Dubai houses some of the craziest skyscrapers in the world. There’s no shortage of sky-high attractions and adventures in the city, and what better way to see and experience them all than going skydiving?
Skydiving is an extreme sport that appeals to adrenaline junkies, but it’s also the perfect activity for people who want to get out of their comfort zones. Whatever category you’re in, it’s high time to cross skydiving off your bucket list and do it in Dubai!
Here’s the ultimate guide to skydiving in Dubai for first-time travelers and people who are afraid of heights (spoiler alert: you’ll survive).
Things to Know Before You Go Skydiving in Dubai
Skydiving is an extreme activity that takes a lot of courage, so you need to be mentally prepared for it. Keep this basic information in mind before you book your first skydiving ticket in Dubai and take the leap.
What is Skydiving?
Skydiving is a type of action-sport that involves parachuting. The idea is to free fall from a certain altitude in a plane, building, or mountain. As a diverse and prominent city, Dubai offers different modes and locations for skydiving. You can find indoor and outdoor skydiving options in the city.
For outdoor skydiving, the most popular and sought-after aerial activity in Dubai, the average altitude is 13,000 feet from the ground. This height gives the jumper about 60 seconds of free fall. At 2,500 to 5,000 feet, jumpers or their tandems deploy the parachutes. Operators in Dubai offer single and tandem skydiving options for first-timers and experienced jumpers.
For outdoor skydiving, the best adrenaline-pumping alternative activity for people afraid of heights, travelers can enjoy and experience the thrill of real skydiving in a safe and private facility with professional skydivers and ground staff. It features a simulation with an artificial free-fall set up in a vertical wind tunnel.
Who Can Skydive in Dubai?
Skydiving is an extreme activity, so expect a lot of restrictions. Most travel and tour companies offering Skydiving in Dubai impose the following restrictions:
Skydiving Age Restrictions
Adults between 18 to 69 and children between 12 to 17—with or without experience—are now welcome to skydive in Dubai. Skydive Dubai, the top skydiving company in the city, announced the new restriction in 2019, and other travel companies followed through. Parents or guardians of minors need to provide written consent on a waiver and submit it to the operator for evaluation.
Operators, however, may still impose their age restrictions. Some companies don’t accept children below 18. Some welcome adults ages 70 and up, provided that they have a medical certificate at ready.
Skydiving Weight And BMI Restrictions
The weight limit for female skydivers is 90.0 kilograms or less, while the BMI should be 27.5 or less. The weight limit for male divers is 100.0 kilograms or less, while the BMI should be 30.0 or less.
Skydiving companies impose weight and BMI restrictions to ensure a safe landing. The ground staff will weigh you with your skydiving shoes and clothes on before finalizing the pre-skydiving requirements.
Skydiving Health Restrictions
Severe health restrictions are expected for this kind of extreme activity. Pregnant women and travelers with any of the existing previous medical conditions and injuries below are not allowed to skydive.
Epilepsy
Head injury
Brain and nervous system disorders
Syncope (recurrent blackouts, fainting)
High blood pressure
Dislocated shoulder or other body parts
Diseases with muscle weakness
Heart or lung disease
Diabetes
Drug or alcohol addiction
Serious mental illness
Fits
Visitors who are currently healthy but previously suffered from the conditions mentioned above can partake in the activity with a medical professional’s advice. Skydivers under this category must fill out a Declaration of Fitness form signed and stamped by a doctor. Meanwhile, regular and healthy travelers must also submit a Declaration of Fitness form and a single diver or tandem waiver to the operator for evaluation.
Does Skydiving Requires Skills and Experience?
The actual act of skydiving requires skill and experience. Professional and experienced skydivers have undergone lessons and training. To go solo skydiving, you need to have canopy control, tracking skills, and altitude awareness. You’ll also need a certification.
A tandem skydiving experience, meanwhile, won’t require much from you. This option is best for first-time and inexperienced skydivers. First-timers need to understand proper body positions during free-fall and landing.
Is Skydiving Safe and Regulated in Dubai?
Some say that skydiving is a dangerous sport that flirts with death, but this shouldn’t apply to regulated skydiving activities. All extreme sports have an element of risk, and that includes skydiving. Skydiving companies in Dubai, however, minimize these risks by using proper equipment and following safety protocols.
