Considering a tandem skydive? Don’t be caught unawares. These tips are valid whether you are skydiving Kansas City or anywhere else (though we hope you’ll make it out to our neck of the woods)!
1. YOU NEED TO CALL THE DROPZONE DIRECTLY.
Do yourself a big favor and do not call a booking agent to make your skydive. Third-party booking agents add a high markup to the ticket price, and you can rest assured that you’ll be paying it. Here’s where it gets a little tricky: you might not even be aware that you’re dealing with a third-party booking agency. Unfortunately, there are many false websites that dishonestly lead customers to believe they’re calling an actual dropzone. The truth is that these are call centers which charge the customer a lot more and generally send you to a far-off location.
To avoid the extra fees, call the skydiving center directly. Unsure? Ask the person you’re talking to if they are actually at the dropzone in question, and ask for the physical address of the skydiving center. That will clear it up.
Another benefit of calling direct: you’ll get a good feel for the dropzone’s professionalism. If the person (or people) you speak to on the phone seem disinterested, rushed and/or unfriendly, you can be assured that the culture is a pretty close match. Skydiving is one of the greatest experiences you’ll ever have, so be sure to make that jump with the right operator!
2. THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE SKYDIVE.
Are you being given the choice to jump in the morning or afternoon? Definitely pick a morning slot–the earlier, the better. Weather plays a huge role in skydiving logistics, and conditions are almost always the nicest in the morning. Also note: if there are any weather delays on the day you’re booked to make a skydive, the earliest slots will always be the first to go once clearance is given to jump.
3. SPRING FOR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS.
The most common feedback we get from our customers is that photos and videos are key. The jumpers that get it are stoked that they did…and those who didn’t are sad to have missed out.
Not only are they going to be the stars of your social feed, those photos are the proof that you’ve joined the ranks of proud freefallers. And, when you check out those photos and videos later, you’ll notice things that you didn’t even realize were happening in real time! (Spoiler: that part is really fun.)
4. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE INVESTING IN.
It’s tempting to think about the price of skydiving in the same way that you think about the cost of a ticket to a theme park, until you consider all the details involved. After all: the quality and safety of a skydive scales to the cost of the experience, and this is not an activity where a few dollars’ savings is worth the trade-off.
To facilitate safe skydives, the dropzone has to purchase the very best parachuting equipment and aircraft. Then the dropzone has to carefully, constantly and methodically maintain every single piece of that equipment. The dropzone has to employ a staff of qualified, trained, licensed, experienced instructors. Naturally, none of that is cheap.
If pricing is quite low, you should see red flags. Sure, you’re saving a little money–but is it worth it?
5. YOU’LL PROBABLY GET HOOKED.
Freefall is a powerful thing. Don’t be surprised if that first-time tandem skydive turns into two or three–or a long sport skydiving career! No matter what, we’ll be proud to have been part of your introduction to the sport and art of human flight.
Ready to Go?
View our website for more information on tandem skydiving with Skydive Kansas City or contact a member of our team for help!