Skydiving is an adventure sport. There is always a small but definite risk of injury. That’s the honest truth.

What makes tandem skydiving suitable for beginners is that:

You jump with a highly trained instructor

All equipment is professionally maintained and inspected

Parachutes are fitted with automatic activation devices

Operations are overseen by British Skydiving standards and procedures

Every British Skydiving affiliated Drop Zone (DZ) operates under strict safety and training requirements.

To skydive, a person must be aged at least 16 years. People aged under 18 must have their parent’s or guardian’s written permission.

While there is no upper age limit for tandem skydiving, your overall health is the key factor in determining whether you can take part safely.

Skydiving is a physically demanding activity, and certain medical conditions, reduced mobility or slower reaction times can increase the risk of injury, particularly during exit, freefall and landing. For this reason, all tandem participants are required to complete a medical self-declaration before jumping.

You should be in generally good health, able to move your limbs freely and not be affected by conditions that could impair your safety or that of your instructor. If you have any existing medical conditions, recent injuries or concerns about your fitness to skydive, you should seek advice from a qualified medical professional before booking.

Weight limits apply to parachute descents for safety reasons. Each Affiliated Parachute Training Organisation will have its own weight limits derived from risk assessments of factors including the type of jump, the equipment used, and the gender of the jumper (statistics show different rates of injury for men and women, which may be to do with body shape and weight distribution).

Maximum weights are typically around 15 stone, but a few centres may sometimes be able to take jumpers weighing slightly more than this. British Skydiving does not maintain a list of current weight limits by each Affiliated PTO, so please contact PTOs direct.