Questions and Answers
The weight limit leaves me out of this deal… FYI its 225lbs is the limit for the tandem jumps, so keep this in mind when purchasing! Happy jumping!
“Subject to weather.” Understandable. But during the months of Nov, April, and May (Pepperell is closed Dec 1 to Mar 30), what percentage of days (on average) are not jumpable due to weather? And of the “jumpable” days, what percentage have, at best, mediocre weather conditions?
I ask because the last Pepperell Groupon (end of April) sold ~2400. But that one has had 4 months (2 more to go) of good weather to be used. There are plenty of days in the late fall/early winter as well as early spring that just seem undesirable for jumping, especially for first-timers. Will there be a big pile-up of Grouponers trying to squeeze in right before expiry? I think so…
Purchase the one in April and was treated horribly. Not sure of my age or due to the fact it was groupon. If you don’t purchase the video, you are left hanging while other patrons that did purchase was gven better treatment. After the jump, was handed a “certificate” and was told to fill out my name. Either way, not one that I would recommend.
My boyfriend and I did this end of July. Be prepared to spend about four hours waiting. They called to reschedule us for two hours later so we wouldn’t have to wait, but it’s pretty disorganized and packed so you end up waiting anyway. If they hadn’t called it would have been six hours. Had a good time, though!
I can absolutely recommend Skydive Pepperell. I did it two months ago from the previous Groupon. Yes, it is a little chaotic, but I found the atmosphere over there to be a lot like a family picnic or beach party. Bring some water and a snack because this can end up being a half-day excursion depending on how busy they are. But they are 100% committed to keeping you safe.
is this deal applicable for weekends too?
So here’s the deal.
I bought the Groupon a few months ago and went. Liked it so much I’m there pretty much every weekend because I’m trying to get certified to go solo.
Skydiving is all about good weather conditions. The better part about going tandem is that these guys have at least 5,000 jumps under their belt, and your weight load is heaver, so you can jump even while students cannot if the wind is manageable.
It’s first come first serve, first load goes out at nine, so show up a half hour early and get your name on the board. Bring a book and cash (there’s a cafe on site) and just hang out and relax. It’s a picnic type mentality but it gets crowded so just be prepared to hang out.
Just be patient and bring a distraction. Take it from a kid who has spent an entire day waiting on the wind to calm down so I could jump – you just need an open mind and be willing to admit that weather dictates jumps. Trust me, when you’re falling from 10,000 feet, you want it to be safe. :)
ENJOY!
Yes, anytime. Just call 24 to 48 hours in advance so they know you’re coming.
Last comment. There is a weight limit for skydiving. However, if you’re over the weight limit, you can take a 6 hour course and jump “solo” instead. So don’t let that limit you if you really want to go.
Did this about a month ago with the previous groupon. What everyone said is perfectly correct: was chaotic, off schedule, and nerve wracking. But they were safe, and by the books, which is the most important thing to me. Would I do it again, with Skydive Pepperell? Absolutely, with this deal. If I had to pay full price, I’d probably try the other places in the area, just to see what those are like.
I went skydiving with the last Groupon that Pepperell did and it was awesome — I went with three friends and everyone had a great time. Awesome group activity.
Yes, as stated above, due to the inherent nature of weather, you often will arrive and have to wait while the weather sorts itself out. This isn’t Skydive Pepperell’s failure or problem — it’s the way skydiving and other sports dependent on the weather work, and you’d get this anywhere.
That said, I waited a few hours for winds to die down when I went, but they got everyone jumping in the order people arrived and checked-in, and in an orderly fashion. Everybody who stayed and waited jumped that day, and my tandem instructor was awesome, professional, and made the experience joyful. And no, I didn’t purchase photo services or anything additional.
This is a great deal!
Can we use the Groupon value (e.g. $235) toward ground school or our first solo jump???
I did my first tandem with the last Groupon (all smiles here) and I want to do a solo jump but $$$ is keeping my feet on the ground.
Thanks Skydive Pepperell!
Best time to go is during the week. I jumped on a Thursday after buying this Groupon last time around. There were a handful of us, but it wasn’t even close to chaotic. We were told to plan for about a 6 hour window but were sent up in the first plane.
