The Best San Francisco Skydiving Spots
Tandem skydiving is not for the faint of heart, the weak of knee, skittish, fearful or timid. Let's face it: It takes steady nerves to zip into a jumpsuit, attach yourself to another human being you just met and jump out of a plane at speeds reaching 120 to 130 miles per hour. If you think skydiving is for you, we've discovered five of the best places in the San Francisco Bay Area to sign up for the adrenaline rush of a lifetime. Here's where to go for your ride in the sky.
Hours: Call for appointment
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Despite the name, Skydive San Francisco is actually based in Santa Cruz County and operates out of the Watsonville Airport, near Monterey Bay. The outfit specializes in first-time skydiving courses and advanced solo skydiving instruction. After an hour of orientation and ground instruction, you're attached to your instructor with a parachute built for two. At an altitude of about 5,000-feet, your parachute is deployed and you enjoy a ride over the northern California coast with spectacular ocean views, before making a smooth touchdown.
Hours: Mon to Fri - 10 a.m. to sunset; Sat to Sun - 9 a.m. to sunset
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NorCal Skydiving is located in the Sonoma wine country town of Cloverdale. Their expert instructors and jump masters, certified by the United States Parachute Association, will treat you to what they claim is, "One of the most exhilarating activities known to man…a life-changing moment, giving you new perspectives, and not just visually." The outfit offers 20 percent discounts to those who crave a second jump within 24-hours of the first jump. If you get hooked, NorCal offers an intensive Accelerated Freefall (AAF) program, so you can become a licensed sport skydiver.
Hours: Call for appointment
Price: Click here for pricing options
Bay Area Skydiving has been a family-owned business for more than 20 years. Owner, Clay Bonavito has been involved with skydiving in Northern California for more than 25 years. Based out of the Bryon Airport, between Livermore and Tracy (about an hour drive from San Francisco), the outfit boasts a highly experienced staff, many of whom have more than 10,000 jumps under their jumpbelts.
Hours: Call for appointment
Price: Click here for pricing options
Skydive Monterey Bay is based out of Marina Municipal Airport, in Marina, off Highway 1, about five-miles north of Monterey. They claim to take you on the world's highest tandem jump (18,000-feet) aboard the world's fastest jump plane. Hyperbole aside, the scenery of Monterey Bay can't be beat.
Hours: Mon to Fri - 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sat to Sun - 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Price: Click here for pricing options
If you are not ready to take it to the sky, try indoor skydiving at iFLY SF Bay in Union City. Safe for ages three and up, iFLY utilizes a vertical wind tunnel that moves air up in a vertical column, creating the indoor skydiving experience. You soar on the column of air inside the tunnel, which has a wall-to-wall airflow that is smooth and fun to fly in. The controlled environment creates a thrilling but safe freefall experience.
Related: Top alternative sports and fitness activities in San Francisco
Ben Davidson is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. His work can be found at http://www.examiner.com/road-trip-travel-in-san-francisco/ben-davidson
