Skydive Pepperell

Excellent experience for me and my 22 year-​old daughter. Both first time skydivers. The best advice I read before going: Arrive early and watch the rhythm and flow of the scene. Planes go up full of skydivers, all of the divers come down to the ground safe & sound with big smiles on their faces. Our dive was delayed due to bad weather in the morning, so we saw at least 5 plane-​loads of people do this. By the time it was our turn, we were eager, not nervous. We purchased one full video package & one handcam package and that was the right choice; best of both worlds. The handcam video is longer because it tapes the entire skydive all the way down. The video package has a separate photographer capturing your freefall, but then s/​he races down to get your landing on camera. My «buddy» was free to do spins and a fun half-​flip/​roll out of the plane because he didn’t have a camera on his hand. Riccardo & Rick were excellent. The place works like clockwork!

Honestly, the scariest part was signing the waivers, and once I met their staff handling the equipment my mind was at ease. My friend and I were paired with two of the «newer» guys — Kyle and Riccardo — who each had 300+ tandem jumps and were total pros and explained everything perfectly. I recommend to go a half hour or so early, watch everybody land comfortably on their butt with their feet up, it will relax you to see that it’s the most physically demanding and still easy part. Oh, and pet the nice doggies that hang out on the porch. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

Another 5 Star experience after many years of wanting to return.
Vinnie was my guy… bwahahah we had a blast!
Stop saying «I’ll do someday,» get a Groupon, and JUST DO IT.

Hi, I recently did skydiving at this place. The whole skydiving experience was awesome. Wish the free fall could last a few more seconds. Great crew! My instructor Alex was a cool guy, he made me comfortable but he was a lil hurried in his actions — be it giving me the instructions or heading to the aircraft, it was like quick quick! I understand this was possibly because they wanted to make best use of the good weather (i.e. get as many customers to complete the dive asap).
The reason I am not giving this a 5 star review is my overall videographer experience. I had paid $ 135 extra just for the video package (above and beyond what I paid for the actual sky dive). Mind you, the videographer did take some beautiful stills but I think she could have done a much better job overall. Especially with the video angles and possibly some more coverage at the end of the fall. Most of my fall time, she was at a higher level making it difficult to get a good clear angle of my face. Also I would have expected some shots/​clips with the horizon well captured in my background (have seen a few videos of my friends taken like this).
My landing was also not well captured, the angle was bad.
It was disappointing to see that there were also no pictures taken after my landing (maybe with the certificate!!!), it was just the video. It would have been cool to have some memories to share with my friends to show the feeling of satisfaction n happiness after my first ever skydive. I don’t mean to discourage anyone else from going for the video package — you must try and capture your first dive but my experience was below my expectations and well below the rest of my time at Skydive Pepperell.
Overall, the place is awesome, the instructrs very professional and friendly. They don’t have hidden costs in terms of rental charges for the eye wear or the other jump gear (suit, headcover, etc). I would recommend them to friends and family for sure!

Thank God for Skydive Pepperell and Groupon! I don’t know how many things I’ve tried/​done because I «got a Groupon» for it! Don’t know if that’s sad, weird or cool. Honestly, I don’t really care because if it weren’t for the Groupon, I don’t think we would’ve known this place existed or even considered sky diving! Enough about that, now onto the experience…
For our first time sky diving (and currently our only time– we must correct this soon) this place turned out to be perfect. After watching a «you might die and you or your family can’t sue us, because let’s face it you’re signing up to jump out of plane» video that scared the crap out of everyone, we proceeded to sign our lives away (and probably that of our first born’s as well). But we made it through the scare your pants off phase and moved on to the meet and greet with our instructors. Everyone was very nice and reassuring (some of my friends were quite anxious) and knowledgeable. The gear seemed ok, I don’t really have anything to compare it to, but hey I guess I lived to tell the tale so must be fine.
They offered several different options to document your free fall and I highly recommend you do. They are a bit pricey, but unless you’re an instructor (or a paratrooper) let’s face it, how often are you going to jump out of a plane? There was a video package and a photo +vid package. Prices may have changed with inflation but I believe the photo +vid was about $ 120 – 150. I got the video only option and my husband opted for the full documentary and photo shoot– both came out great. But if you’re strapped for cash, the video only option is fine The videos were taken by our tandem instructor so the shots were up close and personal (make sure you clip your nose hairs).
We have not been back but that is only due to circumstance. We fortunately had a beautiful day with clear blue skies so it was perfect! Make sure to check the weather!