Skydive Dubai and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are two of the most prominent regulatory bodies that monitor all commercial skydiving equipment and activities in Dubai. According to Skydive Dubai, all their equipment has an automatic activation device (AAD) that will automatically deploy the parachute if the instructor cannot activate it.
Skydiving tandem instructors in Dubai also have training and certification, and each operator carefully selects them. You’ll skydive with a professional who knows what to do when they’re in the air.
COVID-19 Considerations
All travel and tour companies in Dubai follow special health and safety measures to combat COVID-19. Skydiving operators in Dubai are required by the World Health Organization (WHO) and local authorities to ensure social distancing among guests, regularly sanitize aircraft and equipment, conduct temperature checks for staff and guests, and promote contactless payments.
Skydivers, too, are required to follow individual safety protocols. Visitors should wear face masks during the activity, avoid physical contact among staff and other guests, and submit basic personal information for contact tracing purposes.
When Is the Best Time to Skydive in Dubai?
Dubai gets an average of 8 to 10 hours of sunshine a day—and that’s year-round. There’s little to no rain in the city in winter and summer. You can mostly expect blue skies and warm to hot weather during your visit. But if you want to avoid the summer heat, the best time for skydiving in Dubai is during the winter months, from October to April.
How Long Does a Skydiving Adventure Take?
The whole experience, from preparation to landing, may take three to four hours. The pre-diving process involves evaluation, check-in, and briefing. You’ll meet your diving tandem or instructor 15 to 30 minutes before the actual activity. After the preparation, the take-off, flight, skydive, and landing take approximately 20 minutes. The free-fall experience lasts about 60 seconds before the tandem or instructor deploys the parachute.
What are the Best Skydiving Locations in Dubai?
Dubai, on its own, is already one of the best skydiving destinations in the world. The city offers breathtaking views and skydiving locations over deserts and islands. Skydiving operators host activities at the Skydive Desert Campus or the Palm Jumeirah Island.
Skydive Desert Campus
The Skydive Desert Campus or Dropzone is one of Dubai’s best locations for skydiving and other extreme aerial sports. It is located in Margham, the largest oil and gas field in Dubai.
Palm Jumeirah Island
Palm Jumeirah is an artificial, palm-shaped island composed of three sub-islands: Palm Jumeirah, Deira Island, and Palm Jebel Ali. Though artificial, Palm Jumeirah offers the best skydiving location on Dubai’s coast because of its massive size and scenic views.
Preparation Tips And Booking Procedures
Now that you know everything there is to know about skydiving and its commercial market in Dubai, let’s head to the actual preparations and procedures involved in booking the activity.
How to Get to the Best Skydiving Dropzones in Dubai
Some skydiving offers in Dubai come with hotel drop-off and pick-up services. You can look for all-inclusive offers with a full itinerary. But if you plan to book a single skydiving ticket with no inclusions, you can head to the dropzones via car, Uber, taxi, or the metro.
How to Get to Skydive Desert Campus
Travelers with private or rented vehicles can easily reach Skydive Desert Campus in approximately 45 minutes from the city center through Al Ain – Dubai Rd/E66 or Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Rd/E311 at Al Ain – Dubai Rd/E66.
There are no metro and bus stations that can directly take you to the Desert Campus. You still need to walk or take a taxi from each station. If you want to ride the bus, take line 66 heading to Faqa, Terminus, and alight at the Margham, Interchange – 01. If you want to ride the metro, alight at Damac Metro Station and take a taxi from there. Taxi meters start at 5 AED (1.36 USD) from 6 to 10 PM and 5.50 AED (1.50 USD) from 10 PM to 6 AM.
How to Get to Palm Jumeirah Island
Travelers with private or rented vehicles can easily reach Palm Jumeirah Island approximately 1 hour from the city center through Sheikh Zayed Rd/E11 or Al Khail Rd/E44.
There are bus stations that can directly take you to Palm Jumeirah and its surrounding areas. Take Buses 8, 83, 84, and F55A. If you want to take the metro, your only option is to alight at the Dubai Internet City or Nakheel. After that, you’ll need to take a taxi. Taxi meters start at 5 AED (1.36 USD) from 6 to 10 PM and 5.50 AED (1.50 USD) from 10 PM to 6 AM.
