Skydiving Gear Makes Jumping Safer, More Attractive

A lot has changed in the way of skydiving gear since it was first used by the military in World War I, with new advances in technology and parachute design making it one of the most popular recreational extreme sports in the country. The experience of free falling at speeds that can exceed 120 miles per hour is a great experience to some, while others find it to be a terrifying thought.

One of the most visible changes in skydiving gear is the parachute design. Originally, it as a round nylon cloth in the shape of half of a ball with a hole in the center to allow air to flow through. Today’s parachutes resemble wings and offer greater control of the glide direction and speed. The fall rate of 120 miles per hour can quickly drop to about 12 miles per hour once the parachute is deployed. Additional skydiving gear for safety is an altimeter worn by the jumper, telling them when to open the chute, as opposed to the original jumpers who made the determination by visually calculating their distance to the ground.

Possibly one of the most important pieces of skydiving gear, other than the parachute and reserve chute, is the altimeter. Knowing how far a jumper is from the ground tells them when to open their chute, giving the chute sufficient time to fully deploy deploy before hitting the ground. Some of the older, mechanical altimeters often gave false readings if the jumper was inverted, but newer skydiving gear, include those that are accurate regardless of the position.

Chute Design Varies With Activity

When buying a parachute, its shape and size will be determined by the type of jumping a person is going to be doing. Wing design, arrowhead shape or the old standard round parachutes are some the skydiving gear for which jumpers are looking. Helmets are another major part of skydiving gear that must meet safety standards. Not that a helmet will be much good if the chute fails to open, but if the jumper falls upon landing, the helmet can provide protection if their head hits the ground.

Parachutists closely examine their skydiving gear frequently, looking for signs of wear and weakness in the chute materiel, the cords and the backpack, as well as the harness straps that keep them attached to the parachute. The clothing they wear as part of their skydiving gear is also closely examined for tears that could affect their direction of travel on their way back to terra firma.

Adventure Sky Diving – The Thrill Of A Lifetime

If you’re looking for adventure, sky diving may well be the solution you’ve been waiting for. Around since 1797, skydiving is a fun filled sport for thrill seekers of all ages. There are a great number of places around the world that cater to first time jumpers, with certified instructors that have thousands of jumps under their belts.

Adventure sky diving is the act of jumping from an airplane or a high stationary object (otherwise known as BASE jumping), with a parachute strapped to your back. Not for everyone, skydiving produces a rush of adrenaline that can be quite addictive to thrill seekers.

Adventure Sky Diving – Your First Jump

Before you will be allowed to actually jump from an airplane for your first time, you will be required to complete classroom sessions. There are two types of classes you will be required to participate in before you can jump: tandem training, and accelerated free fall training. You will learn about your equipment, how to exit the plane, how to hold your body in the air, as well as how to steer and land. You will also be taught what to do in the event of an equipment failure. This training is conducted entirely on the ground.

Adventure sky diving requires utmost discipline and patience, so as to ensure the safety of everyone involved. It is important that you follow your instructor’s directions very carefully, as it may well save your life.

There is very little risk involved in adventure sky diving, if you follow instructions carefully, and make certain that you have all of the proper equipment. Skydiving deaths only occur in about one out of every 100,000 jumps, and are typically due to climatic conditions (strong winds, etc.).

Once you have completed the class time for adventure sky diving, you will be required to outfit yourself with the proper gear. A jumpsuit, helmet, goggles, and parachute will be assigned to you. Your parachute will contain an emergency, reserve chute that will automatically deploy in the event of an equipment failure with your main chute.

Now that you’ve completed all of your safety instruction, you’re ready for your first adventure sky diving jump. You and your instructor will go up in an aircraft to roughly 14,000 feet. From there, the two of you will jump together, and your instructor will give you all of the direction you need from opening your parachute, to landing safely and easily.