Had soooo much fun. Stop thinking about it, and just do it. Staff super friendly. Video is expensive, but you almost have to do it your first time. They said be prepared for about 4 hours, and we were back on the ground in 4 hours. That said, we sat around and did nothing for nearly 3 hours, I’d bring a book next time, but again. loved it.

8 of us did our first tandem skydive this past Sunday! I cannot say how amazing the experience was! Everyone who works here are very professional and friendly. Our appointment time was 11am and while on our way there, I got a phone call from pepperell skydive. They said the wind has picked up and we might not be able to go!!! That’s definitely a no-​no I’d been feeling anxiety the whole week and I cannot wait any longer. We decided to go to wait out and see if the wind will die down! Lo and behold, the wind did died down and we were the last two planes to depart for the day!!! The moral of the story is patience isss a virtue!
My instructor was Keith and he is amazing and funny! Had a blast and will definitely do it again!
Here’s the skydiving video:

We did our first jump on Saturday with Pepperell. We tried to jump in June, but had to reschedule due to weather. We were scheduled to jump at 8:00. I think we ended up on the 3^rd plane of the day and we touched down around 9:15. The jump was fantastic and we felt completely safe. We ended up waiting an hour for our videos and pictures to be done. The video editing left something to be desired (probably because the poor guy was so backed up), but it’s about the experience, right?
Overall, fantastic first jump and I would definitely consider Pepperell for my next one!

O-​M-​Geee! It was an experience of a lifetime… worth the wait! My instructor Alex MacKenzie is sooo cool!!! Looking forward to my next skydiving adventure…=P

I can’t say enough about my first skydiving experience today on 6÷8÷14. My instructor, Keith Murray was awesome. He made the experience fun and made me feel at ease and it was obvious he is very experienced. Such a cool dude. Another guy (Luis I believe? Brazilian guy) was really fun and took the time to help us get into our harnesses while Keith was on another jump. He also chatted with us and gave us some pointers. The staff that I interacted with there was awesome. My aunt also jumped with my today, Her instructor Ian was also really great!
Appointment was for 9 and I was out of there by 11. (Including waiting for the video which they give to you on a USB drive or DVD, Whatever you prefer)
This is the link to my video from Keith. I recommend getting a video. The Handcam is only 90 bucks and they really make it awesome. I couldn’t wait to watch it when I landed.
Such a cool experience… You all gotta go here.
Can’t wait to go back. Thanks Keith!!! :-)

Such an incredibly welcoming environment. From the moment you get out of your car to the moment you roll out of the plane. The staff, facilities, and location keeps me coming back as much as possible. Skydive Pepperell is my first recommendation for someone looking to skydive for the first time as well as those skydivers looking for a dropzone in the northeast. Cheers for being one of my favorite places and one I will never stop visiting!

Did an amazing first-​time jump here (with Jenkins), and I am already addicted. Safety is top-​notch here, and the people are fantastic.
Tip — go on a weekday and your wait time will be next-​to-​nothing!

I did my first jump on ⁷⁄₁₃ at Pepperell (yah know, b/​c Friday the 13^th is a great day for jumping out of planes), and couldn’t have asked for a better experience! My instructor Keith was the coolest dude ever: funny, knowledgable, and about 7000 jumps deep. When you are essentially putting your life in someone else’s hands, it’s nice to know that the odds are in your favor. Granted, I was still peeing-​my-​pants scared when I lined up with the plane door, but Keith made me feel comfortable and confident that nothing would go awry.
The best part of my jump was after we pulled the parachute. Keith spotted a hawk, and we followed him to ride the air currents, like flying. So cool.
After landing, prepare to be chock-​full of adrenaline. I literally could not stop smiling.
I always said I wanted to skydive once – and just once – but after such a great experience at Pepperell, looks like I’ll be tempting fate again some day!
Tips:
–If you call and ask permission, you can camp at the airport. They have outdoor showers and port-​a-​potties.
–Bring something to read. You will probably have to wait a couple hours before your jump.
–They have a snack bar that serves lunch, in case you need immediate celebratory-​meal gratification.

