{"id":62770,"date":"2026-07-16T18:29:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T18:29:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=62770"},"modified":"2026-07-16T18:29:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T18:29:30","slug":"understanding-relative-wind-the-foundation-of-better-skydiving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/understanding-relative-wind-the-foundation-of-better-skydiving\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Relative Wind: The Foundation of Better Skydiving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Before learning to fly faster, fly steeper or fly head down, professional freefly coach Dani Gallego explains why every skydiver should first develop a deep understanding of relative wind.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How many times have we heard that making a good exit determines a huge percentage of a successful skydive? And yet, I believe that nowadays we don’t take the necessary time to carefully study and understand this part of the jump. Just like everything else in this sport, and in life, it has a natural learning process, and we need to dedicate enough time to each stage so that we don’t find ourselves in the future wishing we had spent more time on the basics instead of trying to progress too quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dani having fun
Photo by Cesar Rico<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Starting With AFF<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During AFF<\/a>, we are taught where relative wind comes from and how to manage it well enough to achieve a minimally stable exit. We usually learn two basic exits, both with our chest presented to the wind: one facing toward the pilot, and the other facing toward the tail of the aircraft. Both are belly exits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once we finish the course, we know how to exit in this position. The next step is to consolidate it by improving our heading and our penetration into the relative wind (more or less drag).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dani and teammates of the Fly Warriors
Photo by Gustavo Cabana<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Entering the Relative Wind on Your Own<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This is where things become interesting, once you start making exits without instructors by your side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To begin doing this successfully and to avoid becoming the wheel that never stops spinning on every exit, it is necessary to understand how to fly belly and how to move in that position once you are in the relative wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming from a tunnel flying background, I find it quite strange that someone who is not yet stable on their belly starts flying back, or even head down. Yes, you read that correctly. How crazy would it be to take someone who isn’t stable in belly and teach them head down in the tunnel, right? That’s a topic we’ll cover another time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the problems that can arise when trying to fly at high speeds without following the proper progression include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n