If you’re ready for a thrill, adventure sky diving may be the perfect solution. As long as you follow your instructor’s guidance, it is a safe and fun pastime for thrill seekers of all ages.

The Ups And Downs Of Skydiving

Many of us are uneasy at the thought of flying on holiday in an enclosed aeroplane. Just imagine what it must feel like to throw yourself out of a plane from several thousand feet up, and enjoy the feeling of freefalling through the air at over a hundred miles an hour until you open your parachute.

Welcome to the terrifying and exhilarating world of skydiving.

An Introduction To Skydiving

People take up skydiving for many different reasons. Some people have always wanted to try it, and once they have that first taste of what it feels like, they’re hooked for life and it becomes their hobby.

Others are terrified at the mere thought of jumping out of an aeroplane – at any height from the ground – but they decide to do it just once in the aid of charity. Still more are given activity vouchers for their birthday or for Christmas, and decide to do something they probably would never do otherwise.

However people come to the sport of skydiving, they can do it in one of two ways once they find the courage to go through with it.

On Your Own – Or With Help?

For the less brave among us there is the opportunity to go tandem skydiving. This removes the need to know exactly what to do during the dive.

The person is strapped to an instructor for the experience, and although they can have a go at controlling the parachute once it is opened, it’s possible to just enjoy the whole dive without having to worry about what to do.

This is a popular way to begin skydiving, as it is an opportunity to find out what to expect - without having the scary responsibility of getting yourself safely back down to earth!

For the more confident, or for those who have tried a tandem jump already, solo skydiving is the order of the day. A detailed training course will provide the skills needed to complete the jump successfully.

Once they’ve made their first jump, some people take up the sport as a hobby. Skydiving gives you a big adrenalin rush, and contrary to what others might think it can actually be a big stress reliever. It certainly takes your mind off other things when you’re falling from an aeroplane – especially before you open your parachute.

So if you’re looking for a hobby with a difference, why not consider skydiving? You never know, you might just enjoy it…

Advantages Of Ohio Skydiving

If you live in or near Ohio – or you are planning on going to Ohio on holiday – you’ll be pleased to know there are several places which allow you to experience Ohio skydiving.

For the more experienced skydiver, it can be especially exhilarating taking part in dives in many different parts of the country – or even the world, if you are lucky enough to travel widely.

Ohio skydiving offers the chance to see many parts of Ohio from thousands of feet in the air. What better way to be guaranteed a good view of the best that Ohio has to offer than by freefalling towards it at speed?

One of the best parts of skydiving is being able to see for miles as you step out of the plane and make your descent. If you are a beginner and you’re about to make your first jump, you could hardly have picked a better place to do it than Ohio.

Ohio Skydiving Centers To Consider Visiting

Wherever you are in Ohio, there is sure to be a skydiving center not too far away for you to visit. There are many reputable places in Ohio that run excellent training courses if you are new to skydiving.

All Ohio skydiving centers have large flat drop zone to aim for after your parachute opens. Whether you attend a center in Cincinnati, Cleveland or Columbus – to name just a few – you’ll be assured of first class service and training, and the advantage of lower prices if you are skydiving with a group of friends.

Indeed, if you are on holiday with friends or family skydiving can be an excellent activity for everyone to experience together. It can still be a day to remember for those who don’t take part in the jump itself. Staying on firm ground armed with a video camera and watching as your friends and family hurl themselves out of an aeroplane at speed can be a memorable experience!

Ohio skydiving is renowned as being among the best skydiving experiences in the world. Not only are the views amazing, but the experience and services that have been developed and offered over the years are second to none.

Ohio skydiving could provide you with a holiday memory you will never forget. Alternatively it could be yet another drop zone to add to your ever growing list of skydiving experiences.

In short, Ohio skydiving has to be experienced to be believed.

