We’ll be straight up – yes, kids can go skydiving! Countries including Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, and United Kingdom all take kids under 18 skydiving. However, you’ll notice most skydiving centers – well all in the United States except us – do not. Here at Ultimate Skydiving Adventures, we’ve set up a tight protocol, follow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) laws, and have taken almost 500 kids from ages 7 to 17 years old skydiving since we’ve opened in early 2017!
Is It Safe to Take Kids Skydiving?
Unfortunately in skydiving, there are no guarantees of safety. However, we do what we can to mitigate as much risk to make such an extraordinary opportunity possible here in the United States. According to statistics, tandem skydiving has the best record of safety with 0.003 fatalities per thousand skydives over the past decade of the sport. According to those numbers, it’s more likely to be struck by lightning or win the lottery!
Kids have several other awesome opportunities to do extreme sports such as motocross, skateboarding, horseback riding, skiing and more at a young age. We also feel that kids are the future of our sport in skydiving. We’ve had the great fortune to take some great kids who’ve written essays about their jump to overcoming bullying at school. Skydiving gives kids the opportunity to know they are capable of great things, gain confidence, and energy!
Here is a list of the other things in considering taking kids skydiving:
- We use smaller harnesses built by industry manufacturers to fit the smaller frame of kids
- The child also must be in 100% agreeance to jump (i.e. not being forced or coaxed by parents)
- We follow all FAA laws
- We jump in the most ideal skydiving weather conditions
- Only the owner, Ben Lowe takes under 18 tandems for skydives – he boasts more than 11,000 skydives, is a former national canopy piloting champion, and a respected leader in the skydiving industry! He’s also taken his four-year-old son skydiving – twice!
How Young Can You Be to Skydive?
At Ultimate Skydiving Adventures, we allow kids to jump from the ages of seven (7) to seventeen (17) to skydive! We have specially built harnesses and jumpsuits with adjustable googles so they may also have the full experience of skydiving!
What Do I Have To Do as A Parent to Allow My Kid To Skydive?
Good question! Since we are the only skydiving operation in the United States that allows under 18 skydiving, and for taking on the additional liability, there are a few things to be mindful of before making the reservation:
- Your kid must want to skydive for themselves! If they have the desire, then go to the next step!
- Both biological parents MUST consent and be present on the day of the skydive (if this is not possible for various reasons, please contact us for further information)
- Parents must prove relationship to the child
- Since kiddos from ages 7-17 may not have a government issued ID, we still need proof of their identification as well. Acceptable forms include: birth certificate, school ID, passport or social security card
- Both parents must sign a liability waiver agreement
How To Plan for My Child to Skydive
This is a big decision and a big day! We want to help you set up a successful and fun day for your kiddos extraordinary day! Here’s a list on preparing for your child’s day of skydiving:
- Reservations are a must! You’ll need to call us for the appointment time, then pay for the “Skydive Ages 7-17 skydive” to confirm the reservation HERE.
- Plan on spending 1-3 hours with us for the entire experience
- If you are traveling from out of town or out of state, please plan on an extra day as we cannot guarantee the weather to cooperate
- Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes such as sneakers
- For the little ladies, be sure to tie their hair back – braids are best!
- Make sure to eat a light meal 45-minutes to 60-minutes before the skydive (avoid fried foods) – there is no food onsite so be sure to pack a cooler of snacks!
- Be sure to hydrate! Water or drinks with electrolytes are a great option!
We know that this is a big decision and we respect parents doing their due diligence in wanting their kids to go skydiving. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us, we’ll be happy to help!
