Picking where to skydive is easy when you ask the right questions

Skydiving is at the top of many people’s life wishes and bucket lists ; always has been, probably always will be. There’s a great sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with doing your first tandem skydive. Many thrill-seekers then go on to learn to skydive.

Skydiving in Australia is big business. There are skydiving companies all around the country, but the question is: how do you choose the best drop zone for your jump?

In this post, we discuss 5 important factors that will help you choose the best place to go skydiving in Australia or overseas.

Price and Promotion of the Skydive

Let’s be honest, for many people, especially the backpacker market, the cost of a skydive will have some say in the decision.

The fact is, prices vary from state to state, drop zone to drop zone. The busiest places,  sometimes known as ‘tandem factories”, may have slightly lower prices because they do lots of jumps each day.

Operating a skydiving company costs a lot of money. The aircraft alone is big bucks to own, operate and maintain to a high degree of safety. Then there are the usual overheads plus high-tech parachutes that have to be the best quality possible.

If you want to save a few dollars, look for skydiving places that offer mid-week discounts, group bonuses or height upgrades so you get the most bang for your buck. Don’t fret too much over the price though. When you’re safely back on the ground, you’ll think it was the best money you ever spent.

“I did one [a tandem skydive] last year and it was about $300 – $400, this was for the highest jump (14000 ft?). Whilst I agree this was expensive, it was such an incredible experience that it was well worth the price tag. Just do your research and find one that has a good safety record. Personally I’d rather pay a little more for doing it safely”

~missmonte via Australia Forum

Location of the Skydive

Location will depend on whether you’re a traveller or a local but you may want to have a big think about the visuals you’ll get at your chosen drop zone.

Some people may not care at all about the view, but there are some amazing seascapes   and landscapes to devour during a skydive. Remember, there’s a 20-40 minute scenic flight involved in every flight to altitude so a pretty view is a bonus.

Do you want to land on the beach? Or maybe an island? Do you want city views or vast open spaces? Skydives can be done over some of Australia’s top tourist destinations such as Rottnest Island or Uluru. Or you may jump over the country’s blandest paddocks.

It’s definitely something to consider.

“It is likely the best location you will ever have the opportunity to do a skydive. The scenery is mind blowing & the beach landing is amazing.”

~RagingBull1979 reviewing his jump over Rottnest Island on Trip Advisor

The Aircrafts Used by the Skydiving Company

Another big difference between drop zones is the airplanes. The larger companies may   have bigger aircraft, which can carry more passengers. Boutique drop zones will often have smaller aircraft, which only means fewer people can be taken on a load. This only really   matters if you are skydiving with larger groups of friends or family and want to be on the           same flight (load) as them.

The most common skydive airplanes in Australia can seat 3 – 8 tandem skydivers.

If you do want to be on the same load as friends, ask how many skydivers the plane seats before making your booking.

Altitude of Your Skydive

How high do you want to skydive from? Tandem skydives generally start from an altitude of 8,000 feet but this may vary from place to place. Some places start their skydives at 10,000 feet.

The most common skydive height is 14,000 feet – about 60 seconds of free-fall. Of course, the higher you go, the longer the skydiving experience. The important thing to remember is this: get what you pay for.

Be mindful of drop zones that say “up to 14,000 feet”, which may mean they will try to get to that altitude but they don’t guarantee it. Depending on their location, they may not be able to achieve the height due to airport control towers and flight plans.

Reputation of the Skydive Company

In today’s digital age of social media and online community marketplaces such as TripAdvisor, it is easy to find truthful reviews and opinions about skydiving companies, hotels, restaurants, airlines – heck, just about everything.

Although opinions vary, it’s a good way to gage the level of customer service, safety practises, wait times, prices, experiences and overall vibe of a drop zone.

Do your research. Use Google, social media and Trip Advisor to suss out the reputations of the places you’d like to skydive with. If the talk is great, there’s a good chance you’ll have the best skydive experience too.

The bottom line: be prepared. Ask questions, research the company, discover your location wants and options and decide what’s important to you when choosing the best place to go skydiving.

 

If you think you’re ready to book in a skydive and would love to do it here in WA over Rottnest Island or Busselton, make sure to give the friendly team at Skydive Geronimo a call on 1300 449 669 or contact us online.