Skydive Surf City

Watsonville, United States

5

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
By Appointment Only

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 831-435-5169
Website:
www.santacruz-skydiving.com
Address:
160 Aviation Way, Watsonville, CA, 95076
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.9 miFreedom Centre
1 miGreen Valley & Main westbound
1.1 miGreen Valley & Main eastbound
Categories:
QR code
Download QR Image Download vCard

Map

Streetview

Activate map

Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Bike Parking
No
Good for Kids
No
By Appointment Only
Yes

Today

Today –
Local time (Watsonville) 5:56 PM Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Business hours

Monday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday –
Thursday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Description

Specialties

We are the only skydiving operator in Santa Cruz County. We offer THE best ocean views. We are the closest skydiving center to San Francisco, guaranteed to have the best coastal views. Skydive Surf City (formerly Santa Cruz Skydiving) focuses on first time Jumpers.

Why our passengers love us?

Because of our:

–Unbeatable Coastal Views of the entire Monterey Bay

–Best Safety Records

–Dedicated Appointment Times: Shortest & Predictable Wait Times

–Most Experienced Tandem Instructors

–Amazing Scenic Flight to Altitude

–Jump from 10.000−14.000 ft

–Our Unique Videos Cover the Freefall AND the Canopy Ride

–Check out our personalized Gift Certificates (Best Present EVER)

With us you will never feel like just another jump. Although our instructors have each done many thousands of safe skydives we do realize that your jump may be YOUR very First.

History

Established in 2009.

We started operating in Watsonville in Santa Cruz County in January 2009 under the name «Santa Cruz Skydiving Adventures» after having worked for some of the busiest tandems skydiving centers in the world.

Experience: Our instructors have more than 60 years of combined skydiving experience. Our «Youngest Instructor» has done almost 6,000 safe skydives. This is 10x the FAA requirement. We do take our time with our customers as we realize that each jump is different and could be our passengers’ first and/​or one and only jump. We have safely taken people that were as heavy as 280 pounds and have taken passengers that were 90 years old.

Initially the company’s only landing area was on the beach. In the beginning of 2010 we secured another landing area just outside of the Watsonville Airport. This significantly makes the company more sustainable.

Since 2010 the company is doing business as Skydive Surfcity. The new trademarked company logo was developed by Christian Sehon in Germany

Meet the Business Owner

Volker Haag H.

Business Owner

Volker has done more than 10.000 safe skydives. Before skydiving he was pursuing a corporate career with a Masters degree in Economics. Initially he was only going to take a 6 months break from his corporate job and go skydiving in Australia… But he never came back;-) He ended up moving to New Zealand where he spent 4 years skydiving for some of the busiest skydiving centers in the world. He loves taking our «special needs» or more nervous passengers. His most memorable jumps have been taking an 89 year old lady, autistic and down syndrome passengers and also passengers up to 280 pounds. Although he has done thousands of jumps he does realize that your jump might be your very first!

His main focus is on safety as well as impeccable customers service. This business venture is Volker’s attempt to combine his corporate background with his passion for skydiving. «Everybody needs to feel this thrill at least once in their life time» you will hear Volker frequently say

Skydive Surf City also recommends

Specialized Helicopters

37

reviews

Flight Instruction

,

Wine Tours

Volker Haag H. says,

«Because the view of the Monterey Bay is absolutely spectacular– while skydiving or in a helicopter. They are safe and professional»

Vicinity

Near this location:
1
ft
Instrument Flight Solutions
160 Aviation Way
1
ft
Belardi Interiors
160 Aviation Way Ste B
180
ft
Santa Cruz Flying Club
170 Aviation Way
190
ft
Ocean Air Flight Services
170 Aviation Way
300
ft
Bay Area Aviation
160 Aviation Way Ste C
410
ft
Santa Cruz Tool & Supply
135 Aviation Way Ste 10

