Can You Skydive In Cloudy Weather?

Skydiving is an exciting way to experience the freedom of the great, blue open sky. But what happens when the sky isn’t perfectly blue? Can you skydive when it’s cloudy? Although the sight of a few fluffy clouds might seem harmless, or even be inviting from the ground, they can have a pretty big impact when you’re actually up there with them. 

Can you skydive through clouds? Let’s dive into it and determine if cloudy skies should ground your jump day or if they’re just a regular part of the thrill. 

Why Is It Illegal To Skydive Through A Cloud? 

Eeek, yep we’re bringing out the big “I” word: illegal. Why is skydiving through a cloud illegal? It’s dangerous! Think of the traffic in the sky being the same as a big city with intertwining roadways. But the kicker is that in the sky, there’s a few thousand feet of separation between aircraft, so you can’t see them, but you sure could hit ’em if they’re below you. 

Skydiving through clouds poses a couple of different dangers: 

Low visibility. 

Imagine sprinting full speed through a parking lot. It would be relatively easy to keep an eye out for all the cars pulling in and out of the parking spots and dodge them if you needed to. Now envision running even faster around the parking lot but with a blindfold on. AHH!! Skydiving through a cloud poses the same potential danger. The parking lot may be empty and the cars may all be securely in their spots, OR, there may be crazy drivers whipping all around. Is the risk really worth it? Of course not. Taking off the blindfold – AKA: jumping in clear, blue skies – is critical to keep safety as #1. 

Loss of accreditation. 

Jumping through a cloud not only poses a threat to your safety, but it can result in the loss of your skydiving membership – we don’t mess around with gross negligence. And, making the egregious decision to fall through clouds doesn’t only pose a risk to the jumper, but to the pilot in command of the aircraft! According to the Federal Aviation Regulation 105.17, if a pilot allows a skydiver to jump through a cloud, or too close to a cloud, they could lose their license. Is that worth the insta pic? Absolutely not. 

This chart represents the cloud clearance allowances for skydivers. Licensed skydivers are constantly quizzed on knowing these numbers throughout their skydiving career, especially in the beginning, as it’s on the United States Parachute Association A-license test. (FYI, there are four license levels in skydiving: A, B, C, and D. You don’t need a license to make a tandem skydive, but your tandem instructor has years of skydiving, at least 500 jumps and their USPA D license.)

Does Skydiving Through A Cloud Hurt? 

What happens if you skydive through a cloud? Will it ruin your gear? Quick science lesson: clouds are made up of tiny water droplets, or even ice crystals. When water vapor (gas) cools and condenses back into water form, they all stick together and form a cloud. SO, clouds are moist. And skydiving gear isn’t designed to get wet. How come? Well … skydiving gear has a lot of other functionalities to keep in check to worry about being water resistant, because people aren’t skydiving through clouds or in the rain, anyway. 

Are there any ramifications to your body if you go skydiving through a cloud? Mmmm, your goggles or face visors on your helmet are bound to fog up and inhibit your vision. And, it would hurt! Clouds are made of water, and hitting water at over 100 mph would leave any exposed skin red and welted. (Plus, the pointy end of the raindrop is on top, and we’d be hitting that full-force and head-on in freefall – ha!)

How Cloudy Is Too Cloudy For Skydiving? 

Are you allowed to skydive through clouds, ever? Nope. Punching clouds is not only a huge liability and safety risk, but it would be pretty disorienting. In freefall, your body is already doing something incredibly unnatural (but awesome) – zipping through the sky at over 100 mph with nothing other than a parachute – and adding fuzzy vision to this could create a pretty gnarly situation. 

Can you open a parachute in a cloud? If you were in freefall and a cloud magically appeared at the time you needed to deploy your parachute, then yes, you could open your parachute in a cloud. The precipitation of a cloud and the change in density could make a parachute opening a bit wonky, and this is something we avoid at all costs! 

To keep things simple: Any cloud you’re going to fall through, no matter how tall and fluffy or thin and wispy, is too much. The best rule of thumb is, that if we can’t see the ground below us, we don’t jump – period. (And now you know why skydivers always wish one another “blue skies”!)

Can I Reschedule? 

You can reschedule or cancel anytime, for any reason, before the plane takes off! Although being “weathered out” here in the Sunshine State is a rarity, anything is possible. In the event the weather gods place a gray blanket on our sky, we’re happy to help you reschedule. And when the skies clear, the best adventure of your life will be awaited. Book today! Blue skies!