Can You Be Too Old to Skydive?

Ready to take the biggest leap of your LIFE, but nervous you may be past your prime? Fear not! While there is a minimum skydiving age requirement of 18 years old, there’s no such thing as a skydiving age limit. Someone’s ability to successfully check skydiving off their bucket list is based on mental and physical health, let’s get into it!

Why Do You Have To Be 18 to Go Skydiving?

At United States Parachute Association (USPA) affiliated dropzones, the minimum age required to skydive is 18 years old. The reason? It’s the law! We know, we know … frustrating answer, but the rule is strongly enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the USPA. 

Before you complete a skydive, legal documentation – called a waiver – must be signed by the jumper, who must be a legal adult. Here in the United States, 18 is deemed to be the age that one can fully comprehend and commit to making an informed decision. Note: there are exceptions made for Make-A-Wish participants, and the experience is always special for everyone involved. 

A decision like “going skydiving” is one that will change your life and stick with you forever! Similar to getting a tattoo or buying some aqua vitae, you’ve just got to be a certain age.

Can Anyone Over 18 Go Skydiving?

There is no age limit for skydiving. As long as you are in relatively good health, you’re okayed to skydive! People who are over 100 years old and people of all abilities go skydiving. We want everyone to have the opportunity to experience the freedom of flight – if you have any questions about your ability to skydive, reach out!

Who Is The Oldest Skydiver?

After discovering her interest in skydiving at age 90 and completing her first tandem at 102, Rut Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson of Sweden was 103 years and 259 days old when she most recently skydived!! Her World Record breaks Texan Al Blaschke’s record, who was 103 years and 181 days at his last skydive! Know any 103+ year olds who might be up for the challenge of topping Rut’s record?!

Are There Physical Requirements To Skydive?

The physical and psychological requirements to skydive are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Everyone is different! If you have any concerns about your mental or physical health before skydiving, ask your doc. We’re not medical professionals and so we can’t give you any advice in that realm, but we’ll happily take the reins once your doc clears you for takeoff!

There are two physical demands of skydiving that you’ll want to keep in mind ahead of making your booking: 

• Flexibility: Skydiving airplanes, called jump planes, are tighter and less cushy than a commercial airliner. We’re kinda jam-packed in there sometimes! As such, you may need to take or hold a not-so-normal and even awkward position for a few minutes, including squatting down and bending your knees.

• Core strength: When you’re coming in for landing at the end of your skydive, your instructor will ask you to lift your legs. Envision going into a piked position with your legs straight out in front of you, like when you bend over to try to touch your toes. This is to ensure that your feet aren’t in the way and won’t be tripped over by your instructor! We want your videographer to get that sweet landing shot, not a clip of you AND your instructor face planting! 

What The Heck Is POPs!?

Oh … you mean the Parachutists Over Phorty Society!? We’re not here to say that anyone over 40 years old is ready to join the ‘skydiving for seniors society,’ but we’ve got to inform you about this awesome club if you: 1) have completed a skydive, and 2) are over 40 years of age! Founded in 1966, POPs has inspired numerous other groups to form, such as Skydivers Over Sixty (SOS), Jumpers Over Seventy (JOS), Jumpers Over Eighty Society (JOES), and even Jumpers Over Ninety (JON)!

Champions At Every Age

Every few years, POPs hosts a World Championship, allowing POPs members from all across the globe to get together, compete, and get better at a sport they love so much! At these championships, world and country records are often challenged and broken. 

The current world record for the most SOS members all linked together (think: holding hands and forming something that looks like a giant human snowflake) while in freefall is SEVENTY FIVE people set in 2018! 

If you’re debating whether to start skydiving now or in five years, do it now! First of all, we don’t know what the future holds, so live in the moment! Second of all, while skydiving later in life is not a bad thing at ALL, wouldn’t you rather have those extra five years in the sport? The biggest regret we hear from seasoned jumpers is “man, I wish I would’ve done this sooner!” What are you waiting for!? Book your skydive today!