20 reviews of Skydive Surf City

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Atherton, CA
First time. Great experience. Staff is friendly and professional.
Highly recommend Matt, who was particularly helpful and made it fun.
Place rating: 5
Emerald Hills, CA
I did my first skydive here yesterday. I made my reservation online (super easy!), and I had an awesome experience there! All of the people that work here are really friendly. My instructor (Matt) made me feel less nervous about jumping out of a plane, and the entire jump went great! I have never been so terrified and happy at the same time. Make sure you bring cash for tips, though, I didn’t know to do so and I feel bad I couldn’t tip more. Also be sure you get both the pictures and the video if it’s your first time jumping, because even if you plan to do it again, you will never be able to recapture that same face when you first leave a plane and fall from the sky, so you’ll want a lot of good footage! I don’t know if I could be convinced to do this a second time, but if I was, I would definitely come back here. Thanks again!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Skydiving has always been one of those things that’s been on my bucket list and I’m so glad I finally got to cross it off today!
My best friend and I scheduled our appointment about 3 weeks ago, but due to the heavy rain we were never able to jump. The staff here is absolutely amazing and they called us way in advance that morning (even before they were open) to let us know our appointments needed to be rescheduled. When we got to the spot (super easy to find) we were greeted instantly by Robbie, who was one of our instructors for the jump. Once we got inside we filled out some paperwork, watched an informational video, chose our jump, paid and got strapped up. It was nice because they really go over the instructions with you and make sure you know what to do before you get on the little plane. There’s also a sample plane in the office, so they show you how to sit and jump out before you even go outside.
I was strapped up to Matt and my best friend was strapped to Robbie, and both of them were equally amazing. We decided to go with the 14,000ft jump, which was about $ 30.00 extra on top of the $ 200.00, the photos were also another $ 79.00. Once we settled everything in the office, we walked out to the back where the plane was pulling up and we jumped in right away and took off.
The view leading up to the 14,000 ft was incredible. Our pilot took us above the ocean and lucky us it was a sunny day so we got to see all of Santa Cruz. It took about 5 minutes to get up to the spot and I forced my best friend to jump out first. I was suppose to jump a minute after her but as soon as I got prepared to jump I started having a mini panic attack. Poor Matt and the pilot had to stall and help calm me down, I’m so embarrassed I even asked Matt to hold my hand till I calmed down… LOL talk about awkward… Anyways after I was done freaking out we jumped out and the view down was nothing but spectacular. Trust me don’t focus on anything else but the view, it only lasts a few minutes and its gone before you know it. The instructors also guide you throughout the whole thing so it’s never like you’re in the air completely clueless. Once we landed, we were greeted by a member of their Surfcity staff who took our gear and drove us back to the office.
Everyone here was so professional and chill, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a little adventure! I have the worst fear of heights and this was the perfect way to get over it!
Also a little heads up there’s a tip jar with envelopes for each instructor, so try and bring cash so that you’re able to give them a little something, they really deserve it!
Place rating: 5
Morgan Hill, CA
If you’re looking for a skydiving place look no further and go to Skydive Surf City. I did the 14,000 ft drop and it was freaking unbelievable and also let me tell you that nothing beats the ocean view. The staff are awesome people and very helpful. I made a reservation for 5 people for Saturday April 23 for my birthday and I was going to propose to my girlfriend who is now my fiancée!!! My instructor Robby was super cool and I can’t express my gratitude for him capturing everything from beginning to end and even more where he recorded me asking my girl for her hand in marriage. I will be back again for sure. They’ve made me a fan of skydiving and I trust them with my life. What was also awesome was that they have a spectators area where half of my family was able to see us come down and land. I wouldn’t have been able to do it and i dont think it could have been any better if it wasn’t for their help. Thank you so much and everyone should definitely go to Skydive Surf City for their first time to get their skydiving cherry popped. LOL
Place rating: 5
Sacramento, CA
I did this for my husband and I can’t be more happy about it. From the time I scheduled our jump, to Volkar calling me back and moving us up a day so we could enjoy the amazing weather, to Eric and Carson being the best instructors you could ask for. Everything was perfect! My husband is hooked!
Place rating: 4
Belmont, CA
It was my first skydiving experience. The thrill of jumping from a height of 14 000 ft on a crisp spring afternoon was just amazing. With awesome weather to support, views were breathtaking.
