My Experience Skydiving In Dubai

Do You Want To Experience Skydiving In Dubai Over Palm Island?

This blog post is about my experience Skydiving in Dubai and was updated in 2024.

Skydiving has been on my bucket list for the longest time. I had plans to do it a few times, but it never worked out.

When I decided to go to Dubai, I remembered seeing pictures of people skydiving over Palm Island.

I quickly looked it up and realized that it would be an amazing experience to not only skydive but also to see the beautiful view.

In this blog post, I want to share with you my experience tandem skydiving with Skydive Dubai over Palm Island.

Also, some tips and tricks on how to have the best experience as a first-time diver.

Skydive Dubai, adventure experience, UAE — Skydive Dubai

Everything You Need To Know About Skydiving Dubai

Let’s jump into it – all the things you need to know when planning to do a skydive in Dubai.

How safe is Skydiving in Dubai?

As with any adventure sport, there is always a degree of risk.

However, overall skydiving is safe as they use the best equipment available and hire professional skydivers.

They go through extensive training and their primary concern is to keep you safe.

Also, everyone has to abide by all the safety measures at all times.

Overall, skydiving accidents are extremely rare as there are two parachutes with you so if one of them malfunctions, the second one will deploy.

What are the age restrictions for Skydiving in Dubai?

In order to do skydiving in Dubai, you will have to be 18 years of age or older.

If you are 70 years of age or older then you will have to fill out a Declaration of Fitness form beforehand.

It has to be completed and signed by a licensed physician.

What are some other restrictions in order to do Skydiving in Dubai?

A certain degree of health/fitness is needed to safely skydive.

Therefore, you might not be allowed to skydive if you have certain health conditions such as Epilepsy, Heart Issues, Diabetes, etc.

Check their site at Skydive Dubai for the full list or email them to confirm if needed.

What are the Skydive Dubai weight limit and BMI (Body Mass Index) restrictions?

For women, the Skydive Dubai weight limit is 90 kilos/198 pounds or less and the max BMI is 27.5.

And for men, the Skydive Dubai weight limit is 100 kilos/220 pounds or less and the max BMI is 30.

They will weigh you beforehand to make sure you meet the requirements.

skydiving base, Dubai Marina, extreme sports — The Skydive Dubai base beside Palm Island, close to Dubai Marina

What is the price of Skydiving in Dubai?

Skydive Dubai has two locations, one is the Desert Camp and the other is the Palm Camp.

You can also do a tandem skydive at the Desert Campus.

It costs AED 1,799 (Jan to April), it is closed in the summer months (May to Sept) due to the heat, and AED 1,899 (from Oct to Dec).

That includes the tandem skydive and medical insurance.

If you want the standard video & photos, the Skydiving Dubai price goes up to AED 2,099 (Jan to April), closed for the summer, and AED 2,199 (from Oct to Dec).

When I did the tandem skydive at the Palm Campus, it used to cost AED 2,199 (March 2019).

As of January 2024, it costs AED 2,499 (Jan to April), AED 2,399 (May to Sept), and AED 2,599 (Oct to Dec).

It includes the tandem skydive, medical insurance, standard video & photos.

For the most updated prices, check out their website: Skydive Dubai.

Why is Skydiving in Dubai so expensive?

It is so expensive because of the location.

Skydiving over a desert or Palm Island is once in a lifetime opportunity for most people.

Therefore, people would be more likely to splurge on the experience.

Also, Skydive Dubai is a professional and well-established place that has experienced skydiving instructors and tandem divers.

Another point to mention is that every dive includes a photography skydiver who documents your fall from beginning to end.

This means that you will have stunning pictures and a video from your experience.

Therefore, this adds to the higher price as you need two skydivers with you – the tandem instructor and the person taking the pictures/video.

Other places, offer pics/videos made from the instructor’s wrist camera.

What is the cheapest way to book Skydiving Dubai?

The cheapest way is to book it through them directly from their website Skydive Dubai.

landing, parachute, Dubai, UAE — Another skydiver landing

What do I need to bring with me when Skydiving in Dubai?

You must bring your photo ID – that can be your driver’s license, ID card, passport, etc.

Also, print your confirmation/ticket and bring it with you.

What do I wear when Skydiving in Dubai?

Remember to wear comfortable clothes and shoes.

For clothing wear something athletic.

No sleeveless shirts are allowed, only T-shirts with long or short sleeves.

The reason for that is to protect your skin from the straps of the harness.

Also, they said not to wear shirts with a collar, and no shorts or skirts.

For shoes wear sneakers/running shoes. They do not allow any sandals, boots, or heels.

I wore black tights, running shoes, and a T-shirt that was not super tight. I saw a lot of people that were dressed similarly.

