Advice on Tunnel Jumpsuits

[tunnelrat67 0]

Does anyone have advice on buying a tunnel jumpsuits? I have just over 5 hours freeflying in the tunnel and I am beginning to work on head down. I think I would like to compete someday also. I won't be using the jumpsuit outside the tunnel. My questions are...Do I need to buy a suit that is advertised as a tunnel suit? Does it have to be custom? Should I request tight, medium or loose? Any recommendations on brands? Any options that are a must (zipper cover, etc)? Anything else I might need to know.

[dontsplatmatt 0]

A ton of people at Skyventure in Denver fly Vertical Suits. I'm not too knowledgeable about tunnel suits, but it seems like the main characteristics sought after are great durability and lots of lift. I don't own a Vertical Suit, but I've flown them for about an hour and a half in the tunnel and they seem solid. They are made of very durable fabric and have multiple seams to help hold together. They also have zipper covers to keep the zippers done.

I also know a couple people who fly the Tony Suit Space Suit both in the tunnel and in the sky and love it. It feels less durable to me, but seems to be holding up well for them.

[svnh 1]

We have done a bunch of R&D at our tunnel and the Ouragan suits stand up better than any other suit. If you plan to do a good amount of time in the tunnel then you really should think about a sky/tunnel suit without spandex. The amount of drag is kind of on you.. and also which tunnel that you choose to fly in. SVNH is a fast tunnel and requires less drag. A slower tunnel like orlando would require more drag. Depending on your build and level will also factor in the amount of drag that you want. You could always talk to the instructors that are helping you with your head down and ask them what amount of drag that would be most helpful to you. Good luck!