Skydive Taft

They were so awesome here!!! They were funny and made my experience the BEST!!! I had so much fun and I will definitely be returning here to do it again sometime!

I’ve done many tandems before, but hadn’t jumped in quite a while. I’ve missed being in the sky so decided to do a tandem today.
Skydive Taft is out of my way a bit (but I have alot of friends who jump here), so I decided to mosey on out to Taft. It was nice to see old friends and to do a tandem.
My TI was Beevo. He was funny and made my jump a breeze. He was conscientious about checking for my comfort and safety in the harness (which I appreciate). He made me laugh all the way up to altitude and we jumped outta the door, feeling the wind in my face, made me realize how much I missed being in the air. Will have to make up for that soon and will probably be making another trip or two out to Taft in the near future :)
Since I came later in the day, there wasn’t that long a wait for my jump.

Amazing experience for my first jump. Everyone is very welcoming and makes you feel at home. I had Rafael as an instructor and he made me feel safe and relaxed during the entire process. The group of people that work here are so passionate about skydiving it makes the experience that much better!!! The jump itself was the best part of course, no other feeling like it. I highly recommend Skydive Taft!!!

Amazing experience that you have to try! Beevo was a great instructor and did a lot of fun stunts tandem

It has always been my moms dream to go skydiving. I am so glad we choose Taft Skydiving as the place to have her do it. Every one here is so friendly and upbeat. The atmosphere is fun yet relaxed. Seeing all the jumpers be at ease made my family feel at ease. We bought her the tandem skydive picture and video package. This was a great deal and worth every penny. Beevo was the instructor she jumped with and he was amazing.
He made us all feel so comfortable we knew our mom was in good hands. He made the experience special for all of us. The pictures and video he took are great quality and tell her story beautifully. If your in California this is the place to go!

1^st time skydiving here & I loved it! Everyone there was so nice which made the experience even better.

I jumped today for the first time ever and was extremely nervous on the 2 hour drive up. We were checked in promptly at 9am and we watched a video while we filled out the waiver. We were called to suit up right away, probably because it was first thing in the morning. As soon as I met Beevo, I felt secure. He was very friendly and put me at ease with his instruction and reassurance. He repeated his training instructions several times before and during the flight. I had the best time and felt very safe the whole time.
only con: when it got very busy it was difficult for them to run things efficiently. I had to wait almost an hour for my photo/​video afterwards.

Skydive Taft gave me the best skydive experience! I skydive yesterday 4÷3÷16 & it was AMAZING! I’m an adrenaline junky but this was awesome. Thanks Beevo For Being Such A Great Instructor & The Whole Staff Is Just Great! I Had An Amazing Time & Definitely Considering Schooling

I recommend it!!! Rafael is the best guy to jump with friendly and cool. Bad asss experience.

Amazing place for skydiving. Everyone is super nice. My 1^st time skydiving experience went so well! Kevin one of the best instructor! Will do it again for sure!

I had the best experience at Skydive Taft! I loved Rafael, he’s full of energy, funny, sweet! He made the experience the most fun! Highly recommend going here, it is a small joint, but legit! Everything went well! I absolutely loved it! Definitely want to come back!

Amazing experience. My skydiving instructor Beevo made me feel very safe. I jumped twice that day due to the good first experience. Will do it again!

Skydiving Taft is a small DZ where they know how to make you feel at home.
Loads were regulars, time to altitude excellent and the staff outstanding.
For novice skydivers they have really nice rentals.
I had really good time, can’t wait to go back again!

So my daughters 18^th B-​Day present was sky diving. We booked thru Skydive Taft. Booking was Very Easy. The staff was polite and answered every question completely. When we got there I decided to see if I could dive with her. Again the staff was very accommodating. We had used a groupon and they matched the price we paid for her jump even though I didn’t have a coupon. My instructor was Beevo and this is where the experience catapulted. I’m not to fond of heights so I needed some special calming attention. Beevo was fantastic. He explained everything that was going to happen perfect. I was completely relaxed, beyond what I ever thought I would be. The plane ride up was exciting and the views were beautiful.
When it came time to jump Beevo once again reassured me of everything. We jumped. Beevo was in complete control and worked some spins in and took great pictures and video. The entire trip was perfect. We got our thumb drives with our pics and videos. Unfortunately when we got home the pics and videos didn’t take. I called and the staff at skydive IMMEDIATELY sent me a drop box link with our pics and videos.
I will definitely will go again but ONLY jump with Beevo!

