Tandem skydiving - a guide for beginners

Skydiving beginners probably have a lot of questions about their first jump. Maybe you've already heard of " tandem skydiving ", but you're not really sure what it means. Or perhaps this phrase is completely foreign to you and you are just curious about the first jump and want to test an experience full of adrenaline.

In the following we will discover what tandem skydiving is and why it is considered the best way for beginners to learn how to skydive.

What is tandem skydiving?

A tandem jump is a skydiving experience in which two people jump together from a plane, tied to each other throughout the descent. The ropes with which the two are connected make it possible for one of the people to float above the other during the free fall, both people being oriented with their faces towards the ground, so that they can admire the whole view unfolding at their feet.

You cannot jump in tandem with anyone

Maybe you've dreamed how cool it would be to jump in tandem with your best friend or life partner, but unfortunately (or fortunately!) that's not how tandem skydiving works! Tandem skydiving involves a certified instructor and a student. Never two beginners!
Your tandem partner will be a certified parachutist, who has done very rigorous training before, and at least 500 jumps to obtain the title of instructor or who has spent at least three hours in free fall.

Can you jump with your friends?

Obviously, you can share this experience with your friends or your loved one, but don't get tied up in the same harness. You can go with friends in the same plane, but when it comes to the actual jump, each one will be linked to the certified instructor with whom he will do the tandem jump and who will be responsible for him. You can also jump with your partner, but at a distance of a few seconds.

How does the tandem jump day go?

Arrival at the jump site

You should find out the exact location the day before and document yourself regarding the exact description of the place and how you can get there. You will have to arrive at the boarding point 45 minutes before the tandem jump.

Preparation for the tandem jump

After the formalities, you will have to put on your jump suit. Then you will be picked up by the tandem jump instructor. Preparations on the ground take about 20 minutes. During this period, the tandem instructor should explain to you what the tandem jump is like, including the time in the plane, what happens when you jump, what happens during the free fall, during the parachute flight, but also during the landing.

Boarding the plane and flying

After boarding and taking off, during the flight you will be able to admire the surrounding landscape and all the attractions of the area. You will therefore enjoy a tourist flight before the tandem jump. During this time, the instructor will try to remove all the fears you might have. Skydiving means safe adrenaline.

Leaving the aircraft

This is one of the most beautiful phases of the tandem jump. It is not just a leap, but represents the entry into a completely new world.

Free fall

This is the most beautiful part of tandem jumping and represents an unforgettable and sometimes even unique experience. Although it is called free fall, the sensation you have is not that of falling, but of floating. You will experience the state of "free fall" from an altitude of 3000 meters, for 45 seconds, in general, and you will reach a speed of 200 km/hour.

Opening and using the parachute

Your instructor will open the parachute at an altitude of approximately 1500 meters. Then you will enjoy an actual flight through an infinite quiet space, which will last approximately 5-5 minutes.
You can fly with a parachute up to a distance of 300 meters above the ground, after which the instructor will take control to ensure that you land safely.

Landing

When you land, you will have the feeling that you are jumping from the first step of a ladder. The instructor will be the first to touch the ground and thus absorb this light impact.
After landing
Before celebrating your first tandem jump, the team you will jump with will provide you with a video clip and photos of this special experience, if you opt for them. The professional film will contain images of the preparations for the tandem jump, boarding the plane, the ascent, the jump, the free fall, the final phases of the parachute flight, as well as the landing and the moments of joy after landing.

How safe is skydiving?

The most questions related to tandem skydiving are those regarding safety. Many of those who want to jump with a parachute wonder "will I really be safe when I jump?", and for beginners the question is well founded. The answer to this question, however, is influenced by many factors.

• The tandem jump with a parachute is safe enough that the companies that organize such jumps survive in this business without unpleasant events. If tandem jumping had been a dangerous activity, certainly many companies would not have been in this business, neither in Romania nor anywhere in the world. In addition, this sport would no longer be an attraction for the general public. The risk would be so great that the advantages of this business would no longer matter.
• New technologies and research have made skydiving equipment safer than ever. Thus, the days of jumping with bulky military equipment are long gone. Modern parachuting equipment is very advanced, subjected to a lot of analysis and research and tested in conditions that far exceed the stresses to which it would normally be subjected during a jump.
  Each piece of equipment today contains a main parachute, a reserve parachute, an automatic activation device (a small computer that initiates the reserve parachute if the user cannot do it manually), and the containers are well protected. In a respected airline, the equipment must be maintained and inspected several times a week and taken out of use immediately if they need maintenance.
• Tandem skydiving is the safest training method for a parachutist jumping for the first time. Many years ago, the only way to make the first jump was to jump in a straight line, on your own and land more or less where the wind took you, also on your own. The sport, however, has evolved since then, and tandem jumping is now the standard training method worldwide for first-time jumpers. Tandem means that your harness is attached to the instructor, with equipment designed for two people. The fact that they have an experienced parachutist attached to them - obviously having a clear interest in landing safely, is definitely an advantage for those who jump for the first time.
• The company you choose matters. Not all companies are equal, unfortunately, and we do not say this to scare you, but to always choose the option that inspires you the most confidence.
• You get what you pay for. As in any other business, the price is an indicator of the value of the service you receive. Of course, we all like bargains, but you should pay attention to the discounts offered by the companies that organize such tandem jumps. Big discounts will most often come from small or not well-known companies in the field. Do you feel confident in a company that practices low prices just to attract customers passionate about adrenaline? Do you think it is possible that these low prices cover all the necessary expenses for the proper maintenance of the planes, the equipment for parachuting and the costs for hiring some specialists?

