Skydiving Heights and Altitudes

In skydiving, altitude matters! The skydiving height sets the stage for your entire experience. From the length of time spent on the plane to the amount of fun in freefall you get to have, skydiving altitude is often the primary determinant! In most cases, the higher the skydiving altitude the better! Let’s take a look at all things skydiving altitude.

Average Skydiving Height

The average skydiving height at most skydiving centers is around 10,000 feet. This is because the majority of skydiving facilities utilize an aircraft called the Cessna 182. This plane is often considered the workhorse of the industry. There are only two real cons associated with this aircraft. One is that when it comes down to performance and efficiency, the Cessna 182 will max out over 10,000 feet. The second is that it can only hold 4 jumpers at a time (not including the pilot). While 10,000 feet is the average skydiving height, skydiving operations that can own or lease turbine aircraft will often take skydivers up to 14,000 feet. 

Skydiving Height at Skydive Monroe

Skydive Monroe is lucky enough to have the skydiving industry’s rocket ship: the King Air! This turbine aircraft seats up to 14 people and can take jumpers to a skydiving height of 14,000 feet in under ten minutes. Our fleet also includes a Cessna 182 which is used regularly for training and tandem jumps.

What difference does skydiving altitude make?

Skydiving altitude directly affects the amount of freefall time you get to experience. On a skydive, freefall is where the rush happens! From an exit altitude of 10,000 feet, you’ll experience anywhere from 30-45 seconds of freefall. This amount of freefall time nearly doubles with a skydiving altitude of 14,000 feet. From the skydiving altitude you generally get at Skydive Monroe, you will have a full blissful minute of freefall!

High Altitude Skydiving

It is possible to skydive from altitudes greater than 14,000 feet. Generally, these jumps take place from 17,000-18,000 feet and are referred to as HALO skydives (High Altitude Low Opening). There are two caveats to high-altitude skydives. The first is that supplemental oxygen must be used for any jumps that occur at an altitude above 15,000 feet. The second caveat is the amount of time it takes to get to altitude. If you’re looking for a swift lift to altitude, HALO is not the way to go. Depending upon other air traffic in the area, the ride to altitude can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes. 

Minimum Height for Skydiving

The minimum skydiving height that most licensed skydivers will jump from is between 3,000-4,000 feet. For tandem skydiving, the numbers look a little different. Within the industry, the minimum altitude for tandem skydiving is right around 8,000 feet. However, because the minimum tandem skydiving deployment altitude is 5,000 feet, a skydive from this height leaves very little time to enjoy freefall. 

Ready to touch the sky?

Skydive Monroe is ready and waiting to help you reach new heights. Schedule your skydive today!