Recreational Sky Diving Requires Trust

Possibly the hardest part of sky diving is getting over the notion of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. There is also a lot of trust involved of leaving the perceived safety of a plane and trusting your life to a nylon canopy that a stranger folded into a backpack that is supposed to allow you to drift to the ground. Knowing that if something went wrong in the packing of the chute, your drift to the ground could be at about 120 miles per hour, requires a lot of blind faith.

Sky diving was originally used by the military for troop deployment in the first two World Wars, and later as a protection for pilots and crew for wartime aviators in event of the aircraft being unable to fly. In the 1950’s it caught on for recreational jumpers, although still used for military deployment and fire fighting and in many other situations in which sky diving is the most viable means of inserting personnel.

Today’s sky diving teams carry two parachutes along with additional safety devices, such as altimeters to tell them when it is time to open the parachutes. The main chute is activated by what is called a ripcord, which can be pulled by hand at an altitude decided upon by the jumper, or by a static line connected to the aircraft, automatically deploying the canopy as the jumper exits the plane.

Speeds Vary By Jumper’s Position

When sky diving, how fast a person plummets to Earth is determined by their position as they fall. Traditionally, the belly-down, or spread eagle position, offers the most wind resistance and the jumper will free-fall at about 120 miles per hour. A head-long dive can generate falling speeds of up to 200 miles per hour and most canopy deployments are effected while in the spread eagle position.

The first time a person willing jumps out of an airplane is while attached to an experienced sky diving jumper in what is called a tandem jump. The instructor is in control of safely exiting the aircraft, opening the parachute and landing safely. Usually, only one tandem jump is required before a person can take the next step to a single jump using a static line deployment system.

A reserve chute, used when the main chute fails to open, can be deployed by hand or in many cases attached to the main chute, which has to be released before opening the reserve, and once it is released it automatically pulls the release on the reserve chute. Most agree that sky diving is about as close to individual flight as they will ever get and is an experience that everyone should realize at least once.

A Brief History On Skydiving

There is a long and rich history on skydiving, but this article will give you just a brief history on skydiving. Although many of the skydiving milestones occurred within the twentieth century, the history on skydiving goes back much further. Parachuting actually originally started in China around the 1100s, which is almost a thousand years ago. Even though there was no airplanes at that time, individuals found natural formations where they could leap and float relatively safely to the ground below. In addition, Leonardo Da Vinci created a design that showed a wood frame parachute in a pyramid shape, proving that parachuting is a lot older than many think.

The Sport Of Skydiving

When it comes to skydiving as a sport, the history on skydiving then has a more recent start. The first person to do this was Jacques Garnerin who jumped from balloons in the late eighteenth century and performed fanciful displays. After performing his jumps he would use a parachute to land safely. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that women started participating in this sport as well. Kathe Paulus is one of the more famous women in the history on skydiving who parachuted in Germany near the end of the nineteenth century and she became well known for her skill.

The history on skydiving moves to another level when the airplane was invented. As the airplane evolved it became possible to parachute from a faster-moving mechanical device and causing more spectacular skydiving routines. Tiny Broadwick was the first woman to jump from a plane in 1913. She was also the first woman to make a free fall from an airplane in 1914.

Although it is interesting to note that in the history on skydiving, it wasn’t actually declared skydiving until the mid-1950s and the term was applied to Raymond Young. Before this time everyone referred to it as parachuting. After World War II the art of skydiving changed from a novelty act to an actual sport. This was a result of parachutes and skydiving being used as a tactical move during the war. In fact, during World War I pilots were told to land their planes rather than bail out and often weren’t given parachutes. After the first successful bailout of an airplane in 1922, parachuting became a more popular form of bailout for pilots.

Skydiving then became more of a mainstream hobby after World War II. Especially since the returning soldiers enjoyed the ski diving aspect and had the courage to attempt freefall. The soldiers often engaged in competitions when they returned home which led to skydiving becoming a sport. For commercial purposes the first skydiving schools started to appear around 1957. Today skydiving is both a popular hobby and an extreme sport.