The field guide
Get set.
Go deeper.
Fifteen minutes at home means you never think about the app at the DZ again. This is the long version — profile, gear, the Watch flow, logbook review, QR sign-off, nearby dropzones, Personal Trends, backup, export and the fixes for the problems people actually hit.
BreakOff 2 / How-to guides
Record. Import. Keep.
The full original-FIT workflow, from Connect IQ to saved logbook.
Open guide ↗02 / Analysis + replayFind the moment.
Linked charts, 3D, markers, heart rate, comparison and exports.
Open guide ↗03 / Apple WatchReady before boarding.
Recording, landing target, distance units and the canopy screen.
Open guide ↗04 / Canopy PassportFollow the canopy.
Linked jump history, linesets, service notes and supported trends.
Open guide ↗05 / Records + recoveryKeep the whole story.
History, corrections, backup, pending originals and plan access.
Open guide ↗New to BreakOff? Continue below for installation, permissions, first recording and QR sign-off.
Before anything else
BreakOff is a jump tracker, automatic logbook and gear-management app. It is not a certified altimeter, audible altimeter, emergency device or life-saving system. Always use certified skydiving instruments and follow your training, instructor guidance, DZ procedures and governing-body rules.
Install and onboarding
- Install BreakOff from the App Store on your iPhone.
- Open the Watch app on iPhone and confirm BreakOff is installed on the Apple Watch you actually jump with.
- Open BreakOff on iPhone and complete onboarding.
- Choose feet or metres, then enter your existing jump count so future numbering continues correctly from where your paper logbook stops.
- Read the safety disclaimer. BreakOff must not be used as altitude-awareness equipment.
The existing jump count is the one setting that's annoying to fix later. If you're on jump 614, enter 614 — your next tracked jump becomes #615.
Apple Watch capture requires iOS 26 or later, watchOS 26 or later and a working Watch barometer. The v2 Garmin FIT workflow needs the iPhone app and a supported recording; Apple Watch is not required. V2 introduces Free, Logbook and Pro. Compare the new plans ↗
Permissions, and what each one is for
BreakOff works best with the jump-tracking permissions enabled, but optional permissions are requested only when the feature that needs them is used.
GPS track, maps, dropzone context, wind context and canopy debrief information.
Works with Watch sensor data to support phase tracking and jump-session context.
App reminders where you enable them. Never a substitute for an audible or visual altimeter.
Only if you enable workout recording or heart-rate context on the jump.
Saving jump cards to Photos, or linking media to a jump record.
Scanning an in-person QR sign-off. Recognition happens on-device; BreakOff does not save the camera feed.
Sync, backup and restore through your own Apple Account.
Gear and counts
- Choose Own Gear if you want BreakOff tracking your rig and component counts. Use Rental when you're not on your own setup.
- Add your main canopy, container, reserve and AAD.
- Enter the details that drive reminders: reserve repack date, AAD service date, canopy size, and the existing jumps already on each component.
- When a canopy gets a new lineset, use structured lineset history — BreakOff dates each change so counts stay meaningful over time.
- Mark the gear you're currently jumping as active.
- Before saving a jump, check the gear shown. That context is what keeps component counts correct.
Confirm the active rig before you save, not after. Edits to historical jumps are applied to the lineset that was actually fitted on that date, so retro-fixing works — it's just more effort than getting it right at the time.
Your first tracked jump
- Charge your Apple Watch and wear it securely before gearing up.
- Open BreakOff on the Watch before boarding.
- Tap Jump, or use the Arm Jump complication if you've added it to your watch face.
- Wait for the altimeter readiness check. Do not force the jump flow if the Watch reports unavailable or stale sensor data.
- Confirm or adjust your break-off and deployment settings before exit if needed.
- Leave your iPhone behind. You don't need it for the jump.
- Jump. Use your certified altimeter, audible, AAD, training and normal procedures for every safety-critical decision.
- After landing, review the Watch summary and let the jump sync back to iPhone.
The Watch off-landing area is confirmation-first and intended only for use once you're safely on the ground. It can help you reach configured emergency or DZ contacts, or share your location. It never triggers automatically and never during an active jump phase.
Reviewing the logbook after landing
- Open BreakOff on iPhone once the Watch has had time to sync.
- Use month, year or all-years navigation to find the jump. Search covers your selected period; choose all history to search the complete logbook while preserving lifetime jump numbers.
- Open the entry and review exit altitude, deployment altitude, freefall time, canopy time, GPS track and altitude profile where available.
- Where the data supports it, review canopy-opening start, under-canopy point, altitude loss, duration, average rate and confidence. This is post-jump analysis, not an in-air cue.
- Add jump type, dropzone, aircraft, group size, notes and any linked video or photos.
- Confirm the gear used before saving final changes — especially if you changed rigs that day.
