Skydiving Recurrency Training: USPA Currency Rules, License Jumps & How to Get Current Again

Key Takeaways
Taking a break from skydiving doesn’t mean stepping away forever. Whether you’ve been grounded for a couple of months or a few years, recurrency training exists to help you return with competence and confidence. This guide breaks down how skydiving currency works under USPA rules, explains recurrency training, and walks through what actually happens when you get current again with Skydive Danielson. If you’re ready to shake the dust off and feel that familiar anticipation at the aircraft door again, this is where your comeback begins.

A skydiving license does not expire, so to speak – once you earn a USPA license, it remains valid for life. Time away from the sport doesn’t completely erase your accomplishments or force you to start over from the beginning.

However, while licenses don’t expire, currency does. Your ability to jump independently depends on whether you’ve made a skydive within the time limits set by the USPA (United States Parachute Association). If those limits are exceeded, your license becomes inactive until recurrency requirements are met.

In this article, we’ll provide an overview of skydiving licenses, and dig into currency rules and recurrency training requirements. If you’re ready to shake the dust off and feel that familiar anticipation at the aircraft door again, this is where your comeback begins.

How Skydiving Licenses Work

Understanding how skydiving licenses work helps explain why currency and recurrency training matter later on. So, first things first: how many times do you have to go skydiving to get certified? Under the guidelines of the USPA, the minimum requirement for a USPA A license – the first certified level of proficiency – is 25 jumps. But how many jumps you need to get a skydiving license is only part of the equation. 

The USPA issues four skydiving licenses – A, B, C, and D – each representing a higher level of experience, skill, and responsibility. These licenses are earned through a combination of jump numbers (500 for the D License), demonstrated proficiency, canopy accuracy, freefall time, and written evaluations. 

For details on how to earn a skydiving license, and what privileges you gain with each, check out our article: What Can I Do With Each Skydiving License?

Skydiving Currency Explained

Skydiving currency refers to how recently you’ve jumped, and whether the time elapsed can consider your skills as “current” under USPA guidelines (we’ll dig into these next). It’s a way of ensuring that muscle memory, awareness and judgment are still sharp enough for safe participation in the sport. From emergency procedures and altitude awareness to canopy decision-making, the sport demands instincts that are built through consistent repetition.

When time away from jumping stretches on, these instincts can fade. Even experienced skydivers may find themselves second-guessing procedures or feeling slightly out of sync during critical moments. This is where “recurrency” – meaning a structured refresher course – is critical. It ensures skydivers can responsibly return to unsupervised jumping.

For some jumpers itching to get back in the sky, this requirement can seem like an unnecessary formality, but the reality is that it’s often a welcome essential. Recurrency training brings clarity, sharpens focus, and replaces hesitation with familiarity and peace of mind. Instead of wondering whether everything will come back mid-jump, recurrency allows skydivers to return knowing they’re prepared and ready to enjoy the experience fully again.

USPA Currency Rules by License Level

The USPA outlines currency recommendations in the Skydiver’s Information Manual (SIM). These guidelines vary by license level, recognizing that experience plays a role in skill retention.

Current USPA currency timeframes are:

• Students: Uncurrent after 30 days
• A license holders: Uncurrent after 60 days
• B license holders: Uncurrent after 90 days
• C and D license holders: Uncurrent after 180 days (6 months)

If a jumper exceeds these timeframes, they are considered uncurrent and must complete a recurrency jump before returning to solo skydiving. 

Currency is verified using a combination or logbook entries, USPA membership status, license level, and proficiency documentation. These guidelines provide structure and allow instructors to evaluate not just how long it’s been since your last jump, but what kind of experience you bring with you.

The Recurrency Process

What is a recurrency jump? A supervised skydive – typically with a USPA-rated instructor or coach – designed to confirm that a jumper is ready to return to normal operations. 

Before the jump, refresher ground training reviews emergency procedures, equipment checks, aircraft flow, and dropzone-specific rules. This ground work slows everything down, giving jumpers a time to re-familiarize themselves with procedures they may not have thought about in months or years.

In the air, the focus is on fundamentals. The instructor observes stability, altitude awareness, tracking, deployment timing, and canopy control. The jump isn’t about perfection – it’s about competence and consistency. For many jumpers, this is the moment when everything clicks back into place. Like riding a bike!

Recurrency Training at Skydive Danielson

Every dropzone’s process can vary slightly, but at Skydive Danielson the goal is simple: get you back in the sky safely, confidently, and without unnecessary stress. Here, our recurrency training program is specifically tailored for jumpers who have fallen out of currency. First, you’ll need to contact us about becoming current again. The process typically begins with a brief intake where we’ll ask you questions like:

• How many skydives do you currently have?
• When did you last jump?
• What license do you hold?
• Is your logbook available?

From there, the recurrency pathway is designed around your unique history. 

Students and recently licensed jumpers must jump at least once every 30 days to remain current. Refresher ground school is required if you are 30+ days uncurrent. If 60 days or more have elapsed since your last jump, you must repeat the First Jump Course and their last AFF jump. Depending on what you need to get current, prices range from $75 to $155 (as of 1/1/2026).

Licensed jumpers, your recurrency may include some ground review tailored to the amount of time away – especially if procedures or equipment have changed – and an instructor-supervised jump to verify that skills are ready for normal operations again. Pricing varies – call us to make a training plan.

The beauty of this approach is that it’s individualized, not one-size-fits-all. Skydive Danielson’s instructors design recurrency training based on what you need. Whether that’s a full ground review or a straightforward supervised jump, we meet you where you are and help you find your confidence in the sky again.

Ready to Get Current Again?

If you’ve been away from skydiving and are wondering what your path back to the skies looks like, Skydive Danielson’s experienced instructors are ready to help. Getting current again starts with a conversation and ends with you stepping back into the sky with reassurance and a full heart!

Reach out to Skydive Danielson to begin the recurrency process – we can’t wait to get you back where you belong! Blue skies and welcome back, friend.