Oct 24, 2012, 6:55 AM
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Advice needed... Newbie Wearing booties ....
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So I managed to get my way through AFF with a student jump suit and got myself a shiny new as a bravery reward
Tried the booties in the tunnel for the first time and was a wierd--felt like the only time i tried to ice skate when I was a kid. I have jumped since without putting on the booties - but would like to get peoples feed back in the transition from just wearing my converse to being brave and wearing the booties rather than letting them flap around in the wind !
I felt there was restricted movement in my feet which freaked me out a bit.....
Its a Merlin suit from Deland - even though i am in the UK
The booties give you a lot more power. If you don't know what your legs are doing or if you don't know what to do with your legs, you will have to work hard in the tunnel. But as you saw it's not that bad after all.
In freefall, based on your experience I would say put your booties correctly, go for it and have fun!
Oh yeah, one last thing: Do you NEED booties? Probably not. Not at this time.
Would I recommend a suit with booties to someone with your experience? Probably not. Not that this is a problem but I think it adds something you just don't need now. It helps to to things that you're not ready to do and it makes other things more difficult if not impossible to do...
(This post was edited by mstlaurent on Oct 24, 2012, 8:46 AM)
I dunno...I sure feel a major difference wearin' booties. I must have bigger feet than you do.
That's a valid point!
Seriously all booties are not created equal and I have to admit that I'm not sure how much the feeling will change between the different brands/models.
i got a suit with booties after about 120 jumps so ive not much experience on them but the first thing i noticed is that on a break of track then wanted to kick me head down at first and they seem to make my track alot faster.
The restricted movement in your feet will happen as if you point your toes, that will tighten the bootie and you'll feel the pressure on your feet. You'll get used to it after a while, and I use that as a check for if I am pointing my toes or not!!
There are loads of different types of booties - standard, mega, vented etc. Each vary in size, and purpose.
I noticed a difference going from a suit with standard booties to one with mega booties. Can barely remember the last time I did a jump without booties.
Personally I think that if you are going to be doing belly flying, they are a tool available to use to help get more performance in the flight, so why not use them? Do you NEED them, maybe not, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use them. When anyone is buying a new FS suit, I'd personally recommend they get them.
After a while you'll stop noticing they are there and it will all seem natural.
I fly booties when I am flying on my belly and I find that after awhile of using them I dont really fly with my arms anymore. I just keep my arms tucked up close to me so I can take a dock easily and plus it has the added benefit of feeling much more stable in my shoulder (which is an old injury). I totally use my legs to turn, drive forward/back, etc.
could I do this without booties? Yes, but the booties make the movements much more powerful. When you are confident in your ability you can use that power. For awhile you won't be able to max out your power in the sky...like a beginner weight lifter kinda...but after awhile you will train your ability to use power.
Fun part is it is a lifetime training process nobody is ever finished!
(This post was edited by 5.samadhi on Oct 25, 2012, 7:57 AM)
If you tuck the bootie up into the leg it's a none issue, even if it flaps around some it doesn't matter. The tunnel is cheaper and has a much higher learning curve. $ for $ you get more out of tunnel than you will in the sky.
i put my booties on the jump after i got my a-cert and found it strange for the first few jumps ended up getting a bit unstable after dropping a leg but after that is was fine. My problem has come with my only jump since then without booties on.
After 20hrs of tunnel and 250 jumps all flat with booties i decided to do a jump in shorts which resulted in a few problems. 1. couldnt dive to the formation as i was not used to not having the pressure on my lower legs so went over vertical and ended up on my back. 2. i backslid 3. my track was less than pathetic 4. at pull time i realised that i drop a leg to compensate for my arm moving but as there was not the normal pressure there i ended up flipping myself onto my back with great style with my PC in my hand managed to throw while i was on my side to was ok.
Lesson learnt though dont fly without my FS suit on
You would recommend someone with 32 jumps, still learning the basics to jump with his booties flapping around
I'd recommend someone with 32 jumps (and no tunnel time) borrow a suit for a tiny bit longer.
But, if they did buy one, I'd recommend they buy one with booties, and learn to fly in that.
People get carried away with how different flying with booties is to without, and it *is* different. But it's not harder, and it's definitely more effective.
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