What Are the Things Skydivers Need to Prepare?
Plan ahead to make your skydiving experience as smooth as possible. Don’t forget to prepare the following to avoid delays and complications:
Documents
Don’t forget to bring your valid IDs, passports, Declaration of Fitness form, waiver, and medical certificates with you. The operator will check them before you skydive.
Food and Drinks
Bring a few healthy snacks and drinks since you need to arrive in the dropzone early for briefing. Eat a moderate breakfast or snack, and don’t skydive with an empty or full stomach.
Clothing
Bring the right clothes for skydiving. Wear active and comfortable clothing, such as leggings and knee-length shorts. Don’t ever bring a tight pair of pants with you. Match your outfit with comfortable sneakers or sports shoes. Sandals and high heels are not allowed.
Accessories
Accessories, such as earrings, necklaces, watches, and rings, are not allowed. If you’re wearing eyeglasses, you can request a pair of goggles that will fit over your eyeglasses. Contact lenses are still a much better choice to avoid discomfort.
Do Travelers Need to Book Beforehand?
Pre-booking a skydiving ticket in Dubai is not a must for single skydivers, couples, and small groups. Skydiving operators at Palm Jumeirah Island and Skydive Desert Campus host hourly skydive bookings. But you still need to ensure that all your documents, including medical certificates (if required), are with you to avoid delays.
For big groups, it is advisable to book at least one day ahead so that the operator can allot a time slot for you based on the number of individuals participating.
Where to Buy Skydiving Tickets in Dubai
Whether you’re looking for an indoor or outdoor skydiving experience, Dubai has everything you need. Here are the best skydiving tours and adventures in the city:
Outdoor Skydiving
Skydive Dubai is the biggest and most reputable skydiving company in the city for outdoor skydiving. The company handles the training of professional skydivers and regulates the actual skydiving business in the city. You can directly buy a ticket and book a schedule on Skydive Dubai’s website or through walk-in with the following options for tourists:
Tandem over the Palm – 1,499 AED (408 USD) for a single jump; 1,699 AED (463 AED) for a single jump with video and photos. Add 50 AED (13 USD) for insurance.
Tandem over the Desert – 1,499 AED (408 USD) for a single jump; 1,699 AED (463 AED) for a single jump with video and photos. Add 50 AED (13 USD) for insurance.
UAE residents or tourists who want to become licensed and experienced skydivers under Skydive Dubai training can take the AFF course starting at 1,000 AED (272.24 USD) and get an A license for a minimum of 8,690 AED (2,366 USD)
You can also look for third-party companies regulated by Skydive Dubai if you want to take advantage of their promotions and discounts. Here are some travel, tour, and tourism companies with legit Skydive Dubai offers:
*Take note that Skydive Dubai prices and offers for tourists and residents are different. UAE residents usually get a 20% discount.
Indoor Skydiving
If you want to minimize the risks of your skydiving experience, here are some of the best companies and locations where you can book an indoor skydiving ticket in Dubai:
iFly Dubai – 149 AED (40.56 USD) to 350 AED (95 USD) for standard and premium packages with VR
Inflight Dubai – Starts at 200 AED (54.45 USD) for single first-timer and return tickets. Prices for group packages for birthdays and corporate events vary.
Final Skydiving Tips for First-Timers
It’s already established that skydiving is an extreme activity, so don’t book a ticket if your heart and stomach can’t handle it. But don’t worry, skydiving activities in Dubai are safe and regulated. Even if you feel like you’re falling to your death, you’re still in safe hands.
Before you make a Skydive Dubai booking, always check your documents and belongings. Don’t lie to the operator about your age and health conditions to ensure your safety. Comply with their terms and conditions, and enjoy your jump.
What to Do After Skydiving in Dubai
Dubai has more aerial activities on offer aside from skydiving. You can see the beauty and wonders of the city from above through different activities. After you make your first jump at the Skydive Desert Campus or Palm Jumeirah Island, book a helicopter ride, a hot air balloon ride, a parasailing adventure, or a 2-way zipline ticket!
