The ultimate guide for the best skydiving on the Gold Coast
Thanks to today’s innovations, you don’t need to be Superman to soar in the sky. The rise of commercial skydiving businesses has made thrilling aerial adventures more accessible.
You can see this progress when visiting the city of Gold Coast. With its numerous beaches and beautiful hinterlands, there’s no denying that skydiving services fit this city perfectly.
Interested? Then, this article is exactly for you. We listed professional tips and tricks for the best skydiving experiences on the Gold Coast.
From group jumps to the perfect set-up for a proposal, these companies will provide the adrenaline-pumping experience you’ll ever have.
Why skydiving is a must-do experience when visiting the Gold Coast
Aside from hot air ballooning and parasailing, skydiving is the next most popular activity to experience the city’s beauty from above.
With the added thrill and extremeness, it’s only natural for a city like the Gold Coast to embrace the activity warmly.
Just look at its beaches filled with surfers looking for the biggest waves, or cyclists venturing deep into the hinterlands to try the mountain biking trails. Adventure is in the city’s DNA.
So, if you’re one of those looking for an adrenaline-pumping action on your next vacation, you know where to head.
The best skydiving operators on the Gold Coast
The Gold Coast stands unique with its numerous beaches and sprawling hinterlands, making it difficult not to see the city’s beauty even when falling from the sky.
To ensure you get to admire everything it has to offer, here are the top-rated skydiving services operating on the Gold Coast:
Gold Coast Tandem Skydive
– Media credit: goldcoastskydive
Location: 18 Coyne St, Coolangatta
Contact: [email protected], (07) 5599 1920
Hours: Everyday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
On paper, Gold Coast Tandem Skydive is the sole official skydiving center stationed in the city.
People often refer to this company if they want to skydive in popular Gold Coast destinations like Kirra Beach and Main Beach.
With over 30 years of experience, customers can rest assured that Skydive’s instructors are well-equipped and well-knowledgeable to provide a thrilling but safe adventure.
First-timers often prefer the tandem skydive for a simple and straight jump to the beach. This is in addition to the photo and video package to commemorate the adrenaline-pumping adventure.
Best of all, Skydive’s services are open to anyone over 16. And yes, the company welcomes the elderly to try the experience as part of their bucket list.
People can also try the skydive + aerobatic combo for the ultimate thrill ride as the plane performs rolls, loops, and flips at 220 km/hr.
If you still believe in the suspension bridge effect, then Skydive’s proposal package will surely provide the thrill before the big surprise.
The package includes a huge “Will you marry me?” sign under a canopy, a sound system for the chosen song, and even complimentary French champagne once the wedding is official.
Pro tip:
If you selected the photo + video package, it’s better to request the 4K raw footage, as the provided final product is already edited and only in 1080p resolution.
The raw footage is given for free via email after the request has been confirmed in a couple of days.
Skydive Byron Bay
– Media credit: skydive_byronbay_funjumpers
Location: Hanger 1 Tyagarah Airfield, Pacific Hwy, Tyagarah
Contact: [email protected], 1300 811 039
Hours: Everyday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Although it mainly operates in New South Wales, Skydive Byron Bay offers exhilarating trips to some of the Gold Coast’s best skydiving spots, like Palm Beach.
Customers are guaranteed to see the city’s sprawling hinterlands, complex cityscape, and glimmering seas after jumping from as high as 15,000 feet.
You can either go in tandem with Skydive’s collection of professional skydivers or as part of a group of four.
Best of all, the company offers a wide selection of photo and video packages of the jump. These include hand cam photos, 360 video footage, and an additional outside camera to document the whole journey.
Pro tip:
If it’s your first time skydiving, wear a face mask and a neck brace to help the body adjust during the fall. Some skydiving companies provide rentable gear, but you can bring your own equipment for better protection.
Skydive Noosa
– Media credit: skydiveaustralia
Location: Sunshine Coast Airport, 4 Kittyhawk Cl, Marcoola
Contact: [email protected], 1300 811 039
Hours: Everyday: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Like Skydive Byron Bay, Skydive Noosa extends its trips to the northern parts of the Gold Coast to provide incredible views of the coastal cityscape and the great blue ocean beyond.
Stradbroke Island is particularly popular among visitors looking to admire the city’s beauty from 10,000 to 15,000 feet above.
After landing, people can enjoy the island’s many amenities, such as fishing and diving spots. With help from Skydive, they can also propose to their loved ones for $1,046.
Getting to the drop zone is easy too. Customers from the Gold Coast usually need 2 hours to travel to the drop zone at the corner of Airport Drive and Kittyhawk Close roundabout.
Of course, they can also choose to fly to the Sunshine Coast Airport terminal, which is only 350m away from the drop zone.
Pro tip:
It’s best to schedule your skydiving with Skydive Noosa at least a week ahead to avoid complications. There’s a high chance not all customers would be accommodated or the company might allot different jump schedules to each one.
That said, a quick phone call with the company’s customer service could still resolve the issue.
What to expect when skydiving on the Gold Coast
While the companies’ itineraries provide the step-by-step process of your skydiving journey, they don’t provide the whole picture.
