WHY SKYDIVE IN PERTH?
Author Archives: skydive
Next PreviousWhy Skydive In Perth?
October 19, 2016 skydive
Category: Tandem Skydiving
So why go skydiving in Perth?
Skydiving is an adventure experience that can be done in many of the world’s cities. Some people choose to only skydive once and other choose to skydive as often as possible in as many different locations as possible. But if you’re visiting Perth on a holiday, you may be wondering, “Why choose to skydive in Perth?”. Well here are our top reasons why think skydiving in Perth is a must do:
1. The coastal views
Western Australia is blessed with stunning beach coastline which makes for a perfect skydive. There are a couple of beaches to skydive onto in Perth. One is in Rockingham but it’s located next to an industrial power station, so we don’t recommend that. The other is in Jurien Bay, with us. We’re located just a couple hours drive from Perth on the Turquoise Coast. The beaches here are INSANELY beautiful. There is no better place to Skydive in Perth other than right here in Jurien Bay.
2. Skydiving is a highly regulated activity in Australia
Skydive Jurien Bay is part of the Australian Parachute Federation (APF). The APF sets the standard for safety in skydiving throughout the world and at Skydive Jurien Bay we are strong advocates for safety. We will not risk jumping in conditions which are not safe however unfortunately this can not be said for some of our competitors who are focused solely on the numbers. For us, it’s not a numbers game, it’s an experience game.
3. The weather is consistently favourable (well, 99% of the time)
Perth is known for its beautiful weather all year-round. And in Jurien Bay, our northern location ensures even nicer weather. So in Jurien Bay you will jump with beautiful blue skies 99% of the time which means we rarely have to cancel a skydive due to weather.
4. We jump from higher altitudes than most other countries
At Skydive Jurien Bay, we jump from up to 15,000ft which means over 65 seconds free fall time. That’s a long time in free fall. In countries like the USA you will only get to 12,000ft or maybe 13,000ft at best. In fact, some of our competitors in Perth are operating in controlled air space which means they too often will take you to only 12,000ft despite you paying for a 14,000ft skydive.
5. Australia is all about enjoying the great outdoors
A holiday in Australia is about getting outdoors, experiencing our diverse country, and having a lot of fun at the same time. Skydiving just seems like the right thing to do when in Perth on your dream Australian holiday.
Convinced? Click here to view prices and book now.
Student Spotlight
September 27, 2016 skydive
Category: Learn to Skydive
In this Skydive Student Spotlight we speak with Stijn Emonds, one of our most dedicated solo skydive students for 2016.
What do you do for a living/career?
I’m normally working as an outdoor instructor (raft,kayak,climbing,canyon-guide). During my time in Australia I take all the work that I can get (farming,labouring).
What/who inspired you to make your first jump?
I think I have always thought about it when I was younger. It has never been a realistic thought since I never had the money I would need. When I finally got the money I booked the course on the 20th of may and started the 25th of may.
What was the hardest part for you earning your A-license?
I guess flaring the canopy took quite a few jumps before I managed to land on my feet.
What’s your most memorable jump?
With no doubt my 50th jump. We managed to do a ‘double wagonwheel ‘ exit going into a ‘hybrid’. Special thanks to Jayke, Chris, Ashley, Dan.
How long did it take you to earn your A license?
I started my skydiving course on the 25th of May and managed to get enough jumps for my A licence on the 1st of June. on the 19th of June I made my 50th jump and got my B licence signed of.
What kind of student do you think you were?
I see my self as a student who wants to learn and who wants to gain knowledge of everything that has to do with skydiving.
There are several skydiving dropzones to choose from, what made you choose Skydive Jurien Bay?
I did some research online and skydive Jurien bay kept popping on my screen. I looked at some reviews and was happy with what I was reading.
What are your future skydiving goals?
At the moment I just want to get my jump numbers up so I can jump my ow. rig. In the very far future I think skydiving might be a career path so I can keep traveling and work on different dropzones.
Finish this sentence. The best thing about skydiving is…
the feeling you get. You will feel truly ‘free’ during skydiving, nothing else in the world matters except for the jump.
What advice would you have for anyone wanting to try skydiving?
Do it, what’s holding you back?
Anything else you’d like to add?
