Skydive the Beach and Beyond

Loved the view! This a review from sept 2014. So except for the view everything else might have changed.
I must say the drive from Sydney to Wollongong is far far away. and the driver didn’t really felt like talking so his music was loud.
Had the best day at Skydive the beach and beyond in Wollongong. The equipment check, including the fleece suit we had to wear over our clothing and basic training went quickly.
It all depends on the weather so when you’re lucky and the weather is a go, you go. We had to wait for the sky to be clear as it rained a bit. They always get you to refund the jump another day, so better plan this the beginning of your trip.
The drive from the dropzone to the airport is about 15 min. It was really cool to walk into the plane. I decided I wanted to be the first to jump out of 7. It was scary and fun to get on the plane and start the trip to 14,000 ft. All the harnesses and hooks are checked, ropes are tightened and you can jump out of the plane, keep your legs underneath the opening. Always keep your head up eventhough gravity will want you te keep looking down. Which sadly I forgot so in my video you see the top of my head. Try to yell so your ears won’t pop. After the free fall enjoy your view while parachuting and gliding in the sky. Just follow the instructions your tandem teacher says and you will be fine. But overall enjoy the view before you know it, you’re back on the ground. When you land keep your legs up so you don’t break your legs.
I saw whales in the ocean that made my day!

The instructors are great — reassuring, fun, very professional. The view is quite nice. But the service is a real let down for the price ($ 350+): we jumped 2 hours later than planned, the video took another 40′ to be saved on a USB.

Had the absolute best day at Skydive the Beach and Beyond in Wollongong. The check in process, equipment check, and basic training all happened smoothly and efficiently.
My tandem instructor, Michael, was awesome. Had a great time chatting with him and he made me feel perfectly at ease on my first jump. Come to think of it, all of the instructors were super friendly and it was nice hearing where they were from, how long they’d been skydiving, etc.
After a 15 minute drive from the drop zone to the airport, we walked out of a van to a holding room for about 2 minutes and walked up to the plane! There were probably 15 – 20 people (participants and instructors combined) in each group and it was so cool to get in the plane, and start the trip up to 14,000ft! There are 2 benches on either side of the plane where you file in behind your instructor. At the five minute warning, all of the harnesses and hooks are checked, the straps are tightened and you are on your way out the door!
After looking back at my video, it looks like free fall was about 40 seconds followed by the parachute and gliding. It was the coolest experience I’ve had. The adrenaline was addicting and the view was unparalleled. Can’t wait to jump again!

They’re totally liars! It’s not 60 seconds of free fall, it’s 30. You’d think they’d keep their word if you’re getting a video. also at the end they forget to mention that you get a little sick at the end but it goes away pretty quickly.