How Old Do You Have To Be To Skydive?

Skydiving is a sport that fascinates young and old alike. Often, we get the question is there a skydiving age limit? Well, there isn’t a limit, but there is a minimum, and it’s for a pretty good reason. Here’s the down low on how old you need to be to skydive.

How Old To Skydive? Minimum Age Requirement

While every precaution is taken to mitigate risks, skydiving is an extreme sport. Upon arrival at the drop zone jumpers are asked to fill out a legal waiver of rights. This waiver serves as an agreement, release of liability, and an assumption of risk. Legally, the decision to waive one’s rights is granted to a person who has attained the age of majority, and is regarded as independent, self-sufficient, and responsible. In the United States, the age of majority is considered to be 6570 days old (18 years of age for those of you without a calculator handy).

First Time Skydiving. Why 18?

Well, observation has shown, that in general, at eighteen the majority of people have reached a basic level of maturity. Now, I’m sure we’ve all met some pretty mature young men and women who are younger than 18, but 18 is the age the law has set as the age of majority. Acting with the age of majority in mind, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) mandated that in order to skydive, a jumper must be 18 years of age or older, and drop zones who are affiliated with the USPA keep this as their general minimum.

Who Is The USPA?

As an association, the USPA is dedicated to the promotion of safe skydiving and is in charge of disseminating industry safety standards put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration. Drop zones that are group members of the USPA have pledged to follow USPA regulations, basic safety requirements, and recommendations. One of the regulations for drop zones who are members of the USPA is that they require an individual to be at least 18 years of age to first-time skydive. However, special permissions can be granted by the USPA, as in the case with children involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation who wish to skydive. Additionally, there are drop zones out there that are not USPA members and will allow skydives to be made by younger individuals with parental consent.

Is There A Maximum Age To Skydive?

The answer to this question depends on where you jump. In general, there is no skydiving age limit. Honestly, skydiving capability in older jumpers is determined by flexibility and overall health. Generally, you are only as old as you feel, and many older individuals are able to cross skydiving off their bucket lists.

Here are Skydive Newport, we set a policy that we will not take anyone on a skydive over the age of 75. We recognize that there are individuals over 75 who could potentially partake in tandem skydiving without issues. However, there are also many individuals who might not meet our physical requirements, hindering us from providing adequate training.

So, if you are over 75 and are looking to cross skydiving off your bucket list, feel free to reach out to us! We are more than willing to provide you with a list of alternative skydiving centers that could potentially accommodate you and get you in the air!