World’s Highest Tandem Skydive Fun Facts
Perhaps you’re considering making your first jump but never specifically thought about the jump exit altitude, or didn’t realize it varies significantly amongst skydiving centers. It is definitely something to consider when deciding where to make your first skydive.
More than half of the skydiving centers in the United States jump from an altitude of only 10,000 feet, and approximately 95% of skydiving centers in the country jump from 14,000 feet or less. Only a handful (less than 5%) offer first skydives from 18,000 feet, with only a select few offering the world’s highest jumps every day, on every flight.
World’s Longest Tandem Freefall Facts
At a jump altitude of 18,000 feet, the world’s highest first skydive, you’ll freefall for approximately 80-90 seconds. That’s an unusually long amount of freefall! For perspective, it’s anywhere from 60%-260% more freefall than only a couple of other skydiving centers in the United States. From the moment you jump from 18,000 feet until we open the parachute at 5000 feet:
- The average human heart will beat 112 times.
- An average human will blink about 25 times.
- 125,000 people will have sex
- The Space Station will travel 433 miles
World’s Highest Jump Altitude Facts
While the world’s highest tandem skydive is not quite in line with the highest mountains in the world, it does top the tallest and most iconic California mountains.
- Mt. Shasta (14,179 ft)
- Mt. Whitney (14,495 ft)
- World’s Highest Tandem Skydive (18,000 ft)
- Mt. Everest (29,032 ft)
- Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,308 ft)
How Does the World’s Highest Skydive Stack Up?
If we were to stack some random objects and items, how many of each would we need to reach 18,000 feet?
2 X Golden Gate Bridge
17 X Eiffel Towers
18 X Nimitz Class Aircraft Carriers
60 X Statue of Liberty
350 X Indoor rock climbing walls
450 X School buses
3000 X Yoga mats
A Higher Skydive Is Not Scarier
It’s fun to put the height in context because in the moment it’s very difficult to comprehend. But don’t the biggest, most awesome and highest first skydive deter you. A higher skydiver is not a scarier one. Fear not, adventurous friends.
You won’t get those same scary sensations as standing on the edge of a cliff or building. Standing or jumping from a fixed object means you’re surrounded by reference points like the cliff face, or water under the bridge. Reference points are required for our brain to process the sense of falling, speed and the approaching ground.
It feels totally different jumping from an airplane than from a bridge. It’s much more like floating on a column of air. So while it’s pretty wild to think you’ll be jumping from a distance equal to 60 Statues of Liberty, it’s really about the extra time it allows you to feel the zen and extreme positive feelings of human flight.
