FAQ

Common questions about skydiving

If your question isn’t here please contact us via the Contact page.

How do I book a skydive?

The easiest way is to book online from our website. Alternatively you can call us on 1300 AWESOME (293 766).

How do I get to Jurien Bay?

Jurien Bay is a coastal town located approximately two hours north of Perth. Indian Ocean Drive is a long straight road and takes you right into Jurien Bay. You can drive your own vehicle or starting August 2015, Transwa run a bus service departing from East Perth Terminal on Friday afternoon (2pm), and departing Jurien Bay headed back to Perth on Sunday afternoons (420pm). For more information on the Transwa bus service to Jurien Bay click here. We also run a FREE shuttle bus every Thursday from Perth to Jurien Bay, returning the same day. Call us 1300 293 766 to arrange pick up.

I have my own GoPro, can I bring it on my jump?

Due to insurance and safety reasons you are unable to hold your own camera during your skydive. The Australian Parachute Federation regulates the carrying of cameras in freefall and mandates that you must have 100 skydives before you can carry a camera. The harness or helmets used must also be approved for skydiving. Our instructors are professionals at filming skydive videos. You will be thinking of a million other things other than holding your camera in the right position. Trust us on this one. Relax and enjoy your skydive and let us do the work and get all the money shots so you can re-live your skydive over and over. Your friends can of course film your landing if they choose to watch you land at the beach.

How long does the process take?

Allow a minimum of half a day but we recommend you give yourself a full day in case of poor weather conditions, or other delays which may be beyond our control. We will give you an arrival time. Note this is not your jump time, it is the time you are to arrive at the office and complete any necessary paper work and receive ground training. The jump itself will consist of 25 minute plane ride, freefall, and a 5-8 minute canopy ride. There are plenty of things to do in town and we recommend checking out our beautiful beaches.

How many people go at once?

We have one instructor per person who jumps. You must go with an instructor. Two friends who have never skydived cannot go under the same parachute. One tandem pair will leave the plane, then the next follows a few seconds later. Our plane can take a total of 8 tandems (16 people). How many Tandem Instructors we have on the day you’re jumping also influences how many people can go at once.

What is the best time of year to jump? What days do you jump?

We jump all year round. Winter is the best time for skydiving in Jurien Bay. many of the cold fronts which hit Perth and further south don’t reach as far as Jurien Bay. Winter is full of crisp blue sky days with no wind! In Summer, we only take bookings in the mornings because of the strong sea breezes in the afternoons. The earlier you book in the morning in Summertime, the more guaranteed you are to jump. Even throughout the rest of the year, it is good to book before lunchtime because then we get the maximum options with the weather. Sometimes we have to wait a little while for weather conditions to become suitable. We jump 7 days a week except Christmas Day and New Years Day.

How high do you skydive from?

We offer tandem skydives from 8,000ft, 10,000ft, and 14,000ft. Occasionally we have specials to 15,000ft but you must join our mailing list to be made aware of those. With Skydive Jurien Bay you get the height you pay for, never anything less. We are located at sea level so there are no issues going to a true 14,000ft.

What if the weather is bad?

We can’t jump if the wind is more than 25 knots or if thick cloud is covering the dropzone. If we thought the weather will be so bad on the day you are booked, we would call you the day before to reschedule. More often though, there is a window at some point of each day when the skies are blue enough and the winds light enough to jump at some time. For this reason we recommend morning bookings, and to remain flexible. You would never be charged a cancellation or any other fee if the weather prevented you from jumping.

What does freefall feel like?

It feels like flying! Those who do it can’t explain it and those who don’t do it will never understand it! Come and experience it for yourself. You will be falling at 200+ km/h.

I’m coming from Perth, how long will it take to get there?

It will take approximately 2 hours to get to Jurien Bay from Perth.

Is there a minimum age?

16 years old is the minimum age. If under 18 then a guardian’s permission is required.

Are there weight restrictions?

Tandem passengers must not exceed 115kgs. If you or someone you’re booking for is above 100kg please advise us when making your booking. N.B. Unlike other skydive operations in Western Australia, we do NOT charge extra for customers that are above 90kg. Some places charge an additional $70 for being customers that weigh 110kg.

What should I wear?

A jumper and long pants in winter or shorts and a t-shirt in summer. Try to avoid a collared shirt, at 200km/h you might feel a flapping collar.

Is it cold up there?

It is definitely cooler up there than it is on the ground, so in Winter or early morning or late afternoon, it might be as cool as zero degrees. You’ll feel a blast of cold air when the door opens, but it is only for a few seconds, and your adrenaline is keeping you warm by then. You won’t feel cold in freefall, you can’t feel anything but great!

How hard is the landing?

We land into the wind, so the more breeze, the slower the landing. On a tandem, you are required to lift your legs, so the tandem master takes the weight of the landing, and you can just gently put your feet down. Almost all landings are a gentle touchdown.

What if my parachute doesn’t open?

By law, every parachute harness must carry a main and reserve canopy. The main is packed by a qualified person with an Australian Parachute Federation ‘Packer B’ rating. The reserve is meticulously packed and thoroughly inspected every six months by a qualified ‘Packer A’ or Parachute Rigger. If you familiarise yourself with the design of a parachute system, you will understand that the laws of physics make it impossible to just not open, and human error has just about been removed in the systems used to pack reserve parachutes. In addition, every parachute you may jump is required to be fitted with an Automatic Activation Device which calculates your speed and altitude and deploys your reserve parachute, in the event that no one else does! Skydiving fatalities do not occur simply because “his parachute failed”. It is instead always a series of events, and the most common factor is pilot error.

So is it safe? 

Tandem skydiving is about the safest form of transport there is when you look at the fact that there are around 85,000 tandem skydives carried out in Australia every year. Skydiving is a highly regulated sport, and we are extremely focused on safety. A skydiver must always follow the rules, in the same way a driver has to. Common sense is paramount! Go to our Safety page to learn more about Skydive Jurien Bay’s commitment to safety.

But I’m scared of heights!

Don’t worry, so are lots of skydivers! Many people try skydiving to cure their fear, and then fall in love with it, still fearing heights! It’s not like standing on the top of a building. You are travelling so fast that’s it’s impossible to get that tummy wobbling vertigo feeling, and you are so high up that you can’t get any perspective, so the earth just looks like a big pizza. Once you have jumped you will wonder what you were worrying about.