Skydiving Equipment

[I:1:J]You might think that it is no big deal to board a plane and then leap from it once you reach a certain altitude but you are mistaken. If your equipment is not inspected, something could go wrong and you could end up falling to your death. This is why everyone must know what the proper skydiving equipment are before they jump.

The parachute rig which is the gear used by every skydiver is made of 5 parts.

1. The first is the parachute itself which is also known as the main canopy. This is the first one deployed when the skydiver reaches a certain altitude to reduce his or her speed before hitting the ground.

2. If there is something wrong with the first parachute, there is the reserve or second parachute that will be deployed by pulling the cord. Sometimes, this will deploy automatically if you happen to have an automatic activation device or AAD.

This is programmed to deploy the second parachute once you an altitude of 750 feet or 230 meters from the ground.

Your primary and secondary parachute is placed inside a backpack. So they don't come loose when you pull the cord, it also have thick shoulder and leg straps which you have to put around your body. This is then connected to a line which runs from the parachute to the container. There are usually 5 sets of lines namely A, B, C, D and brake lines.

3. No one is stupid enough to jump out of a plane in shirt and jeans. This is why you must always skydive with a jumpsuit. This is designed to protect you the moment you jump off the plane because of the strong winds and other forces of nature which could tear your clothes.

The jumpsuit also gives your protection especially when you are landing. A lot of people do not land feet first once they hit the ground. Even if they do, the wind could pull them down and you could get scratches or cuts until you are able to take the parachute off.

4. When do you deploy the parachute? That is a very good question and to do that, you will need to have an altimeter as part of your gear. This device will tell you how are you are from the ground and is very useful especially when you decide to skydive at night.

5. You will also need protective gear like a helmet and some protective padding. To be sure, you can also get a spinal protector which will protect your spinal cord should you accidentally fall on your back when you hit the ground.

You must always check your gear regularly before you get on the plane and before you jump. If there is a problem, you could be plunging to your death which is why this is also inspected by one of your companions or the instructor.

Of course no one wants that to happen so that you will be able to do this over and over again. If you like this activity so much, you could probably be jumping every weekend and chances are have already lost count how many times you have jumped. In short, you want to do it again and this can only happen if you have the right skydiving equipment.