Taking Cues from High-Stakes Pros
Skydiving is an absolutely incredible sport, I’m sure we can all agree, but it comes with real risks. A strong safety mindset is essential to navigating those risks well. By looking at how high-stakes fields like NASA and military aviation approach decision-making and safety, we can build a safer approach to skydiving. Here are a few ways to cultivate a safety-first mindset that helps reduce risks and build long-term enjoyment of our sport.
1. Recognizing the Risks of Reinforced Bad Habits
Sometimes, risky decisions work out fine. Maybe you jumped in high winds, and it went smoothly—this time. The danger is that this “success” can reinforce bad decision-making. We often start to believe we’ve got it under control when, really, we’ve just been lucky. The next time, things could play out differently. Evaluating your decisions critically, even when things go well, helps you avoid a dangerous habit of overconfidence.
Consistently pushing limits and boundaries just because things worked out once isn’t sustainable. In fact, relying on luck and believing you can handle anything may lead you to ignore red flags when it matters most. That’s why sticking to your limits is so crucial—it keeps you within the skills and conditions you’ve identified to yourself, allowing you to build experience safely. By making decisions grounded in your actual skill level and safe conditions, you reinforce good habits, improve your judgment, and set yourself up for a longer, safer skydiving career.
2. Learning from NASA: Predicting and Managing Risks
NASA has two powerful tools when it comes to risk management: Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) and Human Reliability Analysis (HRA). PRA is like a big “what-if” exercise—they predict potential failure points before they happen by combining data, expert opinions, and engineering. For skydivers, PRA is like taking all those factors into account—weather, gear, your own energy level—before deciding whether to jump. It’s about getting a clear picture of the risks and making an informed decision based on the probabilities.Then, there’s Human Reliability Analysis (HRA), which considers how human factors, like stress and fatigue, can impact decision-making. HRA is about understanding how these things can lead to mistakes, and NASA uses it to design systems that reduce the chances of human error. For us skydivers, HRA is a reminder to not only check our gear but also check in with ourselves. If you’re stressed, tired, or distracted, those things can mess with your performance in the air. PRA and HRA together give a full picture of the risks—both technical and human—so that we can manage them proactively and make safer choices in the sport.
Photo by Antoine Michaux
3. Setting Personal Minimums and Knowing When to Pull Back
In aviation, pilots often set personal minimums—their own boundaries around what’s safe to fly. Skydivers can take a similar approach by setting limits on things like wind speeds or the number of jumps in a day. It’s also important to be honest about small red flags, like fatigue or changing weather conditions, that can quickly escalate. When you respect these personal boundaries, you’re not just keeping yourself safe; you’re also showing the importance of knowing when to walk away from a jump. Sticking to these pre-defined personal limits is key, especially when conditions aren’t perfect.
4. Practicing Accountability and Reflecting on Each Jump
Just like pilots, who review each flight to see what went well and what could be improved, skydivers can do the same with each jump. Take a few moments afterward to think through any close calls or decisions that didn’t feel right. Were you pushing too hard? Did you ignore any red flags? This habit of post-jump reflection builds a sense of accountability and helps you spot patterns in your behavior, so you’re constantly learning and improving. By making these evaluations part of your routine, you’re setting yourself up for more mindful, informed decisions on future jumps.
This is also leading into the training mindset of things. Learning how to evaluate your jump on performance as well is a powerful tool for debriefing yourself and making the most out of your jumps.
5. Finding Mentors and Learning from the Community
Experienced skydivers have seen a lot and (hopefully) learned even more. Finding a mentor with a solid safety record can provide you with guidance and insight you won’t find anywhere else. These mentors are often the ones who have developed the discipline to skip a jump when conditions aren’t right or when they’re not feeling up to it. Watching these veterans in action shows that staying safe isn’t about ego; it’s about making smart choices, no matter how experienced you are. Seek out these role models, and pay attention to how they handle the ups and downs of the sport.
6. Wrapping It Up: Safety Over Ego, Every Time
A safety-first mindset isn’t about being fearful—it’s about making wise choices that respect the risks involved. Pushing the limits can be tempting, but skydiving is a sport that requires a long view. By taking a cue from fields where decision-making can be life-or-death, and building habits like setting personal limits and reflecting on every jump, you’ll be making choices that keep you in the sport longer.
Each jump is a chance to put your safety mindset into practice, allowing you to enjoy skydiving fully without compromising your ability to get back on the next load. Building and maintaining a solid safety mindset means you’ll be able to keep jumping for years to come.
Photo by Felix Wetterberg
