How To Avoid Skydive Accidents

Skydiving can be an incredible experience when you have had the proper training in how to avoid skydive accidents. People have been obsessed with jumping out of things safely for a long time. The first known person to use a parachute was Faust Vrancic, who jumped from a tower in Venice, Italy in 1617 while wearing a rigid-framed parachute. The first person to jump with a parachute as we now know it, was Andrew Garnerin in 1797. Skydiving does involve risks, but with training, good judgment and safe equipment, the rate is fewer than three injuries per 10,000 skydives.

1. Research. Check out your public library for books on skydiving. Familiarize yourself with the terminology, equipment, costs and commitment to training. The Internet is another place to find invaluable information.
2. Join The United States Parachute Association. www.uspa.org is the perfect place to find answers to any questions you have regarding skydiving and accident rates. You can join their association, look up schools and find almost any kind of information about skydiving.
3. Get proper training. Sign up for classes with a reputable trainer, not your buddy who thinks it is cool to jump out of an airplane and happens to have an old parachute lying around. If this is a one-time thrill event for you, consider tandem jumping. The training required is only takes about 30 minutes and you skydive in tandem with your trainer. Solo jumping and freefall take several hours of training, plus you may have to buy your own equipment which costs anywhere from 2000 to 5000 dollars.
4. Keep safety forefront. Skydiving has inherent risks; you are jumping from an airplane, so there are going to be risks. Most skydiving accidents are due to human error. Follow the rules, use proper preparation techniques and good judgment to minimize risks.

Skydiving can be a fun and liberating experience if the right precautions are taken to avoid a skydiving accident. With these few suggestions, you will be well on your way to planning for the big jump.