Skydiving Sport

The Importance Of A Good Skydiving Helmet

2007-08-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

Many risky sports require the use of a helmet to protect you in case things go wrong, so it’s not surprising that you should wear one while skydiving. Choosing the ideal skydiving helmet however, is not as easy as you may at first think.

Which Style Fits You Best?

As with many helmets, there are a number of styles available to choose from, and the one you choose will be down to personal choice more than any particular one being safer than another.

The most basic form of skydiving helmet is an open face model with a chin strap. This kind of skydiving helmet requires you to wear a separate set of goggles to protect your eyes as you make your dive. It is available in several different colors and is quite often the kind of helmet you will be loaned when making your very first skydive.

The next step up is a full face helmet which, as the name suggests, covers your whole face. These have a chin guard moulded into the design, and they often also have a visor already built in, eliminating the need to wear goggles.

This kind of skydiving helmet is usually much more comfortable to wear, and offers a much better view of your surroundings during a skydive than if you rely on goggles. This is especially true if you wear glasses.

Filming Your Skydive

If you jump regularly and want to film your exploits, you may want to consider buying a camera helmet. This kind of skydiving helmet is specially designed to have almost any kind of camera mounted on it.

Alternatively you can buy a standard skydiving helmet and get a separate bracket to attach to it, although this can look rather more bulky than buying a helmet specifically intended to hold a camera.

If you want something a little more portable, you could consider buying what is known as a fraphat. This is basically a leather head covering that does little more than hold your hair in place while you skydive.

Perhaps not surprisingly you won’t find too many of these on sale as opposed to a skydiving helmet, as they will offer very little protection in the event of an accident or mishap.

In short, if you want some real protection make sure you buy a proper helmet. It won’t guard against all eventualities – especially considering you are jumping from a plane – but it could just save your life.

Skydiving Equipment Has Wide Market Range

2007-07-27T18:00:00.001-07:00

There is a hug market for used skydiving equipment usually the parachutes as some skydivers will either give up the hobby or graduate to smaller, more design specific shapes and designs. This is a plus for those just beginning to enter the hobby as the price of skydiving equipment can be relatively high. A person may go through several different parachute designs while keeping the pack and rigging throughout all their chute changes.

Before buying a used parachute or other attaching equipment, it should be checked by a licensed and experienced rigger. They are trained to look for signs of wear of skydiving equipment and also receive safety information related to the equipment and can offer advice on whether the equipment is safe to buy or should be thrown away. Until the jumper has been certified as a rigger, they should always have their chute packed by a licensed rigger to insure proper opening.

When looking to purchase skydiving equipment, there are many reasons for the used equipment to be available. The jumper may be using a different type of parachute and wants to get rid of the older style they had been using or a person may have bought all the equipment and following one or two jumps, realized it is not a sport for them. Helmets, goggles and clothing can often be found used, but in good condition, which can save a ton of money on skydiving equipment.

Advisable To Buy Used Until Sure Of Sport

Many people will jump from corporate companies or as part of a club that offers various parachutes and other skydiving equipment for rent until they are sure of the type of jumping that holds their interests. Once they know the size and shape of the chute that suits them, they can begin looking for used skydiving equipment to make sure they want to continue with the sport, before dropping a large chunk of change on new gear.

In many cases, a person will start with a large parachute that gently glides them to the ground, and once they become comfortable with jumping and their confidence level rises, they begin to look at smaller canopies. When they begin to feel exceptionally confident they may decide to participate in target jumping that requires a still small chute. When this happens and they progress through their experience, they usually sell off their skydiving equipment to help pay for the new gear.

In any case, it is always advisable to try before you buy to make sure you are not spending money to equip a sport that may not be appealing for a long time.

Essential Features Of Skydiving Clothes

2007-07-27T17:59:00.002-07:00

Many sports require you to wear a certain type of clothing – perhaps for protection, in some cases to enable you to be recognised, and in other cases to keep you cool.

Skydiving clothes are no exception. Although there are various designs and styles to choose from, they all have certain elements in common. One of these elements is the fact that all skydiving clothes are fairly light in weight.

This is mostly due to there being a strict weight limit on anyone doing a jump. Not only would heavyweight skydiving clothes make it harder for the jumper to move freely during skydiving it may also put them over the weight limit for being allowed to jump in the first place. The heavier a person is the more strain is put on the parachute.

Colorful And Easy To Wear

The most popular type of skydiving clothes come in the form of jumpsuits. These are very colorful and can be made to your own design. You’ll no doubt come across Supplex fabric when you start shopping around – this is a very lightweight durable fabric which is ideal for skydiving.

Many professional makers of skydiving clothes offer a personal service which ensures your jumpsuit is made to your exact measurements. This is more expensive than buying a standard jumpsuit, but if you are a dedicated skydiver it will be money well spent.

Wind resistance is a big factor when skydiving. Imagine falling to earth at something like a hundred and fifteen miles an hour. Having a suit which fits you perfectly will cut wind resistance to a minimum and give you the best freefall experience possible.

Earn Your Wings

If you want to maximise your time in the air, the kind of skydiving clothes you want to look at are camera suits. These have wings to slow your descent and offer a certain amount of control while freefalling. Coupled with a helmet which is designed to hold a video camera, you can record your entire jump to show to your family and friends.

If you are thinking of making your first skydive then skydiving clothes won’t be too much of a concern for you. All basic packages offered – whether for a solo jump or a tandem one – should include rental of a jumpsuit to wear for the experience.

Once you decide to progress from a single jump to doing them on a more regular basis, you will want to buy skydiving clothes of your own. Pick your colors and choose your design – all you need to do then is wear it with pride as you hurtle towards the ground!

Fascinating Skydiving Facts

2007-07-27T17:59:00.001-07:00

Skydiving has become an extremely popular sport, with many people progressing from a one-time jump to adopting it as their new hobby. But for those who are thinking about taking it up, the following fascinating skydiving facts may be of interest.

Looking After Your Health

It is commonly believed that people with certain afflictions, such as epilepsy for example, cannot skydive. In fact, this isn’t necessarily true. Everyone who decides to attempt skydiving must complete a form which states they are fit and healthy to perform the deed.

But those who cannot do this may still be able to skydive with the approval of their doctor. It all depends on the severity of the illness or affliction.

There are plenty of other skydiving facts that dispel common myths about skydiving. For example although most skydivers are under the age of about forty, it’s acceptable to skydive at any age over eighteen. A World War Two veteran made a tandem skydive for charity in his eighties. As skydiving facts go, that has to be one of the most admirable.

A Free Freefall?

Skydiving can be quite an expensive sport to take up. After all, you have to buy the gear and pay for the jump itself, and anything to do with flying tends to be rather expensive.

But another of these fascinating skydiving facts is that you could actually jump completely free of charge – if you jump for charity.

Many skydiving companies offer a deal where some of your sponsorship money will go towards paying for the skydive itself, and then the remainder goes to your chosen charity. If you are thinking of doing this, make sure you can get enough sponsors to ensure the jump is worthwhile for the charity.

How Safe Is It?

Many people are fearful of having a go at skydiving because they think it’s a very dangerous sport. That’s understandable – you are throwing yourself out of a plane and skydiving for a period of time before opening your parachute.

But perhaps the most eye opening of skydiving facts is that it’s actually safer to skydive than it is to take a trip on a bus. This is mainly due to the fact that the safety measures in place to protect skydivers are the best you can imagine.

There are certainly many skydiving facts that you’d be surprised to learn are true. Many common misconceptions have arisen about what seems to be a dangerous sport, but is in fact a great and safe way to enjoy the thrill of your life.