The #1 skydiving question that we are contacted about is, "Can my child skydive if they are under the age of 18?" "Many parents also want to know, "Can I give parental consent for my child to skydive if they are under 18?" Unfortunately, the answer is no, skydiving at 16 is not allowed. In the United States, all passengers going on a skydive must be 18 years of age.
There are two organizations that keep kids from skydiving. The United States Parachute Association and the tandem harness manufacturers.
When making a tandem skydive a Waiver of Rights must be signed. This Waiver is a legally binding contract. Until the age of 18, a minor can not enter into a legally binding contract. Parents do not have the legal right to sign away the rights of a minor and enter into this contract for their children. In a court of law, a waiver signed by a person under the age of 18 would be dismissed. A skydiving center would be open itself up to major liability if they let someone under 18 skydive. These regulations are in place for tandem skydiving in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, as well as the rest of the United States.
There are no physical reasons that a teenager can't skydive. The reason for skydiving age requirements lie within the litigious reality of the United States. The risk is not worth the reward for skydiving centers.
We recommend going Indoor skydiving! It's awesome! We love it so much that we use it in our training program to become a licensed skydiver. Many of our licensed skydivers spend several thousand dollars a year at the Wind Tunnel. Children as young as 4 years old can fly in the wind tunnel.
There are 2 locations in New England:
If you are under 18 and want to skydive, just make it clear to your family and friends that all you want for your 18th birthday is to go skydiving. Hold a big birthday blowout at Skydive Danielson. We offer a special discounted rate for passengers skydiving on their birthday. Trust us, it's worth the wait. Your first skydive will be an amazing experience and we can't wait to take you.