent, so that he can release the main canopy at the correct
time.
During free fall, you can expect to reach speeds of up to 120mph (180km/h).
