You decided to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Great choice, if we may say so.

The day of your reservation is approaching and you want to be sure you're ready for your first skydiving experience. 

We wanted to share some tips for what you can do to plan ahead and make your day as smooth as possible. Procedures and special considerations may vary per dropzone, but these general guidelines should apply at most skydiving facilities.

Here’s how to prepare for your very first skydiving experience:

When it comes to giving memorable gifts, nothing compares to giving a loved one a bucket list experience. Skydiving is one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities usually reserved for a celebration or milestone. Read our guide to skydiving gift certificates.

Describing the indescribable...

Everybody who hasn't jumped out of a perfectly good airplane wonders the same thing: what does it feel like to skydive?  There are both physical and emotional answers to this question.

It's such an unfamiliar concept, falling through the air at 120+ mph. Most people who have jumped say things like "the feeling is indescribable" or "unlike anything else" when talking about the sensation of freefall. Not exactly helpful. So, how is a first-time skydiver to know what to expect?

Many people wonder: is there a weight limit for tandem skydiving? The answer is yes.

But why? Well, there are a few answers to that question, and we will explain them here.

Most skydiving centers will say their weight limit for a tandem passenger is approximately 200-220 pounds for women and 230-250 pounds for men. There is typically no minimum weight, only a minimum age (18 years old in the US). But there's more to it than the number on the scale. 

If you live near any large city, you are probably within driving distance of multiple places to skydive. The good thing about that - you have options! The bad thing - lots of competition means some of those companies may resort to rather shady sales tactics to capture your dollars.

Some of the tandem skydiving marketing gimmicks out there are outright rip-offs. They take advantage of the typical first-time skydiver’s lack of knowledge about the sport.