Buzz
Skydiving is one of the most exhilarating sports in existence. The thrill of floating on a cushion of air and safely gliding your canopy to the earth is unrivaled. Despite its excitement, skydiving is often misunderstood, surrounded by many myths that deter people from trying it. The sport is tightly regulated by national organizations, and when comparing current safety statistics to past decades, it’s surprisingly safe! To skydive regularly, you need proper training and a license. Although the process of earning a license can be long and costly, the sense of achievement is unparalleled. I highly recommend experiencing it at least once in your lifetime.
10. Ripcord
Skydiving Myth: Skydivers pull a ripcord
In fact, ripcords became obsolete with the round parachute back in the early 1980s. Modern skydivers now use rigs, which are complete systems including the harness, container, and canopies. These rigs rely on a pilot chute, which is tucked into a pocket just above the butt. This small parachute, attached to a bridle, is connected to the main parachute. When deployed, the pilot chute catches the wind and pulls the closing pin, releasing the packed main chute and pulling it out of the container to inflate. We hope it works! You can learn more about this process here.
Some dropzones still use ripcord gear for training, but once students are properly trained, they typically transition to the more modern bottom-of-container design. In the case of reserve deployment, a ripcord is used to activate the parachute. However, this design is entirely different, and let's hope we never have to use that handle.
9. Freefall Chatter
Skydiving Myth: You can talk or yell to each other during freefall
Contrary to what you might have seen in movies like *Point Break* and *Cutaway*, you can't hear another skydiver during freefall. If you were to yell directly into their ear, you might catch a faint sound, but there's no way to hold a conversation. The wind blasting past your ears at over 100mph effectively drowns out all noise. Additionally, it's nearly impossible to engage in a fight during freefall.
8. Chute Deployment
Skydiving Myth: When you deploy your chute, you actually go back up.
This is a common misconception. A skydiver cannot go back up after deploying their chute. What you're witnessing is an optical illusion. The videographer filming the skydiver continues to fall away while the person deploying their chute slows down. By the way, that’s me you see deploying!
7. Unconscious Drop
Skydiving Myth: If you’re knocked unconscious during freefall, you’re certain to die.
This is another common misconception, and it's easy to see why people might believe it. Imagine this: if you're knocked out mid-air due to a collision with another skydiver, who would deploy your parachute? Most skydivers carry an Automatic Activation Device (AAD), a small unit sensitive to air pressure and speed. It cuts the closing loop of the reserve chute, allowing it to deploy automatically. Typically, these devices are set to activate if you drop below 750 feet above ground level and are traveling over 78mph. While a rough landing is still possible and could lead to injury or even death, it’s far safer than landing without a chute. Some skydivers choose to skip the AAD because it’s a mechanical device that can malfunction, but this is rare. The chances of it working when needed are much higher than the chance of it misfiring. You can learn more about how these incredible devices work here.
6. Fall Speed
Skydiving Myth: Everyone falls at the same speed.
Despite what some people think, everyone falls at a different rate and the speeds will vary depending on weight (heavier people fall faster), body position and clothing (baggy jumpsuits slow you down, tight fitting suits go faster). The average terminal velocity in the belly down position is around 120mph. Some of the more advanced freeflying positions like “Head Down” or “Sit Fly” can push a jumper to over 200mph! Essentially the less amount of surface area to the wind, the faster you go. It takes a lot of work to contort the body in an arch (to speed up) and cup (to slow down) in order to catch up and stay with a group.
5. Chute Packing
Skydiving Myth: A skydiver always packs his own chute
A skilled skydiver begins learning to pack their own parachute early in their career and continues doing so throughout their skydiving journey. However, it's not a legal requirement to pack your own chute. There are trained packers available at dropzones who will pack your chute for you, typically charging around 5 to 7 dollars per pack. Despite this, many skydivers prefer packing their own parachutes since they have their own packing preferences (there are subtle variations that ensure smoother openings). After all, who would you trust with your life: yourself or a part-time worker earning minimum wage? If you choose to rely on a packer, remember to tip them generously!
4. Deployment Altitude
Skydiving Myth: You can deploy your chute at any altitude
I once had a debate with a friend who, after reading about military HALO operations (High Altitude, Low Opening), insisted that these soldiers freefall until they reach between 100 and 50 feet before deploying their chutes and landing safely. Of course, this is not possible. Freefall speeds can range from 100 to 160mph, which translates to over 170 feet per second! A main parachute needs around 600 to 800 feet to open properly. First, it needs time to inflate, as its cells are closed and must fill with air. Second, the chute must open slowly to avoid serious injury or even death. A hard opening can kill a skydiver when they go from 120mph to 18mph in just two or three seconds. While fatal hard openings are rare, a regular hard opening can still leave you dizzy and bruised. Minimum opening altitudes, as regulated by the USPA and CSPA, are 2500 feet for A licensed skydivers, and 2200 feet for B, C, and D licensed jumpers. Reserve chutes open much more quickly due to their design, which ensures rapid deployment when necessary. [Image Source]
3. Terminal Velocity
Skydiving Myth: It’s possible to survive a terminal velocity impact
We've all heard the tale: a skydiver jumps from 15,000 feet, their chute fails to open, and they crash into a muddy field, only to walk away with a broken leg, or perhaps a back injury, or even end up in a wheelchair—but they survive! The problem with these stories is that they often aren't true. More often than not, the reality is that there was a malfunction, such as a tangled chute, or in very rare cases, both chutes failed. This can drastically slow a person's descent. An impact at 45mph into soft ground or trees might be survivable. It won’t be pleasant, but the chances of surviving are higher.
2. Altitude Dangers
Skydiving Myth: The higher the altitude, the more dangerous the jump.
In fact, the opposite is true. Skydivers aim for as much altitude as possible—not only for the extra freefall time, but also because it provides more opportunity to handle any issues that may come up. It takes about 1480 feet to reach terminal velocity (around 120mph). Whether you're falling from 1500 feet or 15,000 feet, having a malfunctioning chute—or no chute at all—results in a bad outcome. There is no ‘safer’ altitude for a high-speed impact. And considering that a parachute takes 600 to 800 feet to deploy, I’ll stick to jumping from above 3000 feet—anything lower would be insane!
1. Oxygen Masks
Skydiving Myth: You need to wear oxygen masks at very high altitudes
Oxygen masks are only necessary on the plane. Hypoxia can occur rapidly at altitudes above 18,000 feet, which is why planes provide supplemental oxygen when ascending to those heights and beyond. Most skydives happen between 10,500 and 14,000 feet. Some larger drop zones with bigger aircraft offer special jumps as high as 22,000 feet, but this comes with an additional cost. While some planes may have oxygen masks, more commonly, a small hose hangs from the ceiling for you to place in your mouth during the climb. Once you exit the plane, you won’t be at that altitude for long, so extra oxygen during the jump itself isn't needed.