Just a big thanks to the Instructors and coaches from skydive Jurien bay.
If you’re interested in learning to skydive then go to our Learn To Skydive page.
Indoor Skydiving Perth
August 30, 2016 skydive
Category: News, Pro Skydivers
Indoor Skydiving Perth
Have you heard the news? Perth has a new attraction called iFLY Perth. It’s a state of the art indoor skydiving facility located on the corner of Great Easter Highway and Belmont Avenue in Rivervale and it’s due to open in December 2016.
So what is indoor skydiving?
Indoor skydiving is made possible thanks to the creation of a purpose built facility, a lot of fan power which blows wind, and a glass flight chamber. Okay, we’ve skipped over some finer details but they are the main points to understand at this stage.
So indoor skydiving allows you to actually fly just like you would when doing a normal skydive. The air / wind is blown at speeds of up to 250km/h and when you lay on top of the wind, it picks you up. Amazing right!? Yep!
How is it different to traditional skydiving?
Whilst the ‘flying’ part will feel almost identical, the rush of jumping out of an aeroplane from 14,000ft is what really separates indoor skydiving and a traditional outdoor skydive. Both offer a unique experience and we recommend you try both.
Who can do it?
Indoor skydiving in Perth at iFLY Perth is suitable for anyone aged from 3 years old up to 103 years old. It’s safe, a lot of fun, and definitely worth having a go at. You don’t need to be a crazy fit person, anyone can do it. Their instructors will take care of your entire experience, ensuring you’re safe and that you have a great time.
But why?
Well, apart from being a lot of fun for people who have never experienced a skydive or freefall before (they call these people ‘first timers’), there are many other uses for indoor skydiving facilities. These include training for solo skydivers, people flying in the wind tunnel as a sport (yes, there is a huge community of professional wind tunnel flyers), and of course the army are regularly using the tunnel for training purposes.
More info
For more info visit the iFly Downunder website here
Where to skydive in Perth
August 25, 2016 skydive
Category: Tandem Skydiving
Where to skydive in Perth
We’ve been in the skydiving game long enough to know what makes one skydive business different to the other. Unfortunately for consumers it’s not always so clear. So here we compare Skydive Jurien Bay to other skydive operations in Perth, Western Australia.
Starting with ourselves first.
Skydive Jurien Bay
- Australia’s most positively reviewed skydive across Trip Advisor, Google and Facebook. No other skydive operation has more positive reviews
- Height guarantee – You will get the altitude you pay for or receive a partial refund
- Five time Western Australian Tourism Award winner (2 x gold, 2 x silver, 1 x bronze)
- All skydives land on the beach
- A family business managed by Pete Lonnon (WA’s most experienced Chief Instructor) and Christine Sparrow
- Modern facilities (including accommodation on site) and new skydive equipment
- Operating 7 days a week
- No additional charges for customers above 90kg
- No surprise charges slapped on you on the day of your skydive
Our competitors (other skydives in Perth, WA)
- They all claim to be the “best skydive”. How can they all be the best? Does this lack of creativity flow through the rest of the business and customer experience?
- Tandem skydives into paddocks or beaches in highly built up and industrial areas
- They do not guarantee that you will get the height you pay for. For example they sell “from up to 14,000ft” which means they will not guarantee you will get to 14,000ft nor will they offer a refund if they take you to a lower altitude
- They charge up to $75 extra for customers who are above 90kg. We note that this information is not clearly mentioned on their website, instead we had to read through their entire terms and conditions to find this information
- They appear to overstate the retail price of a “from up to 14,000ft” skydive only to then discount it on an ongoing basis. Gives impression of a huge discount.
- They advertise as having “Australia’s highest jumps” but often this is not the case. For example Skydive Jurien Bay goes to 15,000ft at selected times throughout the year which is higher than those claiming to have Australia’s highest tandem skydives.
- No accomodation on site
- They advertise beach and city tandem skydives but quite often they will try get you to land at their runway located not on the beach at all
- They do not operate 7 days a week
- Inadequate office facilities for family and friends to spend time whilst you skydive
- Inadequate food options on-site
At the end of the day for most people a skydive is a once in a lifetime experience and like anything in life, you get what you pay for. If it’s a bargain basement price it’s a good idea to ask yourself why… What corners are they cutting? Will there be hidden fees when I arrive? Is the experience sub-standard?