Overall, GREAT experience.
I went with a friend on the previous Groupon offer, and we had an absolute blast. I second Stephen’s comment about the best time to go being during the week if there’s any way you can. We made a reservation for a Saturday jump a couple weeks in advance, but kept an eye on the weather that week and switched to Friday at almost the last minute.
That Friday the weather was perfect, crowds minimal, staff super friendly. And the video is pricey, but worth it, especially if you’re jumping with friend. While the camera can only accompany one person for the freefall part, they talked to both of us for most of the video, including heading onto the plane, the ride up, the jump moment, landing, and post landing. So if you split it between two people it’s a great deal, and really well-done to boot.
Highly recommend Skydive Pepperell, especially at this great price!
Laura
Can you bring your own camera? Probably not I suppose…
Just a couple notes for folks considering this Groupon (full disclosure: I’m an instructor @ Pepperell) .
This is a pretty sharp deal. Really! Last time around, my buddy (Mike K, commented above) picked up one, and I even bought one for my dad’s birthday (and he keeps changing the subject every time I say “Hey, lets go skydiving today, dad..” Wonder why?) I keep telling my friends “This is the chance you’ve been waiting for. No excuses about ‘too expensive’ now!” You generally won’t find a deal this good anywhere in the area.
As has been mentioned, and I think it deserves special emphasis since it is the cause of the most “angst” among potential tandem jumpers who are not that familiar with the sport or the requirements around it: Skydiving is highly weather dependent.
Just last Sunday, with a 2nd airplane we had in special and skydivers from all over the country visiting, we had to take an extended break from about 10am till after 2pm due to the winds. Everybody, even the tandem instructors, were sitting it out (as mentioned, with the experience level of the instructors and weight factor of the tandems, they can jump in higher winds that either our solo students or regular jumpers). It was not cool.
Not much we can do about the weather, unfortunately, but the manifest staff do their best to keep things orderly and moving, and if it looks like the day will be a complete wash due to weather, the office will try to call and reschedule folks as appropriate.
I’m here to tell you that skydivers are the worst when it comes to having to sit out weather. It makes us cranky and irritable, too!! But we do say “Its far better to be down here, wishing we were up there, than up there, wishing we were down here.”
If a weather delay creates a schedule impact, just talk to the folks in the office and reschedule. Its that easy.
If you can swing a “during the week” trip, its a lot less busy and the wait is generally less, but the weather still applies. No getting around Mother Nature, unfortunately.
Overall, a tandem jump is a great way to try skydiving and its something you won’t forget soon.
(side note: This Groupon is only good for a tandem skydive, not for the AFF first jump course. The Groupon “universal” fine print applies)
Blue Skies!
Darin
AFF Instructor
Skydive Pepperell
I went skydiving here summer before last and had a great experience. I didn’t use a groupon, so I don’t know if that makes a difference in how you’re treated, but I felt the company was very safe, especially for my first jump. The process took a good chunk of time and signing the waivers is a little scary (signing your life away). We picked a beautiful weather day, so things went smooth and I had an all around positive experience. One of my friends was jumping solo and was even able to take pictures of us with his camera as we jumped out of the plane. I will definitely be plugging this groupon to my friends because thats an awesome price. There were a number of negative comments, so I figured I’d put in a good word!
I have two Groupons from the last round that expire on Oct 31, if anyone’s interested in them. Same deal as above, same price. But given the awesome reviews, you can do one in the fall and one in the spring. Or bring friends!
Sigh, bad injury and my companion and I want to do it together next summer, so we passed on this groupon as well. Email me a laura.h.east (at) gmail dot com if you want one or both. Hope you all have fun. I’m jealous.
This 68 year old grandmother did the tandem jump in Pepperell last Friday & it was an unbelievable experience. Everyone was great & helpful. My instructor, Rich, was wonderful. I paid for a VHS video but my videographer made up a CD for me instead at the same price. If you have a tiny seed of wanting to do it…GO FOR IT!!!
I’d rather be the guy on top. Is it possible to look that nonchalant, or airy, on one’s first jump?