Skydive Dubai now offers tandem dives for children

Children as young as 12 can make the jump at the skydiving centre

With parental consent, kids aged 12 to 17 can now jump at Skydive Dubai. Courtesy Skydive Dubai 
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We have all dreamt of flying at some stage. And while skydives may not be for every adult – if you're anything like us, the older you get, the less likely you are to throw yourself out of a plane at 4,000 metres  – children tend to have superhero aspirations. But a jump at Skydive Dubai has been off-limits, until now.

Adrenalin-chasing youngsters will be delighted to hear that the extreme sports centre is now offering tandem skydives for children aged 12 to 17.

“Many dropzones around the world offer kids the opportunity to skydive, and it can do amazing things for a child’s confidence and self-belief and open their minds to the fact that anything is possible from a young age,” a representative from Skydive Dubai’s management team said in a statement.

The jumps will be offered at the Palm Jumeirah dropzone to begin with, which means that teens and pre-teens will get the same Palm jump photo you'll have seen all over your friends' social media.

It seems to be going down well with the younger generation, as one 12-year-old girl told organisers at the weekend: "It was really amazing. I’ve watched so many skydiving videos and thought it was cool. Doing it myself was even better than I imagined. I can't wait to do it again."

For skydivers between 12 and 17, parents or guardians will need to provide written consent on a Parent Consent Tandem Waiver. Children will also need to bring along photo ID and meet the centre's weight restrictions: 90kg and under for women, and 100kg or under for men.

What is a tandem skydive?

According to the Skydive Dubai website: "A tandem skydive is the quickest and easiest way to experience the thrill of free-fall at over 190 kilometres per hour, while securely harnessed to one of our experienced and accomplished instructors."

In Dubai, they can be taken at the Palm Dropzone and the Desert Dropzone.

Until Thursday, October 31, kids aged 12 to 17 will be able to do a tandem jump at Skydive Dubai for Dh1,850, they typically cost Dh2,199 at the Palm Dropzone, www.skydivedubai.ae