Skydiving Cost Calculator

How skydiving costs add up

Skydiving has two very different price paths. A tandem jump is a one-time experience where an instructor handles the equipment and the canopy. You pay one price, and most dropzones charge extra for a video or photo package. The AFF path, short for accelerated freefall, is a course of several supervised jumps followed by more jumps toward a first license. The calculator switches between the two so you only see the boxes that apply. The tool prices the trip only. It says nothing about fitness, weight limits or medical rules, which each dropzone sets and explains on its own.

Here is a worked tandem example with the defaults. Two jumpers each pay a $300 jump plus $140 for a video package and a tip. That is $880 for the jumps. A one-night stay at $130 plus $17 for gas and tolls adds $147 of travel. The total comes to about $1,027, or roughly $513 per jump. Skipping the video and tip cuts the total by $280.

The AFF path costs more up front but less per jump over time. The default course price is $1,800, then 18 more jumps at $60 each for the ticket and gear rental. Put membership and license fees into the course price. Course jumps are counted as seven, so the calculator divides the total over 25 jumps. Real course length, pricing and license rules differ by dropzone and national association, so treat these numbers as planning examples and confirm with the school you choose.

Travel is easy to overlook. Weather delays can add a night, and a rural dropzone may mean a long drive. Compare lodging in the hotel vs Airbnb calculator, and see which steps lead to a license in the skydiving and scuba certification path finder. The same budget approach works for other sports, such as the ski trip cost calculator.

Where these numbers come from

The formulas and default values in this calculator are based on:

• United States Parachute Association home page (points to tandem, AFF and A-license pathways)
• Arithmetic from your inputs. Note: every price is an editable example, not a dropzone quote
• no price list was opened in this build

This is a planning estimate, not medical, legal or immigration advice. Fees, allowances, limits and entry rules change, so confirm the figures with your airline, cruise line, customs agency or the official government source before you book or travel, and follow their rules if they differ from this page.