Can I wear jeans while Skydiving?

I saw some people wearing long jeans but that outfit will not be comfortable.

The harness that goes on you will be pretty tight and you will need to be able to comfortably bend your legs.

Therefore, I would advise against wearing jeans and choosing some stretchy and comfortable pants.

parachute, extreme sports, landing grounds, — This is the field where you will land – Dubai Skydiving

How long does it take to do tandem Skydiving in Dubai?

Keep in mind that the entire process takes a long time – there is a lot of waiting around.

The fall itself takes only a few minutes but the prep and getting everything organized takes a lot of time.

From the moment we entered the building to the time we left, it took us about 4hrs.

What do I need to remember to do before Skydiving in Dubai?

It is essential, that you don’t eat too much before your flight!

Also, make sure you use the bathroom before they put the harness on you.

That is because once they strap you into the harness it will be difficult to unstrap you and then strap you again (it will waste a lot of time).

Can the weather affect your jump?

Yes, it can even though the weather in Dubai doesn’t have cloud cover or rain most of the time.

However, poor visibility, precipitation, or high-altitude winds can cause delays.

In this case, your jump will be put on ”standby” until it is safe to proceed.

This means you will either have to wait a bit longer or if the conditions do not improve, reschedule or get a refund.

What is the best time to Skydive in Dubai?

The summers in Dubai are extremely hot so I would recommend doing a tandem jump over Palm Island in the winter months (October to April).

So the best months to skydive in Dubai would certainly be the cooler ones.

Me walking to the plane with my tandem instructor, Dubai, UAE — Me walking to the plane with my tandem instructor, pretending that I am not sh*ting my pants

Before I Booked My Skydiving Experience

I was researching which company to book a tandem skydive with while in Dubai and Skydive Dubai seemed like the best choice.

My friend that I was visiting said that a friend of hers skydived recently with them and was satisfied.

What Skydiving jump should I book?

Make sure that you book the right experience.

If it’s your first time, you must book a tandem jump.

What that means is that you are strapped to a professional skydiver, who is going to explain to you what to do and will also open the parachute.

So you don’t have to worry about anything, you’re tandem instructor will do everything for you.

And yes there are female instructors so you can request to have one upon booking.

You do not need any prior experience to do a tandem jump.

Standing on the edge of the open door of the plane, UAE — Standing on the edge of the open door of the plane

How do they do the videos and pictures?

There is a designated person who conducts a short video interview before you jump with questions such as “are you excited?”, ”what do you expect?” and so on.

Once you jump off the plane s/he jumps ahead of you so that they can record your entire fall.

Most other skydiving places don’t have a designated camera person.

Instead, the instructor has a camera attached to their wrist.

Personally, I am not a fan of the wrist camera because the pictures are too close to your face and at a weird angle.

Skydiving Preps

The timeslot that I chose was 12:00 PM.

However, according to the email they sent me when I booked, you need to be there at least 15 to 20 minutes before your scheduled time.

We arrived probably about half an hour early, so 11:30 AM. There was no particular reason for choosing that time.

I picked it mainly because I wanted to have a light breakfast and because we were located quite far and needed time to get there.

Once you get to the Dubai Marina area, follow the signs for Skydive Dubai (there are a bunch of street signs to help you find your way).

There is a big parking lot where you can park your car.

Then, walk to the building which looks like a plane hangar or a warehouse.

🎥 Here is a video of what the building looks like Skydive Dubai base

plane, tandem skydiving, extreme sports — Get ready to jump with your tandem instructor

Go inside and you will have to check in with the main desk and sign a waiver.

Here they also check your BMI and weight.

Then you kind of sit around and wait until they call your name.

We waited for an hour and a half from the time I gave them back the waiver.

What else is there in the Skydive Dubai building?

In the building, there is a small café that serves drinks and snacks, a gift shop (where they sell different memorabilia –shirts, hats, etc.), and a washroom.

Also, an area where they have a bunch of monitors where you can see your pictures right away, a reception area, and an area where the divers prepare to go out to the plane.

There is a section where they have benches and tables for everyone waiting to sit.

jumping from plane, tandem jump, — Here we go – tandem jump over Palm Island – Dubai Skydiving

Getting Ready For Skydiving Dubai

Once they call your name, you go to the corner of the warehouse where the divers get ready.

There you sit and wait for your instructor to call you up (as I said, you wait around forever).

Your instructor will put the harness on you and make it fit your body.

Then s/he will explain how to position your body for the fall and how to land correctly.

Make sure you are listening carefully to their instructions and follow exactly what they say.

Then the camera person comes around and takes your interview.

