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BobxMarley

Jumpsuit - A License

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BobxMarley

Hey DZ,

What are the most important features for a beginner jumpsuit? Also, can you recommend any specific brand/styles for a beginner A license jumper?


Note: I read other threads before posting this. No hate!



That all depends on your body type and what you are trying to accomplish. There is no universal answer. If you are on the "dense" side and tend to fall fast and are looking to belly fly with people who can't get down to you easily then you want something baggier that will generate drag. If you float like a butterfly you want something tighter to help you fall faster. If you are doing relative work you may want grips. If you are tryin I to learn freeflying you may want a freefly suit and if you are wanting to swoop uou apparently have to wear capri pants...somehow that helps and in this one case isn't feminine. ....
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I'm 6'0 175lbs. I'm looking to just belly fly for awhile. I eventually want to freefly but I want to get the basics down first. Doing some 2 ways would be fun too. As far as fall rate, is there a certain number that everyone tries to match or is it relative to the people that you will be jumping with?
Klaasic

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I imagine you would be fine with a cheap flight suit or generic rw suit until you get more freefall under your belt to learn what you like and want out of your suit. Obviohsly you and other jumpers with you can adjust your fall rate with body position but I was referring to fall rate relative to other jumpers...not a set speed. If you jump with several people that say you float too much then you will want to go with a tighter suit....yes they can come up to you or you down to them but rw is obviously easier if you can relax and play rather than trying to be big or small to match someone elses fall rate. There are cheap options out there like the slipstream or flight suits. You don't have to rush out and buy a tony suit or bevsuit or something right away...
www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

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BobxMarley

I'm 6'0 175lbs. I'm looking to just belly fly for awhile. I eventually want to freefly but I want to get the basics down first. Doing some 2 ways would be fun too. As far as fall rate, is there a certain number that everyone tries to match or is it relative to the people that you will be jumping with?



Probs ask your instructors after jumps if you're fast or slow. I made the mistake of buying the first suit that would fit me and it was quite tight with a nylon front and at 195lbs I was falling quite fast. Sold it and got a looser fitting suit with polycotton instead of nylon. I didn't fully understand the importance of different materials etc at the time.

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Trev_S

***I'm 6'0 175lbs. I'm looking to just belly fly for awhile. I eventually want to freefly but I want to get the basics down first. Doing some 2 ways would be fun too. As far as fall rate, is there a certain number that everyone tries to match or is it relative to the people that you will be jumping with?



Probs ask your instructors after jumps if you're fast or slow. I made the mistake of buying the first suit that would fit me and it was quite tight with a nylon front and at 195lbs I was falling quite fast. Sold it and got a looser fitting suit with polycotton instead of nylon. I didn't fully understand the importance of different materials etc at the time.

^^ That.

A lot of people buy a suit that is not right for them. Don't be this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYB3Fx0a8-4

You might want to think about buying used at first and ask around and ask people if you can try their suits to see what you like.

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I just bought my first jumpsuit recently (BevSuit) and couldn't be happier with it. I did a lot of research. Don't rush the decision until you know EXACTLY what you need. Get some coached jumps or tunnel time, your coaches will tell you if you're a floater or fall like a rock. If you fall slowly, you will want the tightest thing you can get in. If you fall fast, you will want a baggy one. Also have someone experienced take the measurements and give you advice on fabric choice depending on your needs (in my case cordura on butt, knees and booties, nylon in front, spandex on the back etc).

I personally want to get decent at 2-ways and 4-ways first before I attempt any freeflying (don't want to be that kid who can sit fly but can't make a formation with others), so I got a proper suit with big grippers (also inside leg grippers) and booties. The thing is booties change dramatically your body position and how you fly - so if you're planning to do RW, just get full size booties from the start (all coaches I know told me so). I almost had to re-learn everything in my new jumpsuit! Also, I've jumped with people with and without grippers (or jumpsuits for that matter), and at my total beginner level, grippers make a day/night difference for linked exits and closing formations, it's so much easier just to have a solid grip and something to hold on to.

But yeah, if you want to freefly, you will probably ultimately need a second freefly suit. I'm planning to get a second Vertical suit once I decide to try some freeflying. They're not cheap but I'd say jumpsuit is something that should fit you really well. After all it will be with you on every jump, you'll spend hours wearing it (also on the ground), so it should be your favorite outfit and something you feel comfortable in. And color! I couldn't decide on the color of my jumpsuit, that was the most important and toughest decision. Ended up black + purple, so if my rental rig is red - it matches, if it's blue - it matches, if it's purple or pink - it matches too. Only yellow and green clash, so I try not to rent rigs in those colors ;)

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BobxMarley

I'm 6'0 175lbs. I'm looking to just belly fly for awhile. I eventually want to freefly but I want to get the basics down first. Doing some 2 ways would be fun too. As far as fall rate, is there a certain number that everyone tries to match or is it relative to the people that you will be jumping with?



It's mostly relative but I think there are some "standard" numbers that are assumed comfortable for formations so you need to adjust to them. Say if "standard" is 115-120 mph and you normally fall at 100 mph, you need to arch/wear tight suit/wear wight belt and reach 115 mph rather than everyone else slows down to 100 mph. Or jump with people who have fall rate similar to yours :) I don't have much experience with multi-point RW in the sky though (except for some basic 2-ways), so you'd need a better answer from someone more experienced.

