Freefly jumpsuit for belly flying?

[Andy9o8 0]

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For what it's worth, I've heard some people tell beginners to wait on booties, and simply fly a suit with grippers, as booties offer quite a bit of drive that is difficult at first to manage. Is that a silly notion?

it is a silly notion - anyone telling you that is trying to sell you two suits - one now, and then the one you REALLY need (with booties) later.

you can tuck in the booties at first - or, BETTER, just learn to use the booties as soon as you can so you don't have to relearn

I agree. I think another part of the reason for that kind of advice is an aspect of human nature that counsels that people should progress only in slow increments, or else it's dangerous. Now sometimes that's prudent, like the caution against downsizing too fast. But oftentime the advice is eventually shunted aside as obsolete. A few examples I've seen:

"Wait until you have a lot more experience before you:
- switch from a chest-mounted reserve to a "piggy-back";
- switch from a cheapo to a PC
- jump a square instead of a round
- do any kind of RW instead of solos
- jump a hand-deployed pilot chute instead of a ripcord
- do any kind of freeflying with less than 100 jumps
- wear booties on your RW suit.

The period where booties are a "newer" innovation to only be used by experienced jumpers has passed. Once you nail the essential basics of body flight and control, the best way to learn RW is to use the tool everyone else (doing RW) will be using: an RW suit with booties.

[rehmwa 2]

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I think another part of the reason for that kind of advice is an aspect of human nature that counsels that people should progress only in slow increments, or else it's dangerous.

I see that in so many areas - it's knee jerk, and safe, and lazy, to always counsel the most conservative position possible. Skydivers should understand about weighing risks and making correct decisions, rather than just the easy (off the cuff) advice.

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants