We’ve all seen it in the movies—jumping out of a plane in a torrential rainstorm, the clouds black and heavy and lightning cracking in the distance.
It’s understandable that we might want to recreate this and skydive ourselves during rainy weather.
But can we really do this?
Most skydiving schools will not take you out in anything less than clear weather. If you are experienced, you can do it, but it’s not a very pleasant experience. It will be cloudy and without visibility, skydiving is generally not a good idea. So, no, is the short answer.
In terms of skydiving with a tandem partner or otherwise having the activity facilitated by an instructor, they will not skydive in bad weather.
It’s just not safe, however small the risk might be. Let’s find out more about this.
Does rain stop skydiving?
Generally, yes.
Skydiving schools, especially those who take out majority inexperienced divers, will not dive in poor weather.
Rain creates a number of potential issues for skydivers.
Firstly, and most simply, skydiving in the rain just isn’t a very pleasant experience.
Rain will be hitting your face at 120mph as you fall, which will be painful and cold.
But the real dangers are with the issue of visibility.
If it’s raining, then it’s almost certainly cloudy.
If it’s cloudy, then you have severely limited visibility.
Without visibility, you won’t know where you are landing and, in severe cases, will not even know where you are at all.
So, yes, the rain will stop skydiving for most skydiving schools.
As I said, they really won’t go out on anything less than full visibility.
This eliminates risk as far as possible, protecting the skydiving school against any potential injuries.
But that said, many independent skydivers, with a good amount of experience, don’t have much trouble skydiving in the rain.
They can maneuver with finesse and have less trouble with the lack of visibility.
That doesn’t change the fact that it’s not particularly pleasant to do so in the rain, so most divers just wait for clear weather.
So, rain doesn’t make skydiving impossible—just a lot harder, more dangerous, and less pleasant.
Many people wonder if parachutes even work in the rain.
Do parachutes work in rain?
Yes, parachutes work in the rain.
That said, parachutes are not designed to be used in wet conditions.
Skydiving parachutes will fly when wet, but they cannot fly efficiently, and the characteristics of the flight will be severely impacted.
A wet parachute will be heavier, making it harder to maneuver, and it will cause you to fall slightly more quickly.
A lot of modern skydiving equipment also comes with electronics, and while they are designed to be water-resistant to a degree, there is a limit.
So, rain can also damage other parts of the skydiving equipment.
Parachutes do work in the rain, then, but they are far less efficient and much harder to use in the rain.
This is true even for the most experienced diver, so it goes to show why schools and facilities will not allow inexperienced divers to parachute in poor conditions.
Can you skydive through a raincloud?
While, physically, yes, you can skydive through a raincloud, there are many reasons this is not a good idea.
Let’s stick to safety first.
Given that a raincloud is essentially a large floating mass of moisture, everything on you will get wet as you pass through a raincloud.
Your parachute could become soaked and weighed down.
Furthermore, though, skydiving through a raincloud is actually illegal, according to the FAA.
This is for all the reasons we listed above—it’s unsafe, so it is made illegal.
Of course, these rules are very hard to police and enforce.
There won’t be someone waiting for you on the ground to arrest you if you skydive through a raincloud.
But schools and facilities that make a habit of allowing jumpers to dive in rainy conditions and through rainclouds stand a serious chance of punitive action.
So, what weather can you skydive in?
What weather can you skydive in?
As I said, as far as skydiving schools, they really will only allow jumps in the clearest of weather.
The wind is perhaps the most significant factor since a strong wind could blow you far away from your intended drop zone.
Wind also makes navigating the parachute a lot harder, resulting in an all-around less safe experience.
Rain, of course, is the other main factor.
Skydiving in rain is unpleasant and unsafe, so you can’t generally skydive in the rain.
It’s really simple, then—you should only parachute in the clearest of weather.
Parachuting and skydiving may be a sport, but that doesn’t mean safety isn’t the top priority.
You are truly at the mercy of the elements when you are up there, so you want to be sure they are as cooperative as they can possibly be.
No skydiving school will be in the business of taking chances on these kinds of things.
So, the simple answer is no, you should not and will not be able to skydive in the rain.
The school will not allow it for inexperienced divers, and even if you are experienced, there are any number of problems that could arise from skydiving in the rain.
It’s dangerous, and you should always put safety—not theatrics—first.
Don’t skydive in the rain.
