Skydive Elsinore
Skydive Elsinore is a privately held, 65+ year-old skydiving center in Lake Elsinore, California, offering tandem jumps, AFF solo certification, military parachuting courses, and aerial film production services to Southern California consumers, military units, and entertainment industry clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1958
- HeadquartersLake Elsinore, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Skydive Elsinore does
Skydive Elsinore is a privately held, full-service skydiving center established in 1958 in Lake Elsinore, California, self-described as the longest-running skydiving operation in North America. The company provides tandem skydiving experiences from approximately 14,000 feet using USPA-certified instructors and a diverse fleet of aircraft (Twin Otter, Cessna Caravans, Skyvans, helicopters, DC-3, Beech 18), and offers a structured Accelerated Freefall (AFF) program with seven training levels leading to a USPA A-License. Beyond consumer skydiving, the company operates three additional business lines: specialized military parachuting courses (Basic Static Line, Military Free Fall, HALO/HAHO, Tactical Insertion, K9 Parachutist, instructor ratings) at both its Lake Elsinore headquarters and a second facility at Porterville Airport; aerial cinematography and stunt coordination for film and television, anchored by two-time Emmy Award winner Joe Jennings; and advanced coaching for licensed skydivers across formation skydiving, freeflying, wingsuit, and canopy disciplines. The company is owned and operated by Karl Gulledge, with no disclosed institutional investment, and markets directly to Southern California consumers across at least 12 city-specific SEO landing pages covering the Los Angeles to San Diego corridor. Revenue mechanics are split between high-volume one-time consumer transactions ($199-$229 tandem, $65-$169 media add-ons), multi-level training packages ($4,099-$4,292 for AFF), enterprise military contracts, and project-based film production fees.
Skydive Elsinore firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Skydive Elsinore
- Legal name
- Skydive Elsinore
- Website
- https://skydiveelsinore.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1958
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Skydive Elsinore is a privately held, 65+ year-old skydiving center in Lake Elsinore, California, offering tandem jumps, AFF solo certification, military parachuting courses, and aerial film production services to Southern California consumers, military units, and entertainment industry clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Skydive Elsinore industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Skydiving Services
- NAICS
- Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Flight Training (611512), Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522), Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Skydiving Centers & Drop Zones (Tandem, AFF Training) (THAAAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Skydiving Experiences (Tandem, AFF, Scenic Jumps) (THAAAMAA), Extreme Sports Training, Certification & Coaching (Skydiving/Bungee Safety Courses) (THAAAMAJ), Paragliding, Skydiving & Airborne Adventure Sports (THAJABAJ)
Keywords
Where Skydive Elsinore is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lake Elsinore
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Skydive Elsinore business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Tandem Skydiving: Tandem skydiving experiences where customers are harnessed to an instructor for first-time jumps from 14,000 feet. Primary revenue driver for first-time customers. Additional revenue from video/photo packages.
- Training Programs: AFF (Accelerated Freefall) and First Jump Course training for solo skydiving certification. Structured multi-level progression leading to USPA A-License.
- Experienced Jumper Tickets: Jump tickets for licensed skydivers including full altitude, hop & pop, night jumps, and high altitude options. Volume discounts available for block tickets.
- Media Packages: HD video and photo packages for capturing skydiving experiences including HandCam, outside video, and deluxe packages.
- Military Training Courses: Specialized military parachuting courses including Basic SL, Military Free Fall, HALO, HAHO, tactical insertion, and instructor certification courses.
- Film Production Services: Aerial cinematography, stunt coordination, and film production services using their fleet of aircraft and professional skydivers for motion picture projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Tandem Skydive - Standard first-time experience |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Video and Photo Packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Group and Discounts |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | AFF Student Training Program |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Experienced Jumper Tickets |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Skydive Elsinore product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Skydive Elsinore operates a recreational and training skydiving center offering tandem skydiving from 14,000 feet, the Accelerated Freefall (AFF) solo certification program, advanced coaching in formation skydiving, freeflying, wingsuit, and canopy disciplines, military parachuting courses, and aerial cinematography/film production services. Operations are delivered at two California facilities (Lake Elsinore and Porterville Airport) by USPA-certified instructors using a diverse aircraft fleet.
Product overview
Skydive Elsinore operates as a recreational and training skydiving center offering tandem skydiving as its primary consumer product, supplemented by structured solo training (AFF program), advanced coaching across multiple disciplines (formation skydiving, freeflying, wingsuit, canopy control), military parachuting courses, and film production services. The company also sells video/photo add-on packages, experienced jumper tickets, and gift certificates. All programs are delivered at two California facilities (Lake Elsinore and Porterville Airport) by USPA-certified instructors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tandem Skydiving Tandem skydiving experience pairing first-time jumpers with USPA-certified instructors for a 14,000-foot freefall from an aircraft, including safety briefing, 60-second freefall at 120+ mph, and a 4–5 minute parachute descent over Lake Elsinore and Southern California vistas. Targeted at adventure seekers and tourists with no prior skydiving experience.
- Tandem Video Packages Professional HD video and photo add-on packages for tandem skydives, including HandCam, outside Pro-Video, and deluxe combination packages priced from $65 to $169. Targeted at tandem customers wanting to capture their experience.
