flight skillls for heavier guys

[invader 0]

Im a 5'9 215lbs retired military getting committed in skydiving however my fall rate is different from the other guys,,,just 129 jumps..my question is for the heavier skydivers is ..I like to know how you guys compensate training ... anything that make you guys better and improve,, thanks for the advice.....by the way I enjoy lifting weights ,,run,, not that I just seat or something like that all day long.

[JP535 0]

Don't get frustrated for falling like an anvil. I am 6'1 and 240'ish, and it took me a while to learn to control fall rate to be able to jump with others successfully. Get a good jump suit with the proper materials and fit that help with a little extra drag.

I did a few days of coaching and an hour in the tunnel on my belly to get better at anticipating "sinking out" and adjusting before it happened. It really did help.

I learned that it probably wasn't going to be a great jump if i was trying with a bunch of people that are around 120 lbs. or "floaty". Eventually, and maybe slower than other people I did learn to control my fall rate to be able to stay with the group.

I suggest to get some good coaching on body position, wear a proper jump suit, and maybe try some tunnel to speed up the process.

Good Luck,

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Just find some other guys who fall like you to jump with. Your range will improve a bit with experience. Tunnel flying really helps, too. You can just go up and down like a yoyo for 10 minutes in there.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[Joellercoaster 6]

Consider 4-way. Fast fallers are often more welcome there; speed is power and adding lead is the normal way for teammates to match speeds

The people saying do tunnel are right - learning to radically change your fall rate is really useful (but parking in a slowfall position for a whole skydive is a drag (no pun intended), and I know that of which I speak). But you'll really benefit from spotting things before they happen; that will come from doing a bunch of jumps (or tunnel time) with other people. Anticipation is everything!

Hang in there. This is definitely one of those things that gets easier.

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[bdenny20 0]

You and I are in the same boat! I got out a year ago and picked up skydiving as a means to try and reintegrate with people. I'm an inch taller and the same weight. Unfortunately, I'm in a seasonal area and I won't be able to continue practicing until Spring...

[Trafficdiver 8]

I'm 5'11" 220 Lbs. When I fly in the tunnel I used to have them slow it down to force me to use every inch of my body to stay off the net. Try to stretch your body out as much as possible and stay flat. Also keep your head straight down. Don't let any air spill out.

There comes a point where you can't do any better. Normally a big way with floaty people it's very difficult for me to get there unless they are all arching hard.

Free flying allows me to use my body to slow down to almost any other flier.

[GoHuskers 0]

invader

Im a 5'9 215lbs retired military getting committed in skydiving however my fall rate is different from the other guys,,,just 129 jumps..my question is for the heavier skydivers is ..I like to know how you guys compensate training ... anything that make you guys better and improve,, thanks for the advice.....by the way I enjoy lifting weights ,,run,, not that I just seat or something like that all day long.

Tunnel for sure. You should be able to learn to fly slower pretty quickly.

[invader 0]

thank you guys for all the advice, right now in sunny Puerto rico. in Feb2016 will be a mother!@#$#%^ boogie when everyplace else(meaning the states dropzones) is cold,,,with beach landings, 21000ft jumps, beer, free rum(yes I said it free) so if you guys come we can do damage) there is a fleet of 3 or more caravans for the boogie

[ufk22 32]

What have you got for a jumpsuit?

This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer.

[Amazon 7]

invader

Im a 5'9 215lbs retired military getting committed in skydiving however my fall rate is different from the other guys,,,just 129 jumps..my question is for the heavier skydivers is ..I like to know how you guys compensate training ... anything that make you guys better and improve,, thanks for the advice.....by the way I enjoy lifting weights ,,run,, not that I just seat or something like that all day long.

Speed Skydiving..... Just sayin.... I feel the Need.....

When your Protrack consistently says average speed is over 200 MPH.. give me a shout.

[sundevil777 98]

The better jumpsuit mfgs will be able to help you without resorting to swoop cords. Things that the suit mfgs should suggest include extra large diameter grippers, inseam and outer leg grippers that will both sit along the side of your legs (instead on following along the back of your leg), double layer arms, cordura booties, padded knees, and of course an appropriate amount of wing under the arm.

Nobody flies very well when they are near the extreme limit of their range of speed.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[JohnMitchell 16]

sundevil777

Nobody flies very well when they are near the extreme limit of their range of speed.

Super good advice, C. My wife makes belly suits and has all kinds of tricks for slowing down the fast guys, from material choices, cuts, and even ram-inflated jumpsuit arms. Get the right suit and everything will fall into place. And if you can drop a few pounds, the sport will get much easier.

[dmaline 0]

Its not just the guys that are "bigger", its the girls too. I'm one of them. I was a wicked fast faller when I got off of student status and no one wanted to jump with me. Everyone kept saying that you'll figure it out, range comes with time etc.

One of the things that helped me was getting a floatier suit. It allowed me to work on my body position in the air with the assistance of the suit. Something else that truly helped me was a crap load of tunnel time doing 4-way. I learned how to fly my body better and level with everyone on my team, smaller, lighter, taller etc.

Yes, it takes time. But don't ever let anyone tell you that they won't jump with you because you fall too fast. They just don't want to throw on any weight!

Fast is fun ... You'll see.

[invader 0]

I got me a e.g jumpsuit that slow quite ok, however I m aware that tunnel time is needed ,so the closest one in florida, until I travel to Raeford,nc

[mereanarchy 0]

Who is your suit from?

I am definitely one of the anvil girls too. I am in the process of getting gear to help me fly better, right now I am in the 150 mph range when trying to slow down. I am still a newbie, super excited that there is a tunnel being built really close to my office. Also trying to drop some of the extra weight. Fast is fun, but it would be nice to spend more than 40 seconds in freefall.