How Will Weather Affect My Skydiving Day?

What weather conditions are bad for skydiving? Brisk, snappy, or gusty winds, rain, heavy cloud coverage, and excessively freezing temps are all no-go’s for skydiving! 

There’s one variable in skydiving that we can’t prepare for (no matter how hard we try) – the weather! Of course, we do our very best to become TIGHT with the local weather forecasters, but we all know how wonky their predictions can be. Weather plays a part in every part of the skydive – from the plane ride up to the moment your feet land back on Mother Earth. 

Let’s look at how weather affects skydiving – the good, the bad, and the weird! But first things first…

Rain? No Jumps! 

Rain’s such a buzzkill in the skydiving world. ‘Can you skydive in the rain?’ and ‘Can you skydive on a rainy day?’ are two totally different questions! Remember when we mentioned that weather truly can’t be prepared for? This is what we mean! Some days, and especially here in Florida, thunderstorms will rip through in the morning, but our afternoons will present light winds and sunny skies – AKA: the perfect skydiving weather.  

When would a skydive be canceled? If it rained all day! If the weather gods are just not in our favor and slap a big ol’ layer of gray over the entire sky accompanied by raindrops, you can usually bet your skydive will need to be rescheduled. 

What About Clouds? 

How cloudy is too cloudy for skydiving? Now you sound like a true skydiver! Without getting too technical and Federal Aviation Administration-y on ya, any cloud that disrupts our vision to the landing area (the ground) by being too thick or too close makes skydiving a no-go. 

Why can’t you skydive through a cloud? Because we need to see where we’re going! Are some random big, fluffy clouds dispersed throughout the great, blue sky okay? Of course! But is a dreary overcast layer conducive for jumping? Not so much. 

The Ride Up 

The most noticeable piece of the weather puzzle during the ascent to altitude is the wind. Although we don’t jump in stormy weather, it is possible to skydive in light and variable winds. Wind creates turbulence, which is one reason we don’t jump in super swift winds! That being said, a little bit of bumpiness is expected – we rarely have ‘no-wind’ days. 

The Freefall 

The wind can also affect our freefall, particularly with something called the spot. A skill all skydivers acquire is spotting – being able to determine from the airplane if we’re in a good place to get out and enter into freefall to be able to land where we want. When we skydive, we don’t fall straight down. The wind pushes us slightly from side to side, and we have to account for this wind shear when determining the spot. On lighter wind days, the spot will be nearly directly over the landing area, and on more prominent wind days, it may be a bit further out to account for the drift! 

Here in Florida, we don’t need to worry about super cold temperatures (bonus!), but some places do. The higher up we go, the colder it gets, and added windchill from freefall isn’t in our favor during a chilly jump. 

The Canopy Flight 

How windy is too windy for skydiving? The acceptable level of winds varies for each stage of the skydive – a stiff wind up top may be no big deal, but experiencing that same drift under the parachute is a different story. Most licensed skydivers max out between 15 mph and 20 mph when it comes to the wind speed they’re willing to jump in on the ground. Wind direction and speed determine how far we can travel under the parachute – making the spot incredibly important. 

The Landing 

Landing is where the wind gets its last say! Because we won’t be jumping in any wild weather, like thunderstorms, the variable weather we do need to consider is the wind. Too much gusto can make for a rough landing, and we don’t want that. This is why we’re constantly watching the winds throughout the day. 

Sunshine Or High Clouds: What’s Better? 

Lighting sets the vibe for the entire jump. On a sunny day, the sky will look even bluer than normal under the canopy (thank you, dopamine!), but this doesn’t make a cloudier day bad news. A big overcast layer or large, puffy clouds make the flight under the parachute a bit dimmer and calmer – it’s a serene experience. 

On the ride up, if it’s bright and sunny outside, you can expect the sunshine to burst through the windows of the plane and warm your face. Contrarily, if there’s a super high layer of clouds up there, things will be less bright and a bit more chill – until the door opens! 

Sunny days often result in thermals – rising warm air – that can bounce us around under the parachute. Although these typically don’t mean anything (other than a bit of annoyance), it can be more favorable to jump on a “gray day” for this reason! 

Ready To Send It? 

The weather gods generally treat us well here in the Sunshine State! Book your jump today – and if the forecast looks a little questionable as jump day approaches, give us a call! Blue skies!