Tandem skydiving is the best method for your first skydive. A tandem skydive allows the participant to experience all the amazing sensations of a skydive in a highly safe environment and comfort level, with a low time commitment for almost everyone.
At Skydive Monterey Bay, you can experience the world’s highest first skydive from 18,000 feet above the ground. Most licensed skydivers have not jumped from that height. We’ll explain all about the tandem skydiving process but first take a moment to place yourself in this incredible, once in lifetime experience.
Imagine standing on the edge of an airplane 18,000 feet above ground as it flies 110 mph over the Monterey Bay. Adrenaline and dopamine spike. Time dilates. Every sense fires at full capacity. And in one brave moment, you leap forward and everything changes. You fall and begin to accelerate to 120 mph, falling a thousand feet every five seconds; yet it feels like you’re floating. You feel the energy of human flight and in this very moment, you are completely free, ecstatic, and nothing else matters because you are flying.
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Tandem skydiving is a type of skydive in which a skydive instructor attaches a tandem parachute system to a specifically designed tandem student harness allowing the tandem pair to exit an aircraft, freefall, and parachute descend attached together.
For the most part, that’s likely what you already knew about skydiving. But for most people prior to their first skydive, all the other details about skydiving are either vague, incomplete, or just incorrect. After all, not everyone jumps out of a perfectly good airplane.
You probably have many questions, maybe some concerns, maybe even some second thoughts. We understand. We were there once too. We’ll help clarify everything you need to know about your first jump and tandem skydiving.
We want you to have a fantastic experience and that includes understanding the unique opportunity to do the highest skydive in the Bay area on your first jump. Without tandem skydiving, it would be almost impossible to experience the World’s Highest Skydive and parachute jump on your first skydive.
After the initial 12 seconds of freefall, you will have reached terminal velocity. In other words, you have reached your maximum freefall speed and are no longer accelerating. For the remaining 60-75 seconds of freefall, breathe, slow everything down, and take in the incredible visuals as you freefall near the ocean at an average of 120mph. Despite this speed, you’ll experience sensations of weightlessness.
Between 5000-6000 feet above ground, your Tandem Instructor will deploy the main parachute. Parachute deployment slows vertical descent from 120 mph to about 20 mph typically in 8-15 seconds. You’ll transition from a belly to earth position to a head-up position during parachute opening.
Your Tandem Instructor (and sometimes student) will maneuver the parachute towards the landing area during the parachute flight. Often you will get an opportunity to fly the parachute (if conditions allow). Parachutes are highly maneuverable, can offer either an exhilarating or zen ride. The parachute descent offers great ocean during the 3-6 minutes descent.
After the initial 12 seconds of freefall, you will have reached terminal velocity. In other words, you have reached your maximum freefall speed and are no longer accelerating. For the remaining 60-75 seconds of freefall, breathe, slow everything down, and take in the incredible visuals as you freefall near the ocean at an average of 120mph. Despite this speed, you’ll experience sensations of weightlessness.
Between 5000-6000 feet above ground, your Tandem Instructor will deploy the main parachute. Parachute deployment slows vertical descent from 120 mph to about 20 mph typically in 8-15 seconds. You’ll transition from a belly to earth position to a head-up position during parachute opening.
Your Tandem Instructor (and sometimes student) will maneuver the parachute towards the landing area during the parachute flight. Often you will get an opportunity to fly the parachute (if conditions allow). Parachutes are highly maneuverable, can offer either an exhilarating or zen ride. The parachute descent offers great ocean during the 3-6 minutes descent.
During a tandem skydiving you will be jumping attached to a tandem skydive instructor. Our tandem skydive instructors are certified by the United States Parachute Association (USPA) and have an extremely high experience level (1,000-10,000 jumps). They are accomplished and experienced skydivers.
Tandem skydiving allows first time skydivers to fully participate in the entire skydive (freefall and parachute descent) in the safest environment. A skydive tandem instructor provides the safety controls so that you can focus on having fun in a relatively stress-free environment.
