What Is Tandem Skydiving?

Welcome to Boston Skydive Company - Experts in Tandem Skydiving! 

If you’ve landed on this page it’s likely you’re looking to go skydiving near Cape Cod or Boston, MA. If you live in the area, you’ve come to the right place! We’re passionate about skydiving and delivering a world class skydiving experience for our guests.  

This article aims to share everything you need to know about tandem skydiving!

What is Tandem Skydiving?  

Tandem skydiving is a type of skydiving discipline that allows individuals to make a skydive with no experience. During a tandem parachute jump, first-time skydivers jump “in tandem” with a professional tandem skydiving instructor using a harness system built for two and a parachute system built to suspend the weight of two people. During a tandem skydive, the tandem instructor does nearly all of the work so the tandem student can fully enjoy the experience of skydiving. It’s basically skydiving for beginners!

Tandem skydiving was invented in 1983 by the legendary Ted Strong. Ted’s tandem equipment transformed the sport as it allowed people to experience the joy of skydiving without having to go through the extensive training needed to become a certified solo skydiver. The invention of tandem parachuting also helped spur rapid growth in the sport of skydiving as many tandem skydiving students would go on to pursue solo skydiving after having gotten a taste of what it’s all about!

Above: Ted Strong was so confident with his tandem skydiving system, he even made a BASE jump with it in 1984 at West Virginia’s famous “Bridge Day” above the New River Gorge. 

Should You Do a Tandem Before Learning To Skydive? 

While it is possible to skydive solo on your first jump, it is strongly recommended that everyone experience a tandem skydive before enrolling in an AFF First Jump Course or a Static Line training program. The learn to skydive training programs are expensive and are a big step if you’ve never experienced a skydive before. 

Making a tandem skydive first will allow novice jumpers to:

• Ascertain whether they even like skydiving or the sensation of free fall.

• Learn basic fundamentals that will carry over to an AFF jump. These include learning about stability in freefall, deploying the parachute and flying a landing pattern. 

How Safe Is Tandem Skydiving? 

Tandem skydiving and skydiving in general has never been safer than it is today. With the evolution of technology, it is rare for tandem skydiving fatalities to occur due to gear failure. According to statistics provided by the United States Parachute Association there has been one student fatality per 500,000 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.

Making a tandem skydiving isn’t without risk. Our company attorney would like you to know that you can be killed skydiving, but we’d like to add that it may be more dangerous driving to the skydiving center than it is actually making a skydive! 

What Does Tandem Skydiving Feel Like? 

The good news is it doesn’t feel like what you think it feels like… no sudden elevator drops like you’d expect on a roller coaster or plummeting wildly to earth with ground rush. The reason most people are smiling from ear to ear is because the experience feels stable and gives the sensation of floating. Consciously, you know you’re falling at 120mph, but you don’t feel speed nor do you get the sense that you’re dropping 1,000 feet every six seconds! It’s hard to describe the feeling of skydiving because there isn’t much to compare it too, but it feels amazing! 

Tandem Skydiving Prices - How Much Does It Cost?

The cost of a tandem skydive varies greatly based on variables of:

• Geography

• Competition 

• Aircraft Type

• Exit Altitude 

• Fuel Prices

The US is one of the least expensive places to skydive on the planet mostly due to competition. Compared to Europe, Australia and New Zealand, you’ll save money if you elect to skydive in the US. Typically, the cost of a tandem skydive can range from $150 to $275. At Boston Skydiving Center, our tandem prices are $219. 

Pro Tip: Finding the cheapest tandem skydive should not be the deciding factor on where you make your first jump. Low-priced operators are usually in highly competitive markets where there’s high demand and thus profitable with high volume. Within the skydiving industry this is known as “turn and burn.” Selecting the right skydiving center should be like selecting a brain surgeon - you’re looking for the best, not the cheapest! 

What to Know Before Skydiving for the First Time

Aside from our tandem skydiving FAQs, here are some solid tips to take into account before arriving for your first jump. 

• Know the Pre-Requisites: Unfortunately, tandem skydiving isn’t for everyone, so be sure to read all of the pre-requisites. The biggest restrictions revolve around age and weight. All guests must be at least 18 years of age* and cannot weigh more than 250lbs**.

  • *There are no exceptions to the minimum age requirement even with parental consent.

  • **A person’s Body Mass Index is a variable regarding harness fit. A person who is 6’4” and weighs 235lbs has a different body shape than a person who is 5’5” and 235lbs. Weight limitations are built in for the safety of everyone and are mandated by the tandem skydiving manufacturer. If unsure about your weight and whether tandem skydiving is permissible, please feel free to contact us with any of your questions.

• Book Early: Skydiving is weather dependent, and if you pay attention to the weather as much as we do, you’ll see a trend for higher winds and storms in the afternoon. It’s usually best to book as early as possible as conditions are usually more favorable.

• What to Wear: It’s recommended that guests wear jeans or pants with clothing that can be layered. At jump altitude, it’s usually between 15 and 30 degrees colder than it is on the ground, so a long sleeve t-shirt is ideal during summer and early fall. Avoid bulky jackets or clothing that’s very baggy. Tennis shoes or running shoes are best. Cowboy boots or steel toed boots with hooks will not be permitted. Save your flip flops for the beach!

• Eat Sensibly and Stay Hydrated: If you’re wanting to avoid feeling nauseated during your skydive, then be sure to eat a sensible breakfast or lunch before you make your jump. Contrary to popular belief, not eating is the primary cause of feeling unwell or even vomiting when under parachute. Making a skydive will have your adrenaline levels on overdrive and if your blood sugar is low during that adrenaline surge, you will feel sick. Also, be sure to stay hydrated as not drinking enough water can lead to feeling dizzy or feelings of wanting to pass out while under parachute.

• Get Video of Your Skydive! If you can afford to add video or photos of your skydive, you should do it! Boston Skydiving Center offers stunning free fall views and images that will make your Instagram feed explode! If we ever hear regret from our guests, it’s usually from those that say, “I wish I would have got the video and photos!”

• Stay Patient and Don’t Schedule An Event Immediately After Your Jump! When it comes to skydiving, patience is important because delays are common! Weather conditions need to be just right in order to mitigate risk and if the winds are too strong, the cloud layer too low or if it’s raining, delays are inevitable. It’s not uncommon for guests to get upset as no one likes to wait, but please remember your safety is our number one priority! In skydiving, it’s often said that it’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground!

Have More Questions about Tandem Skydiving?

We hope this article has answered all of your questions. If you have more that we may have missed, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly!

Ready to take flight? Click the button below to book your tandem skydive today!