In addition, you can be tricked into thinking you're getting a great deal, when in fact the service provider minimizes the experience in order to sell it at a lower price. The most common way this happens is to cheat by flying at a lower altitude to save money on fuel, hoping you won't notice or ask questions. Be smart when it comes to an activity like skydiving and remember that if a jump is much cheaper than others in this field, there is probably a good reason.

What do the statistics say?

Tandem skydiving has the best statistics of all types of jumps, with only 0.003 deaths per 1000 jumps in the last 10 years. Therefore, it is more likely to be struck by lightning or to win the lottery than to die during a tandem parachute jump. Moreover, the most dangerous part of skydiving is the drive to the jump site.

Under what conditions can you not jump with a tandem parachute?

Tandem parachute flights are only for people over 18 years of age, and in the case of minors, a notarized agreement will be required by which both parents give their consent for the jump.
Also, people in good health are allowed to jump, and if we refer to people over 60 years old, they will need a certificate from a doctor. People suffering from epilepsy, heart disease or severe mental illness cannot jump. In addition, tandem skydiving is not recommended even for pregnant women.
The weight limit for those interested in the tandem jump is 85 kg, and the weighing will be done on the day of the jump.

Can you jump with contact lenses or glasses?

Glasses are not an obstacle in the case of tandem jumping. The equipment for the jump includes safety glasses anyway, which can be worn over the glasses. These protective glasses will prevent air from entering your eyes, so you can jump even with contact lenses.

Do knee problems mean landing difficulties?

One of the advantages of tandem jumping with a professional is that the instructor will slow you down just before landing. Thus, the pressure placed on the knee is the same as in the case of a step on a step with a height of 20 cm. The instructor absorbs any other impact, because he is the first to hit the ground.

What is the difference between skydiving and a tandem jump?

This is one of the most frequent questions asked by those interested in tandem skydiving.
To clarify the situation, every jump you make from the plane is a jump with a parachute, because in the end everything ends with the opening of the parachute.
The skydiving part refers to what you do before the instructor pulls the handle that opens the parachute – the incredible experience of free fall.
Beginners are sometimes put in difficulty by the different types of jumps that require different degrees of training and experience. Here is a brief description of three ways to jump out of a plane:

Tandem jump

Training: 15-minute sessions, including simulated free fall.
Experience: Jump and free fall from 3000 meters with an experienced instructor who will control the technical parts of the descent, including opening the parachute and landing.
It's a cheap way to jump, where you benefit from safety with the instructor and you don't have to worry about technical problems.

Jump in a straight line

Training: 6 hours of ground training.
Experience: the jump from 1000 meters, in which the parachute opens immediately after leaving the aircraft.
It is more expensive than tandem jumping, you do not benefit from the feeling of free fall, you jump from a lower height, but the advantage - if you are looking for this type of adrenaline - is that you will jump alone.

Accelerated free fall

Training: intensive course requiring a whole day of preparation before the jump.
Experience: jump assisted by two instructors who hold you from an altitude of 3500 meters.
It is the most expensive jump option.

Vouchers for the tandem jump

One of the best ways in which you can experience tandem skydiving, or in which you can gift such an experience to a friend who you know would like it, is to purchase a voucher for a tandem jump. Such vouchers are a real gold mine for adrenaline enthusiasts, offering between 30 and 60 seconds of free fall and a complete jumping experience of about 5 minutes. In other words, enough time to catch your breath after jumping out of the plane, to enjoy the adrenaline, but also the view of the world seen from above.

With these vouchers you can opt for simple tandem jump (without photo and video), tandem jump with filming (in which you will be accompanied during the entire flight by a cameraman who will also jump to film the whole experience), tandem jump with filming and photography (also assisted by a cameraman who will capture the experience of your jump in photographic images and on video). If you opt for one of the options with pictures, at the end you will go home satisfied with the experience and with a series of special memories.

Where can you tandem skydive in Romania?

Fortunately, parachuting enthusiasts and those who want to try the special experience of tandem jumping have enough locations in Romania where they can jump safely.

Thus, you can choose one of the packages for tandem jumps from caduuriperfecte.ro, flying from Sibiu, Clinceni, Tuzla or Cluj.

Tandem skydiving in Sibiu it is done from the Magura Airport in Cisnadie, Sibiu. The voucher is valid for 12 months, and appointments are made 14 days before the desired date.

Tandem skydiving in Clinceni it is done from the Clinceni Airport, in the commune of Cornetu, Ilfov. The voucher is valid for 12 months, and appointments are made 7 days before the desired date.

Skydiving Tuzla Constanta is done from the Tuzla Airport, Constanta. The voucher is valid for 12 months, and appointments are made 7 days before the desired date.

Tandem jumping in Cluj it is done from the Luncani Airport, Cluj. The voucher is valid for 12 months, and appointments are made at least 14 days before the desired date.

Hurry up and reserve your voucher as soon as possible to take advantage of the favorable weather!