In the tunnel, I'm not sure if this setting is universal across tunnels (probably not), but in my tunnel we fly 4-way randoms in a rookie league, and our "standard" wind power is somewhere around 61-62% wind, which means, apart from my super tight suit, I have to wear 5-9 lbs of lead (I'm 130 lbs). I believe it is faster wind in non-rookie categories, I'd guess around 63-65%.

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Right on. Thanks for the detailed advice. I'm the type of consumer that buys things once but usually spends good money for good quality. So, I have no problem throwing down good money for a good, durable, fitted jumpsuit. Here is my order of what I want to learn.

1. Proper Bellyflying
2. 2-4 way formations
3. Freefly

It sounds like instead of trying to cover all three disciplines with one suit, I should just start with a belly suit that compensates my fall rate that has grippers. Then, when I finally am ready for rw, I'll just buy a rw suit. Makes sense to me. However, the fabric thing is totally new to me. I'll have to do a jump or two with someone experienced and get their opinion.
Klaasic

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BobxMarley

Right on. Thanks for the detailed advice. I'm the type of consumer that buys things once but usually spends good money for good quality. So, I have no problem throwing down good money for a good, durable, fitted jumpsuit. Here is my order of what I want to learn.

1. Proper Bellyflying
2. 2-4 way formations
3. Freefly

It sounds like instead of trying to cover all three disciplines with one suit, I should just start with a belly suit that compensates my fall rate that has grippers. Then, when I finally am ready for rw, I'll just buy a rw suit. Makes sense to me. However, the fabric thing is totally new to me. I'll have to do a jump or two with someone experienced and get their opinion.



Belly flying and RW (FS now) is the same thing.

Just get an RW straight away but go second hand, you'll probably fuck a few landings at some point.

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Quote

1. Proper Bellyflying
2. 2-4 way formations



You can use the same suit for both of these. As others have said, get grippers (inside & outside of the legs) and booties. There's no downside (other than a higher cost for the suit) and tremendous upside.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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NWFlyer

Quote

1. Proper Bellyflying
2. 2-4 way formations



You can use the same suit for both of these. As others have said, get grippers (inside & outside of the legs) and booties. There's no downside (other than a higher cost for the suit) and tremendous upside.
Well there's that plus the fact you will look like a character from "Battlefield Earth":ph34r::ph34r::ph34r:
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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You'll only need 2 suits: one for belly/RW and one for freeflying later.

As to fabrics: cordura is super strong fabric that will protect your butt & knees & legs in case of less than ideal landings - I had a lot of those ;) and my suit is still like new except a little dirty. Nylon makes fall rate faster (air doesn't penetrate nylon as it does, for example, cotton) and spandex is elastic, so it makes the whole thing nice and tight (again for faster fall rate). If you need to slow yourself down, you'll use different fabrics - but I'm not sure what would be your choice (probably also depends on the brand of the jumpsuit, what they have available).

For me, the jumpsuit made quite a difference in my fall rate - about 4% wind power difference for my tunnel flying between a tight suit and a baggy rental suit (have no idea how that translates to speeds in the air though).

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what!!?

no way, you need at least 5 or 6... and they all have to match! plus about 20 different t-shirts!

RW, FF, tunnel, swoop shorts (who knew dudes could get away with wearing capri pants?), FF pants, and something thick for winter H&Ps when you're swooping into snow! :D

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

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Right on. Your suggestion seems to be the consensus. Makes sense to me. I'm going to do a coach jump and measure my fall rate and then determine fabrics and fit. But I'd imagine if my first suit can be used for belly flying and 2-4 ways, then it will keep me busy for some time.
Klaasic

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mattjw916

what!!?

no way, you need at least 5 or 6... and they all have to match! plus about 20 different t-shirts!

RW, FF, tunnel, swoop shorts (who knew dudes could get away with wearing capri pants?), FF pants, and something thick for winter H&Ps when you're swooping into snow! :D



As I told a new(er) jumper the other day who is getting ready to order his second belly suit: "You don't replace jumpsuits... you just add to your collection." :D
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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As you get more experience how important is a "baggy" suit for falling more slowly? I get the aerodynamics, but in my personal experience (I am rather dense in terms of having an athletic build), once I learned a little more about fall rate control I've been fine in skin tight nylon suits and big baggie ones.

I am about to order one from my local Bev guy and want to get the right stuff too. It will probably be in between as I need to be able to put a layer or two under it to jump in our colder weather.

I love RW atm so that's what I'm focusing on.

Also how important are the inside leg grips? I haven't gotten to use them personally or had to grab other people's yet, but I've only been doing simple formations. The people that I've seen wearing them walk like cowboy/girls.
Chance favors the prepared mind.

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When I was a new jumper I went and got a custom made Bev competition suit. Nylon front, spandex arms and back.At first it was fine for doing smaller stuff. As my experience grew and I started doing bigger ways I would blow right by formations that I couldn't slow down for. If I had to do it all over I would get a jump suit made of polycotton with regular sleeves ( not spandex). Cadura is ok for knees and seat but not absolutely necessary. Never needed inside leg grips but booties sure help out.
Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.

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