Can I Go Skydiving with My GoPro?
Thursday, November 30, 2023
At Skydive St. Louis we prioritize safety above all else and are steadfast in our commitment to promote a safety conscious culture and best practices across the dropzone. Part of maintaining our high safety standards is compliance with regulations put forth by the United States Parachute Association (USPA) – which includes rule enforcement about using cameras while skydiving. So, if you’ve been wondering, “Can I bring my own GoPro skydiving?” Here’s the comprehensive answer you’ve been looking for.
Can I Bring My Own GoPro Skydiving?
We get this question among many others from our prospective skydivers. It’s relatively commonplace to have your own action camera these days, and to take it with you during all sorts of activities. It makes sense that you might be planning to bring yours to your first jump – you definitely want to document your tandem skydive! But, we’re sorry to say, skydiving with a GoPro is a no-go. There are a few reasons why we cannot allow you to wear or use a camera during your skydive:
- Regulations.
The USPA, which regulates skydiving in the United States, prohibits the use of cameras of any kind for those with fewer than 200 skydives. As a USPA Member Dropzone, we do not allow any of our guests to take a GoPro or other action camera on the plane. You are, however, welcome to take photos and video with your own device before and after your tandem.
- Safety.
Wearing or using a camera during a skydive requires experience in the sport and camera training. The use of a camera can be distracting and can create a “snag hazard” which increases the risk of entanglement of the camera with the parachute system – both scenarios with the potential for very serious consequences. Adding a camera to a skydive is not to be taken lightly!
- Experience.
If you’ve ever been on a trip and had to stop what you were doing to take a picture – or worse yet, had to wait while someone else constantly stopped – you know what it’s like to miss out on some aspect of the experience. This rings especially true with skydiving where you have limited time between the plane and the ground. If you were to focus on getting your camera out and shooting photo after photo in hopes of getting the perfect shot, you would miss out on the full experience!
The good news is that we do have ways to record your jump that are even better than your skydiving GoPro attempt or otherwise recording it yourself!
So How Can I Record My Skydive?
At Skydive STL, we have highly trained videographers who can professionally capture your experience!
Having our team document your jump lets you have your cake and eat it too! You can focus on enjoying your experience without having to worry about getting the shot just right. One of the best things about having a professional do the work is the variety of angles they can get of your jump! They can capture your jump in a totally unique way that wouldn’t be possible if you jumped with a camera on you.
At Skydive STL, we offer three distinct media packages:
The Photos
Digital Photo Gallery: $99
This is a photo-only package; no video. Your tandem instructor will document your entire experience in more than 100 high definition images, from boarding the plane and your journey to altitude, to your incredible freefall and parachute flight.
The Social
Social Media Video & Photo Gallery: $119
The Social is our most popular media package. You get all of the images you’d receive with The Photos package as well as a video highlight reel that’s social media ready!
The Ultimate
5-Minute Video, Social Media Video & Photo Gallery: $139
This package is named The Ultimate for a reason! You get a five-minute video of your skydiving experience, including pre- and post-jump interviews, as well as a social media highlight reel and over 100 images. You only skydive for the first time once: get it!!!
Worried about camera angles and cheek flapping? Don’t! Your ear-to-ear smile will blind even your self-critical eye to any of that flim flam! But, if it’s giving you anxiety … we’ve got you covered. Learn about what to do with your hair and beard and how to look good while flying at 120 mph.
Should I Add a Video Package to My Skydive?
A skydive (especially your first) is an incredible experience that is 100% worth capturing on camera! In fact, not getting video is the number one regret we hear from our guests!
Afterall, if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video at 60 frames per second over the 5 minute video package documenting your whole experience must be worth… well, if you do the math, about 18,000,000 words!
Share your experience with friends and family by showing them exactly what you accomplished!
Not only will you save yourself a lot of explanation but you will also absolutely love reliving the experience through our expert lens. Memories fade while high definition images and video are forever!
Ready for your close up? Book your skydive with us today! We can’t wait to see you at the dropzone! Blue skies!
