Skydiving - Essential Equipment For Your Skydiving Experience

Skydiving can be one of the most exhilarating experiences of your life. Choosing to free fall from thousands of feet above ground not only requires professional training but it also requires a few key pieces of equipment. Without the proper equipment, the safety of your experience can be severely compromised.

Below you will find a list of essential equipment required for your skydiving adventure:

Parachute. Undoubtedly the most important piece of equipment for any skydiver, the parachute is your lifeline after you've taken the plunge. The only way you're making it back on the ground safely is if your parachute opens successfully and glides you softly to the ground. If you're serious about skydiving, we suggest purchasing a parachute from a skydiving shop. These shops inspect and certify the equipment before selling it which means you're getting top-of-the line products. Now's not the time to be cheap.

Automatic Activation Device (AAD). Your automatic activation device is your safety net when free-falling. The AAD will launch your parachute even if you do not pull the ripcord manually. An automatic activation device senses how fast you're falling and subsequently releases the backup parachute if the speed of your fall detects that your first parachute did not launch.

Jumpsuit. The sole purpose of a skydiving jumpsuit is to protect your clothing from powerful winds and objects (like trees and shrubs) when you're approaching the ground. Similar to a parachute, it's important that you purchase your jumpsuit from an official skydiving shop.

Learning to skydive is one of the most exciting things you'll accomplish in your life but you need to acknowledge the importance of being prepared. Showing up for your first class without researching the equipment, rules and regulations beforehand will not only make it more difficult for you to learn but will also make it more difficult for your trainer to teach. The more you know beforehand, the faster you'll learn the skills and techniques you need to skydive on your own. Before you know it, you'll be free-falling from thousands of feet in the air - talk about a thrill!