Skydiver Training Tip: Practice Before You Leave

When I was still in school, I was a serious last-minute crammer before tests. Study ahead of time? Not my strong suit. So there I would be at 1 a.m. before a big exam, studying my tail off. 5 minutes before the test, still reviewing. At least I studied, right?!

When you are learning to skydive, studying has a huge payoff as well, whether you’re reviewing things at the last minute or (preferably) with more time to truly learn the new skill. When you’re learning something completely new like skydiving, practicing what you can beforehand and visualizing proper performance are key to helping you get it right the first time (or at least with a minimum of effort!). But now we reach the sticky point: What do you study?

Here’s where you can be proactive about your education: Ask your instructor to talk you you about what your next dive flow will include, and how to practice it effectively at home. Keep in mind that if you stop jumping in the middle of a busy day and your instructor starts to jump with someone else, that person will take priority on the instructor’s time. However, if your instructor has even a few minutes to help you out, he/she will be glad to help you prepare for your next dive so you can practice correctly at home. Practicing correctly is essential; the last thing you want to do is drill something incorrect into your head and take that into the sky.

Make sure you have your instructor’s input before practicing at all, and once you know what to do, think about it, practice, and visualize so you rock out your next jump!

5 Replies to “Skydiver Training Tip: Practice Before You Leave”

  1. Yes! I’ve got to do it. Cert in a week.
    IM in Iraq on a job and as soon as I hit the beach I’d like to get started.
    Ok, 2400.00 bucks. Rentals included? Suit, helmet ect.? Also is there a blog site? And what about previously owned equipment. Is that available. I’d really like to get a suit and helmet but I’m sure I can buy from someone who wants to upgrade.. Lots of questions. Ok I’m scheduled to get back approx August 15+- So let me know how that works. I can time return, say 2 days before start date, so let me know what I should be looking at. I’d probably make 2k payment around July 15-20th. That should work huh? IM really trusting this is a top class opp. When my son turned 18, he my daughter and myself went for the first time. We jumped with Gulf Coast when they were out of Lucedale Miss. So I’m going sneak and get cert before I come home, I’ll get there cert one at a time every 120days on my return arrival. Ok sift threw the wreckage and let me know.

    1. Hey Kelly! Thank you for your service! The $2400 A in a week program includes everything you need for our training program, gear rentals included. The only thing it does not include is the two tandem skydives you will need before entering the program; your first jump would be $219 on a weekend/$199 on a weekday (and you can save $20 by prepaying in full at least 24 hours ahead or organizing a group of 5 or more). Your second tandem if you get it the day you do your first jump is $99. Since you have done one tandem already, you might have to just do one more to demonstrate your skills; our chief instructor would make that call.

      Gear is readily available here; we have a full-time pro shop that deals in both custom new and used gear, and our rigs are available for rental as needed once you graduate from the program as well.

      We definitely are a world-class training facility, open every day but Christmas with a strong full-time instructional staff, top-quality training materials and a program that’s always evolving with the latest training techniques. 🙂 Not that I’m proud!

      Love that you are sneaking in the certification as a surprise! I did that when I got started and it’s still the best surprise I ever pulled on someone. :p I look forward to meeting you!

      Christy

  2. That’s good to know that you can learn how to practice skydiving at home from your instructor if you ask them how to practice effectively so you will be prepared for the jump. My son wants to go skydiving for his 18th birthday so I wanted to see how he could be safe doing it. We’ll have to find an instructor that’ll be willing to teach him some routines to practice before he actually tries skydiving so he can be prepared and I’ll have peace of mind since he’ll actually know what he’s doing before he jumps out of a place.

    1. Hi Hazel, that’s great that your son will be jumping soon! He won’t need to practice beforehand for his first tandem skydive, but practicing his solo training jumps once he gets a little further along in the Skydiver Training Program is very helpful. We look forward to flying with him!

  3. I’ve been wanting to go skydiving for years and my husband agreed to go with me. Thank you for suggesting that I should make sure and ask the instructor how to practice at home. I’ll have to keep this in mind as I search for the right skydiving place in our area.

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