Our advice is to choose where you skydive wisely and you’ll have a terrific experience every time.
A dirty secret
July 28, 2016 skydive
Category: Tandem Skydiving
Beware of the “from up to 14,000ft/15,000ft” lie
Understanding the difference between a “14,000ft/15,000ft skydive” and “from up to 14,000ft/15,000ft” skydive is essential for anyone thinking of doing a tandem skydive.
To cut straight to the chase, some skydive businesses will sell “From up to 15,000ft” tandem skydives but actually take the customer to a much lower altitude such as 10,000ft. They lure unaware consumers with a “from up to 15,000ft” offer, and this is where the disappointment begins. This means the customer will not get to jump from the height they paid for and spend less time in free fall, which is the most exciting part of a skydive, and a big part of what they pay for. The “From up to” component gives the business an excuse when they take you to a much lower altitude (they may say, “well we told you it was From Up To…”).
At Skydive Jurien Bay we think this practice is unfair for consumers, misleading and dishonest.
Why do they do this? By taking you lower than the height you paid for a skydive business is able to reduce fuel expenses and do more tandem skydives in a day, all of which lead to greater profits. How else could they sell a 15,000ft skydive for a price that barely covers operating costs? They’d go out of business. Who knows what other corners they are cutting to offer near cost price skydives.
How do they get away with this you ask? Simple. As a tandem skydive customer you are very rarely aware of the altitude you are at when you jump from the plane, so it’s easy for them to not give you what you paid for.
This corner cutting tactic practiced by many skydive businesses is something Skydive Jurien Bay does NOT do, in fact we’re disgusted by it.
At Skydive Jurien Bay, we don’t sell “from up to” skydives. We sell the height our customers pay for. If a customer of ours pays for a 14,000ft or 15,000ft skydive, we take them to that altitude, no less. We guarantee it. In fact, we often go that bit higher, cause more free fall time is awesome.
If for some reason we (Skydive Jurien Bay) can’t take you to the altitude you paid for due to safety reasons, we will always offer you a partial refund. This is something our competitors will NOT offer you.
So it pays to read between the lines when you’re deciding which location you choose to skydive at. If they are promising “lowest price guarantee” or some 50% off offer then this is a sign that they are cutting corners. If a business is practicing cost cutting tactics like this, then who knows what other lengths they’ll go to to maximise profits.
At the end of the day remember that skydiving isn’t lawn bowls folks, so choose your skydive location wisely.
Tandem Skydive with confidence & get value for money. View our prices here.
World Championships
July 27, 2016 skydive
Category: News, Pro Skydivers
Our staff are competing at the 2016 world parachuting championships
Two of our staff members, Chris Garcia and Split Brown will represent Australia in the 2016 World Parachuting Championships in Chicago from September 11 to 20, 2016.
The pair make up 2 of the 3 participants in their team. They will compete in the the Canopy Relative Work (CRW) competition. This involves two participants flying their canopy very close to each other and doing specific formations. The third team member is responsible for filming the performance, so they fly their canopy just a few meters back from the performers. The video footage is then submitted to the judges on the ground and teams are awarded 1 point for each correct formation/move they complete. The team that scores the most points wins.
Chris and Split have been tandem instructors at Skydive Jurien Bay for many years now however they’ve taken some time off work to put their badass skills to the test against the world’s best.
Having such professional skydiving athletes as part of our team is what separates Skydive Jurien Bay from other skydive operators in Western Australia. You’re in safe hands when you skydive with our team.
Best of luck boys!
To view tandem skydive prices click here.
Photos: Chris with a keg that he took for a skydive for Feral Brewery, Split base jumping in Malaysia, and Split and Richie training their CRW.
What to expect
July 19, 2016 skydive
Category: Tandem Skydiving
Tandem skydiving: the process explained
So you want to go tandem skydiving, are excited and a bit nervous but have not got a clue how it works and you have a tonne of questions. It’s okay, let us explain.
Step 1 – Book online
The first step is to visit our website and book your skydive online via our online booking system. It’s fast, easy, and you don’t need to pay in full (a $150 deposit per person is taken when you book). You don’t need to even choose what height you want to skydive from, meaning you can leave that decision until you arrive on the day. The outstanding amount will need to be paid on the day of your skydive. If you have a gift voucher then follow the same steps and quote your voucher number when asked.
