How Fast Do Skydivers Fall? 

Key Takeaways
Wondering how fast you fall when skydiving? During a tandem skydive at Skydive Palm Beach, you’ll reach an average freefall speed of about 120 mph and enjoy roughly 40 seconds of freefall from 10,000 feet. This article explains what terminal velocity is, what factors affect your skydiving speed, and why tandem instructors use a drogue parachute. You’ll also learn why freefall feels much different than most people expect.

One of the most common questions people ask before their first skydive is, “How fast do you fall when skydiving?”

During a tandem skydive at Skydive Palm Beach, you’ll reach an average tandem skydiving speed of about 120 mph. You’ll jump from 10,000 feet, enjoy roughly 40 seconds of freefall, and then spend several minutes under canopy taking in the incredible views below.

So, what determines how fast skydivers fall? Why doesn’t it feel like you’re plummeting toward the ground? And what exactly is terminal velocity? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is Terminal Velocity?

Terminal velocity simply means you’ve reached the fastest speed you’ll naturally fall.

Gravity pulls you toward Earth while air resistance pushes against you. As you accelerate, the air pushes back harder and harder until those two forces balance each other out. Once they do, you stop accelerating and continue falling at a constant speed. That’s terminal velocity.

A simple way to think about it is like a car that’s reached its top speed. The engine is still working but, as long as you’re on flat ground, the car won’t go any faster.

One thing many first-time skydivers don’t realize is that you don’t instantly reach full speed when you leave the airplane.

The airplane is already flying forward at roughly 90 mph, so you don’t simply drop straight down. Instead, you follow a smooth arc as gravity gradually takes over. It takes about 10 to 12 seconds before you reach terminal velocity, which is one reason skydiving doesn’t produce the stomach-dropping sensation most people expect.

What Affects How Fast You Fall?

How fast do you go while skydiving? Several factors influence your skydiving speeds, but these are the biggest ones.

Body Position

The biggest factor affecting freefall speed is body position.

A stable, belly-to-earth position naturally averages around 120 mph. This position creates plenty of drag, making it predictable, comfortable, and ideal for first-time skydivers.

Experienced skydivers can intentionally change their speed by changing their body position. Flying head-up typically reaches 150 to 160 mph, while head-down freeflying can exceed 180 mph because there is less surface area creating drag. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, wingsuit pilots create lift with specialized suits and could slow their vertical descent to as slow as 40 to 70 mph while covering impressive distances across the sky.

Why Tandem Skydivers Use a Drogue Parachute

The total combined weight of the tandem pair also affects fall rate.

How fast do you fall when tandem skydiving? Even though two people are connected together, you’ll still freefall at about 120 mph because your instructor deploys a drogue parachute shortly after exit.

The drogue is a small parachute that inflates behind you during freefall, creating additional drag to slow and stabilize your descent. This helps maintain a comfortable, consistent freefall speed while making parachute deployment smoother and more controlled.

Without the drogue, a tandem pair could reach speeds of up to 200 mph, which is much faster than is desirable for a tandem skydive.

Does 120 MPH Actually Feel Like 120 MPH?

Surprisingly … not really.

Unlike driving a car, there aren’t nearby objects rushing past you, so your brain loses many of the visual cues it normally uses to judge speed.

You also won’t experience the dramatic stomach drop of a roller coaster. Since the airplane is already flying forward, exiting feels more like transitioning into the wind than suddenly falling straight down.

The biggest sensation is actually the wind. Imagine driving down the freeway with every window open and sticking your head outside. It’s loud, powerful, and exciting, but you can breathe normally the entire time.

Then there’s the view. At Skydive Palm Beach, you’ll freefall above Lake Okeechobee, the second-largest freshwater lake in the continental United States. The brilliant blue water, sprawling sugarcane fields, and Pahokee Marina slowly growing larger beneath you make the experience feel less like falling and more like flying. 

At 120 mph over Lake Okeechobee, the speed doesn’t feel like danger. It feels like the world opening up.

How Does Skydiving Speed Compare?

While 120 mph sounds fast, and it is, it quickly becomes one of the smoothest and most exhilarating experiences you’ll ever have.

Ready to Experience It?

The speed is unforgettable, but it’s the view that truly sets Skydive Palm Beach apart. Freefalling above Lake Okeechobee offers a perspective of South Florida that few people ever get to see. Ready to experience 120 mph from 10,000 feet? Book your tandem skydive at Skydive Palm Beach today.