What to Wear Skydiving for the First Time

When a lot of folks show up for their first-time tandem skydive, they’re not quite rockin’ the kit they need for the endeavor. Heck, we’re not mad–that makes sense, considering that it’s hard to know the dress code for the open sky on a sunny day. Just like any other landmark occasion in life, it’s nice to have an idea of what will be expected of your clothing. We’re here to help!

Skydiving is a sport. Dress accordingly.

Start from the ground up: The right shoes are key. Pick comfortable, supportive shoes that lace tightly are the best choice. Make sure they’re tied nice and tight when you jump–otherwise, the wind will snap them up to add to its collection.

From there, dressing for skydiving is much like dressing for any other moderately strenuous outdoor athletic event, plus the additional consideration of weather changes at altitude. Our best advice is to dress in thin layers that fit close to the body. In the colder months, it’s thisclose to magic how much warm air thin layers retain in the air spaces between them, so you can safely forego one awkward, puffy layer, which might catch loads of freefall air. Result: you’ll be significantly more comfortable and more agile up there. In the warm months, a t-shirt and shorts will suit you just fine.

Keep it simple.

The best rule of thumb is that the simplest skydiving clothing is the best skydiving clothing. Stay away from clothing with fancy details, and definitely avoid anything that flaps if you stand in front of a fan. Don’t wear jewelry or bring anything at all in your pockets. You will never see it again.

Wear glasses? No problem–we’ll sort you out. We’ll lend you a pair of skydiving goggles that can go over your glasses. (For security’s sake, we recommend that you bring along a “Croakies” strap to hold those glasses on so they don’t get lost!)

Opt for the jumpsuit.

If you have any nervousness about taking a grass stain to the clothes you want to wear for your skydive, the best solution is to borrow one of our jumpsuits. It’ll pop on right over your clothes. There are a couple of reasons to do so: First, the suit will protect your own clothing (and skin) from any dirt and damage. Added benefit: A skydiving jumpsuit looks pro in your photos and videos.

Bring a change of clothes.

Since skydiving is a sport, sweat is probably going to be a thing that happens. Be ready to deal with it! If your plans include going someplace after the jump that you wouldn’t happily walk into straight from the gym, you’ll be happy you brought a change of clothes to Superman into when you’re done jumping for the day.

Ready for your freefall fashion show?

We bet you are, if you pick out some athletic clothes that are comfortable to move in and buildable in layers. With that advice, you’ll be sure to have a cozy, comfy, cool-as-heck jump, no matter what the weather!