Step 2 – Read the confirmation email and follow prompts
This is very important. After you make your booking we will send you a confirmation email with some important information it including links to a couple of forms which need to be completed prior to your skydive. The email will also include your arrival/check-in time (Note this is NOT the time you will skydive, so there is no need to arrive any earlier (unless you failed to complete the forms we sent you in which case arrive 20 minutes early). You will probably jump 1-2 hours after you check-in, all things going to plan.
Step 3 – Arrive and check-in
After you arrive to our office you should go straight to the reception to let us know you’re here. We have a small amount of paper work for you to complete and it is at this point in time that you will advise us which altitude you would like to skydive from. We recommend the highest as this increases the amount time you have in free fall, and that’s one of the best parts of your skydive experience. You can also let us know if you want photos and or video of your skydive. You will pay the balance of your skydive now also.
Step 4 – Ground training
After your check-in is completed we will take you into our video/training room where you will watch a short video which will explain what’s about to happen in greater detail. This will cover all of what’s expected from you, so pay close attention. If you have more questions please just wait until you meet your instructor as they will go through everything again with you.
Step 5 – Get harnessed up
After you’ve watched the training video you are ready to be harnessed up. It’s likely that this will not happen immediately after watching the training video, so we will call your name out when we are ready for you. In skydiving delays are common, so we appreciate your patience during this time. One of our staff members will place the tandem skydive harness on you and fit it to suit your body. Please do not adjust it or smoke near it, it’s a life saving device that needs to be in perfect working order.
Step 6 – Make your way to the plane
The airport is a short bus ride (3 minutes) away from our office. By this stage you may or may not have met your tandem instructor. If you haven’t met him yet then you will very shortly, at which point he will check your harness and make any required adjustments, and conduct a video interview and take photos (if you selected this option). Sometimes the bus will take you to our beach landing area because we need to pick up your tandem instructor from there. This means you can watch other parachutes land and also ask our driver / staff any skydiving related questions you may have.
Step 7 – Board the plane
This is when it starts to get really exciting. Under the close supervision of your tandem instructor you will be escorted to the plane, more photos and video will be taken, and you will board the plane. The plane is quite small compared to commercial airliners. You will sit directly in front of your tandem instructor, both facing the tail of the aircraft.
Step 8 – Take in the views on your climb to jump altitude
You will be blown away by how beautiful Jurien Bay is by air. It must be seen to be believed. The plane ride to jump altitude will take approximately 20 minutes and you will have a window seat with a great view of the coastline and islands. When you get close to your jump altitude your tandem instructor will securely connect your harness to their harness and go through a series of safety checks to ensure you’re connected properly. Once this is done you’re ready for freefall!
Step 9 – Jump out of the plane
When it’s your turn to jump your instructor will position the two of you close to the door. You will be looking out of the plane, sitting on the edge with the door open, waiting to be pushed out. Your tandem instructor will count “ready, steady, spaghetti” and the next thing you are free, falling at over 200km/h! It’s a truely amazing feeling. Open your eyes, take in the view, and enjoy the moment.
Step 10 – Fly the parachute
After about 60 seconds free fall (assuming you jumped from at least 14,000ft) your tandem instructor will deploy the main parachute. It opens surprisingly soft and gentle. Once your parachute is out you can take off your googles, take a big breath and enjoy the peacefulness and view even more. Your tandem instructor may also give you control of the parachute which is a lot of fun.
Step 11 – Land on the beach
Just before touching down on the soft sandy beach your instructor will ask you to lift your legs up. This will make sure that you have a nice soft landing. Once you land you can celebrate your amazing achievement as you are now a skydiver!
Step 12 – Take bus back to the office
Immediately after you land your instructor or another staff member will assist with taking off your harness. You will then get into our bus which will take you back to the office.
Step 13 – Wait for video/photos and collect certificate
If you had video and or photos taken then we will need about one hour to edit it all and place it on a USB device for you. We will give you a certificate to prove that you skydived and we recommend taking this over the pub across the road where you can get great food as well as your second drink free (if you show them your certificate).
