Is Indoor Skydiving Worth the Cost?

Is Indoor Skydiving Worth It?

In short, yes, indoor skydiving is worth it. Whether you’re an avid and experienced skydiver who just needs some isolated practice or someone who has never even stepped foot on a plane, indoor skydiving has you covered! Let’s jump into what the benefits of indoor skydiving are, who can experience indoor human flight, and precisely what it entails.

Does Indoor Skydiving Feel Like The Real Thing?

Yep, mostly! A vertical wind tunnel, commonly called indoor skydiving, is designed to mimic the freefall portion of an actual skydive. The wind tunnel presents a more controlled environment than the sky. While the wind produced in the tunnel is effective in acting as the real wind in freefall, it doesn’t feel exactly the same because you’re inside! Think about it like this: your five senses will notice different things between indoor and real skydiving. Your sense of touch and sound may be the same, but your sight will definitely be different – not better or worse, just different! 

So, is indoor skydiving actually fun? Yes! It’s a great experience that has the added bonus of allowing others to actually see you in simulated freefall rather than watching a video (which is still awesome!) after the fact.

The below video shows indoor skydiving at Skydive Perris in Southern California.

How Does Indoor Skydiving Work

Fans! Big, big fans. Wind tunnels are equipped with absolutely massive fans that blow strong winds upward, allowing you to essentially float. This force of manmade wind imitates the wind that rushes past you as you’re in real freefall. Similar to tandem skydiving (where you jump from a plane with an instructor secured to you), it requires no previous experience.

Is Indoor Skydiving Scary?

Nope! Obviously, everyone is different, and while the experience may be exciting and seem unapproachable at first, it isn’t inherently frightening. The intimidation factor of indoor skydiving is much less than that of skydiving for real! 

Again, each presents a different type of fear. When you skydive, you’re jumping from an airplane, which is just a whole crazy experience in itself. When you go in a wind tunnel, you have an audience, which can be no big deal or super nerve-wracking, depending on the type of person you are. 

A perk of indoor skydiving compared to tandem jumping is that you have an instructor who can make eye contact with you at all times during the “freefall,” so you won’t feel alone. This presence of someone seeing you and helping you can help you to loosen up emotionally and enjoy the experience.

Is Indoor Skydiving or Real Skydiving Harder?

Tricky question! They both have unique challenges that make them equally difficult – the pros make indoor skydiving look easy-peasy, but we can assure you it doesn’t start off that way! 

Skydiving has more moving pieces, while the variability in indoor skydiving is less. Indoor skydiving is a more controlled environment with “freefall” as the only factor, BUT you have to be super specific and spatially aware to avoid flying into the wall. In the sky, there is more room for error in freefall (because the sky is pretty big with no walls in the way!) 

Both indoor and real skydiving present different hurdles to overcome. Indoor skydiving requires intense focus on where your body is in relation to the wall, but real skydiving has a multitude of factors to think about, like exiting the airplane, flying the canopy, and landing it properly.

Who Can Fly in a Wind Tunnel?

The restrictions for flying in a wind tunnel are wayyy more relaxed than those for skydiving. Indoor skydiving allows people who may not be able to actually skydive to experience human flight. Case in point, children as young as 3 years old can shred in the tunnel! 

The weight limit for indoor skydiving at Skydive Perris varies. For those under 6’, the maximum weight limit is 250 lbs; those over 6’ can weigh no more than 260 lbs. Why? Safety! The gear used in skydiving has weight restrictions imposed by the manufacturers, and if these are broken, then the gear has a possibility of not functioning the way that it is designed to work. In the wind tunnel, it’s just you, the instructor, and the “wind,” there’s no parachute or landing priorities to worry about. Our #1 consideration is to keep our customers and instructors safe!

Cost of Indoor Skydiving

Indoor skydiving requires a smaller financial investment than outdoor skydiving. If you’re hesitant to fully send it and commit to skydiving tandem or solo, then indoor skydiving offers a fantastic middle ground to get a taste of the sky without burning a hole in your wallet. 

Don’t get it twisted; skydiving for the first time is an investment that is 100% worth it, but if it’s not the right time, then it’s not the right time! We’re so proud to offer indoor and outdoor skydiving at our facility (one of the reasons we’re a world-renowned dropzone) and accommodate everyone the best we can.
Whether you’re ready to take to the skies or the tunnel, we’re here for you at Skydive Perris! Book today or reach out with any questions!

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