Frequently Asked Questions

Skydive Palm Beach is conveniently located at the Palm Beach County Glades Airport (PHK), 3800 SR 715, Pahokee FL 33476.

Pahokee is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida, and an easy hour or so drive from West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Port St. Lucie, and Boca Raton. You can get to us in less than two hours from Miami, Vero Beach and Fort Myers!

We’re open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., seven days a week, year round!

We recommend booking your jump in advance, especially on weekends, as availability is limited. Make a reservation online or call the dropzone.

A $50 per person deposit is required for reservations made by phone and via our secure online system. The balance due is required at check in on jump day.

Yes, a credit card is required at the time of booking in order to pay your $50 deposit.

It’s free to reschedule as many times as you like as long as you give us 24 hours notice!

A credit card is required at the time of booking. We accept:

• Visa
• MasterCard
• American Express
• Discover

All skydives are paid for on arrival. You can pay by credit card or with cash. We do not accept checks, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, CashApp etc.

Yes! Paying for your skydive with cash saves $20. You can book as a group and save too – groups of 10 or more receive $20 off per person.

At Skydive Palm Beach, we prioritize safety above all else. If the weather is unfavorable for skydiving, we don’t skydive. Although, as every Floridian knows, cloudy skies now may be sunny skies in 30 minutes! If the weather doesn’t clear in time for you to jump, you’re welcome to reschedule your skydive at no charge.

Tipping is never expected, but it’s always appreciated. Sharing your heartfelt thanks or an online review of your tandem team and Skydive Palm Beach is an awesome way to show your gratitude too!

Yes! We offer tandem skydiving gift certificates with the option to add a skydiving video package. Not only is a Skydive Palm Beach gift certificate the ultimate gift that keeps on giving, but it also never expires!

Absolutely! Doing something amazing is all the more exciting when your hype crew is there to cheer you on! Invite your friends and family to wave you off and watch you land – and enjoy the shade of our hangar or air conditioned lounge in the 15 minutes in between.

Of course! We’re a family-friendly dropzone.

Dogs are welcome if attended.

You must be at least 18 years old to skydive at dropzones that are members of the United States Parachute Association (USPA). Be sure to bring your valid, government-issued, photo ID with you to the dropzone. Permission from a parent or guardian is not acceptable in lieu of personal identification.

There is no upper age limit!

For safety reasons, you cannot weigh more than 240 lbs to jump at Skydive Palm Beach. Please note that there is a $1 per pound surcharge over 200 lbs.

You may not be a candidate for skydiving if you have: ear or sinus problems, a seizure disorder, diabetes, fainting spells, heart issues, prior shoulder dislocation, or neck/back pain. Please see your doctor about concerns before booking your jump.

You should not skydive if you are pregnant.

Tandem skydiving is accessible to people of varying abilities. If you are interested in skydiving and have a disability, contact us to see if we are able to make accommodations.

It is critical for you to be able to read our skydiving waiver and to communicate with your tandem instructor. Some of our instructors speak languages other than English, but we can’t guarantee they will be at the dropzone at the time of your reservation. Contact us with questions.

Our professional tandem instructors capture every moment of your skydive from a camera mounted on their wrist. You can purchase your high-definition video and 50+ crystal-clear photos before your jump or after you view it when you land.

We can put everything right on your phone, ready for you to share with friends, family, and social media! Don’t forget to tag us on Facebook and Instagram @skydivepalmbeach.

Big time! You only make your first skydive once, and it’s epic. You are so overwhelmed by the fear, excitement, exhilaration, and empowerment that comes with your jump that it feels like it’s over in a flash. Getting photos and video of your skydive allows you to appreciate and relive the entire experience over and over again.

Every time you need a confidence boost in your future, your skydiving video will be the perfect reminder that you can do anything you set your mind to!

Your skydiving video and photos will be ready to watch on the big screen right after you land. We’ll put your media right on your phone for you!

Sorry, no. The USPA requires you to have at least 200 jumps as a licensed skydiver before you can jump with any type of camera. Plus, you’ll be way too busy living in the moment to mess with your camera or phone … and if you were to drop it, it’d get lost, broken, or cause injury to folks below.

For reasons of safety and compliance, tandem skydivers exit the plane in intervals, leaving distance between jumpers. This makes it impossible to film more than one student at a time.

Of course, you’re welcome to shoot video on the ground together before and after your jump.

When you make your reservation you’ll receive a text confirmation telling you exactly what time to arrive. It’s important to be on time so we can get your paperwork out of the way and get you registered.

No special clothing is required. You want to be comfortable and have free range of motion. Your best bet is close-fitting athletic wear and lace-up shoes.

Note, sandals, flip flops, heels, boots, and cleats are not permitted.

Yes – don’t miss a single thing! Seeing your homestate from two miles up is nothing short of awe-inspiring, especially with Lake Okeechobee as your backdrop! Let your instructor know you’ll be wearing glasses or contacts during your jump and they’ll kit you out with protective goggles.