Of all my Bucket List items I think that Sky Diving was the one I was most apprehensive about. The idea of jumping out of a perfectly good plane at 12,500ft seems well crazy. Having just completed my first Tandem Jump and am already ready to schedule the next trip to the clouds.
We arrived at Sky Dive Pepperell at 12:30 for out 1:00 scheduled appointment. We checked in and were told to meet at the Waiver Room at 1:00 to go through the first part of our training. At 10:00 we signed our lives away and listened to a video recording of a lawyer basically tell us that sky diving is an extreme sport and that we could be killed or seriously maimed by participating.
At about 2:00 we began suiting up for our jump and we meet the jumpers we would trust our lives with. They were a fun and energetic group that immediately put us at ease and keep the mood light and playful. One of the jumpers asked me how many times I planned to jump. With it still and unknown I said probably once to which he replied jokingly that parachutes are optional then. They were a great group who clearly know what they are doing.
They explained position of exiting the plan, posture during free fall, and the specifics of landing. They also gave many tips for ensuring a good time. While on the plane the continued to keep the mood light and engaging all the first time jumpers. While our videographers communicated with us and recorded our last moments before jumping our tandem jumpers were double checking all the clips that bound us together. Less than 10 minutes after takeoff we had reached our altitude of 12,500 ft and we could see the curvature of the earth.
Suddenly the door opened and the wind grew louder. Two solo jumpers went first showing us how easy it is. Their effortless exit made it seem even more exiting. My brother opted to go first and I followed shortly behind him. Before I knew it he was gone and racing towards the ground. Focused more on what I learned about how to position myself I had no time for nerves and I was out the door myself. My gut instinct was to initially close my eyes and I am glad I didn’t, that first few seconds out the door were best with the amazing views and hearing the rush of wind whistling by as we accelerated to terminal velocity.
Caro my camera lady took the next 60 seconds of free fall to capture video and pictures of my experience. She was within arms length most the time and Reid my tandem jumper guided us into several spins to show off on film. As we approached the clouds it was an incredible to feel the moisture in the air and the sudden white out conditions. As quickly as the cloud appeared we were below it and our 60 second free fall was over. With the pull of the cord out parachute deployed and we slowed down to a comfortable cruising speed.
During our glide Reid pointed out the various landmarks such as the Atlantic Ocean and the Boston Skyline before handing over control of the chute to me. He taught me how to turn each direction and how to slow my decent. This gentle decent was sadly over after about 4 more minutes and we began our approach to the airfield where we had begun our journey.
As I looked down I could see the parachutes of those that went before me on the ground and as instructed I lifted my legs for a butt first landing. Right before we landed we pulled down on the cords to slow our landing until we landed with less force then most do when sitting in a chair.
Caro was quick to join us capturing my big smile and excitement of the jump. After a quick snap of the clips Reid and I were again two people instead of the 1 it felt like on the way down. I can’t wait to go again and I still can’t get over how comfortable I felt from the start to finish. Skydive Pepperell has a truly great time of professional jumpers who made it an unforgettable experience. Even better was being able to immediately share the video our jump with my parents who has watched from the ground.

I give Skydive Pepperell 5 stars (even though I puked several times after… that doesn’t mean anything… I get sick after a short car ride)!
I took my boyfriend for his 29^th birthday on Saturday. I got 2 Groupon deals and 2 video packages (get the video package).
Luciano and Eric were my tandem diver and my photographer. I couldn’t have been happier with them. Funny and professional!
I also felt really safe (yes, even though I was jumping off a perfectly good plane). I didn’t for once think that I was going to die or anything.
My boyfriend had the best birthday ever and we both had an experience of a lifetime. Would I do it again? No (and this is just because of the puking I experienced after it was all over). Would I take it back if I could? Absolutely not!
Say a prayer followed by an O-​M-​G and JUMP! Keep your eyes open and smile for the camera.
Thank you Skydive Pepperell!

