Top First-Time Skydiving Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Jump

Key Takeaways

This guide covers tips for skydiving for the first time, from ground school through landing, so you can feel prepared and enjoy the experience. You’ll learn why paying attention during training and communicating with your instructor can make your jump smoother and more comfortable. We also share practical first-time tandem skydiving tips, including where to look during freefall, how to manage your breathing, and how to get the most out of your video package. Finally, we explain why it’s important to slow down after landing and take a moment to appreciate what you’ve accomplished. Whether you’re excited, nervous, or a little of both, these tips will help you make the most of your first skydive.

You’ve booked your first skydive. You’ve read how to prepare, know what to wear, and have an idea of what your day will look like at Michigan’s premier dropzone. But what happens once you actually arrive?

Your first tandem skydive moves fast, and knowing what to expect can help you feel more confident and enjoy every second of it. Here are our top skydiving tips for first timers to help you get the most out of your experience, from ground school to landing.

1. Pay Attention During Ground School

Before your skydive, your instructor will walk you through everything you need to know. While tandem instructors handle the technical aspects of the jump, you’re still an active participant, which is why you’re called a tandem student.

You’ll learn how to board the aircraft, position yourself for exit, maintain a good body position during freefall, and lift your legs for landing. None of it is difficult, but your participation helps make the jump smoother and safer.

Feeling nervous? That’s completely normal. Your instructor works with first-time jumpers every day and will happily repeat anything you need to hear again.

Pro Tip: Before you get geared up in your tandem harness, use the bathroom one last time. 

2. Communicate With Your Instructor

One of the best things you can do is simply talk to your instructor. Feeling anxious? Tell them. Feeling nauseous under canopy? Let them know. Didn’t catch part of the briefing? Ask them to repeat it.

Your instructor wants you to have an incredible experience, and they can only help if they know what you’re feeling. They’ve heard it all and seen it all; be honest.

3. Look at the Horizon, Not the Ground

One of the simplest first-time tandem skydiving tips can make a surprisingly big difference. As you exit the airplane, look out toward the horizon instead of straight down. Looking up naturally encourages the proper body position for freefall, while staring at the ground tends to pull your body out of that ideal arch. (Plus, it makes for much better photos and video of your jump.)

The same advice applies once your parachute opens. Looking toward the horizon instead of directly below can help reduce dizziness or motion sickness while giving you a chance to soak in the incredible view. You’re seeing the world from a perspective very few people ever will; don’t miss it by staring straight down.

4. Remember to Breathe

One of the biggest myths about skydiving is that you can’t breathe during freefall. You absolutely can. The sensation of 120 mph wind combined with the adrenaline simply catches many first-time jumpers off guard. They take one big breath and then subconsciously hold it.

Instead, focus on slow, deliberate breathing. Take a full inhale and a full exhale. If you find yourself holding your breath, scream! It naturally forces you to exhale and resets your breathing. Before you know it, you’ll realize breathing in freefall feels completely normal.

5. Get the Video (You’ll Thank Yourself Later)

Yes, we’re a little biased, but we’d recommend getting the video package to every first-time skydiver because it’s absolutely worth it. No matter how many skydives you eventually make, you’ll only ever have one first skydive. Having professional photos and video lets you relive those emotions long after the adrenaline wears off.

To get the best footage, don’t spend the entire jump staring at the camera. Smile when you notice it and have some awareness of it, but then look around. Take in the mountains, the landscape, the horizon, and the feeling of flying. Those genuine reactions are what make for the best videos.

6. Take a Moment After Landing

When your feet touch the ground, don’t rush off to the next thing. Take a deep breath. Look around. Celebrate.

Whether you’re overwhelmed with excitement, relieved it’s over, or already thinking about doing it again, let yourself enjoy the moment. You just accomplished something that most people will never experience.

You faced something that probably scared you, you trusted your instructor, you stepped outside your comfort zone, and you FLEW through the sky at 120 mph!! That’s something worth being supremely proud of.

Ready to Experience It for Yourself?

The hardest part of skydiving is often making the decision to do it. Once you’re here, your instructors will guide you through every step of the experience and make sure you feel prepared and empowered from takeoff to touchdown.

Book your tandem skydive today. We can’t wait to share the experience with you! Blue skies!