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Dropzone Database: North America: United States: Hawaii : Pacific Skydiving Center : Reviews

has contributed 21 reviews

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(Review ID:5184)

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

My first jump (tandem) -- awesome experience all around

Rated by: genomancer on 2009-06-19 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Pacific Skydiving Center
Pros: Awesome product, friendly and competant staff
Cons: Wait times, small loads, a bit expensive (esp for photos/video)

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This was my first time jumping, but (no surprise) won't be my last... when I'm back in Hawaii I'll definitely jump again with these guys.

The view was incredible (go figure, it's Hawaii), and even though we could only get 3 people up at a time it was a good social group bonding experience.

The management were extremely friendly and helpful, helping us out with lost items and accomodating our group reservation for eight. They talk up their product a lot, but they delivered... no one in our group was disappointed at all (not even the person who decided not to go up at the last minute... they weren't pushy).

You could tell the tandem jumpers are a bit jaded about the parade of tourists like me, but they hide it reasonably well behind an acceptable level of friendly demeanor. They don't push the tips too hard, but the extra $20-30 on top of the already substantial fee does sting a bit. Not that it's expensive for what you get... I looked around the internet before we chose a DZ and their prices seem to be very competitive for the quality of the jump... but it's still a couple of notes when you're all said and done.

They let you pay afterwards, which shows faith that you'll enjoy the ride (and in part so that you'll tip more/upgrade to video as well... but again, they were friendly and upfront about it.

Apparently they have an A+ safety record, although I have to take Guy's word for it (I asked and he said you can look up injury reports in the industry magazine? I don't know if they're available online).

Advice for first timers, convention groups, etc. looking to jump in Honolulu:

* Bring your own drinks/food and something to do while waiting to go up. We borrowed a football to toss around in the gorgeous sun.

* Get your group properly for early in the AM. Guy was really good about waiting while we roused our missing members from another hotel, but it was still embaressing. The earlier you leave, the faster you jump.

* Get a group of 8-10 and book online.

* Plan on paying for the photo/video package unless you're on a really tight budget. They do good lens work and the souvenir is awesome.. we had two guys audible to the combo package after the fact.

* Jump at Pacific. All said, they provided an incredible experience, well worth the money.

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(Review ID:5132)

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Great place to visit

Rated by: fboehm on 2009-05-26 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Pacific Skydiving Center
Pros: Scenery, Aircraft, LZ, and helpful staff
Cons: Not many fun jumpers

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Showed up with my own equipment to make a few jumps. PAC 750 was a nice ride. The staff were helpful with detailed briefings on the area, the aircraft, the LZ, and on the procedures for the DZ. Had a great time.

If you plan on visiting I recommend you take your own gear unless you like jumping rather large student gear.

On a side note. I left my altimeter there. It just showed up at my home in Arkansas! Can't beat it.

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(Review ID:4488)

4 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

The view are worth it, the senior staff are gold diggers.

Rated by: zer0_cache on 2008-05-02 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Pacific Skydiving Center
Pros: The Views
Cons: The senior staff

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It's a shame that after such an amazing view and having such a cool jump staff, the senior staff (namely the owner and his right hand woman) left such a bitter taste in the mouths of myself and the other 6 people I jumped with. Yes were all in the sport for the airtime and not the customer service, but here in the land of aloha a bit more can be expected. Just a minuscule amount of civilized communication goes a LONG way! That said, the views are worth it. You just have to put up with some bull$#!+.

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(Review ID:4408)

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

Great place to jump or visit

Rated by: mujie96 on 2008-03-18 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Pacific Skydiving Center
Pros: Beautiful scenery, friendly and experienced staff, excellent vibes
Cons: Limited weekday hours, small dz facilities

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The experience of the staff at Pacific is incredible. I moved out here two years ago with my (I thought) hot shot partner and with 7000 tandems, he was at the lower experience level of the staff. I am employed by the DZ so I am probably a bit biased but I would highly reccomed this DZ for visitors interested in making a tandem or experienced jumpers interested in seeing perhaps the most beautiful jump run on the planet from 13000+ feet.
Our new plane is a PAC750 and it is in spectacular condition (which might be a little odd for those of us used to 50+ year old aircraft, but nonetheless is is a wonderful plane). There is now food available on the DZ, and it is far better than the bar food at several mainland DZ locations, although a little slower as we are on Hawaii time here. The chef actually loves to cook and it shows.
During the week, if we are slow, we tend to be shut down by noon, up-jumperwise. If you wish to make a tandem, a portion of the staff is always on call until 2:30 or 3 pm. On weekends we go until we run out of both tandems and up jumpers. Management is a little stingy about the number of sport jumpers required to keep the plane going at times, but with 8 or so of you and some sweet talking we can go until sunset (awesome for me cause I'd much rather pack than cocktail waitress....skydivers are so much fun to be around...).
The staff here is generally a happy bunch, although (and I hate to be the one who announces it to the general public) they are paid way less than their mainland peers. If you are considering a job here, get your salary in writing. If you'd like more info about that part of working in paradise, feel free to email or pm me.
If you are doing a tandem, take note of the fact that tandems here are WAY cheaper than many mainland DZs that have a far less scenic view and less experienced staff. Monetarily speaking, a tandem here is a sweet deal you can't get anywhere else.
Hawaii truly is paradise. If you are an active jumper and find yourself out here please come check us out. For tandem students, I made my first jump at Pacific in 2002 and I would absolutely recommend making one with us. I believe that Pacific offers a unique and positive environment for your tandem skydive. However you do it, jump on Oahu!!!!

