What does the ISU Skydivers do?
As a club, our goal is to advise members on all skydiving related topics. We jump regularly and encourage others to get involved by learning to skydive. While we typically take first time jumpers to AFFI in Boone, IA, if you choose to jump elsewhere, we are more than happy to assist you in choosing a dropzone. There are a handful of skydiving scams on the internet, if you are unsure about something, let us help (skydivers@iastate.edu).

 

What is a tandem skydive?
Tandem skydiving is when you, the tandem student, wear a harness and are physically attached (at 4 points) to an experienced instructor. The instructor wears the parachute (two, actually) and is in charge of flying the parachute and landing. As the student it is your job to maintain a stable body position and follow instructions throughout the jump, but this experience is much easier than alternative "first skydive" options.

 

How can I purchase a tandem skydive?
All you have to do is fill out the Tandem Registration Form and we will contact you to arrange a meeting to purchase a gift certificate for 1 tandem skydive.

Note: The gift certificates are non-refunable and non-transferable. 

Des Moines Skydivers: Please schedule your skydive here www.skydive515.com, make sure to select caravan weekend.

 

Tandem Pricing/Discounts? 
A traditional tandem skydive is about $215.00 or more, we as a club do offer a discounted rate for tandems. As of now, club members can get this price to $195.00 (ONLY if you use the tandem registration form and obtain a gift certificate, discounts do not apply retroactively). Available while funding lasts, subject to change based on dropzone pricing. This is the cheapest tandem skydive in Iowa. You can contact Accelerated Free Fall Iowa or Des Moines Skydivers (the two closest dropzones) directly if you are interested in purchasing a jump at full price. We are more than happy to assist you with anything in this process. We will send an email update to club members if we are able to secure any more funding to continue offering the discount, or are able to negotiate a group rate with the dropzone. So make sure you join the club to receive updates!

 

What is the price for an experienced skydiver?
Experienced skydivers (holding a current USPA license) pay approximately $25/jump, but it varies by dropzone.

 

When can I go skydiving? 
Our typical jumping days are Tuesday, Thursday, and on the weekends. Our sport is very dependent on the weather though so sometimes we plan for other days if weather is poor. Once you fill out the tandem registration form to request a gift certificate, you will schedule with the dropzone directly.

 

What about video?
We understand you want a cool profile picture, and there are ways to capture your jump on video. We do have video guys available to record your jump for a fee (typically around $90.00) if this is an option you want. We do recommend getting a video of your jump because many first-time skydivers experience "sensory overload" and have difficulty remembering all of their jump. We do not advise bringing a gopro, as there is no real good location for one while skydiving and the instructor will likely not allow it (for both of your safety). We understand some people are not interested because of the additional cost, but you only get to experience you first skydive once... unless you get the video.

 

What if I want to be certified (solo jump)?
We typically tell people interested in skydiving to make a tandem skydive first to see how much they actually enjoy freefall. If you really want to join in the sport we can discuss this more on a personal note. The student progression we typically use is called AFF. The two places we are sending people if interested in getting certified for solo skydiving are Accelerated Free Fall Iowa (Boone, IA) and Des Moines Skydivers (Winterset, IA). We really would enjoy if more people took this route as skydiving is more of a large family and a great community to be part of.

 

What does the exit feel like?
For a first-time skydiver, exiting an aircraft while in flight can be nerve wracking. This is normal. Experienced skydivers can tell you that the exit feels better every time you do it. You may be surprised to find that you probably will not experience a "stomach drop" feeling during the exit. This is because the plane is already traveling forward very quickly, you begin to decelerate in the forward direction (whichever direction the plane was going) but at the same time you are accelerating downward. This transfer of momentum is usually uniform enough that you usually do not experience the "stomach drop" feeling. For most first-time skydivers, this sequence happens so quickly that you may not even remember exactly how it felt.

 

What does freefall feel like?
Most people are surprised to find out that freefall usually does not feel like falling at all. When you are skydiving, you reach terminal velocity. This means your body is no longer accelerating because of the air resistance, which is what you feel. It does not feel like a roller coaster, there is no "stomach drop" feeling. It feels much more like you are flying or floating. The air resistance that you feel is what experienced skydivers use to move around (fly) while in freefall. That being said, if you are anticipating that roller coaster feeling, some people say they can feel it, but it is not common.