First-Time Tandem Skydiving FAQs

What should I wear to skydive?

Gym shoes – no sandals or boots

• Clothes you don’t mind getting grass stains on
• Bright colored clothes (for video/photo purposes)
• Our facility is an outdoor facility. You may be outside for a half day on the day of your event, please dress accordingly
• Hot weather (70 degrees and above) – Active Wear – shorts and a tshirt – avoid short shorts (you may get raspberries on your legs sliding in your landing). Capri/yoga pants are a great alternative! Tshirts are best, tank tops can cause you to get bruised from the harness rubbing against you in freefall
• Cooler weather (70 degrees and below) – dress in thin, light layers. It is much colder in free fall than on the ground. Start with a base layer of thermals under your clothes and then keep adding thin light layers depending on the temperature
• Bring your own gloves if under 60 degrees!
• Avoid bulky clothing that is hard to move around in
• Learn more on the Skydive New England Blog about what to wear skydiving.

Do I need a reservation to skydive?

Reservations are highly recommended at Skydive New England to help ensure we have space for all of our customers. Please contact us to book your appointment at (207) 339-1520 or book online.

Is there a skydiving weight limit?

Yes, there are skydiving weight limits mainly in place for safety. At Skydive New England, the restrictions are as follows:

• Tandem Weight Limit: 240 pounds
• AFF Weight Limit: 225 pounds

*Height and weight proportions will be a factor in harness fit.  No exceptions will be made for anyone over 240 lbs. Sometimes women 200-240 lbs do not fit in a harness depending on height. Feel free to visit our location before booking to see if you fit in the harness.

Is there a skydiving age requirement?

You must be at least 18 years old to go skydiving. Parents cannot sign for jumpers under 18 years of age under any circumstances. This rule applies to all skydiving facilities operating under United States Parachuting Association regulations.

While there is no upper age limit for skydiving, physical fitness becomes the key to enjoying your skydving.

We require that all customers be in good physical condition to skydive. Can you climb up unassisted onto a picnic table and jump onto the ground? If so, then skydiving is for you! If not, skydiving may be too physically demanding for you to safely skydive.

Are there physical requirements for skydiving?

Skydiving is a very physical sport that has inherent risks due to the fact that we are flying in airplanes and jumping out of them. That being said, we do our best to mitigate these risks as much as possible.

Customers must determine if they are physically capable of climbing on top of a picnic table and jumping onto the ground without needing assistance. This simulates what it is like for our customers to climb into the airplane, deploy the parachute and land on the ground. If customers feel that the ‘picnic table’ test is too aggressive for their bodies to handle then skydiving may be too aggressive of a sport.

There are definite differences between indoor and outdoor skydiving. If you are not eligible for outdoor skydiving, we highly recommend indoor skydiving at Skyventure NH.

How far in advance should I schedule my skydive?

We recommend scheduling your jump about 1-2 week in advance. For groups, 2-3 weeks is best. You may call (207) 339-1520 for availability. We may have openings to jump today!

How do I make a reservation to skydive?

Just call us at (207) 339-1520 or online reservations are available 24 hours a day!

• • A Non-Refundable $75 deposit is required to hold reservation
  • A 3 day notice is required to change your reservation without loosing your deposit. Less than 3 days notice, a $35 admin fee is deducted for last minute changes. Same day no shows result in the full $75 deposit being deducted.
  • If 3 days notice is given your deposit never expires and is transferable.

What time can I skydive?

We have scheduled classes five days a week Thursday-Monday.  Your reservation is for a class time and we will try to get you in the air as quickly as possible after class. However, variables such as weather, class size, aircraft, etc. can affect what time your skydive will occur. Please plan on spending most of the day with us. On average, it can take about 4-5 hours from check-in to landing for a tandem skydive.

Note: Many students choose to camp out and enjoy our world-famous bonfire and nightlife! Tenting is free for tandem students.

What is your refund policy?

All payments are final at Skydive New England. All deposits/payments never expire and are transferable. In other words, if you cannot jump for any reason then you can reschedule for another day, or transfer your payment to anybody else who can jump in your place.

What is your cancellation policy?

We ask that you give us at least three (3) days to cancel or change a reservation. Canceling or rescheduling less than three (3) days before your class date will result in a $35 administrative fee. If cancelling on the same day as your reservation, the full $75 will be forfeited to cover your empty seat in the airplane. Please understand that our instructors have been scheduled to accommodate your reservation.

Can you skydive in the rain?

We don’t cancel classes due to weather conditions, so you are welcome to come out and be trained. If it’s raining or if the weather conditions do not improve throughout the day and we’re unable to jump, you will be issued a rain check that does not expire. If you come back within the same jumping season, you do not have to take the tandem class again.

Is there anything I need to bring for my skydive?

On the day of your jump, bring your photo ID, comfortable clothes, closed-toe shoes, and extra money for food, video, t-shirts, etc.

Is alcohol permitted while skydiving?

Alcohol and skydiving do not mix. If we have reason to believe you are hungover or inebriated, you will be denied the right to skydive and will not receive a refund.

Alcoholic beverages are not permitted at any location on the drop zone by anyone while skydiving is taking place – even if you are not jumping. Violating this rule may result in you being asked to leave the property.

