Exploring the Wind Tunnel Arch

If you’re considering making a jump or already have a skydive on the books, it’s likely you are nose deep in your phone, desktop, or laptop, lost in a flurry of research for skydiving tips for beginners. On your informational odyssey, you may have already discovered that the wind tunnel and skydiving go hand in hand. And in truth, the wind tunnel is quite frequently used as an excellent learning tool to help individuals develop body flight awareness before taking to the sky.

But, in order to fully utilize the skydiving wind tunnel and to receive the full skydiving effect, you’ll need to have the correct body position.

One of the best skydiving tips for beginners is mastering the skydiving arch. Why is the skydiving arch so important? Well, it’s a little like this. Before toddlers learn to run, they walk. Before infants walk, they crawl. In skydiving, before learning other orientations of body flight, you have to master the skydiving arch to achieve stability on your belly.

The Science Behind the Arch

The key to achieving stability is by creating a fixed center of gravity, and here is where the skydiving arch comes in.

Arching refers to a body position in which the jumper’s hips are the lowest point of their body, and the shape resembles a banana. Much like a shuttlecock in badminton, the idea of the skydiving arch is that the rounded low area of your body (the hips and pelvis) create a uniform center of gravity. Once you’ve mastered the skydiving arch position, you’ll find that you’re better able to relax and make use of your other limbs to complete maneuvers like turns and forward and backward movement. There are plenty of skydiving tips for beginners, but nailing the arch is at the top of the list.

Skydiving Arch Tips

As we mentioned, the skydiving arch shape is incredibly aerodynamically stable, but it’s not entirely natural for the human body. For more flexible individuals, the skydiving arch position comes with little effort. For others, much less “bendy”, it requires a little bit of work.

For a good skydiving arch, flexibility is the name of the game. You don’t need to be a back-bending yogi, but a bit of stretching will do you good. It’s also important to remember that you should be arching from your hips not your chest or back!

Skydiving Arch Exercises

To get the feel of the skydiving arch position while standing, flex the muscles of your bum and push your hips out. At first, the position will feel fairly unnatural, but the key is to keep at it. As your body builds muscle memory, it will be easier to achieve the ideal arch position.

Another skydiving arch tip is to practice laying down on your floor at home. Position a pillow or folded towel for comfort beneath your hips, then raise the front of your body (head, chest, and arms) and lift and extend your legs keeping a slight bend in the knees. Much like while standing, if you flex and tighten your glutes, it will help you to lift your legs and maintain the optimal skydiving arch position.

Are you ready to test out those sweet arching skills in the wind tunnel or the sky? Contact Skydive Perris today.