Everything To Know About Skydiving in San Diego, CA
Nothing compares to the electrifying rush you get when you’re skydiving in San Diego. Just imagine the adrenaline high you’ll experience while whooshing through the sunny skies at an average of 120 miles per hour. Then picture enthralling views of some of the most exquisite scenery SoCal has to offer. Liberating, exhilarating, and some might say life-changing – if you’re going to spend one day in San Diego – you’ve got to fly the friendly skies with a spectacular aerial dive. Not sure what to expect or where to go? We’ve got you covered with these insights into everything you need to know about skydiving in San Diego.
Table of Contents
- Can You Go Skydiving in San Diego?
- Skydiving Companies
- Best Locations for Skydiving Near San Diego
- What to Expect on Your First Tandem Skydive
- Preparation and Training
- Understanding the Role of Your Tandem Skydiving Instructor
- Mastering the Art of Tandem Skydiving
- Skydiving Packages and Pricing
- Indoor Skydiving vs. Outdoor Tandem Skydiving
- Ready, Set, GO!
Can You Go Skydiving in San Diego?
Most emphatically, yes! Not only can you go – it’s arguably one of the best places in the world to take the plunge into the wild blue yonder. Hands down, skydiving in Southern California and specifically the San Diego area opens your eyes to epic visuals of the Pacific Ocean, majestic mountains sprawling eastwards to the desert, scintillating coastlines, and so much more – all seen with an eagle-eye view soaring high at roughly 13,000 feet in the air. Whether it’s on your bucket list or you’re a seasoned jumper, skydiving should be one of your must-dos in San Diego. Check out our curated list of trusted skydiving companies and get airborne today!
Skydiving Companies
Ready to pull the cord and launch into the bedazzling bliss of natural beauty from above? From tandem to solo jumps – airborne wedding proposals to indoor skydiving in San Diego – here are our top picks for skydiving companies in America’s Finest City so you can get your jump on in high adventure style.
Skydive San Diego
Dive where the pros go with Skydive San Diego. That’s right. This highly lauded company has one of the world’s exclusive dropzones, where even the US military comes to train. In fact, many of the instructors are skilled in military parachute and skydiving training, and all divers are fully certified by the USPA (United States Parachute Association). Not only are SSD instructors highly skilled and qualified, they’re also amiable and personable – making you feel perfectly at ease if you’ve got first-time jitters.
Skydive San Diego offers a buffet of different packages and accommodations. Would you like to capture every angle of your jump for posterity? You got it with SSD’s full photo and video packages. They also have one of the largest dropzones in the nation, so you can invite all your friends and family to witness your daring dive. But your peeps don’t have to watch on the sidelines. Skydive San Diego has larger aircraft that hold up to 23 people, so your whole crew can share the jumping experience right by your side. This full-service, by-the-safety-book skydiving facility offers tandem, advanced tandem, wedding proposal dives, and you can even get trained to become a certified skydiver through their educational program.
- Address: 13531 Otay Lakes Rd, Jamul, CA 91935
- Phone: (619) 216-8416
- Hours: Please call for hours
Pacific Coast Skydiving
This San Diego skydiving company is all about the “big picture” experience. Before you jump, the qualified pilots take you for an enchanting sight-seeing flight over iconic spots such as Coronado Island, Imperial Beach, and Downtown San Diego so you can get a bird’s-eye view of stupefyingly beautiful landscapes. PCS offers tandem excursions to newbies and experienced jumpers and also offers photo and video packages.
Located just 15 minutes from Downtown San Diego, you’ll start your diving escapade at Brownfield Airport. They’re open seven days a week (weather permitting), so you could potentially give them a call in the morning and find yourself free falling the same afternoon! All of their instructors are certified, and all planes and equipment are rigorously checked to ensure all jumps meet and exceed safety requirements.
- Address: 6810 Curran St, San Diego, CA 92154
- Phone: (619) 661-0194
- Hours: Mon – Sun 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
iFly
Ready to take your gravity-defying exploits to a new level? Try indoor skydiving in San Diego. iFly is one-of-a-kind in that it provides air-floating adventures in a safe, controlled environment in a state-of-the-art indoor wind tunnel designed to simulate parachuting. For folks who might not be willing to go full boar or gamble with unpredictable weather – iFly offers a secure buffer so you can get your kicks without the nervous ticks.
Unlike traditional skydiving, iFly doesn’t have age restrictions. That means fly-lovers from the age of 3 or 103 can enjoy this unforgettable experience. The company encourages group events and has the accommodations to help you celebrate memorable moments like birthday parties or private events in a unique way.
- Address: 2385 Camino Del Rio North, San Diego, CA 921082154
- Phone: (619) 432-4359
- Hours: Wed – Fri 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sat – Sun 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Closed Mondays & Tuesdays
Best Locations for Skydiving Near San Diego
Much of where you go and what you see while skydiving in San Diego depends upon which company you choose to take the plunge with. Some companies offer dizzying views of Downtown San Diego or Coronado, while other sky guides may offer scenic views of the SD coastline or desert mountains to the east. Of course, if you’re a certified skydiver, you can find other sensational launch sites and gawp at views all over Southern California. We love the aerial views over La Jolla, but we’re biased. 🙂
What to Expect on Your First Tandem Skydive
As a first-timer, it’s totally natural to get butterflies in your belly. Whether from nerves or sheer excitement, you’re gonna get jacked up pre-jump. That’s okay, because it’s part of the experience. Your skydiving instructor will guide you through every step of the process – and they’ll even help calm you down if you’re feeling out of your depth (or height, in this case).
