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Cairns city jump
Lands at Edmonton
- HeightUp to 15,000 ft
- FreefallUp to 60 sec
- Day3 hours
Price for your party
How long do you fall when skydiving in Cairns?
Side-by-side: 3 options
Compare the jumps for your group
Pick a jump and a group size to see the combined from-price.
- Cairns city jumpUp to 15,000 ft · for each guest from $249
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View - Mission Beach jumpUp to 15,000 ft · for each guest from $270
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View - Mundoo jumpUp to 14,000 ft · for each guest from $231
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View
Figures are GetYourGuide from-prices, translated at the ECB reference rate. The booking step shows what you pay exactly.
Exit height shapes a tandem: the climb, the seconds of freefall and the quiet minutes under the canopy. Here is how the Cairns jumps compare, and what can shorten them on the day.
Editorial team, cairnsskydive.top · Updated November 8, 2026 · 7 min reading time
Summary view
- FreefallUp to 60 seconds from up to 15,000 ft on the Cairns and Mission Beach jumps.1,2
- Other optionUp to 50 seconds from up to 14,000 ft on the Mundoo jump.
- Canopy rideRoughly 5 to 6 minutes of gliding once it opens.3
- Opening heightThe canopy goes up at around 4,000 ft.4
- The climbThe plane ride to altitude takes about 15 minutes.5
The short answer, then the detail
How long do you fall when skydiving over Tropical North Queensland? On the jumps sold from Cairns, freefall lasts up to 60 seconds and you reach around 200 km/h before the parachute opens.1 USPA, the American governing body, gives a wider band for any tandem: freefall lasts 30-60 seconds with student and instructor harnessed together.6 The lower end of that band is not a fault in the product. It is simply what a lower exit, or a cloud layer that keeps the plane down, does to the clock.
After the freefall comes the part most people remember better than they expect. By Skydive Australia's estimate the glide home takes roughly 5 to 6 minutes, time to catch your breath and look along the coast.3 Its instructors deploy the canopy at roughly 4,000 ft, which is the line that separates the loud part of the jump from the calm part.4 So a tandem is a minute of noise and several minutes of view, and both halves are worth planning for.
The figure people forget is the climb. The plane ride to altitude takes about 15 minutes, and Skydive Australia calls it an experience in itself because the coast opens up below the window as the aircraft turns.5 Put the climb, the minute of falling and the canopy ride together and the airborne part is short, while the check-in, the briefing and the transfers around it fill most of the morning.
Side by side
The jumps around Cairns by height
| Jump | Exit height | Freefall | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns | Up to 15,000 ft | Up to 60 sec | About 5 to 6 min3 |
| Mission Beach | Up to 15,000 ft | Up to 60 sec | About 5 to 6 min |
| Mundoo | Up to 14,000 ft | Up to 50 sec | 5 to 7 min |
Heights are maximums that cloud or traffic can lower; canopy times come from Skydive Australia and the Mundoo listing.11,3
Cairns skydive height: what each operator sells
The Cairns skydive height on the site's own listing is up to 15,000 ft, and the record promises a freefall lasting as long as 60 seconds at a speed above 200 km/h. Skydive Australia's Cairns page sells the same jump as up to 15,000 ft over Cairns, and the jump lands at a field at Edmonton rather than on a beach, with a bus back to the city office.2,9 Its Mission Beach drop zone, a longer drive south, also advertises up to 15,000 feet, with the landing on the sand.10
The other operator on this stretch of coast flies from Mundoo. Its listing sets the ceiling at 14,000 feet, the freefall at no more than 50 seconds and the time under the parachute at 5 to 7 minutes, and one of its options adds a reef skydive that ends on a beach. That is a slightly lower ceiling on paper, and the record's own freefall figure is a little shorter. For most first-timers the difference is felt more in the price and the logistics than in the sky.
Every height on these pages carries the words up to, and that matters. Skydive Australia's terms list altitude reached and duration of free fall among the things it may change without it counting as a claim for a refund.11 In practice that means a jump booked as the highest option can leave a little lower on a day when cloud or air traffic asks for it. The figure on the booking is the ceiling of the day, not a promise to the foot.
