FS suit - recommendations?

[MalcolmR 0]

Need recommendations for the best all around jumpsuits for 4 and 8 way, big way skydiving. I'm particularly interested in fit, durability, and powerful booties. Recommendations?

[shorehambeach 9]

Merlin Suits In Deland Fl.

Ulla is awesome and so are the suits

[SecondRound 1]

Bev suits with Majik booties work well, are honestly priced. and delivered as promised. Find someone who can measure you correctly and you are on your way.

[sammielu 3]

It seems there are regional/dz trends for one type of suit over another. There is a huge advantage to work with an experienced dealer who can measure you and discuss options to suit your body (fabrics and fit to help you go faster or slower). We have a fantastic Bev suit dealer at my DZ so that is what is here, I have 3 Bev suits for different purposes, all are absolutely tough as nails. I know Tony suits are good - I see a lot of those in AZ. Merlin is FL based (I think), but the one of those I've seen looked tough.

Ask around for the dealers in your area - also look at the suits that are around and ask how old they are. I saw an old Bev suit where the only wear point was stretched spandex, and it was heavily used for 15 years (sounded good to me so I went Bev and am very happy!!)

[3331 132]

shorehambeach

Merlin Suits In Deland Fl.

Ulla is awesome and so are the suits

+ 1

I Jumped with the guys who invented Skydiving.

[chuckakers 419]

sammielu

It seems there are regional/dz trends for one type of suit over another. There is a huge advantage to work with an experienced dealer who can measure you and discuss options to suit your body (fabrics and fit to help you go faster or slower). We have a fantastic Bev suit dealer at my DZ so that is what is here, I have 3 Bev suits for different purposes, all are absolutely tough as nails. I know Tony suits are good - I see a lot of those in AZ. Merlin is FL based (I think), but the one of those I've seen looked tough.

Ask around for the dealers in your area - also look at the suits that are around and ask how old they are. I saw an old Bev suit where the only wear point was stretched spandex, and it was heavily used for 15 years (sounded good to me so I went Bev and am very happy!!)

Totally agree. Working with a dealer that knows the products well and understands how the manufacturer wants measurements taken are the keys to getting a suit that delivers what you are looking for. This is especially true for FS suits with booties, as getting the dimensions right is critical to the suit doing the job.

As for your question about powerful booties, I like Tony Suits "Airspeed" mega bootie made with ballistic nylon. The have as much surface area possible and the ballistic nylon really grabs air like no other fabric. They are also available in a "vented" configuration for extra grab. Be advised that the more powerful the bootie the more difficult they are to fly. Consider that when choosing.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[damir 1]

Do you have a Merlin suit? If so can you post some pictures please?

[3331 132]

Pictures of Merlinsuits.

http://merlinsuits.com/

https://www.facebook.com/merlinsuits/?fref=ts


SCS 567

I Jumped with the guys who invented Skydiving.

[Ron 10]

Coke vs Pepsi.

Some people will swear only brand "X" is any good and anything else is a waste of money. Next guy will say brand "Y" is the best and the rest are all crap.

Truth is that suits are like shoes or a particular person of the opposite sex... You may love them, but someone else thinks they were a pain in the ass and hates them.

Any major brand will have a good suit. I'd avoid new companies only because you don't know what you like or what to look for....

I have had Tony's, Merlin's, Michigan's, and a few off brands. Full disclosure, I am sponsored by Michigan. I think his suits are built well, and they last a LONG time. I have a suit from 1999 with 2K jumps on them and easily 50 hours of tunnel. My standard daily suit is from 2005 and I have no idea how many jumps on it or tunnel hours. The suit is still in great shape, except the black has faded from UV exposure.

All that being said, there is most likely a reason why everyone on your DZ wears a particular brand. There are times that going with the flow is a good idea and this is one of them.

When I was in Zhills, Tony Suits was right in town (now on the airport). It made getting measured and alterations done easy as heck.

When I was on a team in DeLand, Merlin suits were right there and the service was good.

Michigan once delivered a suit to me by his personal plane so I would have it for the weekend... Not the first time he did something like that.

So I'd walk around the DZ and look to see who is wearing what.

I'll give you an example... Someone here said the Tony Airspeed booties were the best. I HATED mine so much that I sold a brand new suit with fewer than 100 jumps on it because of them. It does not mean the other guy is wrong... Just means he liked them and I hated them.

Opinions are not a zero sum situation. You can like Vanilla and me Chocolate and both can be correct.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[randyb 0]

Both suits I've had needed additional alterations done, even being measured by a dealer. Ask folks at your DZ how their experience has been sending suits back for changes. One company took a week(BevSuits, and they are very nice FS suits) and the other took 6 weeks. I won't trash the other company here for what may have been an isolated customer service experience but I'm really happy with my BevSuit and the experience working with them.

[DHemer 0]

Is there a reason you started another thread for the same question as your last one?

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4810826;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread