Comparing fall rate of two jumpsuits.

[AlanS 1]

I just got a second jump-suit and would like to compare the fall-rate of this suit with my current suit.

Best way I can think of doing it is try to go to the tunnel with both suits and ask the operator to put the tunnel at the same speed for both, and see how it feels.

Are there any better ways? Has anyone else done this? Any thoughts or suggestions?

[MattIRE 0]

Belly/Box each suit and pitch at same altitude and compare freefall time?

Tandem / Funjump Skydive Locations
Skydiving & BASE logbook app

[JohnyCrawford 0]

My thought:

Get another jumper about the same size as yourself. You wear jumpsuit A, he wears jumpsuit B. Go make a two-way and see how you fly together. When you get down, re-pack. Then switch suits: you wear jumpsuit B and he wears jumpsuit A. Go make the same two-way.

Compare notes. Sinking? Floaty? Changes in body position to stay neutral with other jumper? If you have audible altimeters, check the logged speeds.

[wolfriverjoe 1,351]

Option 1 - use a Pro-Track or similar data logging altimeter. Do a few jumps with each suit to get valid data.

Option 2 - Do a few jumps with someone, with you wearing each suit. You don't need a coach or instructor for this, just someone who can hold a steady fall rate.

I had a couple of different friends get new suits late last summer. I had some fun doing "fallrate competitions". First slow to see which of us could go slower, then fast. We made sure neither got so far above or below that we could lose track of each other, just a few feet either way and if the "behind" guy started catching up (or down), then the "ahead guy" would slow down or speed up a bit more to keep the lead.

Both of the other guys were very happy that I did that, and I had a lot of fun playing around with them too. I was just using my regular suit, and logged just over 100 for slow, and almost 150 for fast (on my belly, not diving or head down or anything).

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[sammielu 3]

All the above experimentation sounds fun, though I think there's a simpler way to approach this. Baggier fit, slow fabrics do fall slow. Tight fit slick fabrics do fall faster. That said, your body modifies your fall rate more than any suit. As an instructor, having the option to jump a baggy cotton suit (or two) just means I can be lazy and don't have to work at all to fall as slow as small students, the same as adding weight makes it way less work to fall fast. Use it when you need it. Before you know it you'll have 5 jumpsuits and no reason to get rid of any of them.

[JohnMitchell 14]

sammielu

As an instructor, having the option to jump a baggy cotton suit (or two) just means I can be lazy and don't have to work at all to fall as slow as small students, the same as adding weight makes it way less work to fall fast.

I don't have the range that many of the tunnel instructors have (nor the flexibility of most of them). I find that I HAVE to wear weights or baggy suits to stay at all with some of my more extreme fast and slow students.