- Accelerated Freefall (AFF) Program Seven-level progression program for earning a USPA skydiving license, with personalized coaching from USPA-certified instructors and a structured path to A-License for solo jumping worldwide. Targeted at aspiring solo skydivers.
- First Jump Course (FJC) Solo skydiving introductory ground school and first solo jump via Static Line or AFF, covering freefall techniques, parachute deployment, safety procedures, and emergency protocols. Targeted at students entering the AFF program.
- Advanced Coaching Programs Specialized coaching for licensed skydivers including formation skydiving, freeflying, tracking/angle, canopy relative work (CRW), wingsuit First Flight training, and Flight-1 canopy courses. Targeted at certified skydivers seeking advanced skill development.
- Wingsuit First Flight Training
Quantifiable outcome
- Approximately 60 seconds of freefall from 14,000 feet
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Skydive Elsinore
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Skydive Elsinore technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Skydive Elsinore partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Joe JenningscoreJoe Jennings is a two-time Emmy Award winner for cinematography and X-Games champion who serves as cinematographer and stunt coordinator for film productions at Skydive Elsinore. His credits include Charlie's Angels, Air Force One, Triple XXX, San Andreas, Point Break, and many commercial and television projects. He has been filming at Skydive Elsinore for years due to its unmatched scenery.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Skydive Elsinore competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Skydive Perris: The largest and most well-known skydiving center in Southern California, located in Lake Perris. Operates tandem jumps, AFF training, and experienced jumper services in essentially the same addressable market as Skydive Elsinore, making it the closest direct competitor for both LA/San Diego consumers and aspiring solo skydivers.
- Paraclete XP Sky Diving: The largest skydiving center in the United States, located in Raeford, NC. Operates tandem skydiving, AFF training, and a large experienced jumper community, and also runs military freefall and advanced training programs comparable to Skydive Elsinore's military offering. Both compete for national reputation as a top-tier drop zone.
- Skydive Arizona: A premier year-round skydiving operation in Eloy, Arizona known for AFF training, world-class coaching, and large formation events. Competes with Skydive Elsinore for AFF students and experienced jumpers who are willing to travel for premium skydiving, and shares the same multi-vertical business model (tandem, training, coaching).
- Skydive San Diego: A Southern California skydiving operator based at Otay Lakes that provides tandem skydiving and AFF training. Directly competes with Skydive Elsinore for San Diego metro first-time jumpers and is in the same regional catch basin.
- GoJump Oceanside: A Southern California skydiving operator running tandem jumps out of Oceanside, between San Diego and Orange County. Competes head-to-head with Skydive Elsinore for first-time jumpers along the I-5 corridor and uses similar coastal scenery as a selling point.
Broad incumbents
- iFLY Indoor Skydiving: A franchise of vertical wind tunnels offering indoor skydiving experiences and first-time flyers across dozens of US locations. While not a direct skydiving competitor, it competes for the same 'bucket-list adrenaline experience' consumer dollars and offers a weatherproof, more accessible entry point that can substitute for outdoor tandem skydiving.
Regional players
- Skydive Monterey Bay: A California skydiving operation on the Central Coast offering tandem and AFF training. While slightly farther from LA/San Diego than Skydive Elsinore, it competes for Central and Northern California adventure seekers and represents a California coastal-scenic alternative.
Others
- Performance Designs: A leading US parachute manufacturer and home of the PD Factory Team, whose canopy pilots (including John Minos of Skydive Elsinore) coach at elite drop zones. Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem supplier and talent pipeline for high-end skydiving centers like Skydive Elsinore.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Skydive Elsinore social profiles
Digital presenceSkydive Elsinore financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Skydive Elsinore leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Skydive Elsinore funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Skydive Elsinore M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Skydive Elsinore
What does Skydive Elsinore do?
Skydive Elsinore operates a recreational and training skydiving center offering tandem skydiving from 14,000 feet, the Accelerated Freefall (AFF) solo certification program, advanced coaching in formation skydiving, freeflying, wingsuit, and canopy disciplines, military parachuting courses, and aerial cinematography/film production services. Operations are delivered at two California facilities (Lake Elsinore and Porterville Airport) by USPA-certified instructors using a diverse aircraft fleet.
Is Skydive Elsinore a public or private company?
Skydive Elsinore is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Skydive Elsinore founded?
Skydive Elsinore was founded in 1958. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Skydive Elsinore based?
Skydive Elsinore is headquartered in Lake Elsinore, United States, in the North America region.
How does Skydive Elsinore make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Tandem Skydiving is the primary driver. The others are training Programs, experienced Jumper Tickets, media Packages, military Training Courses and film Production Services.
Who are Skydive Elsinore's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Skydive Perris, Paraclete XP Sky Diving, Skydive Arizona, Skydive San Diego and GoJump Oceanside. iFLY Indoor Skydiving is listed as a broad incumbent. Skydive Monterey Bay is listed as a regional player. Performance Designs is listed as an others.
Does Skydive Elsinore have an API?
No public API is recorded for Skydive Elsinore.
What industry is Skydive Elsinore in?
Skydive Elsinore's product category is Skydiving Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAKAB, Skydiving Centers & Drop Zones (Tandem, AFF Training), with a secondary code of THAAAMAA, Skydiving Experiences (Tandem, AFF, Scenic Jumps). Its NAICS code is 4812 and its SIC code is 4522.