“Is skydiving safe?” This is one of the most common questions about the sport. Although millions of successful skydives are conducted each year and the risks are relatively low, they are not zero. As with any extreme sport, there are inherent risks. However, there are a few things you can do to contribute to your own safety. Most of this information will be taught in your training class on the day of your skydive, but it doesn’t hurt to hear it more than once.
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Who Becomes a Licensed Skydiver?
You might imagine all skydivers are just some crazy yahoos. Basically, beach bums of the sky, living out their own endless summer, point break dreams. However, you may be surprised to find skydiving attracts an incredibly diverse group of people. There are more than 70,000 skydivers worldwide and 41,000 are members of the United States Parachute Association (USPA). As of 2022 the USPA has the largest membership in its history! That means there are more skydivers in the world than ever before. Here we’ll discuss what it takes to become a skydiver and some interesting data collected on who makes up the skydiver community.
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Age Limits in Skydiving
At almost all skydiving centers in the United States, the minimum age to make a tandem skydive is 18. As far as an upper age limit for skydiving, there isn’t one! If you are in good health and relatively fit, you are mostly likely eligible to jump. The oldest person to go skydiving with us (so far) was 98 years old!
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A Skydiver’s Travel Guide to Illinois
Skydive Midwest has the distinct advantage of being located halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago. As the closest Chicagoland skydiving center in the Midwest, we are the only dropzone that offers skydiving views of Chicago, Lake Michigan and Milwaukee. While we are technically located in Southeastern Wisconsin, a huge portion of our customers come to skydive from the greater Chicagoland area. After taking in breathtaking views as you skydive Chicago, we have a couple of recommendations for additional stops to consider on your way home.
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Staff Spotlight: Elliot Byrd
Perhaps one of the most accomplished skydivers to call SDMW home is Mr. Elliot Byrd. You might know him from the absolutely incredible photos he takes as Byrd’s Eye Studio. For him, the end product of every project is more than just a memento for the memory book, it’s about capturing an experience in which people are genuinely having a good time and sharing that energy with the world.
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Can you Skydive while Pregnant?
You might be surprised to find we get this question a lot. When you consider about half the people who come out for a tandem skydive are women, it makes sense. Occasionally, women find out they’ve got a baby on board after they’ve already made an appointment to skydive. So, now what? Can you still skydive pregnant?
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Quitting Over Canopy
Quitting Over Canopy The struggle is real. One of the most common challenges to new skydivers is mastering landing a parachute. The reality is, it’s not an easy thing to do well. It takes lots and lots of practice and continuing education. If you’re a student or new jumper and you feel the struggle, you’re…
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The Science Behind Being Scared
Long term fear is not healthy. However, short experiences in a controlled environment can have a lot of benefits. This isn’t true for everyone. There are some people who just don’t like roller coasters, scary movies, haunted houses or other heart-thumping activities. The fear outweighs the fun for some and that’s totally ok. However, the vast majority of people enjoy the little bursts of brain chemicals released when doing something a little bit scary.
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Why Jump Out Of A Perfectly Good Airplane?
Safety in skydiving has evolved a ton in recent years. It has become quite mainstream as an amusement and entertainment experience. Many celebrities and even past presidents have done it. Tom Cruise, Tiger Woods, David Blaine, Nicole Kidman and Patrick Swayze (to name a few) even became licensed skydivers.
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Staff Spotlight: Ben Statler
Statler was voted the staff member with the best attitude by the staff and fun jumper community for our 2022 season. This guy always shows up with a smile on his face and spreads his positivity around. He’s also the guy who keeps us entertained on weather days. From backflips to wheelchair tricks, he’s always up to something and making us laugh.
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