Long Island Skydiving Center

I had an absolute blast today. Was a smaller establishment than I expected but I didn’t mind. Professional yet laid back. Steve-​O was a wonderful instructor, tried to crack little jokes and make the experience a little less scary. The views alone were worth it; absolutely astonishing, it was great to see my home sweet home from a birds eye view. The smell of the salty ocean and fresh air as you’re falling is the most fabulous thing ever. Crossed another thing off the bucket list, I can’t wait to jump again here! Thank you!

I got sick and tired of calling this place. Not only was I calling but so did other friends. What kind of a business doesn’t answer their phones? This is the only reason why I’m giving it one star. The lack of professionalism here is disgusting.

The day I gave birth, the day I married my husband, and the day I jumped out of a plane at Long Island Skydive, were the 3 best days of my life. The people here made everything so easy. All of the employees were so friendly and super nice. The instructors really made us feel so comfortable. We felt very safe and in good hands. Marco was really funny yet professional. The video was awesome. It keeps the jump present in my mind. I’m officially addicted and will come back as soon as I can.

At first my sister and I pulled into the place next door (516 skydive) by mistake and almost went right back home because it was a complete nightmare with garbage all over the place, stray cats, overgrowth… somewhere you would never – ever skydive. Luckily we rechecked the address and found LongIslandSkyDiving Center maybe a tenth of a mile away. This was our first jump (Groupons for $ 129+$ 50 booking fee+$ 130 for vid/​pics), and I had as carefully as possible vetted the potential locations to make sure it had an impeccable safety record and good reviews. From what I have been able to find, there have been zero tandem accidents at this location leading to fatalities. There are several trailer buildings where first you fill out the most intimidating, graphic paperwork you will ever encounter. You know your brain will be bashed against the earth at 120 miles an hour and that may produce serious injury, you know you are jumping out of a plane and that is not the same level of danger as mini golf, you can lose your head in a propeller accident – you get the picture. While my sis read every gory detail, I was not about to. You also have to be recorded giving your name and SAYING you understand how dangerous it is. In the background, a video cassette is playing on an ancient television reiterating what a moron you are to be undertaking this in legalese. IF you make it past that point, you’re golden.
Everyone there is very friendly and loves playfully busting your chops about anxiety. Once in the waiting/​hangar area, you meet your «instructor» who really isn’t an instructor because they don’t do much instruction, they are the person you are entrusting your life to, to be an expert at falling out of the sky at 120 miles an hour while strapped to you and getting you back safely. They just tell you in about 2 minutes what to do with your arms and legs during freefall. Our instructors were Aish (aka «Handsome» aka «Awesome») and Tom (aka Ozone Molecule aka TomTom). They were both super nice, totally chillaxed people-​persons that tried to put us at ease while filming us for the video (totally worth it, don’t go home without one) putting on the harnesses. The plane ride with Gerry the pilot was super intimidating as you’re crammed into a tiny plane watching the Earth get smaller and smaller. Tom made me feel just about as comfortable as one can possibly feel while knowing you’re going to jump out of a plane at 10,000 feet, showing me where he had buckled me tightly, reminding me to smile. I can’t describe what it feels like to have the plane door open, to put your feet outside and then trust your instructor to leap with you. It was a complete rush. After the free fall, Tom asked «are you hooked» and unfortunately, I had to say yes. I must do it again. Thanks Tom!
It was a smooth parachuting down, with gorgeous views. didn’t want to come down. Definitely if you’re interesting in skydiving, this is a great place – nothing sketchy, nice people.

My friend and I went Skydiving here on a Saturday afternoon. We completed a packet of paperwork and watched a short video basically saying they were not liable for any injury or accident. We then waited about 90 Minutes for our skydive. The 2 instructors that we had were amazing. They made us feel completely safe and secure. We took a small plane up and the view was breath-​taking. Would definitely recommend!

