FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Skydiving statistics have proven that tandem skydiving is a safe activity. In fact, relative to other recreational activities that are often perceived as safe, skydiving has a significantly lower incident rate. Skydive Santa Cruz has a perfect safety record. 

Skydiving does involve risk. 

Skydive Santa Cruz is informing you that skydiving, parachuting, and flying are inherently dangerous activities, which may result in serious injury or even death. All passengers need to be willing and able to accept these risks.

The skydiving industry has dedicated significant resources to mitigate the risk through the innovation of safety equipment and devices, increased proficiency requirements, and rigorous training standards. So, what can you expect from us to mitigate the risk and ensure safe skydiving operations?  

Instructor Standards 

Skydiving is regulated in the United States by the United States Parachute Association (USPA) and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). Skydive Instructors must meet and adhere to strict regulations set forth by the USPA, including possessing a minimum of 500 skydives and successful completion of a Tandem Instructor Rating course. Our instructors have completed, on average, more than 7000 skydives each. 

Pilot & Aircraft Standards & Regulations 

Our pilots, aircraft operations, and aircraft maintenance must pass the standards by the FAA, the same association that governs major commercial airlines such as Delta, United, and Alaska.

Skydive Equipment Standards 

Our tandem skydiving is serviced and maintained by FAA certified parachute riggers. In accordance with FAA and USPA guidelines, our reserve parachutes are inspected and repacked every 180 days. The main parachutes are packed by trained skydiving professionals under a rigger’s supervision. Each of our packers have packed well over 5,000 parachutes each. 

We purchase brand new gear from the manufacturer, and swap out aging equipment. Our parachute gear is amongst the top of line within the skydiving industry.  

Skydive Santa Cruz Standards 

We have implemented our own additional safety procedures above and beyond the requirements set forth by the USPA and FAA. This has been a key component to maintaining a perfect safety record. We will only fly in safe skydiving conditions. You may not be pleased at the time as that could mean your skydive has to be delayed or rescheduled. However, when safety is concerned it trumps your needs, wants, or requests. 

Through modern parachute design, parachute packing testing, and experienced parachute packers, the probability of the main parachute not opening is quite low. Parachutes are designed for soft, on-heading, repeatable openings. Statistically speaking less than 0.1% of main parachutes experience opening inconveniences or issues that require corrective action. 

Though main parachute opening issues are extremely rare, every tandem skydiving rig is equipped with both a main parachute, a reserve parachute, and an Automatic Activation Device (AAD). Reserve parachutes are packed exclusively by specially trained and FAA certified parachute riggers. The method and the design of the reserve parachute is designed with the primary feature of reliable openings. Reserve parachutes are also inspected every 180 days by Parachute Riggers. Every tandem skydiving system also has an on-board computer that is detects atmospheric conditions (altitude and vertical speed). AADs are programmed to fire the reserve parachute at prescribed altitudes as a redundant back-up safety protocol. 

And of course, you’ll be attached to a professional tandem skydive instructor with thousands of skydives of experience. Instructors have been practicing emergency procedures since their first skydives. They have experience, and have successfully,  managed unusual and emergency situations.  

Your total expected activity duration time for a jump at Skydive Santa Cruz is 2-3 hours (although weather or operational issues could further delay that timeframe). That includes check-in, registration, training, gear-up, airplane flight, freefall, and parachute descent. 

Training & Gear Up 

A tandem skydive requires minimal training as you’ll be paired with an extremely experienced, USPA certified tandem instructor. We will review aircraft safety, aircraft exit procedure, freefall body position, and landing technique. The training and your harness fitting typically require about 10-15 minutes.  

Scenic Flight

We have a fleet of extremely well-maintained aircraft. They are small, personal aircraft commonly used in skydiving operations. On board, it will typically only be the pilot, you and your tandem instructor, and another tandem skydive pair.  

The flight up will be a smooth, comfortable, and visually stunning 20-minute flight to jump altitude. We typically fly over the Santa Cruz beaches and Santa Cruz (unless weather or air traffic dictate otherwise). The flight itself is an awesome experience.  

Freefall 

Freefall lasts up to 45 seconds at Skydive Santa Cruz. The length of freefall depends upon the exit altitude, parachute opening altitude, and the body weight, body position and surface area of the tandem pair. At Skydive Santa Cruz, we jump between 10,000-12,000 feet (depending on conditions and air traffic) which generally translates into 35-45 seconds of blissful freefall. 

