Skydiving in Maryland

Skydiving is available at many locations in Maryland. With ocean views and cityscapes, the falls offer breathtaking vistas. Tandem skydiving is your best bet, because it's a quick and easy introduction to the sport, and you can free-fall your first time. You don't need to take a long training course. Instead, you're attached to an instructor by a dual harness system. The instructor handles exiting the plane, opening the parachute and landing.

The Freefall Academy

The Freefall Academy (skydriven.com) is located on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It serves people in Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. A 20-place aircraft climbs 13,500 feet into the air, then drops divers in a wide drop zone. The Freefall Academy has been teaching people how to dive for more than 45 years and has provided the first skydive for nearly 50,000 people. The team is specialized and certified. In fact, the senior member of the team has completed more than 9,150 skydives with no injury. Tandem jumps range from $215 to $225.

Skydive Maryland

Skydive Maryland (parachutesarefun.com) is close to Baltimore and Annapolis. It's located at Ridgely Airpark, near the Choptank River, and has a 360-degree view of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. In 33 years, the team has performed more than a million jumps. According to the company's website, it is the oldest continually operating skydive center in the region. More than 12,000 people have taken their first jumps with Skydive Maryland. As a tandem jumper, you will free-fall at 120 mph, then the high-performance parachute will open, and you glide to the ground. It costs $200 to $220 to tandem jump.

Ocean City Skydiving Center

Ocean City Skydiving Center (skydiveoc.com) can be found at the Ocean City Airport. It's right near the beach and channel. The chief instructor has 17 years on the job, with more than 10,000 skydives under his belt. The team has a 100 percent safety record and follows the requirements mandated by the United States Parachute Association. Ocean City books you at a specific dive time, so there is no waiting. You're taken 12,000 feet in the air in one of two Cessna 182 planes, then free-fall with an instructor. Tandem sky dives cost about $250.

Maryland Skydiving

Maryland Skydiving (maryland-skydiving.net) operates enterprises through several independently-owned facilities. People over the age of 18 can tandem sky dive. Preparation takes 15 minutes, and you exit the plane at 10,000 to 14,000 feet. Connected to a qualified instructor, you free-fall for up to one minute, traveling at speeds up to 130 mph. At 5,000 feet, the instructor deploys a two-person parachute. You choose whether you want a gentle or thrilling ride to the ground. Rates vary by location.