I jumped here a few weeks ago — would’ve reviewed earlier but didn’t know they were on Unilocal.
The staff are pros, Blane, my Tandem jumper was a rip and had me as prepped as I could get. I had a great 1^st jump.
Awesome experience and highly recommended .
Would I do it again? Absolutely.

It was a wonderful experience! One of the best of my life, without any doubt. BUT… There should be more clarity about the whole video and photo package.
Honestly, when I paid 140 dollars more to get the video package, I was expecting to get the whole footage of the jump; all of the many videos they took of me before, during and after the jump. Instead, I got a pre-​rendered video file, with a lot of cut editing, a standard song in the background, and it simply wasn’t the same thing. I wanted to have the chance to see the whole video, and edit it by myself.
Moreover, with the money that an average tandem jumper pays (230 $ for the jump plus 140 $ for the video package), I was very disappointed to see that my instructor (an awesome teacher and human being btw) was equipped with a VERY OLD GoPro 2. I think all of the instructors should have the latest model of camera, in order to give everyone the best experience they can get and frankly, with a GoPro 2 I could clearly see the difference in quality video compared to the footage and the photos that my girlfriend had of her jump. She literally made it with me, on the same day, and the same plane, but her instructor had two GoPros, a 3 and a 4 on his wrist.
So here’s my tips for the Skydiving Center:
1. You should give the opportunity to choose different types of video packages. For example, you should have an offer for the people who don’t have time or means, or simply don’t want to edit the videos by themselves, cause they don’t know how to, and they are happy with you editing the videos for them. On the other side, you should have an offer for people like me, who would like to have the whole video of the day, from when I strap my equipment on, to when I land on the ground and go back to the hangar, so that, if I want to, I can edit the footage on my own, choose my own music etc.
2. If a person wants the whole footage, and is not interested in you editing the video, like me, you should give them the micro SD of the GoPro camera, instead of burning the files onto a DVD or USB drive. A typical 32 GB micro SD is very cheap nowadays, I think you can easily buy one SD per person.
3. The instructors should have the latest model of GoPro camera, or you should at least give the opportunity to the customers to give their own GoPro to the instructors, so that in every jump the best camera available is used. I was told I couldn’t use my own camera for safety reasons, but I think I could have easily given the camera to my instructor and use that instead of his.
I am very confident that you would listen to these tips, because you have one of the BEST CUSTOMER SERVICES I’ve ever seen, the instructors WERE GREAT, and I want to give you the opportunity to be even better and to give every customer the best experience they can get, especially when the jump is over and all that’s left is the video you took of us. It has to be just like everyone wants it, either edited or not.
Thank you so much for everything, and see you soon!

I had such a wonderful experience at LISC. I was slightly nervous about jumping for the very first time but after meeting my instructor, Mike, he proved to me that safety was at the utmost importance at their facility. They are very friendly and professional, both qualities that eased any nerves I had.
We arrived slightly early because we were unsure of traffic, but were immediately attended to. My friend and I filled out our waivers and we immediately were led to the waiting area to meet our instructors. Mike showed me what to do when and mentioned any signaling. The whole time I felt completely safe which I believe was what helped me relax. I had confidence in his ability and in their well taken care of equipment. I can’t wait to go jumping here again!

Everyone here is amazing! My birthday was amazing thanks to Aish and the rest of the team! Fsuper professional and fun. So nice i jumped twice that day! I love you guys!!! Getting certified soon!

Fantastic experience, from start to finish. After all the paperwork is finished, a short van ride down the runway delivers you to the hangar, where you’re suited up and you get a thorough briefing on how everything happens. Nick was great, he put me at ease and when it was time to exit the plane, I had no hesitation — I knew I was in great hands. The freefall was the most intense 40 seconds of my life, and then the 5-​minute parachute ride down offered a beautiful view, all the way until the smooth landing. When we were on the ground, all I wanted to do was go back up and jump again! Protip: Buy the photos! Definitely worth the extra $ 99.