I had the seconds of my life here with my 2 other friends.
We purchased the tickets over a half year ago on Groupon and they were about to expire so we made an online reservation 2 days beforehand for Saturday 3pm. A refundable deposit of $ 25 each was required.
Everything was pretty quick when we got there. Signed the papers, weighed yourself and wait, that’s it. Instead of wearing the jumpsuit, we decided to wear our own costumes to make our first time the best unforgettable experience ever.
The option was given us to upgrade our jump from 9000 feet to 13 000 feet, which costs $ 25 each. We decided to go with that and they kept the deposit. 9000 feet would’ve been around 20 – 30 sec fall and 13 000 around 30 – 60 sec. But after jumping out of the plane with some solo professional jumpers I think it would’ve been totally fine to only do the 9000. Somehow I feel like they would’ve given us the upgrade for free anyways since we had to reach the height for the other jumpers in the plane. Still thinking if it was worth the extra $ 25. I somehow assume it’s a marketing strategy to give deposit and offer an upgrade for the same amount.
But for sure I know it was worth the experience.
The Groupon deal includes everything. Jump, T-​Shirt, Go Pro video and pictures, certificate.
ONLY CONS:
I think since we’re putting our life on the line it should feel more secure. I was the only one who got an instruction of what to do and how to jump for maybe 1 min prior going to the plane. My friends got the instruction how to bend their knees, how to position etc. inside the plane seconds before the jumped. For people who does it the first time, no for people in general it can be really shocking and definitely question the security of it.

My friend and I came to LA from NY for a vacation and decided to skydive for the first time. we found promotions through groupon, but made reservations directly through Taft because they still honored the discounted price. It was a bit of a road trip from LA to Taft, but completely worth it. Paid an extra $ 25 for the 13,000foot jump and that was also very worth it. The staff was extremely friendly throughout our entire trip. Yes, we had to wait roughly an hour before our jump; however, there were a bunch of games we could play to pass the time.
The instructors were amazing. I had Rafael and my friend had Travis. They were funny and easy to get along with. The 15 – 20 minute ride in the plane was spent with us making jokes and enjoying the view — helped to keep us calm. In my opinion, it is the instructors who make or break the experience and these guys truly made it incredible.
Definitely recommend going to Taft — don’t let the opportunity pass you by… it will be the greatest thing you do for yourself!

It was a 2-​hours drive from LA to Taft. We arrived at 10am and left at noon. Came home with a certificate, T-​shirt, and a USB drive loaded with awesome pictures and videos. Had a great time with my instructor Nick. He was engaging in conversation. I was given very clear safety instruction. He was patient to answer all my questions. I am satisfied with all the pictures and videos that was taken by him! He knows when is a good moment to take a good shot and my video turn out great! And thanks Skydive Taft for making a great schedule for us.
Factors to be considered BEFORE your trip.
I feel sorry for those who had a bad time at Skydive Taft. It seems like the long wait is the fun killer. In my experience, I have no complaint at all. Skydive Taft has their duty to make a good schedule, but as customers ourselves, there are a few decision we could make to make this trip more pleasant. Or put it in the other way, if you have made a bad decision, you could ruin your trip.
— - !!Don’t wait until your Groupon is about to expire to make an appointment! Bad weather could postpone your flight!
— - Your Vehicle condition — If you do not live near Taft, prepare yourself for a road trip! Gas is more expensive over there. Top off the gas tank and check your tire before you go. We have seen many vehicles stopped on the shoulder of the freeway. You don’t want to let a flat tire ruin your day. We saw a vehicle flipped over on the 5 freeway!
— - Road condition — take a few minutes to check if there is any traffic, road closure, accident, or alternate route.
— - Weather — I would avoid jumping if there is rain, low cloud, or extreme wind condition.
— - Scheduling — I would recommend to schedule the earliest time of the day. Traffic is less dense. Morning weather is usually more calm. Instructors are not tired. Facility is not as crowd in the morning. Temperature is lower. Stomach is not full before jump.
What you could expect …
Facility
Their facility is a spacious warehouse/​hanger where they do all the paper work, video editing and folding their parachutes. It’s air-​conditioned. They have couches, TV, and restroom. Outside of the warehouse there are plenty of benches and tables that are under shades. They also have a decent amount of parking next to the facility.
Aircraft
The aircraft that were used is a modified Beech 99 twin-​engine. It could hold more than 12 people at a time. In our flight, we have four tandems and the rest are solo.
Upon arrival, we checked in with the staff, gone thru about 10 minutes of paper work. Putting on safety harness and off we go. There is no safety video, only verbal instruction from the instructor.
The jump
The flight was about 20 mins long. It went up to 13500ft (AGL) according to my Android phone. The number could be off because my phone doesnt meant to be an accurate instrument. The actual jump was 3 to 4mins long including the free fall and landing. My instructor has done a few spins with me and it was absolutely thrilling. He was very considering by loosen up the harness and the goggle as we get closer to the ground.
Other tips
— Tandem jumpers are not allowed to bring their own action cameras. The instructors have GoPros mounted on their wrist.
— No jewelry, loose clothes or loose shoes
— We had cell service from T-​Mobile, Att, and Sprint. We dont have a Verizon phone in our group.
— Smell, it was a mix of aircraft exhaust, a little bit of sweat, and cigarette.
— No need to lie about your weight on the paperwork. They will weigh you in front of everyone. LOL
— Bring water, food, cell phones, chargers, cameras, ID
— They have a shuttle to take you from the landing zone back to the warehouse.
— They will ask you to pay $ 25 deposit per person when you make the reservation over the phone. After you are done signing the paperwork, they will tell you the deposit could be used toward upgrading to 13,000 ft.
I am planning to come back and this time I will bring a few more friends along! Thanks Skydive Taft for the great experience.

