Key Takeaways
Knowing what to wear skydiving doesn’t need to be stressful. Dressing for success includes wearing something you’re comfortable in, without compromising the safety measures of the jump. Your best bet is to wear layers, close-toed shoes, and pants vs. shorts when skydiving.
Figuring out what to wear skydiving shouldn’t be the most stressful part of your jump day! Although skydiving is an extreme (and undoubtedly intimidating) activity, what to wear for a parachute jump is simpler than you may think. The best skydiving clothing is temperature appropriate, flexible, and comfortable.
Clothing Essentials For Tandem Skydiving
What is the best thing to wear when skydiving? Something that puts safety first without compromising comfort. Let’s get into the details!
Skydiving Pants: What’s The Best?
Although there are special skydiving pants, it’s common for jumpers to wear sweats, leggings, yoga pants, and even jeans to jump in! We advise wearing pants that make moving around comfortable.
Is it okay to wear jeans when skydiving? Sure! Better to wear pants that have a bit of give – meaning, you should feel comfortable squatting in whatever pants you choose to wear. If your jeans are flexible, they’d be a fine choice, but if they’re stiff denim, we’d leave ’em for a less physically demanding activity.
Is it okay to wear shorts when skydiving? Yes, but just know you may get a little scuffed up! When tandem skydivers come in for landing, they generally slide in on their bottoms. This maneuver entails lifting the feet and knees into a pike position. Some jumpers opt to wear shorts, but we recommend pants – they’re more functional and will keep your legs warm while in freefall.
What Shirt To Wear Skydiving
Experienced jumpers often jump in tank tops and t-shirts in the warmer months, and long sleeves, fleece under-layers, and warm pullovers in the colder months. The most important thing to remember about skydiving and dressing appropriately is the temperature changes that will occur on the day of your jump – it’s a whole lot colder at 10,000 feet than it is on the ground.
Do You Need A Skydiving Jumpsuit?
Is a jumpsuit a piece of skydive apparel you need? Nope. Are they nice to have? Absolutely! Skydiving jumpsuits help to protect your clothing from the ground when you slide in a landing. Experienced jumpers also prefer them to ensure predictability in their freefall. When your clothing is constant, it’s easier to tell if you’re improving or what tweaks to make while learning a new skill in the sky.
The Best Shoes For Your First Tandem Skydive
Skydiving shoes come in all shapes and sizes, but some are better than others. We suggest wearing sneakers or laced tennis shoes that have a flat sole and some flexibility to them – they should allow your ankles and toes to bend when you need to squat to get into the plane.
Do you have to wear close-toed shoes? Yep, it’s a rule! Although licensed skydivers are free to wear whatever footwear they prefer (per dropzone rules), tandem skydivers are required to wear close-toed shoes. Bonus if there are laces to ensure proper fit and snugness to avoid a shoe whipping off in freefall!
Even though they’re close-toed, when skydiving, boots aren’t advised – they’re too structured and won’t help in the event you need to run out a landing. Same goes for anything with a heel.
How To Dress For Skydiving In Different Weather
If all other weather checks out, skydiving on a 90°F day is just as possible as a 40°F day – it’s all about how you dress! When dressing for skydiving in high highs and low lows, think: I want to be comfortable on the ground and in the air, where it’s much colder and more windy.
What to Wear Skydiving in Hot Weather
T-shirts, tanks, shorts or loose pants, and cooling towels are a skydiver’s best friend on a scorching summer day! Sometimes it’s so hot on the ground that skydivers will call it quits for the day, but the heat isn’t as much of an inhibitor as the cold. For tandem skydivers, longer shorts and covered shoulders are best to prevent any friction from the tandem harness.
What to Wear Skydiving in Cold Weather
Skydiving in cold weather is possible as long as safety can still be the first priority. For example, if a skydiver feels that the cold would prohibit them from performing proper emergency procedures or executing their landing, they should not skydive. Many dropzones close down in the winter months (us included!) for this reason.
If you do jump when it’s chillier outside, remember: layers, layers, layers! Gloves, fleece-lined underwear, and form-fitting jackets are go-to’s. It’s important to avoid anything that would cause a potential snag, such as baggy clothing, puffy coats, and scarves.
Skydiving Outfit Tips For Comfort & Safety
Don’t let your skydiving outfit give you anxiety! How do you look cute when skydiving? You dress right! Here’s some easy tips to remember when deciding on what to wear for your jump.
- Choose flexible clothing you can comfortably move in
- Remove jewelry, scarves, loose accessories
Is there anything you should avoid wearing on a tandem skydive? Yes! Anything that could easily fly away or snag onto a piece of skydiving equipment. - Secure hair and beards
Yes, really! Too often, fluffy beards fly up in freefall and cover a winning smile.
What To Bring With You To Skydive Bend
Extra layers, hair ties, sunscreen, a change of clothes if the weather changes (common in Oregon!) and anything else you think you may need for a few hours outside.
Skydiving is one of the most exciting adventures you can have on planet Earth, and we can’t wait to help you experience it – book your jump today! And don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about what to wear on your first tandem jump, or if you have any other questions. We’re here to help. Blue skies!