Best day of my life!!! Super friendly people, special thanks to Tom, who was my instructor. Tom, you are my hero! Love you!!! Muah

Pros: quick jump (everything including jump & paperwork took about 2 hours 15 minutes from the moment I walked in until the moment I got my certificate instead of the usual 4 – 5 hours), friendly staff, nice view from the plane, plus I made it alive (lol)
Cons:
–1 star because my instructor Blane strapped me into the harness too tightly and I now have small bruises on my arms so I was just annoyed. Though to be fair he did adjust my harness mid air when I Unilocaled in pain when he took out the parachute during the jump however I didn’t have this experience the last time I went skydiving at a different school
–1 star also because it’s really expensive to get to this location if you don’t own a car ($ 7 per person cab from Speonk on the LIRR to the skydiving place plus whatever you pay on the LIRR which was $ 32 for me round trip on a weekend so that’s $ 39 added in transportation to the cost of the groupon if you’re coming in from Manhattan or queens)

This is one of my best experiences! My friend and I had a great time doing tandem skydive. Firstly, the place is organized and of course, you have to sign off papers that reiterates its an extreme sport and fatalities are possible.
Secondly, they instructors goes over with you the teaching on free fall and landing. Thirdly, you get to have a fascinating experience.
Tom and Mike are great instructors. They are personable and have years of experience making your tandem skydive quite comfortable. Definitely worth doing it!
Ps.give yourself time for about 2−4hrs for the whole process and you can bring your friends too.

I jumped yesterday– HONESTLY, some of the best customer service I’ve ever experienced; everyone from the front desk girls, shuttle driver, parachute packers (yes, they even chatted and were cool enough to show me how they get their job done) and my tandem partner were all professional, clear and helped to calm me down.
My jumping partner was TOM… he was knowledgeable and confident that we would have a memorable jump, if I followed his directions. He noticed my nervousness and spoke to me in a calm voice, which I preferred. He explained what I should do, how I should place my legs, what to hold onto, etc.
TOM DID AN AMAZING JOB!
It boggles my mind reading some of the earlier reviews that said they weren’t prepared for the jump, being that the «arch technique» and the holding of the shoulder straps when exiting the plane was repeated a handful of times… for god’s sake, even the shuttle driver on the way to our jumping partners mentioned technique.
The jump was amazing, the pictures came out great ($ 100, it didn’t happen unless you have proof!) and I’ll definitely be referring this place to my friends.
I frequent Unilocal all the time, but rarely provide a review, but this place is top notch.

I am very unhappy to inform that my first jumping experience was very very DISAPPOINTING with Long Island Sky diving center. The reason was my instructor. It was my first jump and I was clueless on what to do. He never gave me any specific instructions and had a very unpleasant grim face throughout. For him, it could have been any regular dull day and he may have not been in a great mood. But for me, it was my first jump and as an instructor, he should have been pleasant and comfortable to communicate with.
I spent close to $ 300 for the jump and I did not enjoy it at all. No matter how many times I might jump in future, my first jump would have always been the best if it had been worth the experience it is supposed to have been. I couldn’t even open my eyes during the free fall from the plane (which is the main purpose of the free fall) since he did not even give me enough time to put my goggles properly. He was very very rude and he did not let me even put my legs in the proper position before we could jump out. His instructions were very unclear and I could not follow what he was saying at all.
I had my eyes closed all the time for the fear of my eye balls falling out because my instructor was so ignorant. Also, the photos did not have the promised quality and out of some 88 photos, only 9 or 10 had my face on it. The free fall photos were so unclear that only the instructor’s face is visible in that. I paid for my face, not his. Neither the video covered any of the important moments.

