What are the Solo Skydiving Requirements?

Learning how to skydive solo is one heckuva journey! We know; we’ve been alongside innumerable new skydivers on theirs, and we’d love to join you for yours. As you move forward along it, you’ll square up to two major hurdles: Firstly, successfully completing your Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) training. Secondly, you’ll make the required twenty-five jumps you’ll need in your logbook in order to receive your USPA A-license. These are the big steps, make no mistake! That said, though, they’ll be well worth the (immense, we’ll be real!) effort — when you discover one day that you’re blissfully skydiving all on your own.

Becoming a Licensed Skydiver at Skydive Monroe

Here at Skydive Monroe, we teach new jumpers how to skydive using the tried-and-tested United States Parachute Association’s Accelerated Freefall (“AFF”) method. AFF is a solo skydiving training method that’s been a resounding success since its debut many years ago. We teach using the AFF method because we’ve found it to be the most effective, the most economical, and the most fun for most of the new skydiving students that come through our hangar doors. The method is described really beautifully and succinctly in this little presentation (second tab from the top) on the United States Parachuting Association website. 

We Focus on Mastery

We have a little secret to share with you, dear reader: There’s more to learning how to skydive than jumping! Before you’re skydiving (nevermind skydiving solo), you’ll need to learn quite a bit about aircraft, theory, procedures, parachute packing, and equipment know-how. The AFF experience isn’t just a practical one; it also includes a classroom-based ground school, eight levels of in-air mastery training, and a few more coach-supervised jumps. It’s only after you’ve checked off all of the above that you’ll be skydiving solo.

Let’s get specific, shall we? When we talk about mastery, we’re talking about your mastery of the set of life-saving, fun-having skills that you’ll need to demonstrate to your instructor during each successive AFF level. Your instructor will evaluate you, and that evaluation will determine if you proceed to the next level or repeat the level you’re working on. The number of jumps it takes to get to solo skydiving will depend on your technique, your focus, and your determination — but the beauty of it is that the journey is where the real fun is…

You Don’t Have to Be Perfect Immediately!

That’s right, folks. Despite the long-ballyhooed joke, you don’t have to be a perfect skydiver immediately. Modern skydiving is definitely an activity that presents risk, but our equipment has plenty of variables covered. The moral of the story is that we don’t expect you to be perfect right out of the gate.

Here are the facts: You’ll try and try again, and you’ll get better every time. Each successive level within the AFF curriculum comes with it a tried-and-true, well-determined set of skills for each new skydiving student to demonstrate mastery. While every person learning to skydive can expect to jump at least eight times, most people don’t do it that quickly. Most students jump a couple of times at each level — and get really excited when they pass!

We’re excited about watching your path to skydiving solo and mastering a set of skills that’ll put you on the same level as the birdies. And we want you to do it with us here at Skydive Monroe! Reserve your place today!