Parachuting in a jumpsuit from an airplane is what most people think of when they think of skydiving. However, the sport of skydiving has several different types. The types more commonly familiar to most people are freestyle, formation and free-flying. Though these three are typically considered to be methods that are usually seen on television and in the media, there are still other types of skydiving that are not as well known.

Among the several types of skydiving, BASE jumping is actually considered to be the most extreme and dangerous. BASE is an acronym which refers to the Building, from which a person can jump from; Antennae, which can be an aerial mast, uninhabited structure or tower; Span, which is a bridge-like structure; and Earth, meaning cliffs, mountains or canyons. BASE jumping is only done by very experienced skydivers because it includes big risks.

Though many people compare it to bungee jumping without a bungee cord, BASE jumping is actually much more similar to parachuting in high altitudes without an airplane. Jumpers practice many of the same techniques that skydivers use to maintain stability and awareness of altitude while they are in the air. Before becoming a BASE jumper, a person must complete several hours of parachute training both on the ground and in the air.

Sky-surfing is a form of skydiving that is said to be an even more extreme and adrenaline-pumping rendition of skydiving. During sky-surfing, the skydiver uses a board that is somewhat similar to a snowboard, but in a smaller size and is attached to the diver’s feet. Sky-surfing is thought to be hard simply because a board attached to your feet is extremely hard to control. Even simply trying to stand straight requires some skill and precise balance that can only be gained from considerable experience in free-flying.

Just like in free-style skydiving, during sky-surfing you have an auxiliary partner whose duty is to take skydiving video of your sky-surfing performance. The boards can be detached while you are in mid-air as a safety precaution. But, this can create an extra hazard for those on the ground. Skydiving equipment falling from such a great height can kill, which is why not every skydiving center allows this kind of skydiving.

Sky-surfing uses a different type of parachute called a sport parachute, which is different than the traditional chutes used in other areas of skydiving, like military parachutes for instance. When it comes to the boards used, the person just beginning to sky-surf should start out with a board that is around 35 inches long, with perpendicular bindings for increased stability. You can progress to longer, more advanced boards that give you greater mobility for difficult stunts and parachute games as your skill level increases.

After receiving skydiving certification and making hundreds of practice jumps, anyone interested in going a step further with BASE jumping, sky-surfing and wing-suits should buddy up with a mentor in the skydiving community who can teach them the intricacies of such advanced maneuvers. Parachuting in normal conditions is thrilling, yet adding another layer onto that only makes it more so.

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