What is a key factor in maintaining altitude awareness during freefall?

Using an altimeter effectively is crucial for maintaining altitude awareness during freefall because it provides real-time, precise measurements of your altitude. An altimeter displays your current vertical position, enabling jumpers to make well-informed decisions regarding their deployment height. This is particularly important as freefall can feel deceiving; without an accurate reference, it’s easy to misjudge how far you have fallen.

While observing the ground, counting seconds, and monitoring other jumpers are helpful practices, they are not as reliable as using an altimeter. Ground reference points can be misleading due to changes in perspective at high speeds, counting seconds can be imprecise especially without a fixed reference, and monitoring other jumpers does not provide specific information about your altitude. Therefore, the altimeter remains the most dependable tool for ensuring that you are aware of your altitude throughout the freefall, ultimately contributing to safety and proper parachute deployment timing.