Your skydiving equipment is quite literally your life support system. Every component — the harness, container, parachutes, AAD, and altimeter — must function perfectly when called upon, potentially after sitting dormant for weeks or months between jumps. Proper maintenance is not optional — it is the discipline that separates responsible skydivers from statistics. Understanding how to care for your gear, recognize when it needs professional attention, and respect its limitations is a fundamental responsibility of every skydiver.
General Care Principles
Skydiving gear is exposed to extreme conditions that accelerate wear: the UV radiation of high-altitude sunlight, the humidity and temperature swings of the packing mat, the mechanical stresses of freefall and landing, and the chemical environment of human sweat. Each of these factors contributes to gradual degradation that must be monitored and managed.
Store your rig in a dedicated gear bag, away from direct sunlight, moisture, and extreme temperatures. The trunk of a car parked in summer sun can reach temperatures that damage canopy fabric and adhesive stitching. A damp basement can promote mold growth on fabric components. The ideal storage environment is climate-controlled, dark, and dry.
Keep your gear clean, but clean it properly. Dirt and sand can act as an abrasive, damaging fabric and causing premature wear on high-stress areas. Canopy fabric can be gently cleaned with mild soap and water, but harsh chemicals, high-pressure washers, and mechanical scrubbers can damage the coating that gives modern parachutes their durability. Webbing can be cleaned with a soft brush and mild detergent.
Harness and Webbing Care
The harness webbing bears your full body weight during every phase of the jump and must be inspected regularly for signs of wear, fraying, or damage. Run your hands along all visible webbing — through the leg straps, around the crotch, through the chest strap, and through all adjustment points — feeling for any frayed fibers, cuts, or areas where the weave appears to be separating.
UV exposure is particularly damaging to nylon webbing. Even short periods of direct sunlight exposure can weaken webbing significantly over time. This is why drop zones use coverage canopies over their packing tables and why personal rigs should be stored in bags when not in use. A piece of webbing that has been significantly weakened by UV may appear fine visually but can fail under load.
Hardware — the buckles, D-rings, V-rings, and attachment points — should be inspected for corrosion, deformation, and proper function. Corroded hardware should be replaced immediately. Buckles should engage and release smoothly. Any hardware that shows signs of cracking or metal fatigue should be removed from service and replaced.
Canopy Inspection and Care
The canopy is the component most susceptible to invisible damage. Fabric that appears intact may have been weakened by UV exposure, heat, or stress that is not visible to the naked eye. Regular inspections should look for tears, holes, contamination, and signs of canopy fabric degradation including shine (indicating UV damage) and brittleness.
Line inspection is equally critical. Every suspension line should be individually inspected from canopy attachment to riser connection. Look for fraying, nicks, cuts, and any signs of heat damage from friction. Lines that have been in service for extended periods — typically more than 500 jumps or five years, whichever comes first — should be replaced even if they appear undamaged, as nylon line strength degrades over time regardless of apparent condition.
Canopy cells should be checked for proper inflation and seal integrity. The intake ports at the nose of each cell must be clear and properly shaped. Contamination — sand, dirt, moisture in the cells — should be addressed by a qualified loft for proper cleaning and drying.
AAD Servicing and Battery Management
The Automatic Activation Device is one of the most important safety components in modern skydiving gear, and its maintenance requirements are non-negotiable. Every AAD has specific manufacturer requirements for battery replacement intervals, calibration checks, and service intervals that must be followed precisely.
CYPRES, one of the most widely used AAD brands, requires battery replacement every two years or 500 jumps, whichever occurs first, and recommends returning the unit to the manufacturer for full service every four years. Vigil AAD has similar requirements. Ignoring these service intervals is not a matter of personal preference — it is a safety violation that can result in an inoperative AAD at the worst possible moment.
Between service intervals, AAD owners are responsible for monitoring battery status before every jump. Most AAD models display battery status on their interface. If the display shows low battery or if the AAD has passed its recommended service date, it must not be jumped until serviced by an authorized service center.
When to Seek Professional Service
Certain maintenance tasks require specialized tools, training, and certification that only a licensed parachute rigger or authorized service center can provide. These include any work on the reserve parachute (legally required to be packed only by an FAA-certified rigger), replacement of suspension lines, repair of canopy fabric damage, replacement of hardware, and any modification to the container or harness system.
Seek professional inspection if you notice any of the following: tears or holes in canopy fabric, fraying or damage to suspension lines, signs of contamination inside canopy cells, unusual wear patterns on webbing, any history of hard opening or high-speed deployment, any exposure to salt water, and any suspected UV or heat damage to fabric or webbing.
Regular professional inspections — even when you do not suspect damage — are good practice. Many riggers offer inspection services where they examine your entire rig and provide a written assessment of component condition and recommended actions. This provides an independent expert evaluation of your gear's status and can catch problems before they become dangerous.