My first skydiving endeavor was this past Tuesday, July 24, 2012. As someone who is initially terrified of heights and planes, it’s safe to call me crazy for going for this. However, it was my best friend’s 25^th birthday, and Skydiving has been on my «Bucket List» since I was little. I have learned to enjoy life and do things that may be classified as «crazy.» This adventure, by far, was the most eye-​opening and amazing experience I have encountered in my 24 years of life.
Skydive Pepperell not only has state-​of-​the-​art equipment (each pack costing around $ 10,000!), but the instructors and tandem divers are laid back, informative, and relaxing; especially to those jumping for the first time.
Luciano and Keith were my tandem diver and my photographer. Both hilarious, friendly, and amazing! They really make you feel comfortable and joke with you to take your mind off of the fact you’re jumping out of a plane at 11,000−13,000ft off the ground at 120mph.
It is usually $ 235 dollars for the jump alone, and an additional $ 135 for photos and video. However, they offered a Groupon (LOVE GROUPON!) that made the jump $ 139. AMAZING! The video and photos, although seemingly pricey, are definitely worth it to document your first jump.
The entire staff is friendly and knowledgeable about all aspects of safety, skydiving, parachutes, landing, planes, etc. They will not let you jump if they feel it would be potentially unsafe, even if you’re already in the plane. Also, they do not play around with jumps when it comes to the weather. They take every precaution and have never had an incident (knocks on wood).
The experience in general is simply unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life. There is no «G force» so you don’t feel that stomach-​dropping feeling like on a rollercoaster or an elevator. It honestly feels like flying. You aren’t thinking about «oh, I might die.» when you jump, either.lol. It is an experience that is both fast-​paced and adrenaline-​pumping, but almost calm and serene. It’s beautiful. You can see for miles; mountains, Boston, surrounding scenery. it’s breath-​taking.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND SKYDIVING AT LEAST ONCE IN YOUR LIFETIME!

This was my first skydiving experience and I loved it. After buying a groupon and making reservations we showed up on a sunny, but cool morning with the understanding that it might be our last day being alive cause we were preparing to jump out of a friggin plane. Would have been an awesome way to go out though.
After checking in there is a small wait before people get called into the Waiver Room. Basically you watch a 30min video about the risk of splatting into a bunch of trees and telling you that you are signing your life away for a broad range of situations from slipping on a banana peel to your chute not opening. This is all scary but you you will understand why it has to be done. Gotta mitigate that risk of lawsuits. It is still a business.
Once your name is called they do a great job in getting you set up and dressed in some neon bright jumpsuits I always say, «If It Isn’t Neon It Shouldn’t Be On». And I must admit, kind of weird having a dude strapped to my back. I know some of people who might get turned on by that sort of thing, but I would have much rather preferred a hot chick instructor with some boobies pressed up against me. Still a mad fun time jumping either way. Kieth had done over 5,000 jumps so obviously he know what he was doing. Just stay positive and be prepared to feel like you are flying and it wont be scary at all!!!
I ended up paying for the video package (Extra $ 130) to have someone film me and take pics. Obviously, sounds expensive but you get awesome footage of you free-​falling mid air. The production quality is pretty sweet as well. FB friend me if you want to see it.
When you arrive, you must prepare to wait for a while. They aim to accommodate everyone but sometimes weather conditions don’t hold up. It probably isn’t the smartest idea to jump out of a plane with strong wind gusts or lightning present. I suggest bringing some food (they also have a small café) or other activities to do while waiting with your groups. There are also a ton of dogs on site that make the wait much more tolerable. Toby is adorable. You will know which pup that is the second you get there.
Had such a great experience with this and will now be going again in Africa this summer. Now I just want to jump out of and off of things.

