According to the BPA (British Parachute Association) "Skydiving is one of today's most exciting sports"!
Those brightly colored parachutes you may have seen floating downward, seemingly from the heavens above, offer the participant a chance to master the air and obtain a freedom seldom found in most other sports. You can truly make the skies your very own when making a jump.
And that very first jump will most likely be the most memorable event in your lifetime! The exhilaration, enjoyment, and limitless opportunities and challenges are all there awaiting you. When you gain that feeling of perfect body control and have finely tuned your skills in this intensely competitive sport you will realize how vital life is and how very much you can enjoy the thrill of free falling before opening your chute.
Tandem jumps offer a togetherness seldom found in other sports
Learning to jump is the opportunity to meet with others with similar interests and even compete in "boogies" or fun jump events.
Whether you choose to compete at shows and fairs or jump into fetes for the appreciation of the crowds it's all about having fun and participating in social events the year around. Select from some twenty five parachute centers or clubs which are each approved by the BPA.
Spread out throughout the United Kingdom, they provide a wide assortment of courses that students and even the more experienced parachutists can participate in. And at most of the centres you will find they can video your jumps, making the occasion a most memorable experience!
Weather permitting parachute jumping can be enjoyed throughout the year
The experience of jumping is unrivalled and most of the year the enjoyment is unparalleled in the UK.
Take some courses provided by the BPA and you will soon be up to the challenge that sport parachuting offers. Whether your first jump involves use of a static line or a tandem jump you will first learn some of the skills while still on the ground during about six hours of "ground work".
The organised structure that is involved with the early training helps give confidence and comfort to the first jump when it occurs.
Static line descent from some 3500 feet up
Once the training on ground has been completed a static line jump may be made and that involves jumping from an airplane at approximately 3500 feet in altitude.
This includes the chute being deployed automatically when a static line pulls the main chute out, thus beginning the deployment and slow down of the parachutists. The feeling of exhilaration and freedom is there immediately and the jumper feels safe because of the control involved.
Use of a square parachute enables the student jumper to learn control of his progress and select a landing spot that is safe. The jumper's helmet may even include a radio by which an instructor can guide his student toward a picture perfect landing.
Tandem jumps involve true teamwork
Using a dual harness and attached to an experienced instructor enable the first time jumper to feel confidence and enjoy the event.
On that very first jump the instructor can control the chute deployment and control the descent and landing, making the new jumper feel more confident and just appreciate the feeling of the jump. This type of jump can happen within a very few minutes because you just let the tandem instructor take control.
Then move on to further training and perhaps some AFF or Accelerated Free Fall jumps for this is where the real thrill comes into play!