{"id":61925,"date":"2026-03-17T20:27:46","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T20:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=61925"},"modified":"2026-03-17T20:27:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T20:27:52","slug":"jumping-on-empty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/jumping-on-empty\/","title":{"rendered":"Jumping on Empty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jumping Fatigued is More of a Risk Than We Give It Credit For<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We talk a lot about gear checks, weather calls, exit order. And we should, as these things matter. But being exhausted for whatever reason, and still jumping, is the risk factor that slips through a lot of our safety standards. And when fatigue shows up, so does compromised decision making, whether you know it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a hard truth: when you’re tired, you are not the same skydiver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fatigue and Your Brain <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Just to be clear, we\u2019re not talking about feeling a bit sleepy. Fatigue, whether from a big boogie weekend, a full jump day in the heat, poor sleep, or just life outside the DZ, affects the part of your brain that is responsible for planning, assessing risk, and impulse control, meaning your ability to take a pause and think whether or not that decision is a good one. The thinking part of your brain. The part that slows you down long enough to ask “wait, should I actually be on this load?” When that part is running low, you actually get a bit slower, and you get quieter on the inside, and that quiet is the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research out of the sleep and cognitive science world is pretty much all aligned and very much unambiguous: fatigue actually mimics being slightly intoxicated. Super fun, but that means that your reaction times slow. The ability to accurately assess risk starts to weaken. And your ability to simply recognize that your judgment is off also diminishes. You feel fine, albeit a bit tired. You think you\u2019re good. But, you\u2019re not operating at full capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is what makes fatigue pretty deceiving in our sport. An impaired decision maker rarely knows they’re impaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Photo by Raymond Adams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Events & Boogies <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you’ve ever been to a multi-day event, and if you’re reading this, chances are you have, you know the feeling. Day three. You haven’t slept great, maybe you’ve had a few drinks, you haven’t eaten enough food. But, your group is still jumping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where fatigue does its sneakiest work. It teams up with social pressure and excitement to drown out the quiet internal voice that says “maybe skip this load.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a long day of jumping, heat, and jump plans you really want to fly, you’re running on fumes even if it doesn’t feel that way. Your decision making has been working hard all day. Like any muscle, it gets tired. The jump you’d definitely pass on a fresh Tuesday morning? You’ll talk yourself into it on a tired Saturday evening with friends waiting on the plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Photo by Raymond Adams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Mindfulness as a Real, Practical Tool<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that self-awareness is a trainable skill. And this is where mindfulness, not the candle-and-incense version, but the practical, athletic version, becomes a genuine safety tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you gear up, pause. A real pause. Not a scroll through your phone, but a genuine check-in with yourself. A few slow breaths. Then ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n