Is Skydiving Safe?

By Hayden White | July 22, 2015

Skydiving is one of those activities that we have all thought about and even had them included on our bucket-lists. But, it always comes down to one question – how safe is it? To help you answer this question, here are a few things that you need to know:

THE STATISTICS

According to the latest report by USPA (United States Parachute Association), out of the 3.2 million skydiving jumps made in 2014, only 24 fatalities were recorded. This is equivalent to 0.0075 fatalities per every 1,000 jumps.

Then, on average, 60 people from all around the world die from skydiving. Before you are too quick to jump to conclusions, you need to remember that every year, over 30,000 people die through road accidents (in US). This makes driving a lot more dangerous than skydiving. A pedestrian’s safety is also nowhere close to skydiving for over 4,000 pedestrians die annually. Based on these figures, it’s clear that skydiving has the lowest fatality rates not only in the world of sports but in all the other areas.

CAUSE OF SKYDIVING FATALITIES

If you have never skydived before, you must be thinking that it’s the first-timers who fall victim of these fatalities. This is never the case. In fact, a greater majority of people who die or get injured are experienced skydivers. The reason why this happens to them is that, they tend to become cocky hence try executing maneuvers that are unsafe while still on air. At other times, they simply dismiss the instructions, such as the weather conditions and instead do whatever they feel like.

In other words, all skydiving related deaths are preventable.

WHAT’S MAKES SKYDIVING SO SAFE?

The number one reason why skydiving is considered safe is that, it’s strictly regulated. This is due to the potential danger that’s bound to come by if proper measures and regulations aren’t put into place. For instance, all skydivers are required to use the latest and safest professional gear that is specifically designed for skydiving. The gear is usually made in a manner that complements both the safety standards and regulations.

Other than this, experts of this sport are highly skilled in understanding the wind patterns and calculating the skydiver’s landings. Thus, if the weather conditions are unfavorable, one is prohibited from skydiving.

SKYDIVING FOR THE FIRST TIME

Irrespective of the safety measures, it’s hard for a first-time skydiver to embrace this sport. To guarantee their safety, first-timers have a choice to do a solo jump or have someone accompany them. At such times, they are required to go for tandem jumps. The person accompanying the first-timer (Jumpmaster) is usually well experienced as s/he should have had a minimum of 500 jumps. In case of any complications, the Jumpmaster takes it upon him/herself to correct them. Also, they work towards helping the first-timer land safely.

To enable you have the safest skydive, you should:

• Skydive with a credible and reputable company.
• Wear warm, loose and comfortable clothing.
• Don’t drink before the jump.