The biggest disappointment was with the photos. With the GoPro camera, the photos were not to my liking. I would definitely prefer another person who would jump along to take the photos and video (my friend had that option when she jumped). And $ 120 is too pricey. I recommend going only with the video option.
Overall it was a good experience!
Place rating: 5
Cambrian Park, San Jose, CA
Oh yea! Definitely get the video and photo package if it’s your first time! Kinda pricey but totally worth it, especially the mini movie they make for you! With a soundtrack and everything! It’s like you’re the action star in your own move! So cool!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
I still can’t believe my friend talked me into this… and I survived from a 10,000 ft fall… haha but seriously… COOLEST experience ever!
To anyone out there having the SLIGHTEST desire to want to just go out on a limb and try skydiving… DO IT, and this is the place to be!
Super duper friendly staff – they gear you up, train you well (not that you need much training really except to learn to just LET GO of your fears and HAVE FUN duh)
Price-​wise: yes a little pricey but… it requires professional personnel and can’t really put a value on a once-​in-​a-​lifetime-​crazy experience right? It’s $ 200 for the jump (I think $ 30 – 40 more if you want max altitude which i think is at 14,000 feet?) and then another $ 120 for pictures + video (I think it’s $ 79 just for video).
They basically gear you up, give you a 5-​minute pep talk, then you fly up. The plane is a little cramped but still. the VIEW… omg you are literally overlooking the bay and it’s really beautiful. The flight up was about 10 minutes then you get ready to jump. I think jumping out was the scariest part because… even if you weren’t mentally prepped at that point, you were kind of forced to be. Once I jumped, I felt the crazy adrenaline rush really run through all my veins and before I knew it the parachute was out and I was in slow-​motion. It all happened very fast actually – you reach max velocity at 45 – 55 seconds and then drift down to landing after 5 – 10 minutes. The view is simply breathtaking experience exhilarating. Definitely will not say I’d do it again, but it was an unforgettable experience for sure. Thanks Surf City!
Place rating: 5
Fallbrook, CA
WOW! What a hid
Mike Knight was my tandem instructor but all of them made us super comfortable and at ease.
Place rating: 5
Monterey, CA
This was an awesome experience! Jimmy was very professional and walked me through each step. This was my first time so I was very nervous. I thought it was going to be like when you are on a roller coaster and fall, that feeling of dropping… But it was not like that at all. All you feel is wind, like when you stick your hand out the window of a moving car. The views below you went all too fast. It was truly a great feeling and I can’t wait to do it again.
Place rating: 5
Tipton, CA
My friend Joey and I did our first tandem jump yesterday with Mike & Eric and we couldn’t believe how well run Surfcity is. Our tandem instructors, Mike and Eric, were not only professional, but we’re friendly and knowledgeable. The rest of the staff was just as friendly. I would highly recommend the video/​photo package they offer. It was worth every penny. When we got back to our hotel last night we watched our videos and could not believe how good they were. We were completely shocked at the attention to detail they put into the whole experience. I will definitely go there the next time I am feeling the urge to jump out of a plane. :-) Keep up the excellent work Surfcity staff!!!
Place rating: 5
Fremont, CA
Best experience ever! Everything was awesome!!! From making the initial reservation to checking in and getting ready to jump. Everyone was great especially my tandem partner Mike. I definitely recommend this place!!!
Place rating: 5
Menlo Park, CA
You know your experience was killer when you decide to not only log in to Unilocal,but recover your password to write a review on a Wednesday night. So anyways…
If you haven’t jumped out of a perfectly good plane yet, then you should really rethink your life and get to the drop zone. Specifically this one.
Let me break it down how it works: You walk into the hangar and meet the awesome staff and their adorable dogs. Then, you can «sign your life away» (don’t let this scare you. you’ll be fine). Afterwards you can get fitted into your harness and learn to «be like a banana.» A lot of common sense really.
So you go up on the plane. It’s small, and only fits 2 tandems. The flight up has incredible views, so make sure to take it all in. I really just couldn’t wait to jump out. It had been a few years, and I was really itching to get back). The jump out of the plane and the freefall are really fun. I love going fast, and it is just so peaceful up there (yup, I’m crazy). Make sure to not close your eyes on the freefall so you don’t miss anything (you are wearing goggles, so there is no excuse), even if you feel like your going to crap yourself.
So why the five stars? Unbeatable views, freefalling, awesome instructor, jumping out of planes, plummeting towards the Earth… I could go on. Although I do wish we could have landed on the beach, I understand and find it absolutely hilarious that a lot of locals want to complain when they see others having a good time.
