Are you planning on going skydiving for the very first time and feeling a bit nervous? This may be due to being brand new to this extreme sport, and will have a whole bunch of new terms thrown at you that you are expected to know. Here is some of the commonly used skydiving lingo that you should be familiar with. 

Reserve

Everyone that skydives will have two parachutes. Your backup parachute is known as your reserve parachute or your auxiliary parachute, though it's often called your reserve for short. 

Terminal Velocity

There will be a point in the freefall where you are falling at a consistent rate due to gravity. This is known as reaching terminal velocity. Some lightweight jumpers actually wear vests with weights so that they can reach a faster terminal velocity. 

AAD

An AAD is an automatic activation device. It is not required for skydivers in the US, but many skydiving companies require that all jumpers use them. They work by automatically deploying the parachute once you reach a specific altitude, and are a safety mechanism in case something were to happen and you were incapable of deploying your own parachute. 

Crabbing

It is known as crabbing if the parachute gets caught in the wind at an angle that causes you to go sideways. You may hear someone say that another jumper is crabbing if they see them traveling sideways unexpectedly. 

Sliders

Your parachute will have a slider attached to it, which starts off near the top of the parachute and slides down toward your head during your descent. The device slows down how quickly the parachute opens so that you gradually slow down from terminal velocity. 

Flare

While you may associate a flare with a way to signal that you need help, a flare in skydiving is totally different. A flare is what you use to slow down your descent once the parachute has been deployed. Braking is often called flaring or pulling on the flare. 

PLF

PLF stands for parachute landing fall, and it's a technique that is used to help minimize injuries that can happen if you are going to have a rough landing. If an instructor says that you are going to learn about how to perform a PFL, it means that they want to prepare you for a worst-case scenario as you come in contact with the ground. A PLF involves rolling as you fall if you are unable to stand up as you land. 

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