Tandem skydiving has been available now since the early eighties, and in that time we have gotten very good at doing it. Jumping out of an airplane is a thrilling and rewarding thing to experience, and your first skydive is the best one of all. The way both aviation and parachuting are regulated, combined with some simple practicalities mean that while you can be too young to skydive – you can never be too old. Hooray! Here is a bit more detail…
Age Requirements
Skydiving is not only an amazing and life-enhancing entry on your bucket list – it is also a sport, a hobby, and a lifestyle. The process of doing a tandem skydive is purposefully designed to be accessible with just a little training, allowing you to get up in the sky as efficiently as possible. Although skydiving is not as risky as people generally think it is, there is still an element of risk involved – which means you need to be a legally recognized adult to do it. For all dropzones regulated by the United States Parachute Association (USPA), the minimum age is 18 – but there is no upper age limit and you cannot officially be too old to skydive.
Do Older People Skydive?
Very much yes! Skydiving is a very involved hobby that not only includes skills that take a long time to master, it is also a very positive and inclusive community where amazing adventures can be had no matter what age you are. People who become skydivers tend to stay that way, and there are various active communities of jumpers that have been skydiving for decades – and continue to do so even into their eighties.
What is the Record?
Tandem skydiving – whereby you jump harnessed together with an instructor ‘piggy-back’ style is the way most people experience freefall for the first time. This method is what allows for the quickest path into doing a jump, and because the instructor manages the process and aids with the more physical aspects – those who would otherwise perhaps not wish to make a skydive can do so with confidence. It is actually more common than you think for people in the region of 100 years old to jump out of airplanes – with the current record for the eldest standing at 103 years and 180 days.
Being too old to skydive is not a valid excuse, as there is no such thing. Jumping out of an aeroplane at 14’000ft and falling towards earth using only gravity is one of the most intense and amazing things that we can do. Everyone should experience what skydiving feels like at least once, and at Skydive California we have everything you need to make it very special. Our team regularly jumps with people of all ages and is here to make the experience as comfortable and memorable as it should be. If after reading this you still have any concerns about what the process involves – the best thing to do is give us a call so we can go over the details with you. You can likely even talk to the very instructor that would take you up.
Skydiving is pretty much the best thing ever, and the time to do it is as soon as possible. As well as feeling great about having done it, you might well find yourself investigating further training to join the skydiver ranks. It is never too late to learn, and you are never too old to skydive. And if you’re ready to take the plunge, no matter your age, contact us today!