Parachute Descent 

Your tandem skydive instructor will deploy the parachute at approximately 5000 feet above the ground. Parachute descent times vary depending upon the flying style (fast turns or slow chill descent), and the amount of suspended weight under the parachute (heavier pairs will descent faster). Parachute descents last between 3-8 minutes. 

Explaining the feeling(s) of freefall is a difficult task. Even though all of the individual sensations are incredible, together as a sum, they transform into an indescribable experience. Some of the feelings and sensations you’ll experience during freefall include: 

Weightlessness

The most out of this world feeling of freefall is weightlessness. It is a feeling of floating on an invisible column. It is like gravity has been suspended. It is close to what astronauts feel in zero gravity. 

It’s highly likely you’ve never felt weightlessness before. Sometimes people attach the term weightlessness to the feeling of a rapid and/or dramatic change in direction (e.g., you go over a hill in car rapidly or during the change of direction on a roller coaster). There may be a split-second feeling of weightlessness but the forceful return to the new direction of travel leaves a heavy feeling which is the opposite of freefall weightlessness.  

Wind Resistance 

Typically, a tandem skydive pair will freefall at an average speed of 120 mph. So, it’s going be windy and there will be some resistance from the air but nothing to the extent that it restricts motion. You’ve likely felt this before when placing your arm outside of a moving vehicle. You feel the wind push on your body but not to the extent that you can’t control where your arm goes. 

Blissfulness  

Adrenaline rush would be the most used term to describe this physiological sensation. For most people, this starts kicking in prior to freefall. Skydiving activates the fight or flight mechanism in the brain, and in return, the brain sends out a variety of feel-good neurochemicals to help aid you through the experience. One of those chemicals is dopamine which is the brain’s universal reward currency. This is one reason why you’ll feel happy, powerful, confident, alert, and focused during and after your skydive. 

Things You Won’t Feel 

Freefall is truly a feeling you’ve never experienced before so trying to compare it something you understand is going to provide a false comparison. 

You will not feel like you’re falling. A relative object, or one coming toward you, is required to process the feeling of falling, or speed in general. The ground does not any appear closer from 10,000 feet compared to 8000 feet above ground, yet you’ve fallen at 120mph for 10 seconds. By the time you get that close to the ground you’ve already been flying underneath the parachute for a couple of minutes.  

Freefall also does not feel like a rollercoaster. A rollercoaster produces high g-forces from rapid changes of direction. Shortly after exiting the aircraft, you will reach your maximum velocity and stay at that speed until the parachute is deployed. 

Yes. Despite popular misconception, breathing during freefall is easy. We do it on every jump.  

Air density is not an issue given the altitude and minimal time at that altitude. Nor is the wind speed an impediment to normal breathing. After all, you can put your head out of a car window while driving down the highway and still breathe. 

You may have heard or read that sometimes first-time skydivers have challenges breathing during freefall. That is exclusively related a nervousness response in which people either hold their breathe or breathe extremely rapidly. Breathing in a normal fashion through your nose will ensure normal breathing and aid in relaxation. Sometimes we encourage people to yell if they are experiencing breathing problems as it forces exhalation and thus inhalation. 

Yes, there is a $50/person, non-refundable deposit, required at least 48 hours prior to your skydiving day to confirm your booking. Reservations are required. 

Changes to your reservation are permitted without fee or penalty with at least 48 hours’ notice prior to your reservation/jump time. 

No shows, or changes to reservations with less than 48 hours advance notice of your jump, will result in forfeiting your deposit. 

Our skydiving gift certificates or any other prepaid skydiving vouchers are subject to forfeiture if you cancel or reschedule your appointment with less than 48 hour’s notice.

All payments are non-refundable. 

Please read the terms and conditions for full details. 

Yes. Video and digital photography services are available and highly encouraged! You only get to do this incredible experience for the first time once. Videos and pictures of your skydive are the best way to relive the experience and share with friends and family. 

Skydive videos are professional edited with music and effects. Skydive videos and photos are delivered, same day, via Dropbox. 

Unfortunately, we cannot allow any customers to take their own cameras or phones. The USPA basic safety requirements dictate the rules for skydiving with camera equipment: 

a USPA C license (200 jumps minimum) is recommended and or at least 50 recent jumps on the same parachute equipment to be used for camera flying.

These rules exist for the safety of you, your instructor, and the public.

We offer great skydive video and photo options. Our instructors have thousands of jumps of experience, know the right angles to get the best scenic shots and how to make you a social media star.