Seconds in the air
Freefall by jump, in seconds
- Cairns jump60
- Mission Beach jump60
- Mundoo jump50
- USPA tandem low end30
Maximum freefall on each listing: up to 60 seconds from Cairns and Mission Beach, up to 50 from Mundoo; USPA gives 30-60 seconds for a tandem in general.6
From the door to the parachute: where the seconds go
A tandem exit is choreographed. You shuffle to the open door together, and from there the instructor is in charge of the exit and everything after it.7 The first seconds feel like the strongest part of the ride because the airflow builds quickly; Skydive Australia compares the feeling to floating on air rather than dropping.15 Most people describe a blur of noise and wind, then a sudden awareness of the horizon and the sea.
The freefall ends at the opening height, around 4,000 ft on the Skydive Australia jumps.4 From a 15,000 ft exit that leaves a long stretch of sky to fall through, which is why the seconds on the Cairns jumps reach the top of the range.2,1 From a lower exit the same opening height arrives sooner. That simple subtraction is the reason the higher ticket buys more freefall rather than a different kind of jump.
Once the canopy is open, the instructor flies you down in a series of turns towards the landing area. Skydive Australia notes that your instructor may even let you help steer.8 On the Mundoo listing the parachute ride runs 5 to 7 minutes, a touch longer than the Skydive Australia estimate, so the canopy part of a jump varies with wind as much as with height.3 Ask on the day if you would like a turn with the toggles.
Which height suits you
Match the jump to what you want
Each row starts with a plan; the jump that fits it is on the right.
If I want the longest freefall on offer
An up to 15,000 ft jump
The Cairns and Mission Beach jumps both list up to 60 seconds of freefall.
If I want to be back in town by lunch
The Cairns jump
It is a 3-hour listing, and the drop zone is some 20 minutes out of town.
If I want to land on sand
Mission Beach or Mundoo
Mission Beach guarantees a beach landing; Mundoo sells a beach landing option.12
If I want the longest canopy ride
Ask for a calm-wind slot
Canopy time runs 5 to 7 minutes on the Mundoo listing and varies with wind.
If I worry about the cold up high
Take a warm layer
The air at altitude turns cold, and the operator lends fleeces and gloves.13,14
Three ways down
Height, landing and day length compared
Longer day
Mission Beach jump
Lands on the beach
- HeightUp to 15,000 ft
- FreefallUp to 60 sec
- Day5 hours to 1 day
Lower ceiling
Mundoo jump
Beach landing option
- HeightUp to 14,000 ft
- FreefallUp to 50 sec
- Day4 to 6 hours
Air, cold and breathing at the top
Height brings cold with it. Even above a tropical coast the air at 15,000 ft can be properly cold, so for the cooler months Skydive Australia advises gloves and warm clothing.13 It also lends fleeces and gloves at check-in, so a light layer in your bag is enough.14 Shorts and a T-shirt suit the ground in Cairns; a long sleeve suits the door.
Breathing worries come up often. USPA's answer is reassuring: someone who breathes without trouble on the ground will most likely breathe without trouble in freefall too.18 The pilot is the person in the plane who has to manage the thin air. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau notes that pilots flying parachute operations must use supplemental oxygen at or above 14,000 ft.19 The passengers spend only a few minutes near the top, and then they leave.
The aircraft matters for the climb. CASA's profile of the parachuting sector shows that the Cessna C208 makes up 44% of the aircraft in the Australian fleet that drops parachutists.20 Skydive Australia says a plane can carry anywhere from 5 to 9 tandems at once, depending on the location.21 A full load means a short wait at the door, and the first pair out sees the most of the coast before the rest follow.
Minute by minute
From takeoff to touchdown
About 15 min
The climb
The plane climbs to altitude while the coast spreads out below.5
At the top
The door
At the edge of the door your instructor takes charge of the exit.7
Up to 60 sec
Freefall
As long as 60 seconds, touching about 200 km/h.1
About 4,000 ft
Opening
The instructor opens the parachute at approximately 4,000 ft.4
About 5 to 6 min
Canopy ride
What shortens a jump on the day
Cloud is the usual reason a jump leaves lower than planned. CASA rules allow parachutists to enter cloud during a descent only at drop zones where a Part 105 organisation has approved it.22 Skydive Australia stops and reschedules loads for downpours, gales or a thick, low ceiling, yet it flies through or around scattered cloud and passing showers.23 Between those two cases sits the lower exit, which keeps the plane under a layer and still lets the load jump.