I just got home from Skydive Taft. Oh my goodness. It was the most incredible thing I have ever done in my life! Everyone makes you feel safe and theres nothing to worry about. Beevo is the best! Not only did he take the coolest video ever, but he really made me feel safe because I was so nervous to do it. The experience was unreal. I still cant believe I did it. THANK YOU SKYDIVE TAFT

Skydiving Taft is a poorly run operation by a bunch of 20 year olds with no sense of professionalism. When I tried to make a reservation over the phone, I got nowhere for 3 weeks because nobody answered my calls or responded to my messages. I eventually managed to make a reservation for 3PM and they told me to check in half an hour early. I arrived at 2:30PM but when I tried to check in the girl at the desk told me I had to pay an additional $ 25 or else I would have no fun on my jump. «You are already here, why don’t you just make this a good experience?» I reluctantly paid the extra fee.
3PM came around and I didn’t hear my name called. When I asked the girl at the desk, she told me my jump time would be an hour and a half from then. No big deal, I passed the time by touring Taft’s business district and having ice cream at the local Frosty King. When I returned, I was shocked to be told that I had to wait until 5PM to jump. I finally got called to suit up at 5:15PM. I then waited another half hour for them to prepare the video that came with my package.
In short, 1 minute of skydiving took weeks of frustration trying to make a reservation and over 3 hours of waiting in Taft. I do not recommend you try them out. There must be at least one other skydiving operation in the Southern California area that you can try. If you decide to ignore my warnings and go anyway, be prepared:
1. Do NOT leave messages on their answering machine, they will never call you back. Call sometime between 11AM-​1PM and cross your fingers that someone will pick up.
2. Bring your own ear protection. They do not provide it for you and will not remind you. Falling from 13,000 feet back to sea level is very painful for your inner ear.
3. Plan something during the two hour wait between check in time and jump time. Find a place to eat or something else to do around Taft.
4. Don’t be surprised when they pressure you into handing over another $ 25 dollars.
5. Don’t be surprised when they ask for a tip.
I’m giving them one star because despite everything that happened, I made it back to earth in one piece.

Honestly, jumping at Skydive Taft was the best experience of my life!
I was a bit nervous in the beginning (who wouldn’t be?) but my instructor/​tandem buddy Rafael made me feel safe and kept me laughing.
The coolest thing about Taft is you jump from 13,000 feet. You’re gonna want to be in the sky as long as possible ;)
It’s definitely worth purchasing the video– even the music they add to is cool.
Because of my life changing experience, I fully plan on coming back to get my sky diving/​AFF license. I heard Crisco is one of the best teachers around. Seriously can’t wait!
Thanks again to the whole Taft team, especially Lelo, Claudia, Jessica, and Rafe!