To be better informed about your upcoming trip, we listed down some things you should expect when skydiving on the Gold Coast.
From the time-consuming safety checks to the amazing views to look out for, there are a lot of things to consider before skydiving.
Pre-jump preparations and safety checks
Pre-jump preparations and safety checks are integral to skydiving businesses. Companies are under strict guidelines to ensure the safety of their passengers.
As such, skydiving businesses often perform routine checks on their planes and equipment shortly before flight. These are in addition to weather and windspeed checks for a turbulence-free ride.
The pre-flight checks usually take a few hours, although most checks are performed before the customers arrive to avoid long waits.
Of course, the aircraft and equipment aren’t the only things checked. Before boarding the plane, passengers will be subjected to a weight assessment with their tandem skydiver.
Weight can affect the plane’s weight, balance, fuel consumption, fuel allowances, and climb rate, so every gram matters.
Customers weighing over 94 kg usually will be charged extra for each surplus kilo. Most companies also offer rescheduling and refunds if they can’t include you in their jump.
Thousands-feet high freefall and parachute descent
To offer people the best view, skydiving companies fly 12,000 to 15,000 feet in the air to perform the jump. Other services, however, only fly up to 10,000 due to aircraft restrictions on pressurization and weather conditions that could affect the plane’s balance and integrity.
Throughout the flight, the skydiver partner will relay safety tips and instructions to calm the customer. The tandem skydiver usually decides the jump’s timing, although customers can still request a brief relief before committing.
The parachute is often deployed before the 5,000 ft mark, giving customers 5 to 7 minutes of slow descent admiring the magnificent view.
Most skydiving services in Queensland land on a beach where there is more space and fewer obstructions that could tangle the parachute.
Once they land, a company-provided service vehicle usually takes the customers to their respective hotels or restaurants depending on the chosen package.
Picturesque views of the coastal city and the beach
The first thing you’ll see when skydiving on the Gold Coast is the gray urban jungle clashing with the blue ocean and the greens from the hinterlands.
Even thousands of feet in the air, you can recognize the Gold Coast Airport’s landing strips and the winding canals from Terranora and Tallebudgera creeks.
Farther inland, the Lamington National Park offers a scenic rainforest and bountiful valleys.
If you’re skydiving near Stradbroke Island, you can admire its rocky coasts enveloped in white foams from the sea’s crystal blue waters.
Photos and videos to commemorate your jump
Unlike hot air ballooning and parasailing, photo and video services are often separate packages in skydiving.
This is because the camera either needs to be attached to the tandem skydiver’s hand or be with another person jumping nearby to record your thrilling air adventure. As such, taking pictures and footage comes with its risks and additional costs for the equipment used.
That said, customers won’t need to worry about exorbitant price tags, as most skydiving centers accept customer-provided hand cams for a small tip.
You can also take photos on land while wearing the skydiving gear to avoid paying extra fees.
Skydiving life hacks for first-time jumpers
Still feeling nervous? Don’t worry. Here are some life hacks for first-time jumpers to make their skydiving experience memorable and fun.
From what to wear to instant techniques to overcome your fear of heights, any beginner skydiver will look like a pro with these simple tricks.
Best clothing for skydiving
Hurtling down at 240 to 250 km/h down means pushing against air resistance. As such, it’s best to wear tight and stretchable clothes to prevent getting entangled with the parachute gear or blocking the partnered skydiver’s vision.
Additional layers of clothing might also be needed to combat colder temperatures in higher altitudes. Just ensure that the clothes are light enough to still follow the companies’ weight guidelines.
Most of all, avoid wearing flip-flops and easily removable footwear. The strong winds during freefall can easily detach the footwear and even pollute the ocean if it gets swept there.
A simple sports shoe with laces is enough to ensure you still have a pair of footwear when you land.
Timing your skydive for the perfect moment
Early mornings are always the best time for skydiving. The weather conditions are more stable, with fewer clouds, and tolerable heat from the sun.
This means people can see more of the view below and avoid huge cloud formations, which can be painful to pass through and block the skydiver’s vision.
As for the season, summer and autumn would be your best bet. Minimal winds and warmer temperatures characterize these seasons, making it easier for skydivers to predict weather conditions.
Summer is usually experienced on the Gold Coast around December to February, while autumn peaks around March and May.
However, these seasons usually receive the most customers too. The winter months would be better suited for those who want to avoid long waiting lines.
Just prepare for colder temperatures and cloudier skies around the peak winter months from June to August.
Overcoming pre-jump jitters
Despite everything you see on social media, it’s perfectly normal to feel scared or get the jitters before you jump. Even professionals admit to having the heebie-jeebies before their big jumps.
So, how did they overcome it?
Simple, it’s about familiarizing yourself with the equipment, the pre-jump training, and your skydiving partner/instructor.
If you understand the careful preparation and planning put into the jump, you’re more likely to feel secure and have lessened concerns of a technical emergency happening.
Breathing slowly can also help slow your heartbeat and ease the jitters before committing to the jump. It’s like taking a deep breath, as people often do before jumping straight into an adventure.
The remaining fear, however, is needed to keep you alert and awake. It will help you be more aware of your gear and skydiving partner while admiring the scenic view far below.