Equipment Needed For Skydiving

By: Stephen Thiele

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Looking for information on the equipment needed for skydiving? If you go to a skydiving business, they should provide you with all of the equipment that you need. However, if you are going on your own, you should be aware of all of the needed equipment beforehand. Skydiving equipment has greatly advanced over the past few years, which makes this sport very safe to participate in these days.

  1. Parachute. Of course, the most important piece of equipment that is needed for skydiving is the parachute. The parachute that you use for skydiving should have three components to it. Two of the components should be the main parachute and the reserve parachute. The other component will be a set of leg and chest straps that keep you fastened to the parachute. While skydiving parachutes are not 100% reliable, you can rest assured that most issues are caused by human error, not mechanical malfunction.
  2. Jumpsuit. While a jumpsuit is not required, it is a piece of equipment that is recommended for skydiving. Jumpsuits are specifically designed to give you the most control possible over your free fall. If you are a smaller person, you may want to go with a tight jumpsuit, while larger person should use a canvas-like jumpsuit for skydiving.
  3. Helmet and Goggles. Another piece of equipment that is needed for skydiving is a helmet. Some helmets will come with a pair of attached goggles, but if yours doesn't, you will want to purchase goggles on your own. If something were to go wrong, a helmet would at least provide your head with additional protection. When you are skydiving, you can be falling at speeds that range up to 150 miles per hour, so goggles are needed to prevent you from getting debris and other particles in your eyes.
  4. Altimeter. An altimeter is not required for skydiving, but it is a piece of equipment that you should have with you when you jump out of the airplane. Generally speaking, you will wear the altimeter on the front of your torso or your wrist. The purpose of the visual altimeter while you are skydiving is to measure the how far you have fallen and at what speed.
Posted on: Feb. 13, 2011