You should eat as normal before your jump, opting for a meal on the lighter side. Too much or heavy/greasy food will make you sluggish; not eating enough will make you lightheaded.

Water and other non-alcoholic beverages: yes. Alcohol of any kind: no. In fact, if we suspect that you’re under the influence of any mind-altering substances, we cannot allow you to skydive. Save the celebration until after you land!

Photo ID

You must be 18+ to skydive. Bring your valid, government-issued ID that shows your birthdate.

Cooler

You’re welcome to bring a cooler with non-alcoholic beverages and snacks.

Extra Layer

It’s 30-40 degrees cooler at altitude than on the ground. Bring an extra layer in cool weather.

Sneakers

Make sure you have flat-bottomed, closed-toe, lace-up shoes with you. Athletic shoes are best.

Friends

There’s no better feeling than friends and family cheering you on from the ground!

Our jump plane holds two tandem skydiving pairs, so two students and two instructors – ideal for couples! Larger groups will be split into sub-groups of two, most often jumping in succession.

It takes about 15 minutes to reach jumping altitude. On your way up, keep your eyes on “​​Florida’s Inland Sea” – Lake Okeechobee – for a variety of swimming, grazing, sunbathing, and flying wildlife!

Individuals and groups of two are likely to be with us for an hour; groups of three or four for about 90 minutes; and groups of five or six about two hours. Of course, weather delays may occur – but they’re few and far between in the Sunshine State.

You will land in the grass right beside the runway where you took off from at the Palm Beach County Glades Airport. Your support crew will have an unobscured view of your landing, and we’ll even take them out to the field to celebrate with you!

Yes! There are a number of restaurants in close proximity to Skydive Palm Beach. Check out this map of the area for details.

No. At Skydive Palm Beach we offer tandem skydiving only.

You will jump with a USPA-rated tandem skydiving instructor. Tandem instructors are highly experienced and credentialed. To be a tandem instructor, you must:

• Earn a USPA D License (highest license level attainable)
• Log a minimum of 500 skydives
• Accrue a minimum of 4 hours of freefall time
• Have a minimum of 3 years in the sport
• Pass an FAA Class III Medical

Two Parachutes

Every skydiver jumps with two parachutes – a main canopy and a reserve canopy. In the event of an issue, the main parachute can be cutaway and the reserve canopy deployed.

AAD

Every tandem skydiving rig is equipped with an AAD – an Automatic Activation Device – which automatically deploys the parachute if it is not manually deployed by a set altitude.      

RSL

The RSL – Reserve Static Line – is a lanyard connecting the main parachute to the reserve. If the main is cutaway, the RSL automatically deploys the reserve parachute.

Altimeter

Skydivers wear an altimeter to help them stay “altitude aware” during freefall so they can conduct specific actions at specific altitudes. The ones we wear look sort of like wristwatches.

At Skydive Palm Beach, we use UPT Sigma Tandem Systems. These systems are top of the line and best in the industry.

Modern, rectangular “ram-air” parachutes fly like an airplane wing. More like gliders than umbrellas, they have exceptional maneuverability, allowing the jumper to softly land almost anywhere they want.

Our main parachutes are packed under the supervision of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rigger. Our reserve canopies are inspected and packed by an FAA-certified rigger every 180 days, regardless of whether or not they have been deployed.

Thanks to wind resistance holding you up, freefall feels like floating on a column of air and not like falling at all! You are free, exhilarated, alive! When your parachute opens, you feel a sense of relief and you peacefully float to the ground. On landing, you feel triumphant! You did it! YOU FLEW!

Those afraid of heights fear skydiving will take them over the edge. But you’re up so high that you don’t feel like the ground is rushing toward you. You don’t have a sense of height; it’s like you’re above a map. If you feel uneasy in the plane or on exit, keep your eyes on the horizon.

Afraid of that tell-tale stomach drop sensation? Fortunately, skydiving won’t evoke that feeling!

On a roller coaster, you’re either stopped or moving slowly and then rapidly accelerate, which gives you that stomach-in-your-throat feeling. With skydiving, you jump from a fast-moving plane and begin moving even faster; no drop!

The one time you might have this feeling is during the parachute ride. If you’re worried about it, tell your instructor and they’ll give you a gentle ride back to the landing area.

Following exit, you’ll freefall for about 40 seconds at speeds of approximately 120 mph!

You’ll enjoy a 15-minute flight over beautiful Lake Okeechobee. When the door opens and you exit the plane, you’ll experience 40 exhilarating seconds of freefall followed by a breathtaking 5-minute ride under canopy.

Landings are typically soft, with most people doing a gentle stand-up landing. Should your instructor deem it necessary, you may make a gentle sit-down landing instead. As long as you lift your legs when your instructor tells you to, your landing should be easy-peasy.