Tandem jumps are the topic for this part of our go skydiving guide.
One of the commonest ways for beginners to enter skydiving is tandem jumping. This involves a novice and an instructor being attached by a harness before exiting the plane and descending together.
The two parachutists remain attached until after the landing and the instructor is in complete control of the jump, the free fall and the canopy release. He or she pilots the paired skydivers both horizontally and vertically through the entire jump, so the novice can just enjoy the skydiving experience.
This lets a beginner experience skydiving with the least possible training, risk and stress. Many people follow tandem jumping with static line or accelerated freefall training, and ultimately with solo jumping. Tandem jumping is also usually cheaper than other options as jumper need very little instruction and need not buy or hire their own equipment.
While other jump programs require several hours of ground instruction, tandem jumping usually covers a few basic issues such as the cooperation needed to safely exit the plane and descend properly. Such training will normally take less than a couple of hours.
After the jumpers exit the plane, the instructor will almost immediately release a small pilot chute (or drogue) that will help slow the descent to around 120 mph (193 kph), roughly the normal free fall speed. Without this pilot chute, the two jumpers’ combined weight would generate a descent speed of about 200 mph (321 kph) – much faster than any beginning parachutist should experience.
At the appropriate elevation above ground level (about 3,000 feet – 914 m), the instructor will pull a cord to deploy the main parachute canopy, shortly after which you’ll then descend at the normal rate, about 10 mph (16 kph), until you touch down on the ground.
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