Wingsuit in California

California packs an enormous range of skydiving into one state. You can jump the coast with the Pacific stretching out below, or drop into high desert with mountains stacked on the horizon. That geographic spread gives tandem students a first jump, AFF students a place to earn a license, and licensed fun-jumpers a whole menu of drop zones to work through. Soar over the vineyards of the Central Valley or come down near the sprawl of Southern California, the Golden State has a version for every level of jumper.

California drop zones run professional operations with current equipment and experienced instructors. Tandem jumps are everywhere, which makes them the accessible way in for beginners. The views do a lot of the work: the water near Santa Barbara, the rugged country around Lake Elsinore. Safety and quality instruction are the through-line across the state's skydiving community.