How High Is Skydiving? Average Jump Altitudes & 30,000-ft HALO Jumps
Table of Contents
Does Altitude Affect Freefall Time?
What Affects How High a Dropzone Can Go?
Commonly Asked Skydiving Height Questions
Key Takeaways
Skydiving heights vary, but most jumps take place between 10,000 and 14,000 feet, with 13,500 feet offering the ideal balance of freefall time and excitement. Higher exit altitudes increase freefall time, but take more gear and training. Freefall duration is directly affected by exit altitude, while parachute deployment usually occurs between 4,000 and 6,000 feet, regardless of the exit altitude. A dropzone’s maximum altitude depends largely on aircraft capability, along with weather and airspace regulations.
How High Is Skydiving?
How high up are you when you go skydiving? Skydiving altitude varies from one dropzone to another, but the average skydiving height is around 10,000 to 14,000 feet – sometimes lower, sometimes higher!
How high do we skydive from at Skydive Cross Keys? We normally jump from 13,500 feet! We’ve found that this is the sweet spot for multiple parts of the skydive – the plane ride isn’t too long, but it still gives ample time for experienced jumpers and first-timers alike to soak in the views during freefall.
Why 13.5K Feet Is The Best Skydiving Height
We may be biased, but 13,500 feet is the ultimate altitude to skydive from. Here’s why:
- Longer freefall.
Jumping from 13,500 feet provides a slightly longer freefall than the average 10,000 foot skydive – about one minute in all. We think that a 10,000 foot jump tends to go by just a smidge too quickly. - No need for oxygen.
Jumps from higher altitudes can require supplemental oxygen on the aircraft, and sometimes even while in freefall. Although high altitude skydives are fabulous fun, a 13,500 foot jump can provide a great introduction to the sport without the extra hassle and cost. - The sweet spot.
What do we mean? Skydiving for the first time can be a bit over-stimulating – it’s jumping out of an airplane, after all! A jump from 13,500 gives a great rush of adrenaline, without it being so long that it’s overwhelming.
Does Altitude Affect Freefall Time?
Yes, how high you jump from can absolutely affect your freefall time! Let’s dive a bit deeper into this by comparing HALO jumps and hop ‘n’ pops.
What is HALO skydiving?
HALO stands for High Altitude Low Opening. Does this mean the parachute is actually deployed at a lower altitude than a skydive with a typical altitude? No, it’s just pulled lower in comparison to the high exit altitude.
For example, someone skydiving from 10,000 feet will deploy their parachute around 4,000 feet, and someone skydiving from 30,000 feet may also deploy their canopy around 4,000 feet. This difference makes the freefall time of a HALO jump much longer than that of a typical skydive.
If skydiving in the winter months is your forte (and you want to go extra high) Skydive Perris in California offers year-round HALO jumps.
A HALO jump is any skydive that takes place from 15,000 feet or above. What’s the highest altitude you can jump from? Civilian jumps can take place as high as jet liners fly – yes, really! It’s rare, but people have jumped from over 40,000 feet!
What is a hop ‘n’ pop?
A hop ‘n’ pop is when someone exits the aircraft from a lower-than-typical altitude and deploys their canopy after just a few seconds. To follow our example above, someone doing a hop ‘n’ pop may exit from 5,000 feet and deploy their parachute at 4,000 feet.
People choose to do these types of jumps to eliminate their time in freefall and optimize their time under their parachute, giving them the opportunity to focus all their energy on flying their canopy.
What Affects How High a Dropzone Can Go?
Although governmental regulations and weather play a big role in how high dropzones can conduct skydives from, the primary factor in determining altitude is the type of aircraft. For example, the Cessna-182 is one of the most commonly used skydiving airplanes, but it only efficiently flies jumpers to around 10,000 feet. On the other hand, larger turbine aircraft, like Twin Otters and Caravans (woop-woop!), can efficiently take jumpers to around 20,000 feet.
If skydiving altitude is important to you, be sure to understand which aircraft your dropzone uses prior to booking!
Commonly Asked Skydiving Height Questions
- Can you parachute from 1,500 feet?
Not normally. While experienced jumpers are able to apply for waivers to jump from lower-than-normal altitudes, they can’t get one for 1,500 feet. The only reason someone would be jumping from this height is in the event of a serious aircraft emergency where exiting early is necessary. - Can you skydive at 30,000 feet?
Yes! Although not many dropzones offer HALO jumps from this altitude, they are possible. - How long does a 15,000 feet skydive take?
The freefall portion of a 15,000 foot skydive will generally be just over one minute. - At which height do parachutes open?
Tandem skydivers are expected to deploy their canopy between 5,000 and 6,000 feet. Experienced skydivers get to choose when they pull their parachutes, as long as they comply with minimum altitudes set by the USPA regulations, with most choosing between 3,000 feet and 5,000 feet for a normal skydive. Sometimes, licensed jumpers do something called a high-pull. This is when a hop ‘n’ pop takes place from a normal skydiving altitude. For example, a high-pull at Skydive Cross Keys would entail someone deploying their canopy after a couple of seconds when exiting from 13,500 feet.
Ready To Send It?
Do you feel ready to book your ‘sweet spot’ skydive? Or, would you rather explore the world of HALO jumps? Either way, we can’t wait to skydive with you – book your jump today! Have questions? Give us a shout – we’re here to help!