New to skydiving? AFF vs. Tandem, explained

oneskydive-team · 2026-07-15T20:28:19.163515+00:00

Two very different first jumps. A Tandem has an instructor harnessed to your back controlling exit, freefall, and landing — it's a one-off experience with no license progress. AFF (Accelerated Freefall) has you wearing your own gear and pulling your own parachute from jump one, with instructors alongside you — it's the actual path toward an A license (around 25 jumps). Most first-timers start with a tandem to see if they love it, then move on to AFF if they want to keep going. Full breakdown of AFF levels and license progression is in the Guides section. Questions about which to pick? Ask below.

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