Now for a review of my instructor, Eric: He is awesome, and was really fun to jump with! I have definitely had a few instructors in the past who were less than memorable, so it was really refreshing to have one that was fun!
Reasonable prices, awesome views, good people and jumping out of planes = best drop zone in California, hands down.
Thanks again, and I’m sure you will be seeing more of me!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
You walk into a small hangar. There you will see a cut-​out cessna, several benches, small tv, and a man behind a desk. You approach the man, fill-​out your death wish, pick your altitude, meet the guy you’ll be doing your tandem with, and step into your attachments.
You fly up on a teeny tiny plane. The air and rush will make your heart palpitate and soon enough you look down and all houses and people look like ants. To ignore all nervousness, you admire all the beautiful views of the ocean and other landmarks within the 15 minutes of flight before your jump.
Finally, you’ve reached altitude. Your instructor uses 4-​points to attach himself to you. He whispers in your ear telling you, «Here we go!» Then, the gate opens. You stick your legs out and boom! You’re out! You do your awesome backflip and scream!
THERE YOU GO, YOU ARE AT FREE FALL. Your body drops at 124 mph. You admire the views, scream your head out, and smile at the camera. All of a sudden, you get the «jolt.» Or as I would call it, «the jolt of the relief,» which means, your parachute deployed!
You’ll enter about 5 – 8 minutes of cruising through the air. Your instructor will let you take control of the chute where you could be spinning 360 degrees of pure air and leg action lol. Finally, you’ll realize you’ve reached touchdown. You swing your legs up and boom: Legs down, you’re standing and walking again!
Thank you Eric! You have been a wonderful partner/​instructor. You were so-​laid back with the experience and made everything exciting. Thanks for letting me scream my head-​off and letting me spin before landing.
I never had a problem with heights, and at 14,0000 ft, I was able get a grasp of actually flying. I would definitely go skydiving again with this place. Thanks again for the wonderful experience!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Fly up on a teeny tiny plane. Feel your heart pounding through your chest as you rise and watch the buildings underneath you shrink into ants. You can’t hear anyone over the thoughts of fear and musings of heaven and hell cross your mind. You’ve reached altitude. Jump out, do a backflip, scream. Free fall.
*WHOOSH*
Your parachute flies open and all of a sudden you stop wondering if you should’ve told your parents you loved them, or if you should’ve apologized to your exes for whatever terrible thing you said. You drift down and look at the beach and think about how cool it is that you’re at the edge of North America. Your tandem jump instructor hands you the reins and you spin yourself around, consequently making yourself feel dizzy and nauseated.
You’re nearing the ground, and you fleetingly feel sad that it’s almost over. Fleetingly. Back on the ground and now separated from the instructor, your legs wobble like a newborn deer’s would, as you try to walk.
************
p. s. 0 deaths since they’ve been in operation. Yes, I asked.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
This experience was so surreal! A girl who once or probably still can’t go down a slide, took a plunge 10,000 feet above Santa Cruz!!! Who would have thought? That’s a check mark off my bucket list.
First and foremost, Happy Birthday to my friend, JC! I couldn’t think of anyone better to share this experience with. We were both ecstatic and afraid for the unknown, but we knew we just had to do it!
Special thanks to our tandem partners, Carson and Robby. We owe our life to you. Thanks for keeping us safe and literally taking us under your wings. There are so many words to tell you how grateful we are, but THANK YOU would suffice!
I’ll take you to my first encounter. First, reading the disclosure seems overwhelming and an anxious process, but all it is, is a reiteration of your fear. Don’t let that get to you.
Second, putting on the blue jumpsuits. I’m just glad it’s a color I like. At least it’s not neon! Then, they put the straps on you. You’ll feel 10 lbs heavier by this time. Get it right, get it tight!
Just remember to listen to the simple instructions. Be like a banana. Keep it simple! How do you expect to retain the informations when you’re like a deer in a head light. BE LIKE A BANANA!
The plane ride was smooth. Mike, the pilot, was amazing. I never thought I’d ride a plane so tiny, let alone not wear a seat belt.
So, here it goes! This is my last words with Robby before plunging down, «Robby… I’m scared,» a voice so innocent and vulnerable. Before you know it, I couldn’t breathe. I now know how my patients feel to be on a bipap machine. This strong pressure just pressing up against your airways. But guys, you just gotta breathe out. I remembered trying to count in my head this 35 – 40 seconds, but I couldn’t! I didn’t even think about dying! I just remembered feeling ALIVE! What an out of body experience it was. I did something I thought in a million years I would never do. If you ask me if I’d do it again, I honestly would.