Whoa! I’m still recovering from the wicked rush!
THE PROCESS:
You go into the «Waiver Room» aka «Death Room» to watch a video and sign your life away. The super enthusiastic lawyer in the video informed us that if we injured ourselves or get killed that they weren’t responsible yatta yatta ya… few minutes later we were prepping to get ready and that’s where I met my instructor, Keith. Keith made me feel safe and informed, and then I jumped. The experience itself is like none other, I can’t possibly explain to you how exhilarating it felt to «fly».
FLYING:
It was hard for me to keep myself breathing normally while the wind hit my face at 120mph in thin air, but it lasted a couple of seconds. Keith opened the parachute and I dragged below him, the corner of my thighs will never forgive me. That was the only problem, the fact that Keith was lighter in weight than I was and we were the same height, my landing was awful because of this (and I forgot to bend my knees as well).
LANDING:
The landing… oh boy. I’m that person that people expect embarrassing moments to come from. I forgot to bend my knees and the fact that my legs were a couple of feet below from Keith’s didn’t help either. Luckily, Keith is a professional and landed side ways so that I wouldn’t break my legs. TO KEITH: I’m sorry for not bending my knees, you must’ve gotten hurt, I hope you’re well. Thank you though, for saving my legs, you’re a true professional!
VIDEO/​PICTURES:
I got it, despite the $ 130 price tag, the pictures was worth it. The video not so much.
OVERALL:
The employees are laid back, the price I paid for this experience was awesome (Groupon), and although my landing was bad, Keith, being a professional, saved my legs. From Boston, it takes 30 minutes to get here (only if you drive like me at 85mph+). I’m coming back to avenge that awful landing though, every year!

This was my second time skydiving (other time was in Australia), and would def recommend this place — I thought the views were amazing! Unlike Sydney, here had nice views of the quaint towns below (i.e., cute white church steeples and autumn foliage). I opted out from the video/​photos, and they didnt seem to give me much grief about it.
As they mention, there def is alot of lag time, you spend probably 2 hrs waiting around, but the jump itself goes by really quickly. From what I recall, I think you just wait around until you hear your name called out over an intercom, I just remember feeling that the process could have been a bit more organized.
My tandem jumper was a guy named «Taco», he seemed nice, and told me about various places he had jumped before. However, he definitely didnt waste any time making sure I knew any proper procedures or anything, and once he landed, he disappeared and was off to do the next jump.

July 17, 2010: I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane for the first time… and it was AWESOME!!!
When I tell people that I went skydiving for the first time, I get the «YOU’RE CRAZY!» look, followed by a series of questions:
1. Was it scary?
Honestly, the only scary parts were signing the agreement forms (yes, I understand that skydiving can be dangerous), and the few seconds before stepping off the plane. I think my heart jumped out of my chest first. Here’s some reassurance: Pepperell’s tandem instructors are experienced, having obtained all required licenses and jumped over 500 times, some at 5000+ times, but who’s counting? And the equipment is high-​tech (i.e. auto parachute deploy if neither of you can pull the cord).
2. How did it feel?
Absolutely wet-​my-​pants exhilarating. Think about it: free-​fall at 120mph for about a minute followed by a short float to ground while enjoying a panoramic view of Northern Mass from 10,000 feet up.
3. How was your tandem instructor?
I prefer to call him my new best friend actually. Dalton was a nice, reserved kind of guy, and not the «rock-​on» type I’d expected. Silly me to think that all skydivers would be cuckoo. His procedures were simple to follow and I’d give our landing a perfect score. Props to my video/​photographer Phil who was great at capturing all the footage and giving them to me in a timely matter. Photo quality came out great too. Though he did make me do some dorky poses like blow kisses and salute to the camera… meh.
4. How much did it cost? Was it worth it?
I got a great deal from groupon and paid $ 149 (film/​video *not* included). Definitely worth it but can’t give 5 stars. After landing, Dalton unattached himself, got up, and just walked away… wait, what? When I returned to the apparel area, no one helped me to remove my harness so I just undid it myself. Then I had to ask for my official jump certificate. Last note: upgrade to digital camera — no one develops film anymore!
5. Any tips for newcomers?
— schedule early morning appts for typically clearer skies and shorter wait time
— expect to be there for 3+ hours, which includes checking-​in, safety video, paperwork, lag time, and waiting for mother nature to be in a good mood
— eat a snack from on-​site food shack then grab a drink from the $ 1 vending machine
— don’t forget to pee before you go ;)
— guys, remember to: «keep the furniture inside the room» … the harnesses were tight down there
— request to do a front– or back-​flip exit out of the plane
— let your instructor know if you cannot handle motion sickness well, otherwise prepare to be spun 360 degrees — really fast — a few times
— pay $ 135 extra for your film and video… it’s proof you’re cool :)
HIGHLY recommend (tandem) skydiving once in your lifetime. Leave all your doubts and fears on earth, let Pepperell’s highly-​trained instructors do all the work, and just have fun in the sky. I met an 80-​year old grandpa who jumped for the first time, and his only regret was not doing it sooner.