What to Expect Skydiving: Your First Jump from Arrival to Landing

Table of Contents

• What to Expect Skydiving
• Before You Arrive at the Dropzone
• Check-In & Safety Briefing
• Gearing Up & Loading the Plane
• The Freefall & Canopy Ride
• After You Land

Key Takeaways

Come to the dropzone well-rested and hydrated on the day of your jump. When you arrive, you’ll check in at manifest, get a safety briefing, and then get geared up with your instructor. After a brief plane ride up, it’ll be time for your freefall followed by a short canopy ride back down to the ground.

First Time Skydiving: What To Expect

You’ve fantasized about taking to the sky for long enough: now is the time to act! A tandem skydive is a great way to experience the thrill of skydiving for the first time. Tandem skydiving is one of the most popular ways to experience the joys of flight, freefall, and parachuting. On a tandem skydive, the student (you) is attached to one of our highly-trained, professional skydive instructors.

 If you’ve been looking for a What I Wish I Knew Before Skydiving List, you’ve come to the right place! We’ll discuss the most important things to know before you skydive, like how to prepare and what to expect on the day of your jump!

Before You Arrive at the Dropzone

Before you arrive, it’s important that you prepare your body! Get a good night’s sleep, eat well, and stay hydrated. When picking out your perfect skydiving outfit, comfort is key! To avoid being too chilly or too warm, dress for the weather on the ground.

We suggest donning a pair of yoga or athletic wear bottoms, cargo pants, or flexible jeans. Up top, try to avoid wearing collared shirts or other clothing that can whip about at 120 mph. For your feet, we suggest comfortable sneakers or other lace up athletic shoes.

Plan to spend about half a day at the dropzone and schedule your other plans accordingly. On the day of your jump, please arrive promptly at your check-in time to ensure you have sufficient time to park and use the restroom if need be.

Also important is what you should not do before skydiving. Absolutely do not drink alcohol or ingest other illicit substances, don’t stay up all night, avoid having a big meal right beforehand, and don’t fill your day with other activities just in case the weather delays your skydive.

Check-In & Safety Briefing

Upon arrival, you will head to the entrance of the hangar where the Manifest window is. Here is where you will complete your waiver and any other required paperwork and follow up with any final payments if necessary. You’ll be asked to show your valid, government-issued ID (you have to be at least 18 years old), sign your waiver, and get weighed in.

It may feel uncomfortable to be weighed before a skydive, but we promise it’s for safety. Due to gear manufacturer restrictions, potential jumpers cannot weigh more than 225 lbs for men or 170 lbs for women. However, some exceptions may be made for height and overall health. Skydive Monroe maintains the right to refuse service to anyone deemed unfit to jump, or in cases where either you or your instructor’s safety would be put in jeopardy.

Your instructor will be in control during your skydive, but you still have a significant role. Which leads us to your next step: the safety briefing! During this short training session, you learn everything you need to know prior to embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, including how to exit the aircraft, maintain the correct body position, and help ensure you and your instructor can have a safe, successful, and fun skydive.

Gearing Up & Loading the Plane

When it’s your turn, you will meet with your USPA-certified tandem instructor, begin gearing up, and then board the aircraft. Initially, you won’t be attached to your instructor’s rig, but you’ll sit in front of your instructor on the airplane. Once the airplane is between 8,000 and 10,000 feet, your instructor will hook your student harness to their gear and complete a thorough gear check.

People often ask: What’s the hardest thing about skydiving? The answer is usually the anticipation everyone experiences during the plane ride up! We recommend practicing breathing techniques beforehand, focusing on living in the moment, and chatting with your instructor or taking in the view to distract yourself.

The Freefall & Canopy Ride

Your instructor will go over how you both will exit the plane when it’s time. At Skydive Monroe, we exit from an altitude of 14,000 feet – for scale that’s roughly 47 football fields above the earth! You can expect a rush of adrenaline and exhilaration during freefall and then transition into a calm and scenic experience while under the parachute.

You can expect freefall to last about a minute, followed by a few minutes under canopy. During freefall, some people worry: How likely is it to pass out while skydiving? The answer is not very likely, but it can happen. This is why we emphasize the importance of eating well, getting enough sleep, and staying hydrated before your skydive. 

If you have any medical conditions, it’s vital to inform your instructor prior to your jump. Of course, check with your doctor before booking your skydive if you have any questions or concerns about your eligibility to jump.

After You Land

After your jump, you will be presented with a skydiving certificate and have a short debrief with your instructor. If you love your experience, consider jumping again! If we have the capacity, you can go back up on the same day! If you really love your experience, ask us about earning your solo skydiving license!

Are You Ready?

Ready to make your dream a reality? Book your jump today! Still have questions? Check out our FAQs or get in touch – we’re here to support you! Blue skies!