The most important thing to know about our skydive safety standards: Skydive Monterey Bay has the longest standing perfect safety record of any skydiving center in California. Our skydiving safety record is one of the longest and most impressive in the United States.
Safety is the foundation of every jump at Skydive Monterey Bay. From instructor experience and equipment systems to aircraft maintenance and operating decisions, our operation is built around consistency, redundancy, and proven procedures.
The safety, security and enjoyment of our customers and our team guide every decision we make. We’ve been in the skydiving business since 1996, and safety has always been fundamental to how we operate.
This page explains how we approach safety, and what that means for your skydive.
Ultimately, results are what matter.
Skydive Monterey Bay has never had a fatality or major accident in its 30 years of operations.
That is the longest running perfect safety record of any skydiving center in California.
It is amongst the top skydive safety records in in the United States.
We follow established safety rules and procedures, conservative operating standards,
and make decisions based on conditions, not schedules.
If safe skydiving conditions are not present, we don’t jump. Simple as that.
Skydive Monterey Bay operates in accordance with established
federal and industry safety standards.
Aircraft are maintained and operated in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations. Skydiving operations follow the safety requirements and training standards set by the United States Parachute Association (USPA). Equipment, procedures, and personnel certifications are maintained and reviewed on an ongoing basis.
Compliance is not treated as a checkbox. It is the baseline from which we operate,
with internal standards that are intentionally conservative.
Tandem skydiving instructors are required to meet strict experience and certification standards. To be eligible for a tandem instructor rating, the USPA requires a minimum of 500 skydives. At Skydive Monterey Bay, we exceed that standard by a wide margin.
We work exclusively with highly experienced tandem instructors. Our instructors typically have 1,000 or more tandem skydives, representing several thousand total jumps. Our team averages more than 5,000 skydives per instructor, with several exceeding 10,000 jumps. Some members of our staff have served on national teams and have competed at international competitions within the sport.
All tandem instructors:
✅ Hold current USPA (or equivalent national) certifications
✅ Complete regular recurrent training and performance evaluations
✅ Maintain required medical qualifications
Experience, consistency, and judgment are central to how we
operate and to how we manage tandem skydive safety on every jump.
Modern skydiving equipment is designed with multiple layers of redundancy.
We use well-maintained equipment engineered specifically for tandem skydiving. All tandem systems include a main and reserve parachute, along with an Automatic Activation Device (AAD) that automatically deploys the reserve parachute if required.
Equipment is inspected and maintained on a strict schedule. Reserve parachutes are inspected and repacked only by FAA-certified parachute riggers.
Skydive Monterey Bay operates twin-engine Super King Air 200 aircraft, maintained to the highest standards and flown by experienced pilots. This aircraft platform offers
meaningful safety advantages for skydiving operations.
Why the King Air 200:
Twin-engine redundancy
Unlike single-engine aircraft, a twin-engine platform provides continued safe flight capability in the highly unlikely event of an engine issue, offering greater operational margins while carrying and dropping skydivers.
High tail configuration
The King Air 200 features a high-tail design that significantly reduces exposure risks
associated with a premature parachute deployment near the aircraft.
Performance and stability
The King Air 200’s power and performance characteristics support efficient climbs, stable flight profiles, and precise control across a wide range of altitudes and conditions, enabling stable and controlled high-altitude jump operations.
Skydive Monterey Bay operates using conservative, safety-first decision making at or above established industry standards. Our procedures align with the Basic Safety Requirements and Technical Recommendations set by the United States Parachute Association, as well as applicable safety rules and guidance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Weather plays a critical role in skydiving operations. We operate within clearly defined limits for wind, cloud cover, visibility, and overall atmospheric conditions. When conditions do not meet those limits, jumps are delayed or rescheduled. We would rather reschedule than operate outside established safety margins. Our operating calendar and rescheduling flexibility allow guests to find an alternate jump date that has safe skydiving conditions.
For the same reasons, participation is sometimes declined. Skydiving weight limits are strictly enforced, and certain medical conditions may require additional information, physical assessment, or physician approval. All participants are required to disclose relevant medical conditions prior to jumping so that appropriate participation decisions can be made.
These standards exist to protect our customers, instructors, aircraft, and equipment,
even when they require difficult decisions or rescheduling.
To maintain a controlled operating environment, we limit the volume of licensed sport jumping at our facility. This reduces operational complexity and allows our team to maintain consistent aircraft loading, predictable canopy traffic, and focused attention on tandem skydiving operations.
Our safety-focused operating approach includes:
✅ Conservative weather and operational decision making
✅ Highly experienced instructors, not a training environment for new tandem instructors
✅ Regular equipment maintenance and inspection programs
✅ Ongoing instructor recurrent training and medical evaluations
✅ Built-in operational redundancies, including twin-engine aircraft
Safety is not a slogan or a talking point for us. It is the result of decades of disciplined operations, experienced people, conservative decisions, and systems designed with redundancy in mind. And if conditions aren’t right on your jump day, we’ll wait until they are. That’s how we’ve always operated and how we will continue to operate.
If you have questions about skydiving safety, please call or email us, or read Is Skydiving Safe?
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