- Use share cards, or export, when you want the record outside the app.
Edit the logbook entry after landing. Never try to correct anything during the skydive.
Logbook tools: sign-offs, nearby dropzones and Personal Trends
These are post-jump logbook tools. They do not change the Watch tracking flow and none of them should be used for an in-air decision.
Set up a reusable Signing Identity
Where · Profile → Signing Identity
- The person who will sign opens Signing Identity on their own iPhone.
- Enter name, role and licence, member or certificate number. Rating title and expiry year are optional.
- Tap Save and Show QR. BreakOff displays My Signing QR, which can be reused for future in-person sign-offs.
- Use Edit whenever those details need to change.
Sign one jump with My Signing QR
Where · Logbook → unsigned jump → sign-off area
- On the jumper's iPhone, open the unsigned jump and tap Scan Signer QR.
- The signer opens Profile → Signing Identity and shows My Signing QR.
- Scan the code, then review the signer's name, role and number on the jumper's iPhone.
- Confirm that the signer is present and approves the sign-off, then tap Apply Sign-Off.
Sign several jumps together
Where · Logbook → bulk action (square and pencil)
- Open the Logbook month or filtered view that contains the unsigned jumps.
- Tap the square-and-pencil bulk action, select the jumps, then choose Next → Scan Signer QR.
- Scan the signer's reusable QR, review the details once and apply the sign-off to the selected jumps.
- Already signed jumps are skipped. If a required signed field is edited later, BreakOff marks the signature as invalidated so the jump can be signed again.
Use the request-and-response flow for signer comments
- From the same bulk-action screen, select one or more jumps and choose Next → Create QR Request.
- The signer opens the QR scanner in Logbook, taps Scan Request, reviews the selected jumps and enters their details and comments.
- The signer shows the generated response. On the jumper's iPhone, tap Scan Signed Response to apply it.
- Request and response codes expire after 15 minutes and apply only to the jumps listed in that request.
QR sign-off records the details entered by the signer. It is not a cryptographic identity check and does not replace any verification required by your association or dropzone.
Use nearby dropzone suggestions
Where · Logbook → open jump → Dropzone → Choose Dropzone
- Open a jump that has a recorded landing location, then open its Dropzone picker.
- If a saved or previously used DZ is close to that landing point, it appears under Nearby with an approximate distance.
- Tap a suggestion to select it, or choose from Primary, Recent, Saved or From Your Logbook.
- BreakOff performs the comparison on-device. A suggestion never changes the selected dropzone automatically.
Read Personal Trends
Where · Stats → Personal Trends → Patterns across your jumps
- Open Stats and choose the time period you want to review.
- Scroll to Personal Trends for patterns in dropzones, canopy use, own-versus-rental gear, heart rate and canopy-wind estimates.
- Read the evidence label beside each pattern: NEEDS DATA means there are not enough usable records, LIMITED means an early or incomplete pattern, and STRONG means broader coverage across your selected jumps.
- Improve the picture by keeping dropzone, canopy and gear details complete, and by enabling heart-rate or wind context only when you want those records included.
Personal Trends are calculated locally from your existing jump records. Treat them as logbook context, never as training advice, performance certification or a safety recommendation.
Backup, restore and export
- Keep iCloud enabled if you want Apple-account-based sync, backup and restore.
- Use BreakOff's backup tools before changing devices, or before deleting and reinstalling the app.
- Use PDF export for readable records and CSV export for spreadsheet review. Pick selected jumps, a month, a year or the full logbook before the heavier export work starts.
- Keep your local dropzone library current so DZ details and contacts stay useful even with limited network access.
- Keep your own external backup of important records. BreakOff helps — but you should still own your records.
Troubleshooting
The Watch jump didn't appear on my iPhone
Keep the iPhone and Watch near each other, open BreakOff on both, and give WatchConnectivity time to transfer. Transfers are queued and opportunistic — they don't always complete the instant you land.
The location or map is missing
Check the location permission on iPhone, and that location is available to the Apple Watch. Partial or missing GPS is labelled honestly in the jump detail rather than silently filled in.
Saving to Photos fails
Check the Photos permission, especially if you granted add-only access.
The QR scanner will not open
Allow Camera access for BreakOff in iOS Settings, then try again. Denying Camera access disables QR scanning only; the rest of the logbook remains available.
My subscription isn't active
Use Restore Purchases and confirm you're signed in with the same Apple Account you bought it with.
The gear counts look wrong
Review the gear attached to the affected jump, then adjust that component's existing count if needed. Historical edits apply to the lineset that was fitted on the jump's own date.
Something still feels off
Send a support request with your app version, iPhone model, Watch model, iOS and watchOS versions, and what happened. Describing the moment it broke is far more useful than a general report.