This is another reason why God is Good!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Wow. Skydiving has been on my bucket list for the longest time, but I never thought I would actually feel excited for it. Then again my friend made a reservation for his birthday so I didn’t entirely have a choice, but I’m forever grateful for that. The moment you walk in, ALL the staff members are super friendly and attentive, including the dog chilling in the waiting room.
Prices are high but not unreasonable. On the weekends, if you want to skydive from 10,000 ft, it costs $ 199. For a $ 30 upgrade, you can skydive from 12,500 ft to 14,000 ft. From a business perspective (because I’m a businessperson) it’s crazy how much money they make from that upgrade and from photos and videos. They bring Go Pros that take photos every 2 seconds or so. If you want a DVD of digital photos, it costs $ 79 per person. Totally worth it for the memories… and for the likes on social media.
When my friend took me, Matt and Volker were our tandem staff members. Volker is super high energy, and it’s really easy to get pumped up just from his personality. Matt is more chill, which was nice because when I’m about to jump out of a plane, I don’t feel very talkative.
The 10 – 15 minute lesson about how to actually jump is quite simple, and they teach you how to shape your body like a banana… which was hilarious to me because I have a comedy set on bananas. The actual jumping was SO EXHILARATING. If you are the first person to jump (which I was) there is literally no time to freak out from the time the door opens to the time you are freefalling. I can’t even describe how it feels. At first I thought it would feel like a roller coaster, but it’s so much better.
Once we were on the ground, the staff members had to tend to their other customers, so that gave me plenty of time to recover from my vertigo while chugging water and filling out their comment cards. Oh my goodness. I still can’t believe I did it. What an incredible experience. They take such good care of you here, I would recommend Skydive Surf City to anyone anywhere.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Are you afraid of heights, roller coasters, and small planes? Well, don’t let that stop you from skydiving. I went on a whim with my best friend, and I am glad I did. I get nervous standing on a ladder and hate roller coasters, but this was worth every penny!
I was partnered with Volker, and he made the experience great. I highly recommend going all the way to 14,000 feet and getting the video package. The view is killer! No one made me feel stupid for being nervous, and there was even a cute dog there to help you relax. Please come here to check this off of your bucket list! It is so much fun. Once your feet hit the ground, you will want to go again and won’t even remember why you were nervous in the first place!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Carson! thx a lot! much appreciated!
It was one of the greatest experience in my life.
this place will give you simple but important instructions only and much support to enjoy the sky diving! I am lucky to be here!
fyi, if you are going to enjoy this at the first time in your life, buying pics and movies will be great!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Are roller coasters no longer cutting it for you, then go skydiving yo!!!
Growing up I was always that kid popping wheelies on my bike, climbing neighborhood trees like a monkey, and jumping off the roof because it was just plain fun. Roller Coasters lately were not doing it for me, even the scariest ones like Drop Zone the thrill and adrenaline rush just wasn’t there. Also went zip lining and para-​sailing in the past few years of my existence but I needed more… Enter Skydive Surf City to fulfill my need for the ultimate extreme adventure.
Step 1: Leave your fears at home, get in your car, and drive to Skydive Surf City.
Step 2: Pickup a clipboard and sign your waivers stating if you die you won’t sue them or anybody else sue them beyond your half!?!
Step 3: Meet your instructor and listen to the safety course/​directions.
Step 4: Empty your bowels and suit up!
Step 5: Board the plane, take flight, and enjoy the view along the beach.
Step 6. Buckle up the straps, take a selfie on the GoPro, and open the door (no turning back at this point)
Step 7: Make yourself into a banana, jump out (screaming of course), and try not to drool on your instructor.
Step 8: Relax and enjoy the free-​fall as it is really fast (no joke)!
Step 9: Deploy the parachute and enjoy coming down at a slower pace (here you are allowed to control the parachute and move around in the air like Superman, we did several 360s in the air, very cool).
Step 10: Listen to instructor for landing instructions and stick that landing on your butt or running onto the grassy field.
If you can complete all these steps, then you my friend have survived your jump. I really think people who are in up in the air about going sky-​diving should have nothing to worry about. It’s actually really safe, probably safer than riding on our California highways. Like I always tell my playas «We all gotta go one day» so why not today… hahaha…j/k…that probably just scared off half you who were on the fence. Don’t be scuuuurrrud, it’s a thrill like no other!!!