So me and my sister decided to go skydiving. We booked the place within a week notice (there’s also another skydiving center just a block from it.) We got there at 9:30 and we were the first people for the 10AM check in.
We were pretty scared when they made us sign the waiver basically saying that if we die, it’s all up to us. That made it more exciting for me and her.
They drove us to the site where the planes are, had a little photo/​video session ($ 130.) Pre jumping instructions. Both me and my sister’s instructors were great, they scared us and made us feel safe at the same time. Don’t know how they did that. The plane accommodated 4 people, 2 sets for tandem.
So when my sister jumped, my instructor followed. 10 seconds for free fall and 2 minutes just enjoying the view. My instructor also showed me how to work the parachutes, which was pretty cool! Was able to see the whole long island from up there, fire island, Connecticut, and the atlantic ocean!
All in all for me it was a very chill experience! The view was priceless, and the jumping off the plane was awesome! I would do it again. Try to book yours a week early and schedule an early check in because it gets packed later the afternoon.

This was not a great OVERALL skydive experience I enjoyed the jump, what’s not to enjoy, but here’s why I will never jump here again.
At no time did I feel unsafe… They make you sign away your life, but hey, you’re jumping out of an airplane. Get over it. WAIT A SECOND…
HOLD THE PHONE! I just remembered something… I was NOT TANDEM ATTACHED TO MY TANDEM PARTNER until we were at jumping altitude… that means:
I WAS FLYING IN THEIR DINKY PLANE WITH NO PARACHUTE !!!
WHAT THE HELL ! This has to be against some law!
ADD A STAR: Tandem partner Geoff. Big brawny STRONG man. What could be better. I was crunched up in the front of the plane, sitting on my ass on the floor and when we reached the right altitude, Geoff yanked my 175 lbs up and got me on my knees, would have been quite a struggle to maneuver that on my own. If I were ever to jump here again, which I WON’T, I’d insist on Geoff.
DEDUCT A STAR: They did not honor my groupon deal. I had a $ 149 groupon, showed up, checked in, completed paper work — weather did not permit a jump. Booked for the following weekend — my groupon would have expired, but at least I got in right? WRONG. They insisted on a $ 50 expired coupon fee. As I see it, I was there — I redeemed my groupon, I have no control over the weather — as they don’t either but there is a sign stating that in the case of poor weather conditions — RAINCHECKS WILL BE ISSUED. someone needs to look up what that means. I will be complaining to groupon about this.
DEDUCT A STAR: $ 30 added charge at the time of reservation for tandem equipment rental. Are you f-​ing kidding me? (deduct another ½ star — they tried to charge this TWICE after the cancellation and re-​booking) deduct another — I kept getting emails about how much my credit card would be billed… $ 30, then $ 80…
DEDUCT A STAR: The pre-​jump video we watched had nothing to do with skydiving procedure or safety — it was about 10 minutes of the possibility that you’re gonna die and then you can’t sue them for anything. FINE. I understand that, I did sign the waiver and initial it 17 times. Where is my safety briefing? I asked. The girl said that everything would be explained. What was actually explained: «Put your foot here — hold here — let go when I tap you.» The skydive center in CALVERTON shows you a nice informative instructional and safety video.
DEDUCT A STAR: The coven of witches that run the office. OH BOY, what the hell? nasty, rude, gumsnapping liars. I stood there for a full 2 minutes staring at them as they gave me the acrylic finger nailed one-​minute signal as they discussed the horror of one of their earring wires had bent rendering the earring impossible to wear. I am putting my life in your hands. When the expired groupon was being discussed, I heard «Really, seriously, how long have you had it that you just show up now.» But when I said fine, I’ll pay if you throw in a t-​shirt — suddenly they had the power to bargain. They also let us sit and wait for an hour or so knowing full well we weren’t flying that day. GO TO CALVERTON… professional happy staff eager to assist.
DEDUCT A STAR: $ 105 for photos — happy to pay it. Document the excitement. I still look at my photos from last year at CALVERTON, where they send a whole ‘nother person out of the plane to record the jump giving you exquisite angles and views — full body, full parachute, sky, sun, plane in background… aaahhh. loved it. OH… BUT HERE… at Long Island Sky Dive for the same price, they strap a sony go-​pro to your tandem partners arm. What did I get for my $ 105? about 60 shots of his hairy arm and me looking the other way. Some of the top of my head. And not ONE SINGLE SHOT THAT I WOULD CARE TO SHARE. DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY. what was the $ 100 for? I assumed there’d be another jumper… like in CALVERTON.
DEDUCT A STAR: THIS IS THE PLANE? it was tiny. Volkwagon Beetle comes to mind. Can this plane fly that high? this plane accommodated 2 Tandem jumpers at a time. BUT NOT SITUATED WHERE EVERYONE GETS A PARACHUTE. Although there’s no mention or photos of planes on the website, you assume things. Maybe thats why it takes so long, two-​by-​two. Last time 10 of us were in the plane, sitting on benches, SAFELY STRAPPED TOGETHER not squashed on the floor where the pilot asked me to watch not to hit the pedals with my feet. Hhmmm. what if a less self-​controlled person were sitting here? one panic stricken spasm kick, the plane’s out of control. Again, take back that first comment, now that I think of it — I felt unsafe.
DEDUCT A STAR: 8,000 feet — my ass — I can read an altimeter. we were 6500 if that. The free fall was about 20 seconds and 5 min later we touched down. Very exciting– great jump but I feel short changed… hate to say it but in CALVERTON (SKYDIVE LONG ISLAND) we were 13,500 with a full 60 second or more free fall. I have the video to prove it.
Unilocal is cutting me off my rant must end ! GO TO CALVERTON !