Wind and air traffic shape the timing too. The operator's terms list the culprits that stretch a jump day: wind, cloud, rain, thermal turbulence and traffic in the air.24 Its advice is to choose a time as early as possible in the day, because the weather changes during the day.16 Booking first thing also gives you room to slip to a later load without losing the whole day, which matters if you fly out of Cairns soon after.
None of this is a reason to pick a lower jump on purpose when you book a skydive in Cairns, Australia. The ceiling sold is the most the day can give, and the operator's staff decide the exit on the morning. If you have a strong preference for the full height, say so at check-in and accept a later load if a cloud layer is expected to lift. If you would rather jump at once, the seconds you give up are small next to the view and the canopy ride you keep.
Video
A tandem skydive from full height over Cairns
Affordable Luxury Travel Channel on YouTube · Nothing is fetched until you hit play.
Freefall: Student and instructor are harnessed together. Freefall lasts 30-60 seconds.
Before the climb
Make the most of every second
Book it well3
Choosing a height for your first jump
For a first tandem, the height mostly decides the length of the moment that people struggle to describe. The listings show the scale: up to 60 seconds on the Cairns jump and up to 50 seconds on the Mundoo jump. Both sit inside the USPA band of 30-60 seconds for a tandem.6 Whichever you choose, the climb, the door and the canopy ride are the same kind of experience, and the instructor does the flying.
Think about the rest of the day before the number. This site books the Cairns jump; its listing takes 3 hours from pickup, and the record places the drop zone about 20 minutes from town. The Mission Beach jump lands on the beach and takes anything from 5 hours to a full day, because of the drive south. The Mundoo listing gives 4 to 6 hours. Time in town after landing is a real part of the value.
Then think about the view, which grows with height. Skydive Australia measures it against the Skyrail cableway nearby: the exit is about 4 times the height of its top station.25 From that height the coast reads as a map: the reef on one side, the green ranges on the other. Set your group size in the price tool further up and each listing shows what the extra height costs before you commit.
FAQ
The short answers to your questions.
How long is the freefall on a Cairns tandem?
How high do you jump from in Cairns?
Up to 15,000 ft.
The Cairns jump sold here goes from up to 15,000 ft; the Mundoo jump lists up to 14,000 feet.
How long is the parachute ride after freefall?
About 5 to 6 minutes.
Skydive Australia gives around 5 to 6 minutes under canopy; the Mundoo listing says 5 to 7 minutes.3
At what height does the parachute open?
About 4,000 ft.
Skydive Australia instructors deploy at roughly 4,000 ft above the ground.4
Can the jump height change on the day?
Yes.
The operator's terms allow changes to the altitude reached and the duration of free fall without a refund claim.11
How long does the plane take to climb?
About 15 minutes.
The plane ride to altitude takes about 15 minutes, with views of the coast as you climb.5
Is it hard to breathe at that height?
Usually not.
USPA says normal breathing on the ground usually means normal breathing in freefall too.18
Sources
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · What to Expect on Your First Skydive ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Skydive Cairns ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · What to Expect on Your First Skydive ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Tandem Skydiving FAQ ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · What to Expect on Your First Skydive ↩
- United States Parachute Association · Tandem and first jump FAQs ↩
- Skydive Australia · Your First Tandem Skydive ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · What to Expect on Your First Skydive ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Skydive Cairns ↩
- Skydive Australia · Skydive Mission Beach ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Terms & Conditions ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Skydive Mission Beach ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Tandem Skydiving FAQ ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · What to Expect on Your First Skydive ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Tandem Skydiving FAQ ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Tandem Skydiving FAQ ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Skydive Cairns ↩
- United States Parachute Association · Tandem and first jump FAQs ↩
- Australian Transport Safety Bureau · Premature parachute deployment involving Cessna 208, VH-DVS, over Tully Airport ↩
- Civil Aviation Safety Authority · Sector demographics: parachuting ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Tandem Skydiving FAQ ↩
- Civil Aviation Safety Authority (casa.gov.au) · Part 105 of CASR Parachuting from aircraft ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Tandem Skydiving FAQ ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Terms & Conditions ↩
- Skydive Australia (operator official site) · Skydive Cairns ↩
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