So yeah… Skydiving isn’t exactly a cheap sport to get into. If the idea of joining our amazing community is something you’re considering, we’d be doing you a massive disservice if we didn’t say that up front. It can certainly feel like a whole lot of coin to pony up, but there is much to consider when you’re eyeing that price tag.
You’ve taken the leap, at least while daydreaming. Perhaps you’ve made a tandem skydive, and like many of us all you could think was “I HAVE to do that again!” We completely agree! So now you’re digging a bit deeper into what it takes to become a skydiver, how the student training works, and what’s required to become a licensed jumper - and almost more than anything, you want to know cost. What’s the bottom line. We’ve got you! No preamble and no sales pitch before the numbers. Here ya go:
You should expect to spend between $3,500 - $4,000 to earn your skydiving A license.
THE GROUND SCHOOL
You’re a student skydiver now. This isn’t a 20-minute video and basic training with a tandem instructor. This is you learning how to become one of us. That means intensive training on the ground before you’re anywhere near the sky. You’ll become completely familiar with the equipment you’ll be using, you’ll learn safety protocols, basics of body flight, canopy control and much more – and you’ll want to be paying close attention, because yes, there’s a test after!
Here at CSC, your ground school is part of our Freefall University training program and is available as a private lesson available by reservation. It comes with a $150 per-person price tag and will take up an entire day. It offers highly individualized training from your instructor in a one-on-one setting.
For those looking to save those nickels and dimes, we happily offer a once a month free Freefall University Orientation, which you can sign up for online. Just make sure you check the dates on upcoming courses and act fast, as these seminar style courses tend to book up quickly.
THE JUMPS
You’ve completed the ground school, you’ve passed the test, you’re confident and you’re ready. Now comes the fun stuff!
Before you begin you’re license-specific training, you’ll be going up for two training tandem jumps. These aren’t sightseeing tandems. These are what we call “assisted freefalls” where your instructor is taking you through specific freefall maneuvers, altitude monitoring, deployment of the parachute and flight and landing procedures.
With this the pricing can vary depending on a number of factors including your performance and knowledge retention, but generally you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars per training tandem.
STUDENT JUMPS
Your ground school went great and you passed your test. You’ve completed your training tandems and have the green light from your instructor to pursue your USPA Skydiving A License, so let’s go!
These jumps include (prices subject to change):
- 7 accelerated freefall (AFF) jumps - $1,400
- 6 coach jumps - $900
- 2 hop-n-pops - $150
- 10 student solo jumps - $750
So with that, depending on your performance throughout your course, you’ll be looking at spending in the neighborhood of $3,200 to get your USPA Skydiving A License. There may be additional costs if you’re required to complete more training, need re-currency if you’ve waited too long between jumps, etc.
The United States Parachute Association has a standing policy that if during your student training 30+ days passes without you’re making a jump, you’ll be required to enroll in recurrency training. Here at CSC we recommend you don’t wait that long, but we all know things do happen. For those times, the cost of recurrent training is $220, but just like our ground school, you’re able to attend a recurrency training event held once each month at a cost of only $70.
EQUIPMENT RENTAL
As part of our training and licensing program for your USPA Skydiving A License, CSC and Freefall University provides all the required equipment. However, once you have graduated student status, completed your training, and have achieved your A license, equipment will become available for rent.
USPA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE
USPA Membership is a requirement at CSC. In order to become and maintain your membership, you will be required to pay an annual membership fee.
You may choose to pay a lifetime membership fee of $2,500 to retain permanent membership or opt to pay $78 or $66 per year on a recurring basis. You can see available membership options at www.uspa.org, as well as review the wide range of benefits being a USPA member will afford you.
SO ARE YOU READY TO GET GOING?
Freefall University is absolutely ready and waiting to help you pursue your dream of becoming a skydiver, and the truth is, there’s no better time than now to kick it off! Reach out to see what upcoming courses are available and let us tell you all about the amazing adventure you are about to begin!
