Tandem California

Though this web site is oriented towards first time skydivers, we welcome both new and experienced jumpers to our little drop zone. Most skydivers have an automatic activation device (AAD) that will deploy the reserve parachutes at a certain altitude shoudl they become incapacitated in some way. Parachuting has complex skills that can take thousands of jumps to master, but the basics are often fully understood and useful during the first few jumps. People first heard the term "skydiver," coined by Raymond Young in the mid-1950s, as the first commercial skydiving centers opened. Most tandems enjoy freefall for 30 to 50 seconds, depending on jump altitude, typically 10,000 to 13,000 feet. Only the most highly trained, professional, USPA certified instructors teach at Bay Area Skydiving. With tandem skydiving both the student and the instructor descend together under a single large parachute with dual controls. In the US and in most of the western world skydivers are required to carry a second, reserve parachute which has been inspected and packed by a certificated parachute rigger (in the US, an FAA certificated parachute rigger). Many skydivers use an automatic activation device (AAD) that opens the reserve parachute at a safe altitude in the event of failing to activate the main canopy themselves. After World War II, an abundance of surplus parachutes and former soldiers with the courage to jump them for sport resulted in the growth of parachuting as a hobby. Some Tandem skydiving training programs instruct first-time jumpers on how and when to deploy the main canopy themselves. In these programs, about half of the first-jump students succeed. However, the tandem master remains primarily responsible for safe and timely parachute deployment. Accelerated Freefall Skydives usaly include instructors maintain a grip on the student's harness to provide in-air instruction as well as assisting with stability if necessary. The student then opens the parachute by around 4,000 feet and pilots it to the landing area.