I never thought I’d actually go through with it and cave in to my fascination with this phenomenon they call Skydiving. I did. It was insane, and much to my surprise, a lot easier than I thought I’d be.
My tandem instructor, Nick, made it a toddle! Thanks Nick! You’re a star!
Essentially, I shut my brain off and abided by my new motto for the day which was «fuck it,» to quieten the noise. For some people, it will be something else, but to many of you out there, I seriously suggest embracing this mantra if you’re going to do this! When they open the door to the airplane, and you realize you’re about to plummet to the ground, you best be placing your brain on ice, because it is an ABSOLUTELY INSANE thing do swallow! You give in to death … potentially. Nick made this a piece of piss! I just shut my brain off, and he dragged me (though I imagine he may have clawed some others) out of the plane, we flipped around and suddenly, there it was; earth! HOLY F**K NUGGETS! It was an absolutely insane experience!
I can’t recommend doing this enough. Unless, obviously, you’ve had 5 strokes and have a blood pressure that has you oozing from out of your sweat pores. Then I recommend a puppy.

Great Dive Instructors but stupid ground staff which operates from a shabby trailer.
I think their reservation process is a total rip off. after you buy groupon, they make you pay for scheduling an appointment ($ 30) and even when you schedule in advance, they bump you to the premier slot, (additional $ 20) supposed starts around noon. That totals to $ 50. I believe its a nice way of making money for the cut this company has to give Groupon.
After all this rip off, we get there on time and the entire process gets even more painful. After they made us fill forms, they let somebody else cut our turn, without letting us know. It gets even worse when some girls showed up and they asked us to wait because those girls had a raincheck from previous sessions (which I understood and so I let it slide).
IF this wasn’t enough, they bumped us back because some couple showed up.
After 3 times of bumping us off the list for lame reasons, I created a scene, and they finally honored our turn.
Adding to the nightmare was the girl at the front desk who demanded us more money because she was so dumb that she couldn’t get the math right. We literally had to teach her 100 times 4 is 400, which is the discount that groupon gave us and hence we don’t owe you money and you have to deduct that from your regular price.
I can go on and on… but long story short, this place is run by either dumb people OR they are just too smart to act dumb and rip you off.
And .OH yeah, they bribe you with a free shot glass to make you write positive reviews on facebook
Towards they end their so called Media dept., also screwed up order.
Those 2 stars I am giving are for your great dive instructors.

What a fun bunch of guys to jump with! Damien will forever be my hero!
Their greeting is: Blue Skies!
I will see you guys again very soon! Until then, Blue Skies!