Is it worth getting a skydiving license? Yes. Absolutely.100%! Of course, we’re more than a little biased but ask most experienced skydivers and they’ll tell you the rewards exceed expectations. For many, skydiving seems like a once in a lifetime, bucket list activity, until they experienced the joy from that first tandem skydive. The happiness felt during a jump is so immense that many people opt to do a second skydive or jump right into a skydiver training program like Accelerated Free Fall (AFF). In this article, we’ll cover the costs associated with getting into the sport followed by the many benefits the sport offers.
Is Skydiving Worth The Expense?
Is becoming a skydiver worth it? The benefits are great, but it’s likely the very cost of learning to skydive may stop you before you can even determine whether getting a skydiving license is worth it. Learning to skydive is not an inexpensive endeavor when considering the training required, renting, and then owning the gear. The good news is once you get past the initial cost of the training, the high expense of skydiving goes down exponentially.
Though it’s expensive to become a skydiver, you don’t have to be wealthy to participate (unless you want to progress very quickly). Many people subsidize the costs associated with skydiving by getting a side hustle or learning to pack parachutes and then getting paid to pack. It’s very common and is how many of today’s world champion skydivers paid for their training.
Accelerated Free Fall Pricing
| Get Licensed to Fly | Prices |
|---|---|
| Category A - Inc. 4 hr Ground School | $360 |
| Category B | $280 |
| Category C-1 | $270 |
| Category C-2 - If needed | $240 |
| Category D -1 | $240 |
| Category D-2 | $240 |
| Category E-1 | $240 |
| Category E-2 | $240 |
While the costs of going through skydiver training may appear to be eye-popping, it will not seem so insurmountable if you decide that skydiving has to become part of your life. Most people know immediately after their first jump if it’s for them or if it’s not.
A Happiness Like No Other
Here’s what you can be sure of: skydiving is going to bring about unexpected happiness to your life and we’re not exaggerating – science backs it up! The rush of natural chemicals produced in the brain during a skydive brings about a euphoric feeling that will leave you smiling until next Tuesday! Adrenaline, serotonin, and endorphins surge through your body leaving you feeling literally joyous. Many therapists unofficially prescribe skydiving because of how happy it makes people feel.
In this video below shot by our friends at Skydive Carolina, you can see this happiness in full effect:
Another awesome aspect of skydiving is its stress relief. In today’s world, our brains are often in overdrive due to worry. We’re overworked and spread thin and it’s rare that we can ever shut our brains off. When skydiving, our brains are completely present and that minute of peace is magical! This fact alone makes getting your skydiving license worth it! Skydiving is a true escape from our burdens.
Skydiving Will Take You Places
If you actively participate in the sport for any length of time, it’s likely you’ll start going to skydiving events (known as boogies) at incredible destinations that you may never have dreamed about. In some of the videos below, you’ll see some of the exotic destinations skydivers have been venturing to including jumping over the Pyramids in Egypt, the Blue Hole in Belize, and in the Maldives. While some of these events are one-off experiences, there are some incredible dropzones throughout the world like Skydive Mossel Bay in South Africa or Skydive Ramblers in Australia where there are kangaroos in the landing area and koala bears in the trees!
Joining a Unique Tribe
The fraternity of skydivers you’ll join also makes skydiving completely worth it. The thing about skydivers is they are living their lives outside of the status quo. Many people mistakenly believe that skydiving is an irresponsible thing to do without every understanding much about the sport. This different way of thinking within this community is enriching and opens up an opportunity to meet some really cool people from all walks of life. You’re going to love the skydiving community!
Never Stop Learning
If you’re not aware, there are tons of specialties or “disciplines” within the sport. Skydiving is so much more than simply free-falling out of the sky. Here’s a quick glimpse at the many different disciplines within the sport:
- Wingsuit Flying
- Free Flying
- Artistic Free Flying
- Formation Skydiving
- Vertical Formation Skydiving
- Big-Way Formation Skydiving
- Canopy Piloting
- PRO Skydiving (Jumping into Stadiums)
- Canopy Relative Work (CRW)
- Speed Flying
- Skysurfing
This list is just scratching the surface but goes to show that you can never stop learning in skydiving – the sport can’t be mastered as it takes thousands of jumps to be highly proficient in any one discipline.
The video above is the Canopy Relative Work (CRW) World Record. CRW (pronounced “CREW”) is the discipline of skydiving which involves little free fall, but maneuvering one’s parachute to create formations in the sky with other skydivers. If it looks pretty dangerous, you’d be right! The risk factor for CRW is certainly higher than most other disciplines and we suppose, that’s part of the attraction!
Is the Risk of Skydiving Worth It?
When asking the question, “Is it worth getting a skydiving license?”, what many people really mean is whether the risks associated with skydiving are worth it. The risks of becoming a skydiver are real and it’s likely that the longer you stay in the sport, the more probable it is that you’ll know someone who is killed. The reality is that nothing we do in life is ever without risk. Skydiving can be done safely and many would say that the risks are completely worth it. It’s important to understand that as skydivers become more advanced and push the limits, the risk quotient increases. The key to enjoying the sport of skydiving is to know our limits and levels of risk we’re willing to accept. Skydiving can be enjoyed and is why there are over 40,000 United States Parachute Association members in the United States today.
So, Is Skydiving Worth It?
Obviously, skydiving is worth it for tens of thousands of people but like anything, it really comes down to our personalities and how we’re wired. If you love pushing against your comfort zone, challenging yourself, being part of a tribe, and traveling the world then we think you’ll find earning your license to becoming an experienced skydiver is more than worth it!
If you’d like to begin your journey to becoming a skydiver, a tandem skydive is the best place to start. Click the button below to begin your journey!
