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shah269

OK I fall like a brick! I need a suit

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Yeah ok I learned about how reducing arch will increase my lift in the WT. But is it really that much?
Can I at 180lbs fall as slow as a guy @130lbs?



These are some of the things you should be learning in a good coaching program as you progress to your license. The approperiate jumpsuites, etc. should be provided to you by the dropzone you are learning at for now.
"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

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well I'm not reading through all these posts so forgive me if someone on page 2 already said this. The purpose of any suit at all is because we jump with others who may or may not have similar body types and sizes. So, yes, it is important to understand how your body flies first, then add an appropriate suit to "dress for success" according the jump and the people on it. Suit manufacturers are making a mint on something that essentially is available for $25.00 at the local Army Navy store. I don't know what BDU's are but that sure sounded like great advice. I've owned two RW suits in 20 years and they were both free (staff suits). They are both long gone now so I have a long sleeved T and a pair of exercise pants I modified at the ankles with velcro. Works fine for me and all under $25.00.
Then there's the option of trying to find people of similar body size and type and you can go in shorts and T-shirts for all it matters. The best of the best don't need a suit at all. It's the grippers they need and that's just for video judging to prove the point was made.
What are BDUs?

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BDU, you know what the Army / Marine guys wear.
Fatigues.

And come on, don't lie you like that soccer mom line!:P

But thanks so much for the advice guys. I think I'll do another dozen or so jumps before dropping the big $$$!
Thanks so much!!

Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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It's always good to buy a cheaper suit first up when learning the finer points of landing a canopy :)

A student showed up 2 weeks back, $450 custom rel suit, soooooooooooo nice... nicest suit on the dropzone by far.

First jump on the suit, ass slide in black mud and 5 inchs of water ;)

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Yeah ok I learned about how reducing arch will increase my lift in the WT. But is it really that much?
Can I at 180lbs fall as slow as a guy @130lbs?



Yes, pay attention to what Rehmwa said up thread. Many in your height/weight range wear a skin tight nylon/spandex RW suit usually. You will also find some people in your range that wear weights for team or other events. Too few people go out and work on range of fall rate. It ought to be learned up front; we skydive in 3 dimensions you know... ;)

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BDU, you know what the Army / Marine guys wear.
Fatigues.

And come on, don't lie you like that soccer mom line!:P

But thanks so much for the advice guys. I think I'll do another dozen or so jumps before dropping the big $$$!
Thanks so much!!



I don't lie. I think that line is lame. :|
Always be kinder than you feel.

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I don't lie. I think that line is lame. :|


Oh relax!

OK well I have a pair of really baggy riding pants which I'll try next time. Not only are they super baggy and air tight but....are also black and water resistant so if I go into the mud, it will clean up easier!
Thanks guys! Greatly appreciate it!
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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I don't lie. I think that line is lame. :|


Oh relax!

OK well I have a pair of really baggy riding pants which I'll try next time. Not only are they super baggy and air tight but....are also black and water resistant so if I go into the mud, it will clean up easier!
Thanks guys! Greatly appreciate it!


Maybe find something that doesn't conduct electricity when those power lines creep up again... Yeah, word gets out...
Always be kinder than you feel.

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You likely won't keep your first suit for too long and may want a tighter cut or different style as you develop your feel for the air. I'd say go with the bottom dollar new suit. If you go with a stock design or a used suit at your dz/gear shop you can get a deal close to your budget.

A new Freak N Suit can be had for under 200 bucks, Firefly for 250. Both are great companies.

It gets easier control your fall rate later. I'm actually 6' 1" and 235 lbs, my best friend is like 180, wears my old suit, and I can still manage to stay above him while i've got on a t-shirt and cargo pants. Indian not the arrow. Save what coin you can on the suit and use it for tickets and canopy coaching.

Oh yeah, I recommend cordura butt and knees. It will eventually come in handy :P

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Maybe find something that doesn't conduct electricity when those power lines creep up again... Yeah, word gets out...


Yeah wooh! That was close! Did you hear about my slide into the tall grass!
That's what happens when you are a total n00b and use one canopy one day and another the next.
NOT SMART!
But hay it was jumps #5 (went long into the bushes) and #6 (came in way too fast and skated over the power lines).
Jump #7 was much much better but I'm still not proficient in judging my height and visualizing my final.

Never the less, I think I got a line on a second hand suit for $100. It's a little longer on the arms and legs which should help a little. As for the riding pants, I was looking at them and they have zippers on the sides and I'm worried they may undo themselves on the way down.

But again thanks so much for the help guys! Greatly appreciate it!
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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OK well I have a pair of really baggy riding pants which I'll try next time. Not only are they super baggy and air tight but....are also black and water resistant so if I go into the mud, it will clean up easier!



I keep seeing the term "baggy" - this is the worst thing in the long run. ----but they have no other choice. You certainly will have a lot of options

When you research suits for fast fallers (though it is likely at your proportions that you'll need a regular fit RW suit once you get comfortable) - avoid a super loose (baggy) fit. Comfy fit only, what you need are the biggest comp booties, and large grippers (the full set), and, likely regular forearms instead of spandex.

Baggy = flapping = not good for flyability

Only the absolutely huge have to resort to super loose fits and other 'gimmicks' :S and those usually end up hurting their flying in the long run.

We've built a few suits for extra big guys, and the simple features and a little advice were all they really needed.

if you were 265 and 6 feet tall or under, then we might have a different discussion

get simple coveralls, or just pants and a good long sleeve shirt or sweat shirt for a while. You want to buy the custom build suit, but not until you get comfortably in the air and relax to what will be much closer to your true fall rate.

(It seems odd, but I think over half of our students that have issues in their first 20 jumps with fall rate, eventually end up normal, or even on the other end of the spectrum within 100 jumps - so anyone pushing a jumpsuit on you right now, is just trying to sell you two suits - one now, and then later the one you really need)

...
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

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I keep seeing the term "baggy" - this is the worst thing in the long run.
[...]
what you need are the biggest comp booties, and large grippers (the full set), and, likely regular forearms instead of spandex.



What option is there if a big guy is getting a suit and doesn't want to go (a) super baggy or (b) fancy competition RW suit?

That is, when someone wants a general purpose suit. (Yeah I know one has to have different suits for every imaginable purpose, but still, newbies want some help picking one suit to start with.)

Giant grippers are perhaps not the best when trying to learn to sit fly. And booties are a bother a lot of the time. I don't know what's out there. Some booties have inlets; can one get a suit without booties but still with inlets like some tunnel suits I've seen? Inflating part of a jump suit is a way around the flapping bagginess issue.

What about swoop cords combined with a loose fit at the underarms? (Creating wings but not single surface wings like some camera suits) Isn't that a decent modern way for big guys to slow down?

In the end I figure it is the people at the jump suit companies who tend to know how to deal with different body sizes and shapes.

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190 and you fall like a brick???? Give me a break, have you met myself or big Keith. I've lost some weight, I am still 220 - without gear. I have a Bev suit with afterburners and swoop cords, or is it chords. I don't know, Keith is jumping wingsuits now and has a camera suit with some pretty serious wings. I haven't read through this thread, you are just starting jumping, right? Get a suit with some fabric and learn how to hug a beach ball and you will slow down, it is really about practice.


"Don't! Get! Eliminated!"

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