My instructor was super cool, with many years of skydiving experience. He was relaxed and answered all of my questions.

instructor, Palm Island, bucketlist moment, skydive experience — Lovely Palm Island below us – skydive experience

How do you board the plane?

Once you are strapped in the harness, you, your instructor, the other skydiver/instructor pairs, and the camera people get on a golf cart-type train.

It drives you for a couple of minutes to the area where you board the plane.

Once you get on the plane, you put on a pair of goggles that you need to wear to protect your eyes.

The plane took off right after we boarded.

Now that’s where the scary part starts!!! The plane’s ascend took a lot longer than I expected.

The views were beautiful but at this point, you are starting to get nervous.

Your instructor will tell you when you have to get strapped to him/her.

I was the first to jump out of the plane so we were the first to strap in together and go hang out at the open plane door (omg).

Keep in mind it is extremely loud on the plane, and you cannot hear each other. If you have any questions, ask your instructor before you get on the plane.

parachute, Palm Island, tandem skydive, skydive Dubai experience — Parachute thankfully opened lol Palm Island below us – Skydive Dubai experience

The Actual Dive

As you are standing at the open plane door, there is not too much that goes through your mind.

You are at that super high adrenaline mode where you’re asking yourself “am I actually going to jump out of a freaken’ plane?”

The instructor does all the decision-making for you and on the count of three, the two of you plunge towards Earth.

Here you will have to put your legs between the legs of your instructor and once s/he taps your shoulder you can open your arms.

All you have to do is keep your body in a certain position while falling and landing and that’s it.

Dubai skydiving view, tandem jump — Flying – Dubai Skydiving view

How high does the plane go while Skydiving in Dubai?

The plane can go up to 13,000 feet before you can tandem jump out of the door.

Once you jump you will free fall like this at over 120 miles per hour for 60 seconds!!!

After that, your instructor will open the parachute and you will start gliding slowly toward the ground.

S/he will offer you to steer the handles of the parachute yourself (which is perfectly safe to do).

Unfortunately, my arms are extremely weak so I couldn’t do much steering.

Regardless, the view before your eyes is something you will never forget for the rest of your life.

Desert, flying, skydiving, tandem jump, — You can see the desert in the other direction – Skydive Dubai experience

Honest Truth

Now, as much as I loved the whole experience, I did get nauseous once he started steering the parachute.

I’ve had motion sickness since I was a kid but I rarely get it anymore which is why I was surprised that it happened.

However, within less than a minute I was about to be really sick.

Once the parachute opens, you can talk to your instructor and I told him I was feeling nauseous.

He made us land quicker than we would have otherwise which was nice of him.

***If you do start to feel sick as well, close your eyes for a bit.

Landing

When we were about to land he reminded me to hold both of my legs up in the air and he slowed us down by dragging his right foot.

It is extremely important that you lift your legs and let the instructor stop you, otherwise, you can break your leg/s.

Once you land the camera person comes around and asks you “how it was?” and “final thoughts”.

sky, flight, skydiving, Dubai Skydive view — I believe I can flyyyyyy – Dubai Skydive view

Post Dive & Final Thoughts

As I was feeling extremely nauseous, I had to sit down for a bit and then splash water on my face.

Then they removed the harness and told me to wait for the pictures and the video.

They said the wait would be 45min. to get the USB but I would say it took about 20 to 25 min.

They give you a cool USB drive with all your pictures and a professionally edited video.

You can check them out in the monitors they have provided if you’re eager to see them right away.

Once you have collected your USB you are free to go.

landing, parachute, Dubai Marina, skydiving in UAE — Landing – beautiful Dubai Marina behind us – skydiving in UAE

Is it worth it to Skydive in Dubai?

Many people wonder if Skydive Dubai is worth it. In my opinion, it is worth it!

It is once in a lifetime experience and it is something that you will remember for the rest of your life.

It is expensive, but it is a bucketlist item so it depends on if you find it worth your money and time.

Is Skydiving scary?

I wasn’t scared but I could feel the adrenalin rush.

When the plane door opens and you feel the wind on your face and you look down at the city below, that feeling is insane.

I felt safe like there weren’t going to be any safety issues and that everything was going to be fine.

Conclusion: My Experience Skydiving In Dubai

Overall, I am happy I did it, even though I wish I was not feeling nauseous on the way down.

The weather was perfect and the view absolutely stunning.

Honestly speaking I don’t think I will ever do another jump but it was definitely worth it.

It was on my bucket list for so long and I am glad that I had the opportunity to check it off.

It was once in a lifetime experience and would certainly recommend doing it!!

landing, parachute — Here we are landing

Have you ever skydived before? Where did you do it? What was your experience?

🦄 If you are looking for a cool experience that is less extreme, check out this blog post: My Experience Having Dinner In The Sky In Dubai