Keeping Skydiving Skills In Winter

At the majority of northern dropzones, a touch of cold won’t necessarily put the kibosh on jump operations. However, consistently dipping temps and unsafe weather conditions typically mean the skydiving season is heading steadily into hibernation. 

While you might be worried about little to no skydiving in winter, fear not! A chill in the air doesn’t have to freeze your progress. Even if the weather in your area doesn’t allow for winter skydiving, there are plenty of ways to keep your skydiving skills intact. 

What do jumpers do in the offseason? Well, the clever ground-bound jumpers use these expert skydiving tips to keep their skills up even in winter. 

Visit the Windy Tube aka Get Yourself Some Tunnel Time

While tunnel time cannot replicate every aspect of a skydive⸺and we can’t wait until they MacGyver a way to play with our parachutes in winter⸺ it is a great tool to keep your body flight skydiving skills from rusting over a particularly harsh winter. Though it’s fun to grab your friends for a few weekend flights, it is a particularly good idea to look into getting specific coaching for your discipline. By working on specific skydiving skills with a tunnel instructor or coach, you can avoid building bad habits and reintroduce yourself to the wild blue yonder as an even better skydiver in the spring! 

Sit Down With the SIM

The early sunsets and shorter days of winter leave ample time to cozy up with a cup of cocoa and a bit of light skydiving reading. The Skydiver Information Manual (SIM) is a cohesive document that provides basic skydiving standards and recommendations. If print reading isn’t your preference, no worries. The SIM is available both online and as a downloadable PDF. We suggest sections covering skydiving emergencies, equipment checklists, the aircraft, and spotting. Familiarizing yourself with the important safety information the SIM contains will help keep your mind sharp over the winter months. 

Brush Up On The Dive Pool

There’s no better time to expand that tummy time knowledge than in the off-season. From flashcards to phone apps, familiarizing yourself with RW dive pools has never been more accessible. You already can’t stop thinking about skydiving, why not put all that brain space to work!? It’s never too late to tap into your competitive side. 

Take A Vacation

Maybe moonlighting as a snowbird is just what you need. If your schedule allows, put that A-license to use and schedule a vacation to a dropzone located in a temperate climate. Not only is it a nice respite from the cold, but it will allow you to flex those skydiving muscles and break up a winter sabbatical from jumping. 

Attend Safety Day

Safety Day was created as an initiative of the USPA to help jumpers knock off the dust before returning to the sky. Sponsored by different dropzones, Safety Day typically includes safety programs, seminars, and hands-on reviews. All in all, attending Safety Day is a great way to prepare yourself for the skydiving season after a slow winter of jumping. 

Skydiving in the winter might not be possible where you are, but the possibility for keeping sharp over winter – or even improving your skydiving skills – certainly is! Let us help you keep your skydiving skills sharp. Call WNY Skydiving today to learn how!