The freefall may last less than a minute, but your first skydive takes up much more of the day. There is a briefing, equipment to fit, a flight to organise and sometimes a wait. When choosing a tandem jump in Greece, the useful comparison goes beyond the altitude in the headline.
This guide is for adults planning a first tandem experience. Two options, at Megara in Attica and Kopaida in Boeotia, show why the details of the actual booking matter.
What a tandem jump involves
For a tandem skydive, a harness attaches you to an instructor and you share a parachute system. Ground training comes first. That briefing explains what you will be asked to do during the experience; having no previous jumps does not mean there is nothing to learn.
The United States Parachute Association (USPA) distinguishes tandem from Accelerated Freefall, or AFF, where the student uses their own parachute in a different training programme. If your aim is to try skydiving without starting that course, tandem is the relevant format. Paragliding and a wind-tunnel session are different activities.
Allow hours for a short freefall
USPA gives an indicative tandem freefall time of 30–60 seconds. That excludes the aircraft climb and the descent under an open parachute. It is not a promised freefall time for every altitude or package.
For the 8,000-foot tandem in Boeotia, the meeting point is Kopaida airfield in Akraifnia. Your booking time is your arrival time. The detailed FAQ allows up to three hours for the on-site process, so the shorter two-hour headline is not a sound basis for a tightly timed onward plan.
The 12,000-foot tandem at Megara also separates arrival from the jump: the activity is due to start within three hours of arrival. Leave a generous part of the day free, including travel and waiting time. That is a planning recommendation, not a guaranteed finish time.
Pack for movement rather than the photograph
Comfortable sports trousers, a top suited to the weather and trainers that stay securely on your feet make a practical starting point. The Kopaida experience rules out flip-flops, heels, boots and clothes that restrict movement. It also provides protective goggles that can go over prescription glasses.
The British drop zone Skydive Langar similarly recommends gym-style clothing and close-fitting layers, without large hoods or loose tassels. Keep the principle of simple, practical clothing; follow your own centre's instructions for the day's temperature and equipment.
Read the limits for your chosen option
The 8,000-foot option at Kopaida has an 85 kg maximum passenger weight. The 12,000-foot Megara experience sets a 90 kg maximum. A higher limit mentioned for another package does not apply automatically to yours. That distinction is more useful than treating an “easy” or “moderate” label as a personal assessment.
Skydiving involves risk, including when you jump with an instructor. USPA's first-jump FAQ explains that drop zones set their own participation requirements and that conditions which could affect a jump need to be disclosed. If you have a medical condition, take medication or have a recent injury, discuss it with a qualified doctor and the centre before booking. An online guide cannot determine your individual fitness to jump.
A booking for someone under 18 needs separate confirmation of the centre's applicable participation and consent requirements. Age rules from another country should not be treated as Greek rules.
Compare the airfield and filming package too
The two experiences offer different exit altitudes, 8,000 and 12,000 feet. A larger number does not, by itself, make one the right first jump for you. Start with eligibility, travel to the actual airfield and how much of the day you can set aside. Kopaida is in Boeotia; Megara is in Attica. Neither meeting point is in central Athens.
Both experiences offer three booking formats: no photos or video, hand-camera video with photographs, or filming and photographs by a separate skydiving cameraman. If photographs are part of what you want from the experience, compare that version from the start. An illustrated listing does not mean filming is included in every booking.
Keep the weather part of your plan
Bring your booking confirmation and an identity document; Megara explicitly requires an ID card or passport. Leave room for the briefing and waiting time. If an instruction is unclear, resolve it with the instructor before continuing.
Weather can change the programme. Both experiences' cancellation terms provide a full refund if the business cancels the activity, including for weather. Your own cancellation follows different deadlines and conditions, and a cloudy forecast is not the same as an official cancellation. Get the centre's update for your particular date before travelling to the airfield.
A first tandem jump fits best into a day with some breathing room. Once the practical choices are settled, you can give the briefing and the experience your full attention instead of watching the clock for your next appointment.