Skydiving is a fantastic experience; it’s nothing like I’ve ever experienced before. I know that’s cliché, as that’s what everyone says. But it’s true! The anxiety was intense before my first big jump; I had so many thoughts running through my head; however, I was mainly worried about whether my instructor would pull the cord on time.
That leads to this question: How do skydivers know when to open their parachutes?
Skydivers carry altimeters as part of their gear to assist them in knowing their current altitude. Some altimeters have an alarm they can set to a specific altitude, warning them of the upcoming parachute deployment. Following safety requirements, your instructor will pull the cord around 4,000 to 5,000 feet.
This article will take you through the specifics of when instructors know when to open their parachutes. If you decide to go skydiving, this information will help put your mind at ease. Let’s get to it!
What Height Do Skydivers Typically Jump from?
The height that skydivers jump from ranges between 14,000 and 18,000 feet. However, some do jump from 9,000 feet.
A basic jump is from 14,000 feet. Although, most places offer additional freefall time in which you jump from 18,000 feet instead, adding an extra 30 seconds to your freefall.
Keep in mind that everyone requires oxygen when jumping from 18,000 feet since the air is thinner, making breathing much harder.
How Far Do Skydivers Free Fall?
Freefalling is considered the best part of skydiving (I know I loved it!), but how far you fall depends on the altitude at which you jump.
If you were to jump from 14,000 feet, the parachute opens at around 5,000 feet. (This is about a 50-second freefall.)
However, if you jump from 18,000 feet, that’s an additional 30 seconds added on, which means you would fall for about 80 seconds in total.
What Height Do Skydivers Open Their Parachutes?
Skydivers open their parachutes at around 4,000 to 5,000 feet on a typical tandem jump. However, in the table below, you can see the lowest recommended height and the lowest recorded height based on the type of jump.
| Jump Type | Lowest Height -Recorded (ft.) | Lowest Height -Recommended (ft.) |
| Solo Jump | 800 – 1,000 | 2,500 – 4,000 |
| Tandem Jump | 1,200 | 4,000 |
| Military | N/A | 400 |
The type of jump plays a significant role when determining the correct altitude to open a parachute. It also depends on the gear and the altitude from which the person is jumping.
So, while the lowest height recorded for a parachute opening during a Military jump is 400 feet, various factors play into this. What altitude did they jump? How does the military-style parachute work?
What’s the Minimum Height to Open a Parachute When Skydiving?
The United States Parachute Association has set requirements regarding minimum opening altitudes depending upon the license level. Below is a table for a quick glance.
| License Level | Minimum Height Requirement For Parachute Deployment (ft) |
| A | 3,000 |
| B | 2,500 |
| C & D | 2,000 (Lower than 2,000 ft is not recommended) |
Rest assured, if you’re jumping with someone for a recreational dive, you will deploy your parachute far higher than this!
How Do Skydivers Know Their Current Height?
When skydiving, the licensed instructor attached to you needs to be aware of the altitude; that’s a given. But how do they know their current height?
All skydivers have a gadget that is used to measure their altitude. This is called an altimeter. This will let them know their exact altitude by using barometric pressure.
Altimeters are both analog and digital. An excellent digital altimeter is the L&B Ares 2 Digital Skydiving Altimeter. You can click on the link to see what I’m talking about!
Can You Open a Parachute Too Early or Too High?
It is possible to open a parachute too early. While it’s hard to define “too high or early” when skydiving, you need to consider the temperature and the rate of descent.
The temperatures are much colder when you’re higher up (around 32 F). It will take about 5 minutes until you reach a warmer altitude. The air is also thinner, which requires you to use oxygen; otherwise, you could pass out due to a lack of oxygen to your brain.
How Do Skydivers Know When to Open the Parachute During a Tandem Jump?
Skydivers carry an altimeter with them while skydiving. This can be in the form of a watch or a gadget that is securely clipped to their gear. Some even have auditory altimeters they wear in their helmets.
Typically, the instructor will set an alarm on the device that notifies them when they approach a certain altitude.
How Long Does It Take a Parachute to Slow You Down?
Parachutes will slow you down instantly as it abruptly stops your 120-mph freefall. However, you still need to allow some time for the parachute to take full effect.
This is why altitude is so important when it comes to parachute deployment. Not to mention the time needed to navigate and position over the landing.
How Fast Do You Fall with a Parachute Open?
With the parachute open, you will fall at about 17 miles per hour on average. However, once you come down for landing, this will typically slow to about 12mph.
While 12 mph is much slower than 120, its still fast, which is why it’s important you listen to your instructor about your landing position.
How Do Skydivers Know Where Nearby Skydivers Are Located?
One of the most critical components of skydiving (aside from the parachute, of course) is knowing where other skydivers are. They do this simply with their vision.
Skydivers can move their position while falling by tracking. They de-arch their body and position themselves before pulling the parachute. Once in place, they look around to ensure no one else is in the way before pulling the cord.
Final Thoughts
Skydiving is extremely fun, but it’s also a very serious sport as all safety precautions must be considered. Therefore, skydivers carry altimeters to tell their exact altitude.
The altimeters allow them to know when to deploy the parachutes so that they can ensure a safe landing and check to see that they’re in the correct position for the drop zone.
When Heather is not participating in extreme sports you can find her working the events across the country, or writing about these amazing adrenaline rushes. She loves to go skydiving, snowboarding, parasailing, hang gliding, dirt boarding, off-roading and hiking.