How Dangerous is Tandem Skydiving?

Skydiving has a reputation as a perilous sport for adrenaline junkies and risk takers with nothing to lose. So, how safe is skydiving, really? Do skydiving safety statistics match how skydiving is often portrayed in popular culture? 

At Long Island Skydiving Center, we prioritize safety above all else and are proud to share our safety standards and protocols with any of the thousands of tandem skydivers we serve each year. Here’s how we answer the question, How safe is tandem skydiving? 

The Numbers Don’t Lie

The most logical way to understand how much risk is involved with jumping out of airplanes is to look at the cold, hard data. The United States Parachute Association (USPA) has been tracking and compiling statistics around almost every aspect of skydiving for decades, including safety.

The most recent data set available from the USPA is from 2023, which recorded 10 fatal skydiving accidents out of 3.65 million skydives. That’s 0.27 fatalities per 100,000 skydives. And we’re happy to report that, in general, skydiving statistics are trending in the right direction. Let’s look at a data snapshot from 15 years of USPA reports.

Skydiving Safety Statistics

Year	Skydiving Fatalities (US)	Annual # Jumps	Fatalities/100K Jumps
2023	10	3.65 million	0.27
2020	11	2.8 million	0.39
2017	24	3.2 million	0.75
2014	24	3.2 million	0.75
2011	25	3.1 million	0.81
2008	30	2.6 million	1.15

What’s more, there were zero tandem fatalities in 2023, and only 0.002 student fatalities for every 1,000 tandem skydives made during the last decade. Is tandem skydiving safe, then? We would never say skydiving – tandem or otherwise – is safe, but we can say that there are advantages to having a seasoned professional at your back. (More on this below.)

The majority of skydiving fatalities occur when experienced solo skydivers become complacent, push beyond their limits, or try new things. 

Tandem Skydiving Technology

One of the main reasons for the encouraging trend in skydiving statistics is the evolution of our gear. The technology of skydiving equipment has developed significantly over the years, all with a focus on improved safety. And tandem skydiving equipment in particular is custom made to serve the needs of an instructor and student skydiving as a pair.

For starters, all skydiving equipment includes two parachutes – a main for general use and a reserve for emergencies. The main parachute is designed to open and fly in any condition a skydiver could find themselves in, and the reserve is even more reliable. Our gear is also equipped with an automatic activation device (AAD) – a small device that measures descent rate and altitude that is able to deploy the parachute at a preset altitude if the instructor doesn’t manually deploy it.

Fun fact: Reserve parachutes must be inspected and repacked every 180 days by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified rigger, whether they were used or not.

Tandem gear technology takes this mindset even one step further. Tandem setups include a third, smaller parachute called a drogue that helps slow the pair of jumpers in freefall to avoid painfully hard main parachute deployments. 

Skydiving gear quite literally saves our life on every jump, and every part of it is developed with that in mind! 

Tandem Instructor Qualifications

Gear isn’t the only necessity for a successful skydive. Our professional instructors make it possible for people who have never even been in an airplane to taste the freedom of the sky. We know that you’re putting all of your trust into your instructor when you decide to make a tandem skydive, and we take that responsibility very seriously. 

Ever wondered what qualifications are required of your instructor?

• Logging at least 500 jumps
• Earning a USPA D license
• Accruing a minimum of 3 years experience in the sport
• Possessing a current FAA Class III Flight Medical Certificate
• Completing the USPA tandem instructor rating certification program

All USPA instructors have been put through their paces in a series of on-the-ground and in-air evaluations and exams. They’re passionate about what they do and have committed to putting their customers first. 

Pro tip: To receive the benefit of these qualifications and safety measures set by the USPA, make sure you jump at a USPA member dropzone like Long Island Skydiving Center.

You Have a Part to Play

If you’re someone who feels better in control, don’t fret – the tandem student is an active participant in the success of the skydive. Sure, your instructor is in charge of all the major responsibilities, but you’ll learn a handful of techniques that will help you contribute to the jump. 

Your instructor will give you a brief training before your jump so that you can be prepared with the correct body position, how to land, and any other information that might be useful. 

The student’s ability to follow the instructor’s directions and fully engage is crucial, so you must sign a series of waivers determining your fitness to skydive. This makes sure that everyone is on the same page for a successful skydive! 

SKYDIVING NYC

If you’d like to give jumping a go, we’d love to take you on the adventure of a lifetime. Learn more about tandem skydiving at Long Island Skydiving Center, get in touch or go ahead and book your jump! Blue skies!