Skydiving Age Limit – Can You Be Too Old?

Is there a maximum skydiving age limit?

You might be surprised how often we get asked whether WSC has an upper skydiving age limit. When it comes to skydiving, we’re here to tell you that age is not a number. It’s a mentality!

Take our dear friend Anna Mae Milnar, for example. She discovered skydiving about a decade ago when she was checking the sport off her “bucket list” after beating cancer. Today, she’s 81 — and she has jumped with us at the Wisconsin Skydiving Center a whopping 13 times now! We always look forward to seeing her — our favorite dynamo — and joining the cheering crowd she always seems to bring with her.

We love to point out that Anna Mae is not the only skydiver-of-a-certain-age that we enjoy sharing the sky with. In fact, we’ve hosted tandem guests well into their 90’s at WSC. We’ve even met sport skydivers — hobbyist jumpers, who get out to the dropzone most weekends — in their 80’s. Suffice it to say: this isn’t just a sport for adrenaline-fueled college students. Not nearly.

Want to join Anna Mae? There are a few things you need to be certain of before you make the leap. Luckily, skydiving requirements are very basic. Here’s what to ask yourself:

1. Are You In Good General Health?

If you have a pulse, you can skydive! Not quite, but … no matter what your age, if you’re in decent health — and a height-to-weight ratio that falls within the healthy range — then you’re almost certainly in the shape you need to be in to make a jump.

2. Are You Mobile?

In order to make a skydive, you don’t necessarily have to be able to run a mile; however, you do need to demonstrate moderate mobility. In order to facilitate a safe landing, you need to have the ability to lift your own legs up to enable your instructor to touch the ground first. Every student will practice the landing position in our ground landing trainer before going up for their jump. We will be certain that you are able to do everything required for a safe landing prior to boarding the aircraft. Keep in mind that you don’t need to be able to jackknife your body into a 90-degree angle; you do, however, need to be able to lift those legs to a moderate 20 to 30 degrees.

3. Is Your Cardiovascular System In Good Shape?

Heart health is important in skydiving, as the excitement of a jump really gets the ol’ ticker goin’. If you have had any cardiovascular issues, it’s best to have a chat with your doctor to determine if making a skydive is appropriate for you. In most cases, it’s just fine.

For all other health restrictions around skydiving, check out our dedicated article.

4. Are You Adventurous?

Well of course you are.

5. Not Sure?

Even if you are unable to answer “YES” to all of the above, don’t lose hope! Give us a call, talk to our head instructor and we can figure things out on a case-by-case basis. Our instructional staff is a group of awesome, experienced, safe, and creative people. If it can be done, we will figure out a way to make it happen for you!

If you meet all of the above criteria, it doesn’t matter how many years you’ve collected past the ripe old age of 18 — you’re welcome to jump with us, and we’ll be thrilled to have you! You’ll be thrilled — but you will wonder why you waited so long to cross skydiving off your bucket list. That much, at least, is certain.

Still have questions about whether skydiving is for you? Give us a call or view our Frequently Asked Questions page where we address your most common questions around skydiving age limit, weight limit, physical requirements, what to expect, etc.