What is a Tandem Skydive?

Most people are already familiar with tandem skydiving but for those that have never heard of it or know very little about it we will discuss it in more detail. For, those new to skydiving, tandem skydives are really the easiest way to make your first adventure. To get a complete understanding of what tandem skydiving is, it is best to take a look at what the definition of the word “tandem” means. Tandem, by definition, is the arrangement of two or more persons, or objects, behind each other. So in essence, tandem skydiving is arrangement of two skydivers, the student and the instructor, where the instructor’s harness attaches them to each other. During a tandem jump the student sits in the front of the harness and both the student and the instructor share the instructor’s parachute. A special oversized parachute, which can support weights up to 500 pounds, is used for jump.

Preparing for a tandem skydive

Whether you are jumping in the USA, Australia or some other great location, the principles, or mechanics so to speak, behind tandem skydiving are basically the same. However, the instructional levels that you receive can very greatly depending on where you plan your first jump. All skydiving schools are different and training can differ according to which city, state or country you live in. Most locations will start you out with a training session to get you accommodated with basics of skydiving. In some schools both a video and an instructor will be used to teach you the basics of body positioning during the freefall and the techniques of flying the parachute (although the instructor will fly the parachute in a tandem jump).

*You should also expect your training session to include you being fitted for a jumpsuit and the harness.

Shortly after your training is complete, you will board a plane and begin the ascent to your final destination. As you ascend, the airplane will fly up to somewhere between 10000 and 14000 feet. At this time you should discuss with your instructor any final questions or concerns you have. Once your destination has been reached, you and your instructor will prepare for the jump and your skydiving experience will then begin. After plunging from the plane you can expect to fall for around 50 seconds at speeds up to 120 mph.

A tandem jump is the safest way to jump for beginners because the instructor will control the freefall and fly the parachute once it has been deployed. However, tandem jumping is not for everyone and there are other options for those that would like to have more control over their skydiving experience.

The next step from here is Accelerated Freefall, however another option for beginner skydives is thrill of just parachuting with the Static Line jump.