Skydiving Requirements: Weight Limits, Height, Age

Want to skydive? Make sure you meet the general skydiving requirements below. As much as we wish everyone could skydive, there are certain skydiving requirements that have to be met. Skydiving is already one of the safest extreme sports around and ensuring we meet these requirements will help keep it that way.

Skydiving requirements will vary some from dropzone to dropzone. At Wisconsin Skydiving Center, these are our skydiving requirements for weight, height, and age.

General Tandem Skydiving Requirements

• The maximum skydiving weight is 260lbs.
• You must be 18 years of age minimum.
• There is no age maximum.
• You must be in generally good health to skydive.

Maximum Skydiving Weight

Over 200lbs? We can still take you on a skydive. While the maximum weight for our “Learn to Skydive” Accelerated Freefall program is 200lbs, we can take individuals weighing up to 260lbs on tandem skydives. 

Our skydiving weight requirement is not in place to be discriminatory. The skydiving weight requirement is all about safety, for both our customers and our instructors. The larger the skydiving student, the more physical strain it puts on the skydiving instructor. From exiting the aircraft to the parachute opening and landing, the added weight can create extreme complications. 

Aside from putting an undue physical strain on the instructor, jumpers that are larger than 260lbs push equipment limits.  When you consider a tandem skydiving weight requirement, you have to consider that the parachute must safely carry the combined weight of the skydiver, instructor, and the equipment—not just one out of the three. Each parachute system we use has been issued a Technical Standard Order (TSO) from the Federal Aviation Administration. This TSO certifies the amount of weight under which the parachute can effectively operate. Exceed this weight limit and the gear may not function properly. 

Please note, there is a surcharge for customers over 200lbs. We know paying more for our service may strike you as strange, but please allow us to explain. The surcharge is in place to cover the increased strain on our equipment for larger weight loads. Bearing larger weights puts more wear and tear on our equipment, which means we incur greater costs for increased maintenance. In addition to greater wear and tear on the equipment, taking a larger student on a skydive requires much more physical exertion on the part of our instructor. Because our instructors work diligently to provide a safe, professional, and fun experience for our students, we feel it is only fair to compensate them for the more demanding workload. The surcharges are as follows. In the range of 200-230 pounds, there is a surcharge of $50. For students exceeding 230 lbs, the surcharge is $100.

Age Minimum But No Age Maximum

Skydiving requirements for age are pretty straightforward. In order to complete a skydive, you must be 18 years of age or older. (However, we will share that waivers can be issued by the United States Parachute Association for terminally ill individuals, through organizations like the Make a Wish Program, to complete tandem skydives at earlier ages.)

As far as a maximum age requirement for skydiving, there is no “age cap” on tandem skydiving! In skydiving, truly, you are only as old as you feel. At WSC, we’ve taken jumpers well into their 90’s on tandem skydives. The only real requirement for making a skydive at an older age is being in generally good health and possessing moderate mobility. We will go more into the general health requirements for skydiving below.

General Health Requirement for Skydiving

Skydiving is a sport, not an amusement ride. That being said, ideal candidates for skydiving should be in fairly good health with reasonable mobility. Before skydiving, certain health issues, like high blood pressure or diabetes, require careful consideration. Though, having these conditions do not necessarily preclude you from skydiving. If you have questions regarding your health and eligibility to skydive, it is important that you contact your healthcare provider. After chatting with them, give us a call. We take individuals with health restrictions on a case-by-case basis.

If you know you’re ready to skydive and it’s your first time, check out our article on getting prepared for your first skydive.

Ready to jump?