We’re often asked ‘what should I wear for my skydive?’. Well, here’s your answer!
In short, you should wear something comfortable that you can move easily in. Most people choose to wear something like joggers or leggings with a jumper, plus trainers. If you have that, that’ll work.
Here are a few more things to consider…
What clothes to wear to skydive
The clothing you wear on your skydive can influence your experience and your success, so it’s well worth giving some thought to what you’re going to wear for your jump(s).
The first thing to think about is how easily you can move in your chosen outfit. You’ll notice that most people at the drop zone are wearing sports or athleisure wear, particularly things like leggings or jogging bottoms – anything that’s easy to move in. On top, they’ll wear sweatshirts or thinner thermal layers.
Hoodies are OK and look great when worn around the drop zone, but you’ll need to have the hood tucked away for your jump to avoid it flapping against your neck and causing discomfort, so it can be easier to have a different top to put on under your jumpsuit when it’s time for your skydive.
Choosing multiple thin layers is a great idea, especially in the winter months, remembering that it can get very chilly up high.
What shoes to wear to skydive
People often see the big para boots made famous by movies and think they’re going to be suitable for skydiving – but they’re not!
The problem with big boots is their lack of flexibility. You need to be able to move your feet and ankles and though you may feel your high ankle boots offer support, in reality they can make ankle injuries more likely, as they inhibit your ability to run off a landing.
Instead, choose trainers. They don’t have to be expensive running shoes, but they do need to be flexible and fastened using laces, not hooks or velcro.
Some jumpers like to ‘play’ with their choice of shoes since, most of the time, we wear jumpsuits that cover our clothing but our shoes remain on show. Look out for matching coloured footwear and even colourful soles that can be seen on camera, especially when flying in the belly to earth orientation and being filmed from above!
What gloves to wear for skydiving
Especially in the UK, you’ll want gloves to keep you warm while skydiving. This is the first bit of gear listed here that you can borrow from us – if you’re doing a one-off jump, this is probably your best option but if you plan to jump more than once, you’ll want to get your own.
The key consideration for your gloves is that they can’t be woolen because this could interfere with the velcro pieces on your important equipment. Instead, gloves with a good palm and plenty of grip, while also being very flexible so you can feel all your important handles and toggles, are what you’ll need.
The gloves that we lend out, and that are sold in our on-site shop Air Supply (with a 10% discount for students) have a leathery palm, velcro’d wrists and plenty of flexibility. You can buy those, or choose something from elsewhere and we’ll be happy to take a look at yours if you’d like any advice.
Can I wear head wear?
Skydivers jumping as anything other than a tandem student (i.e. solo skydivers) need to wear a helmet. You may be able to fit a thin hat under this, or many of our jumpers choose to wear their buffs or thin skull caps on their heads to add an extra layer of warmth under their helmet.
For tandem skydivers, you can opt to wear one of our ‘frap hats’ which can help to keep your ears warm without the weight and size of a full helmet. We have also had tandem skydivers choose to wear their own beanie hats or woolen hats but we do say that’s at their own risk and can’t guarantee they’ll stay on the head during 120mph of falling through the air!
If you wear a head scarf or turban, you are welcome to wear these for your tandem skydive if you are comfortable they will be secure. We can show you how other people have worn them in the past if you’d like some inspiration, and can give you plenty of time before your jump with your goggles to find the best style for you.
Wearing jumpsuits for skydiving
Jumpsuits are commonplace in skydiving and we will offer you a jumpsuit to wear for your tandem skydive if you’d like. The benefit to this is that you’ll have an extra layer to keep you warm, and to cover your own clothing to protect it from any mud or dirt picked up along the way. Our tandem jumpsuits also have ‘handles’ at the knees to help you to adopt the essential legs up landing position.
You don’t have to wear a jumpsuit for your tandem skydive though. In fact, many of our tandem jumpers elect not to. If you’re wearing a t shirt designed to promote a charity, for example, you might prefer not to cover it with a jumpsuit – though, depending on the size, we will let you put your t shirt over your jumpsuit where possible.
For student skydivers – including Category Systems and AFF – you’ll need a jumpsuit, and we can lend you one of ours. AFF students need the ‘grips’ to allow the instructors to keep hold of you, while CS students have ‘boiler suits’ that protect their clothes.
Solo, experienced skydivers can opt not to wear a jumpsuit if they like, though they need to consider any implications of this – for example, you need to be wearing clothes that won’t inhibit your ability to get to important handles such as your cutaway and reserve.
Other considerations
One more thing to think about is whether to bring additional socks or footwear for your jump, especially in the winter or if there has been wet weather.
That’s because we land on grass, which can, at times, be a little muddy or moist. Bringing a spare pair of socks – so you can wear two pairs at once, or change into a new pair on landing – and a new pair of shoes to change into so you don’t get mud in your car, can be a really good idea.
If you have any questions about what to wear for your skydive, feel free to leave us a comment below, send us a message or give us a call.