Tandem Skydiving: Common Questions

You must be at least 18 years old to skydive and bring a valid photo ID with you. Parental consent under 18 doesn’t count here… sorry.

A government-issued photo ID, athletic clothes that will fit under a jumpsuit, athletic (tennis) shoes, and a form of payment for tips if you feel we’ve earned it!

One thing to NOT bring is yourself if you are currently ill or have been ill in the last couple of days. If this is the case, please call us at 281-369-3337 to reschedule your skydive for when you are feeling better.

PLEASE NOTE that to combat online fraud, we also require you to bring the credit card used for the purchase if you made your reservation online.

Yes. We can take tandem skydivers up to about 265 pounds, but there are additional fees for people over 220 pounds. This fee goes primarily to the instructor.

• 220-239 pounds: $25
• 240+ pounds: $45

Also, we need to evaluate some skydivers over 180 pounds on a case-by-case basis to ensure the skydiving harness will fit you safely. Please take a look at the height/weight chart below and if anyone in your party falls into the yellow area on the chart, call us (or have them call us) ahead of time at 281-369-3337 so we can get started on that and answer any questions you may have.

No, we won’t. We want you to fly as much as you do, so we won’t cancel your jump ahead of time in case the weather is better than forecasted (which happens a LOT!).

ALSO: Just because it may be poor weather where you live doesn’t mean it’s bad at the drop zone! Weather can change a lot in just a few miles, so don’t cancel for weather without checking with us first. It may be pouring at your home but perfect at the drop zone! Call ahead if you’re concerned about weather (281-369-3337). We’ll give you a rain check if you can’t skydive that day.

• Scuba diving within 24 hours before your jump
• Being over the weight limit (see above)
• Being under 18 years of age
• Being under the influence of drugs/alcohol
• Inclement weather (rain/excessive wind/clouds), and/or
• Not having your government issued photo ID to prove you’re who you say you are and that you’re at least 18 years old.

Absolutely! Please see our discounts and specials page for this information.

We are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7:30 a.m. through sunset Saturdays and Sundays.

Wear comfortable, relatively close-fitting clothing for the current weather (we will put a jumpsuit on over your clothes). Here are some examples of suitable clothing:

• Jeans
• Shorts
• Sweats
• T shirt
• Tennis shoes/other athletic shoes

The following clothing is not recommended:

• Flip flops (or any other shoes that are not secured to your feet)
• Shoes with built-up heels
• Boots with speed lace hooks
• Five-toe shoes
• Any clothing that will restrict your movement
• Any clothing that will be uncomfortable under a snug harness (i.e., very baggy jeans can bunch up)

It’s a good idea to eat a light meal or snack before you head to the drop zone.

You will not be allowed to skydive under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

Tandem skydiving is the safest method for first-time skydivers to experience our sky playground, as you are constantly supervised by a highly trained instructor. As with most physical activities, the better your physical condition is, the easier and safer skydiving will be for you. If you have a health condition that concerns you with respect to skydiving, please talk with your doctor before skydiving. We are not medical professionals and cannot advise you on this topic.

What we can tell you is that most able-bodied individuals can easily make a tandem skydive. If you can arch your back and control your limbs, and if you can sit in a chair and hold your legs straight out in front of you for several seconds, chances are excellent that you can skydive. These two actions are the basis for a stable body position in freefall (arched back) and for landing (holding your legs up so the instructor’s legs can take the pressure of landing instead of yours).

If you are not able to perform these actions, or if you are missing part of your limbs or cannot use them, you may still be able to skydive. However, we will absolutely want to talk with you beforehand to understand what your limitations may be and evaluate whether we can accommodate them. We may also need to meet with you ahead of time to evaluate you. Call us at 281-369-3337 at least a week before your intended skydiving date so we can learn more about you and your abilities, discuss our options, and ensure we are prepared to accommodate you with all possible precautions for safety.

Please also note that weather conditions on the day of your skydive are a critical part of this conversation, and of course we can’t predict those with absolute certainty ahead of time. If your instructor will need to compensate for diminished physical abilities, your window of suitable weather conditions for skydiving is even narrower than that of able-bodied skydivers.

We will do our best to help you achieve your dream of flight, because it’s one we absolutely share with you!

