Cheapest place to skydive in america.

[DZRman 0]

I recently discovered skydiving, and have some friends that wing suit very aggressively. I'm interested in stacking a multiple jumps a day over the course of several weeks to get the necessary jumps to begin practicing with a wing suit.

I was wondering where the cheapest place to do this in the US is. I live in Santa Barbara California, and the drop zones charge an arm and a leg. Any advice? Thanks.

[PhreeZone 20]

What is your "Arm and leg" prices? How far are you in your license progression?

Where do your friends jump? That usually is where you will want to go so you now the locals...

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[obelixtim 150]

This is going to take a bit more than a couple of weeks, and will cost a bit more than an arm and a leg. Jumping out of aircraft costs quite a bit, and the cheapest option may not always be the best or safest option. Most places will charge fairly similar prices.

You'll need to do quite a bit before you are ready to put on a wingsuit.

As stated, your wingsuit friends should be able to put you on the right track. Good luck.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[mchamp 1]

Going to Elsinore and buying a bulk of 46 tickets which comes to $21.73 each might be your best bet since you're relatively close.

That or Lodi which is $5 to 3K & $15 to 13K or $13(in blocks of 50) to 13K Not sure if they've recently changed their prices though or not though, but there's a reason why they can go that low.

edit to add: I assumed you were licensed for that info, if not then chose a safe a DZ where you can learn a lot, good instructors who will sit with you and explain and where you can feel comfortable.

For info regarding lift ticket prices all around the world check out
http://www.jumpticketprices.com/dropzones.asp

[Divinfool 0]

Although I have only jumped at one other DZ and am new to this sport...everyone tells me Deland has good prices....$17/$23

Fear is the thief of dreams.....

[jimmytavino 16]

Cheap is good if i'm buyin' a lawnmower

Cheap is good if i'm going to the grocery store...
Cheap is GOOD if i'm filling my gas tank.

But Cheap .... and Skydiving... don't go together ,in my book...

look for quality, and be patient

it's great that you recently discovered skydiving. and sure wingsuiting is the bomb. but the ladder that you need to climb, to achieve the ability to join in that discipline is a tall one... your WS pals do you a disservice if they've encouraged you to just go and blast out as many jumps as you can, at as low a cost as possible... unless THAT is your idea..
imho
jt
nscr 1817
uspa # 9452

[pchapman 279]

This is more at the experienced skydivers listening than the O.P.:


The cheapest place?

Ah, that's the million dollar (in FAA fines) question!

[popsjumper 2]

Quote

This is more at the experienced skydivers listening than the O.P.:


The cheapest place?

Ah, that's the million dollar (in FAA fines) question!

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[matthewcline 0]

Quote

This is more at the experienced skydivers listening than the O.P.:


The cheapest place?

Ah, that's the million dollar (in FAA fines) question!

And yet idiots still pimp them as the place to go jump at!
As well as the other FAR's violations that are admitted too by the member of the BOD who jumps there and other so called S&TA's and Instructors.

And people wonder why I am stepping back from this sport and only keeping my membership to vote against 90% of the BOD next election.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[Electronaut 0]

Elsinore is a good option if you want to stay close. It's a nice DZ with some great people there.

[ruleofpull 0]

Newbie opinion here. Methinks you are asking yourself the wrong question, but then again, how many jumps do you have? Why do you want the cheapest place to skydive? Perhaps you should be asking where you can receive the best training (subjective) so that you can advance your skills in order to, one day far in the future, jump with a wing suit and your friends. The incident forums are littered with people who have tried to advance their skills too aggressively, and you really don't want to be among them. As someone with many, many tattoos (which also involves various risks), I want to learn/get it done right the first time... in skydiving, sometimes there are no second chances. Find somewhere you love, somewhere where someone will coach to so you can get to the wing suit jump, if that's what turns you on... don't try to get there too fast without the skills because all your buddies are doing it.

[SStewart 13]

Cheapest place to jump in America?

Or the cheapest place to jump in California?

Onward and Upward!

[nickfrey 0]

Quote

Cheapest place to jump in America?

Or the cheapest place to jump in California?

Fairly certain the answer is the same... Lodi.

I and many others have no problem recommending it. Though your getting into morning fog season so there might ONLY ;-) be 5-10 loads going up on days it clears. Fairly large wingsuit contingent here as well.

[SStewart 13]

No, not the same.

There are still a few non-profit clubs with a 182 spread out across the country where you can get a ride to altitude for 10-15 bucks.

If you pay your dues, pitch in and help out.

Sadly, those places are harder to find these days.

Onward and Upward!

[Ronaldo 0]

If it makes you feel better ticket prices at my country range from 50 – 72 USD (last on at 10000ft). The prices in any American DZ are really a joke for me

Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

[NWFlyer 2]

I can't believe that every time this type of thread comes up (sorry kid, you're not the first and you won't be the last person in this sport to ask (essentially) "how can I get something for significantly less than the market rate without making any compromises?", everyone misses the most obvious answer, which is "skip the whole dropzone thing."

Find yourself a friend who is training to be a pilot (or maybe already has a license), who is looking to build hours. If you and your friends are willing to chip in some of the cost of that flight time, your pilot friend should be eager to take you up, especially with the added challenge of dropping skydivers. Can't be that hard, can it? Just open up the door and let them climb out in flight, right?