I want to jump with my friend, can we both be on the same plane?

Anywhere from 1-5 tandem jumpers may be on a plane. We cannot guarantee that any group will get to be on the same plane, but we will try our best!

What are Skydive New England prices?

Please see the skydiving pricing table below.

Tandem Skydiving Rates

Ready To Skydive? Make Your Reservation Here

Can you accommodate groups?

We can accommodate groups of up to 70+ people. For groups of 10 or more jumpers, please make reservations at least two weeks ahead of time.

How safe is skydiving?

Skydiving is not without risk and in rare circumstances, can cause death.

Statistically, the risks of skydiving have improved steadily as technology has advanced. In 2020, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) recorded 11 fatal skydiving accidents in the U.S. out of roughly 2.8 million jumps. That’s 0.0039 fatalities per 1,000 jumps—among the lowest rate in the sport’s history! Tandem skydiving has an even better safety record, with 0.002 student fatalities per 1,000 tandem jumps over the past decade. According to the National Safety Council, a person is much more likely to be killed getting struck by lightning or stung by a bee.

Safety is our #1 priority. All of our tandem and student systems are equipped with a computerized Automatic Activation Device (AAD) called a CYPRES (CYbernetic Parachute Release System). Although it is the skydiver’s responsibility to deploy their parachute, the AAD is designed to activate the reserve parachute system.

Also, all of our skydiving instructors have undergone rigorous training and national USPA certification.

Skydive New England is proud to be a United States Parachute Association (USPA) Group Member dropzone. We strictly adhere to all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and USPA guidelines on safety.

USPA keeps detailed safety records and is a great resource for further research.

How many parachutes are in a parachute system?

Two. All of our parachute systems are equipped with two parachutes – the main and the reserve (back-up).

What kind of aircraft do you fly?

Skydive New England operates an 18 passenger Cessna Blackhawk Caravan aircraft flying to 14,000 feet. During quieter weekdays, we may fly our Cessna 206 and/or Cessna 182.

How fast do you fall when skydiving?

Once exiting the aircraft, typical speeds build to about 120 mph during free fall. The rate of descent is about 1,000 feet every six seconds.

How long is the parachute ride?

After an approximate 60-second free fall, time under parachute usually lasts 5 to 6 minutes. The entire skydiving experience involves multiple key factors that affect how long skydiving takes overall.

I'm worried about getting sick, should I not eat before skydiving?

Getting sick on a skydive doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s usually with our guests who fail to eat a regular meal prior to arrival. Due to the surge of adrenaline, low blood sugar usually results in people feeling nauseated when under the parachute. For the best experience, eat a regular, healthy meal (don’t overeat) and be well-hydrated. If you take medicine to avoid getting sea sick, you may want to consider it for skydiving as well.

Can you go skydiving with a cold?

Jumping with any sinus pressure or a head cold is not recommended. Due to pressure changes experienced during free fall, an individual jumping with a cold or sinus pressure will experience pain and has the potential to cause damage to the inner ear or sinuses. If experiencing a cold, please contact us to reschedule your skydive.

What should I wear for my skydive?

Wear comfortable clothing appropriate for spending the day outdoors. During cooler months, avoid wearing bulky clothing (heavy jackets), but instead wear layers for warmth.

Proper footwear should be closed-toed shoes (no flip-flops) or anything that could potentially fall off during free fall. Cowboy boots are not recommended. Work or hiking boots are not recommended if they have hooks for the laces. Athletic shoes are the way to go.

Be prepared to remove all jewelry.

Wearing jewelry during the skydive is not recommended. Plan to remove jewelry before the skydive or just leave it at home before coming to the skydive center.

If jumping with my friends on the same flight, will I be able to see them in free fall?

No, you will not see other tandem jumpers in freefall. To ensure everyone’s safety, our instructors will only exit the plane after the previous skydiver is a safe distance away. However, while under canopy (parachute) you will be able to see other parachutes.

Can you skydive at night?

You must be a certified skydiver to participate in night jumps or competitions.

If I've never made a skydive before, does my first jump have to be a tandem?

Yes, here at Skydive New England we require a tandem jump for your first skydive. If you have never jumped out of an airplane before, how do you know you will like it? It is much safer to have an instructor fly the parachute with you to build skill and confidence prior to your first solo jump 🙂

Can I buy just the digital photos OR just the video?

The videographer who will jump with you has both a digital and video camera attached to their helmet. Therefore, our skydiving video media package includes both video and photos.

Can my friend and I be on the same video?

Only one person’s freefall will be on the video. It is not possible for a camera flyer to capture two tandem pairs due to exit separation (a safety procedure). However, footage and photography can usually be taken of groups on the ground, in the plane and after your jump. Just ask your camera flyer!

Can I bring my own GoPro to film my skydive?

No. Guests are welcome to bring cameras for shooting footage on the ground, but are not permitted to take cameras onboard the aircraft or during the skydive. The USPA does not permit any skydiver with less than 200 jumps to use a camera on a skydive. This policy is based on safety.

Making a tandem skydive is not like riding a roller coaster; all of our guests will be actively participating during the skydive based on procedures taught during training. It is necessary for our guests to be focused on those procedures as opposed to trying to frame photos or posing for the camera.