And be sure to stop by and say hi to Jess.

Aloha!

Blue skies!!

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(Review ID:4365)

4 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

Cool place to get some jumps in

Rated by: unlucky1 on 2008-02-23 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Pacific Skydiving Center
Pros: Noel at Manifest; Beautiful scenery; Cool Staff
Cons: Shuts down too early in the day

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I stopped at this DZ on Feb 14th of this year. I arrived early in the AM and was greeted by some of the staff. Everybody I met was pretty cool and laid back. Manifest had the cutest manifest ever..Noelle. She also knew what she was doing. She knew that I was a visitor from Alaska and needed to get jumps in while I was on vacation. She made sure I was on every load. It was not hard to find somebody to jump with at this DZ. This place is admittedly a Tandem Factory, but they will ensure you are on that plane if there are any available slots. The scenery along the coast was outstanding second only to the Glacier jumps in Alaska. They have a PAC750 airplane that gets to altitude really quickly. They still have the King Air, but they do not use it anymore because its a gas guzzler. After the Dropzone has no more Tandems for the day, everybody heads over to Skydive Hawaii to jump. I didn't, so I can't compare the two DZ's. The only improvement I could suggest is having somewhere to buy food without having to drive into town. Although, because this is not a Fulltime jumping facility (for funjumpers), the sale of food probably would not work too well. I have nothing negative to say about this facility. Cool people, Cool jumps, and when all else fails...you have Noelle. :)

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(Review ID:4303)

0 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

Beautiful place to skydive

Rated by: BHawks on 2008-01-09 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Pacific Skydiving Center
Pros: Beautiful Scenery, Fast King Air, Best Safety Record in HI
Cons: never enough rental rigs for up jumpers, no coffee!

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Pacific Skydiving Center is by far the best of the two Oahu DZs. However in my opinion there are few wrinkles that they need to iron out. For example; If you need any kind of re-currency training they tell you to come in early and you come in early, and you watch load after load go up ... wondering when you are going to get up. You go up and ask manifest and they get annoyed at you. Then, all of the tandems are done for the day they shut down, and you wasted your whole morning. What they need is some kind of appointment to reserve an instructor.

Another problem is the availability of rental rigs. If you are a fun jumper, better get there early if you are not bringing your own rig. I have again sat around for a rig to become available, then the tandems stop, and there is another wasted morning.

That is the bad, here is the good. The clouds opened up and the light shined down upon me. I just did my A -License re-currency dive a few days ago. They pulled a tandem instructor away from doing tandems (wow) and took a right w/o a cypress to the rigger to have him put in a cypress, manifested me, gave me my ground school and wow, I actually jumped! Twice that day!

The other day I was able to get in 4 jumps, with the rig no one wanted. I wasn't picky, it was a pink Falcon 265, ( I would rather have jumped my rig, but its reserve was out of date) But I had a rig and was able to skydive.

It is hit or miss with this place. I am glad I had a stroke luck with everything working my way this previous couple of visits, but if you go there, and it doesn't work your way, well you have been warned.

The scenery is fantastic, the King Air gets up you altitude fast, and most of the staff are awesome to talk to.

Oh yeah one more thing, they need to start making coffee available to their customers!

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(Review ID:4172)

3 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

Best Jumplane in Hawaii

Rated by: Yesman on 2007-10-06 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Pacific Skydiving Center
Pros: Tom Sanders,Ash White,Guy Banal
Cons: Tim,Me

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I have to say that I can't be impartial because I work here. I've been editing the videos for many different camerapeople for the last 8 years and am happy to say I am the best video editor on this DZ. We've got the most experienced Tandem masters in Hawaii as well as having the Largest, fastest Jumpship(kingair 100). The view out here is amazing(best time for the scenery is in the winter). In the summer time I even set up our swimming pool for after jump beers and stories. Along with the clubhouse next door with all of the local jumpers hangin out. This place ROCKS!!!!!

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