Before you take your first leap, you’ll need to go through a quick and simple check-in process with your skydiving gurus. This entails filling out a waiver (it’s standard procedure) and showing your state or federal-issued ID (like a passport or driver’s license) to confirm your identity and age (the age limit for traditional skydiving in San Diego is 18 years or older). While we’re talking about protocol, you should know that most skydiving companies have a weight limit of around 230 pounds.
After all the preliminaries are complete, your instructor will go over safety guidelines. Then, they’ll help you pick the right harness and then you’ll suit up. Throughout all of this, questions are encouraged – so ask about anything, and your instructor will clear up any doubts you may have.
Preparation and Training
When you embark on a tandem jump with a professional, certified skydiver – there isn’t really a whole lot of training you need to go through, which is a big perk because you get instant thrills without arduous training. That said, there are some things you can do to better prepare yourself for your first jump.
- Eat Right: A light meal before your dive is recommended. Overeating could lead to unsavory outcomes for obvious reasons (tossing your cookies at 13,000 feet in the air might be memorable – but not in a good way). Alternatively, jumping on an empty stomach could make you feel woozy or lightheaded.
- Dress Right: Wear comfortable sportswear, and dress with the knowledge that it gets cold at high altitudes (about 30 degrees). Tennis shoes are required.
- Avoid Drugs & Alcohol: We’re cool with getting high in San Diego, but let your skydiving experience be your high. In other words, lay off alcohol, weed, drugs, or other substances that may impair your mental or physical abilities.
- Gird Your Mental Loins: To best prepare you for your first jump, consider watching videos of professional skydiving adventures. This will help you understand the experience better and thus prepare your mind for what’s in store for you. You might also want to check out the dropzone before your skydive appointment so you know what to expect. Additionally, breathe deeply, stay calm, and jump on! Breathing exercises and calming techniques can help keep you focused and fully enjoy your dive.
Understanding the Role of Your Tandem Skydiving Instructor
Not to sound overly dramatic here, but your tandem skydiving instructor literally has your life in his or her hands. These are expertly trained and certified professionals. They’re responsible for every detail of your skydive.
From your harness to pre-flight precautions, your instructor is the boss. Remember that, and be respectful. Also, ask questions. You’ll find most instructors have a genuine passion for sharing the joys of skydiving, and they’re happy to address all of your inquiries.
Mastering the Art of Tandem Skydiving
Whether you’re a greenhorn or an old cowhand at skydiving, there are always tactics you can take to improve your experience. Here are a few tips on mastering the art of tandem skydiving in San Diego.
- Listen to Your Instructor: We can’t emphasize this enough. Your guide will give you critical instructions and safety guidelines that will help you master your jumps.
- Know Your Limits: If you’re terrified beyond all reason – you don’t have to go. In fact, even if you’re up in the airplane and decide not to jump – no one should ever force you and you should have the option to forgo a dive. There’s no shame in backing out.
- Savor the Seconds: The average skydive lasts about 5 minutes. That might sound miniscule, but if you embrace every second, you can fully experience all the jam-packed excitement with more satisfaction.
The Parachute Deployment Process
The deployment of the parachute is pretty straightforward. Once you’re free falling with your tandem skydiver instructor, he or she will pull the chute at around 3,000 feet in altitude, which releases the parachute. Once the chute is released, you’ll feel a drag from the parachute. This is normal, as the chute is meant to slow you down for a soft landing.
Skydiving Packages and Pricing
As with anything, the cost of skydiving depends on where you go, and what options you select. Single jumps in San Diego can range from $150 to $300. That price can increase if you opt for add-ons such photo or video packages for your jump. Private group jumps or event skydiving (like for a birthday or wedding) will be a bit pricier too.
Some skydiving companies in San Diego offer discounts or special deals for holidays or veterans. You might also want to ask about memberships at some skydiving facilities, which could be a cheaper route – especially if you get addicted to diving.
Indoor Skydiving vs. Outdoor Tandem Skydiving
As you might imagine, there are some big differences between indoor and outdoor skydiving – but there are also some similarities too. Indoor skydiving is in a controlled environment where you are hovering over air jets in a wind tunnel which mimics the freefall experience. You’ve still got to gear up in a suit, goggles and helmet, but instead of jumping out of a plane, you walk into a windy chamber where you’re lifted up instead of falling down.
Alternatively, outdoor tandem skydiving entails gearing up, getting harnessed to an experienced instructor, and launching out into the sky from an airplane. Unlike indoor skydiving, your instructor will deploy a parachute during an outdoor skydive. Both activities promise loads of fun and excitement. However, indoor skydiving in San Diego is often viewed as safer, as it’s a controlled atmosphere without the influence of unpredictable weather or wind currents.
Ready, Set, GO!
We hope these insights into the joys of skydiving in Southern California have inspired you to take the leap. If you’re looking for San Diego adult attractions and activities that you’ll remember (and brag about) for the rest of your life – you can’t miss skydiving in San Diego!
About the author: Avia is an avid nature-lover, published author, and owner of several websites she’s developed over the last 20 years. Her love and knowledge of Southern California blossom from a decades-long tradition of visiting the area with her family during winter vacations. When she’s not writing, Avia can be found kanoodling with her crushingly cute canines.
Media credits: Unless otherwise noted, the conceptual images of the skydiving in San Diego in this article are copyright of LaJolla.com.
