Do you have to jump tandem for your first skydive?

Answer 1

NO, the Accelerated Free Fall program allows the student to jump for the first time with two instructors holding onto their parachute harness. The program begins with a 4-6 hour ground-school course and then a minimum of 7-8 jumps that require the student to progressively demonstrate new skills they have learned on the ground. From the first jump, the student is fully responsible for the proper timely deployment of their parachute, fixing any unlikely malfunctions of the parachute, and safely landing.

Answer 2

There is no set amount of times you need to skydive tandem before you can jump solo and it will vary between locations. One needs to skydive at least 2-3 times tandem before going solo but in some places they insist on even more training.