Plan on spending your entire day at Skydive Spaceland. We can usually get you skydiving in much less than a full day, but many variables (such as weather) could extend your stay with us.

Feel free to bring books, magazines, hackysacks, hula hoops, or other things to do just in case. We also offer free wireless Internet access for your convenience.

Hot Tip #1: The most efficient way to do your first jump is to schedule a class early in the day (any weather/other delays pile up throughout the day and affect later schedules more than early ones).

Hot Tip #2: Regardless of when you are scheduled to jump, your check-in will be streamlined if you have already paid for your skydive in full online or on the phone.

We do not give refunds, but we will absolutely give you a rain check that never expires if you are unable to skydive due to weather.

Absolutely! We have a comfortable deck and covered picnic areas overlooking the landing area.  Find out more about our facilities…

Sadly, no.

We take cash and most major credit cards (American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and ATM cards with credit card logos).

No, but as availability is limited we strongly recommend it to hold your spot and if you book at least 24 hours ahead of time, you’ll save $20! To make a reservation, please book online or call us at 1-800-SKY-DIVE (local area) or 281-369-3337.

If you arrive to skydive without a reservation, we will do our absolute best to get you in the air that day! Please arrive by 3pm.

No, but as availability is limited we strongly recommend paying in full or a $50 deposit per person to hold your spot.

If you are interested in group rates, deposits are required for each group member. Have a group of 5 or more?

Yes! Our tandem video/photo package includes a roughly ten-minute high-definition video (1080p) of your tandem experience professionally edited to your choice of music style.  You’ll also get 70-100 high-resolution digital photos of your skydive to prove you really did it!

Your video and photos will be delivered to you before you leave on a Spaceland 4 GB Flash/USB drive–perfect for easily sharing with friends and family! Find out more about video…

No. Your videographer will capture both at the same time, so our costs and your price are the same either way. You might as well enjoy both! 🙂

Not quite. A videographer can only film one tandem pair in freefall. So your videographer can get some footage and photos of both of you on the ground and in the plane if you’re on the same flight, but he/she can only film one of you in freefall.

You can absolutely pick out the music genre for your skydiving video. 🙂 We use royalty-free music so you don’t run into copyright issues when you share the video online. Check out our music selections here!

It never hurts to let us know you want video early (especially if you’re paying online and getting it all out of the way  before you arrive), but no. You can purchase the video when you check in to do your tandem.

Sorry, but no. Cameras are great fun, but they are also a great distraction that can compromise safety. This is why we only shoot video/photos on tandem skydives with experienced videographers who are accustomed to handling both skydiving and a camera at the same time. The United States Parachute Association recommends that no skydiver carry a camera on a jump until they have at least 200 skydives, and we follow this recommendation.Y ou are more than welcome to use any camera gear you want on the ground before and after your jump.

At Skydive Spaceland, we only offer tandem for your first skydive, where you are harnessed to an experienced instructor. Experience the thrill of skydiving with the comfort of an expert guide for every step of the way (plus it’s more time-efficient than jumping solo, which requires about a 6-hour instructional class before jumping). For tandem skydiving, you’ll learn the basics during a 30-minute class and we will get you skydiving soon afterwards. Find out more about tandem skydiving…

Yes! On your second jump you’ll learn freefall maneuvers including turns and tracking, be more responsible for altitude awareness and parachute opening, and learn about parachute safety, control, and navigation.

Note: If you have not made a tandem skydive with us in the past 90 days, your instructor will review Tandem Jump #1 procedures before practicing Jump #2 Tandem learning objectives.

Great! We look forward to working with you in our Skydiver Training Program, where you can enjoy learning your new passion in a state-of-the-art, complete training program with modern skydiving gear and dedicated instructors who video each jump for an optimal learning experience.

We do not, but you can usually get out here easily with Uber/Lyft or Yellow Cab: (713) 236-1111.

• Pets: No pets other than service animals are permitted in operating areas, but they are welcome in the parking lot and RV areas. Any service animals in operating areas must be leashed and adult-supervised at all times. Clean up after them.
• Please ensure that children and pets/service animals are directly supervised by a responsible adult at all times. If you are skydiving, please have a responsible adult supervising your children/service animal while you are jumping to ensure they stay safe and do not injure anyone or their life-saving equipment (even unintentionally). We love having all members of our family around, but we do not run a day-care service for animals or children.