For decades, audible altimeters have communicated with skydivers using a remarkably sophisticated language:
BEEP. BEEP BEEP. BEEEEEEEEEP.
And somehow, we've all learned to understand it. Three short beeps? Probably breakoff. One long beep? Hopefully you know what that one means. A weird sound you've never heard before? Well, that's a problem for Future You.
But audible altitude awareness is changing. The latest generation of skydiving electronics is moving beyond simple tones and alarms and into something much more intuitive: spoken altitude information. Yes, the Voice Audible Altimeter Madness has officially begun. Skydivers can now have an actual voice inside their helmet announcing altitude, providing jump-specific information, and in some cases communicating information from other devices in an integrated ecosystem.
(Published in Skydiving Magazine and Australian Skydiver Magazine)
I spend as much time talking to new skydivers about how and where to buy gear as I do actually rigging, instructing and skydiving. There is a good amount of basic gear information that applies to all new skydivers. If the new skydiver had this basic knowledge first, it would make finding the right gear easier, faster and a safer transaction for all parties involved.
So what does the new skydiver looking for gear need to know?