Same goes for learning to skydive. First, read a few articles on dropzone.com and watch some youtube videos to learn the basics. Your friends already know how - I'm sure they could show you what you need to know and get you ready to jump a wingsuit in a few weeks. Cheap and easy! (Don't worry, those instructional ratings that the USPA issues are for chumps - your friends don't need those).

Please note this approach is not recommended for anyone who has even half a clue that you get what you pay for and that skydiving is dangerous (e.g., there's no reset button when you die in this game).

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Freeflaw 0]

why do these goddamn threads always degenerate into the 'experts' scolding the 'noobs' for asking the question. Answer the question or shut the fuck up (no directed at NZflyer btw...this is a general insult)! Lodi and Hollister are fairly cheap. Hit up Hollister for AFF...they at least offered AFF packages plus some 5 odd jumps for 1000 bucks. As with everything...caveat emptor and you tend to get what you pay for.

p.s. I encountered this same ludicrous nonsense when i tried asking on how to screw an opteka lens onto a CX....Rather then having my question answered I was scolded and put on trial for my perceived lack of skydiving knowledge. The thread degenerated into a back and forth about the dangers of camera flying.

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

I was wondering where the cheapest place to do this in the US is. I live in Santa Barbara California, and the drop zones charge an arm and a leg. Any advice? Thanks.

You're actually Bill Dause pretending to be a noob, right?

[catfishhunter 2]

LOL John how is the shoulder? I go in tuesday for my first knee

As for this thread...go to Lodi ignore those that like to hear themselves talk (me included) and make up your own mind. I have no problem jumping there and will jump there again when I get the chance. When Lodi has a twin otter go in and takes out the whole load maybe I'll think twice.........

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[skybill 22]

Quote

I recently discovered skydiving, and have some friends that wing suit very aggressively. I'm interested in stacking a multiple jumps a day over the course of several weeks to get the necessary jumps to begin practicing with a wing suit.

I was wondering where the cheapest place to do this in the US is. I live in Santa Barbara California, and the drop zones charge an arm and a leg. Any advice? Thanks.

Hi Dizzy-R,
If ya' gotta' ask, ya' can't afford it.
BTW, fill out yer profile!!

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[mchamp 1]

Quote

If it makes you feel better ticket prices at my country range from 50 – 72 USD (last on at 10000ft). The prices in any American DZ are really a joke for me

$48USD to 10k at a particular DZ.....and get this.......only in a Cessna 172! But it's mainly due to the country and fuel prices+location for delivery which makes it so pricey.

For info regarding lift ticket prices all around the world check out
http://www.jumpticketprices.com/dropzones.asp

[sacex250 0]

Skydive Hollister has a prepay jump special listed on their website. 133 jumps for $2,000 up front which comes out to $15/jump.

The catch at Hollister is the ten mile bus ride back to the airport from the DZ.

It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

[gzimmermann 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8YPPjseegA

Recently discovered skydiving? Youtube or jumped already? Friends who aggressively wingsuit? And looking out for the cheapest DZ near you. The answers are simple:
1. Lodi
2. Hollister
3. Consider your goal and the monetary, personal and other's safety cost associated with it. Renting and owning a rig, jump suit, wingsuit gets you to 5-10k (not feet) before your first jump. Do you have healthcare, liability insurance? Do you take the risks for yourself and others seriously? 200 jumps minimum to go into wingsuiting times 10 USD makes 2000 USD. That is the difference between the cheapest to an average cost dropzone. The cheaper one may be ok for the experienced skydivers but probably not for newcomers. Please make a good choice for the sake of yourself and your fellow jumpers.

I forgot to add: Cost for helmet, altimeters, gopro or contour. But more important: Cost for coaching. This is VERY important and prices are pretty much equal in the US. The instructors/coaches do make the difference, no matter how much you pay for the jump.

[Justpin 0]

This isn't actually that stupid a question tbh. UK jump tickets average £19-27 a pop. $30.4 ish.

So in the past a lot of us used to bugger off to Spain, which was sweet because the exchange rate used to be £1 to 1.8 Euros meaning those €23 jumps were £12! Today with the exchange rate being 1.1 it costs about the same. Meaning any advantage is lost. Though they have BPA instructors there and USPA instructors there as well the weather is significantly better than the UK though.

I hear people talking about Moscow instead its 600 rubles a jump cheaper if you buy them in a block. Has a very good reputation as well and a guy from Hinton used to organise two trips a year there. With a £130 return flight and £30 visa + £10 visa registration you could rack and pack the jumps out there.

[DSE 5]

Quote

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8YPPjseegA

Recently discovered skydiving? Youtube or jumped already? Friends who aggressively wingsuit? And looking out for the cheapest DZ near you. The answers are simple:
1. Lodi
2. Hollister
3. Consider your goal and the monetary, personal and other's safety cost associated with it. Renting and owning a rig, jump suit, wingsuit gets you to 5-10k (not feet) before your first jump. Do you have healthcare, liability insurance? Do you take the risks for yourself and others seriously? 200 jumps minimum to go into wingsuiting times 10 USD makes 2000 USD. That is the difference between the cheapest to an average cost dropzone. The cheaper one may be ok for the experienced skydivers but probably not for newcomers. Please make a good choice for the sake of yourself and your fellow jumpers.

I forgot to add: Cost for helmet, altimeters, gopro or contour. But more important: Cost for coaching. This is VERY important and prices are pretty much equal in the US. The instructors/coaches do make the difference, no matter how much you pay for the jump.

Cheap; you get what you pay for, and sometimes less.