Step 14 – Come back and collect your photos/video
After about an hour (sometimes longer on busy days) your video/photos will be ready. Once you’ve got these your skydive experience is over. We know for sure that you will have a lot of fun watching your video and you’re welcome to watch it on the TVs in our reception area.
That’s it
We hope that this article better explains what will happen on the day of your skydive. If you want to go again then you can jump from 14,000ft for a bargain price of only $300, but you have to book and pay for it right there and then. If you have any further questions feel free to ask us on the day of your skydive or contact us via our website.
Wingsuit Skydiving
July 6, 2016 skydive
Category: News, Pro Skydivers
J-Bay Performance Flying & Formation Camp 2016
Skydive Jurien Bay hosted the inaugural J Bay Performance Flying & Formation Camp in June 2016 an event aimed at bringing everyone together to learn new techniques and push their bodies and wingsuits to new limits.
The 25 participants were spoilt to have world renowned wingsuit flyer and coach, Jarno Cordia (Netherlands) join the camp to coach and organise. Supporting Jarno were local wingsuit coaches Scotty Paterson and Jack Rolliston.
The original concept for the event was to run a small camp to introduce wingsuit performance flying (XRW, flocking, acro, back flying, head down carving) to the west coast skydivers but as interest grew the event also grew with the addition of a performance flying competition added to the mix.
The skill and experience levels of participants ranged from only 20 wingsuit jumps all the way to people that have 1000+ wingsuit jumps. Everything was included in the camp, from XRW at the start of the week to flocking, acro, back flying, head down carving and of course Performance flying.
The competition side of things consisted of 3 rounds with a total of 3 jumps per round. In the 3 jumps of the round the goal is to be going for time, distance or speed. Time was calculated by the amount of time participants could stay in the competition window, being 3000 meters to 2000 meters. Distance was calculated by how far one could travel over a horizontal distance in the comp window. Speed was calculated by the average horizontal speed one would reach in the comp window.
First place in the competition went to James Nowland, who really came out of nowhere with his Vampire Sukhoi. Second and third places going to Jack Rolliston and Guy Hanby.
The camp was a fantastic opportunity for people who are competing at the Performance flying World Championships in Z-hills in November 2016. With Jack Rolliston and Guy Hanby representing Australia, Jarno Cordia representing Netherlands and Udit Thapar representing India all breaking personal best scores in their quest to be on the podium later this year.
Participants consisted of skydivers from WA, the east coast of Australia, India and even the Ukraine.
The massive success of this event is a credit to Skydive Jurien Bay that provided the facilities and resources for this awesome week of fun and learning. Thanks must also go to the Australian Parachute Federation that provided funding for this event. Without the support this event would not have been possible.
Cray Fish Skydive
June 20, 2016 skydive
Category: News
World’s first cray fish skydive
At Skydive Jurien Bay, we took a Cray Fish (or Lobster as some people call them) for a skydive from 14,000ft. Watch the video below.
No animals were harmed in the making of this video. Thank you to the Lobster Shack in Cervantes for donating this delicious cray!
‘14000ft’ VS ‘up to 14000ft’
June 19, 2016 skydive
Category: Tandem Skydiving
Skydive heights: what you need to know
If you’re thinking of going skydiving then understanding what “up to 14,000ft” actually means is crucial to ensuring you’re happy with your experience.
Some of Skydive Jurien Bay’s competitors promote “up to 14,000ft” skydives and they do this because they can not guarantee that you will get the height you pay for. When you make a complaint because you did not get what you paid for they will come back to you with “sorry, the skydive you paid for was an “up to 14,000ft” skydive, not a guaranteed 14,000ft”. They will not even partially refund your skydive. Imagine how bitter you would be after being ripped off on your once in a lifetime experience.
That’s how some skydive operations can offer such cheap prices. We think this kind of misleading advertising is really unfair, not to mention unethical.
At Skydive Jurien Bay we don’t offer “up to 14000ft”, we offer “14000ft” skydives and we guarantee that you will get the height that you pay for. If in the unlikely event we cannot deliver on the height you paid for (due to cloud or any other reason) then we would partially refund you.
When skydiving, the higher the better, so don’t be fooled with “up to 14,000ft” prices.
Blog Archives
- May 2018
- January 2018
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- January 2016
- September 2015
- May 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
