Why Parachuting and Skydiving Are Safe As a Bank
There is a misconception that parachuting and skydiving are not very safe. This is probably because of the “caught on tape” television shows that show sky divers falling out of the sky with no parachute because it didn’t deploy. Why those videos exist, is a good question. The good news is that when you go tandem skydiving or you begin skydiving on your own, there are so many safety precautions put in place that it is difficult for any disaster to occur.
Here are the safety precautions that are put in place:
When tandem skydiving, you are attached to the instructor with a harness. The instructor is the one wearing the parachute. This enables the instructor to have control and instruct you on how to appropriately deploy the parachute.
For tandem sky diving, there is a parachute called a drogue parachute and it is deployed shortly after the jump in order to slow down the fall. This enables better security during the free fall phase so that the instructor can instruct where necessary. This parachute is not necessary on solo jumps and may eventually be removed from tandem sky diving sessions as progress is made.
The main parachute is larger because of a tandem dive. It’s around 360 square feet or larger. When jumping solo, the parachute is smaller than this.
The reserve parachute is always present. This parachute is necessary in case the main parachute does not open. This parachute has been known to save lives in the past, but it is not one that really ever needs to be used.
Many sky diving companies are utilizing automatic activation devices, or AADs. These are devices that detect that you are still in free fall mode after a certain altitude with no parachute deployed. This can save lives. Although some events are rare, there is still always the possibility. Perhaps someone is diabetic and they pass out in the air, the AAD can deploy the parachute and save their life. This means if you miss your window to pull your rip cord, the AAD can take care of the task for you.
You do have an aerodynamic helmet on your head. Head protection is important in case you have an awkward landing or a little debris may be flying in the air for one reason or another. The landing is usually quite soft, but you never know when you may trip over a rock or your own feet. You also never know when a bird may be a little wild and decide to come your direction.
Over the years, skydiving has become safer and safer. There is always new technology being made available to ensure the safety of each dive. This is, perhaps, why so few people are being met with injuries and why even fewer are being met with death. This is good news for the sky diving world. This has resulted in more people enjoying the thrill that this activity has to offer.
