But if you’ve ever thought about doing a spot of skydiving, then NZ Skydive Auckland may be your first point of call.
Operating for nearly a decade, NZ Skydive Auckland is open all year round and situated 40 minutes south of Auckland at the Mercer Skydiving Centre.
Catering for beginner and experienced skydivers, the centre offers a range of skydiving adventures to suit anyone looking for the ultimate high.
Complete beginners have the option of trying a tandem skydive – the perfect way to experience freefall without the need for extensive training. Simply experience the thrill while being safely clipped on to one of the team’s nine trained instructors who will control the entire skydive.
Following a quick 10-minute briefing covering the basics, you’ll hop into a Cessna aircraft for a 20-minute scenic flight to altitude. Once you’ve reached 12,000 feet, you’ll be strapped to an instructor before taking the ultimate leap over the drop-off zone at Mercer airfield.
As you descent at 200-kph, you’ll experience the rush of freefall for approximately 45-seconds—before your parachute opens at 5,000 feet and you quietly drift towards the designated landing area.
Anyone under the age of 18 will need parental consent before they will be allowed to skydive and the tandem skydive has a weight limit of 100kg.
If you’d rather go solo, then opt for some training. There are two skydiving courses available: Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) or Static Line.
The Accelerated Free Fall course involves an intensive four to five hour training period, followed by a further half hour session given on the morning of the skydive.
As you exit the aircraft at 12,000-feet, with an instructor on either side, you’ll deploy your own parachute and descend with instructions given by radio. This course is available to those aged 16-years and over.
The Static Line course allows you to join a group of other first time jumpers for a four hour training session on a designated evening during the week. Or, if you’d prefer to train and jump on the same day, you can opt for a weekend course.
Under the watchful eye of a qualified Jumpmaster, you’ll be escorted onto the aircraft and flown to an altitude of 3,500 feet. When you exit the aircraft your parachute is automatically opened by a static line connected to a strong point in the aircraft. Instructions are then given to you via radio while you fly your own parachute.