Am I Too Heavy to Skydive? Skydiving Weight Limits Explained

Key Takeaways 
Skydiving weight limits exist to protect the safety, comfort, and performance of both the student and instructor, as well as to stay within manufacturer equipment ratings. Tandem weight limits vary by dropzone, but many – like Piedmont Skydiving – set limits around 225 lbs, with some restrictions depending on height, general build, and instructor pairing. Heavier individuals fall faster due to higher terminal velocity, but body position, surface area, and clothing can affect fall rate. If you’re near or above a posted skydiving weight limit, contact the dropzone directly to discuss your specific situation and available options.

Are there weight restrictions on skydiving? Yes, and skydiving weight limits are one of the most common concerns for first-time skydivers, so please don’t feel alone. Here’s a break-down of everything you need to know: why parachute weight limits exist, who can skydive, how weight affects fall rate, and what to do if you’re not sure you meet the weight requirements for skydiving. 

Is There A Weight Limit For Skydiving? 

Yes, there is always a weight limit for skydiving, and it varies a bit from one dropzone to another. At Piedmont Skydiving, our tandem skydiving weight limit is 225 lbs, which is relatively standard across the industry.

Why Do Skydiving Weight Limits Exist?

Skydiving weight limits exist for safety and comfort. Period. They are never intended to discriminate, but rather to prioritize safety and comfort for both the tandem student and instructor during the skydive. What do we mean by this? 

• Parachute performance
  Skydiving gear manufacturers set weight limits on the maximum weight a parachute can hold. The typical tandem parachute – aka canopy –  is rated to withstand 500 lbs of weight. This includes your weight, the weight of your tandem instructor, and the weight of the gear, which is around 50 lbs. 

• Harness fit
  Similar to canopies, skydiving harnesses also have weight limits set by the manufacturer. Although their webbing is designed for specific weights, they’re also only optimally effective when fitted properly – this is why body proportionality is important. A harness must be snug, without being uncomfortable or painful for the tandem passenger. 

• Instructor ability
  Tandem skydiving instructors are very able-bodied. They pass through rigorous training and accrue hundreds of skydives before obtaining the coveted tandem instructor rating. However, they are not invincible and can only conduct a skydive effectively when certain limits are set in place.
  
  For example, tandem instructors must pull down on the toggles (handles) when landing a parachute – this initiates a flare which causes the canopy to significantly slow forward and downward movement. The flare becomes more difficult when the canopy is larger and the weight carried is heavier, which are both factors to consider during a tandem skydive.
  
  Due to the weight restrictions placed on gear, smaller tandem instructors are generally placed with larger students, and larger tandem instructors jump with smaller students. It tends to play out this way in order to give as many people as possible the opportunity to jump.

Exceeding equipment ratings or instructor ability increases risk, which is something we aim to mitigate on every single skydive. This means that breaking the weight restriction rules goes against everything the sport stands for – SAFETY FIRST! 

The Role Of Height, Weight & Build In Tandem Skydiving 

It’s all about proportionality. For example, someone may be near the weight limit, but much shorter than average, causing their body mass to be more concentrated than someone who is taller. This may cause complications when it comes to harness fit. Similarly, someone may be extremely tall, but well under the weight limit, which can also cause challenges with harness fit.

Do Heavier People Fall Faster Skydiving? 

Yes! People with a higher body mass will naturally fall faster than those with a lower body mass while skydiving. In skydiving, how fast you fall depends on gravity pulling you down and air resistance pushing up against you. 

At first, everyone accelerates because gravity is stronger than air resistance. As you go faster, air resistance increases until it balances the force of gravity – this is called terminal velocity. Once you reach terminal velocity, you stop speeding up and continue falling at a constant speed. For people who meet the criteria for skydiving, terminal velocity is about 120 mph.

Heavier people usually reach a higher terminal velocity than lighter people because gravity pulls on them with more force, and their weight increases faster than air resistance does. If two people have similar body positions and surface area, the heavier person will typically fall faster. 

However, body position matters a lot! If you’re in a belly-to-earth position, spreading your legs and arms can increase surface area, which increases drag and decreases fall rate. On the flip side, arching hard and keeping your arms and legs ‘small’ will decrease your surface area, decrease your drag and increase your fall rate. 

Skydivers can also adjust their fall rate through their clothing choices. For example, if two people of starkly different weights are jumping together, the lighter person may wear something tight in order to speed up, and the heavier person may wear baggy clothing to catch more wind resistance and slow down. 

These body position and clothing tweaks are why people of different body shapes and sizes are able to fall alongside one another! 

Weight Limits For Solo Student & Licensed Skydivers 

Weight limits for solo skydivers are different from that of tandem skydivers, because the canopies are totally different! The parachute of a solo jumper only has to support one person, whereas the parachute for a tandem skydive has to support two. 

So, can a 300 lb person skydive? Can you skydive at 400 lbs? Not at Piedmont Skydiving – or at most dropzones, for that matter. Our maximum weight limit for a solo skydiving student is 240 lbs, which is pretty average across the industry. 

Solo skydiving students must be able to be trained by instructors, and if an instructor cannot effectively overtake the student if needed, this could present a potentially dangerous situation. When learning to skydive solo, students are generally paired with similar-bodied instructors. 

What Happens If You’re Over a Dropzone’s Posted Limit?

Guests are weighed discreetly at check-in to ensure your weight while wearing clothes and shoes is within limits. Our first responsibility is the safety of our guests and instructors, and a jump may need to be rescheduled if you are over the posted weight limit. 

If jumping on any given day isn’t in your cards, we invite you to hang out with our crew and other tandem skydivers on their ground. Obviously jumping from a plane is the goal, but being around the camaraderie is still plenty good for the spirit and we urge you to stay with us! Although a skydive happens in the sky, parachute packing, planning, and flight prep all happen on the ground, and it can still be really fun to be a part of that. 

Ready to jump? Book your tandem skydive today! Have questions? Get in touch – we’re proud to be the top choice for skydiving near Charlotte, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem.