coticj 0 #1 August 7, 2009 I've had my RW suit (specsuit) for some years now, and it's starting to wear out. Now I'm looking for a new suit. Friends have recommended the Parasport suits, but I'm looking at other options. I've been looking at Symbiosis and Rainbow suits. Can anyone recommend any other suits and list some pros and cons about the suits. Are Symbiosis any good? I've been looking at Gear reviews here, but they are all old.http://www.prostipad.si Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
siddacious 0 #2 August 9, 2009 Are you going to be doing serious (competition) RW? What are you going to use your suit for? Different uses will likely have different requirements for a suit. I've enjoyed my Michigan suit, however I'm getting a Pit Special for my team suit (admittedly partially because they're 'in"). From what I've seen the parasport suits are pretty well designed, but I know close to nothing about their quality of construction. I would keep an eye out at the DZ for different suits and ask the owners what they think of their suits. You can also do the same at a tunnel if you're anywhere near one.A dolor netus non dui aliquet, sagittis felis sodales, dolor sociis mauris, vel eu libero cras. Interdum at. Eget habitasse elementum est. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elightle 8 #3 August 10, 2009 Good idea to look at other options besides what's made in Europe. Tony Suits are very popular in the U.S. I owned a Michigan Suit for a while and liked it. If a friend has a suit you like, maybe he or she would let you make a jump on it to see if that brand would work for you. Lots of options. Also, if you're a lightweight like me, the fat grippers add more float so you might need a couple more pounds of lead. Good luck in your search! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
padu 0 #4 August 10, 2009 My RW team just got new jumpsuits made by skyleno. They have lifetime warranty, very good customer service and it took less than 1 month to have it made and delivered to us here in the US (skyleno is based in Brazil). His pricing structure is very simple... only one price, all the optionals. Price is very good too (I think he charges $300 for a suit with all bells and whistles)Una volta che avrete imparato a Volare, camminerete sulla terra guardando il cielo perchè è là che siete stati ed è là che vorrete tornare. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
siddacious 0 #5 August 11, 2009 QuoteMy RW team just got new jumpsuits made by skyleno. They have lifetime warranty, very good customer service and it took less than 1 month to have it made and delivered to us here in the US (skyleno is based in Brazil). His pricing structure is very simple... only one price, all the optionals. Price is very good too (I think he charges $300 for a suit with all bells and whistles) Sounds like a good deal however hard to assess as google says their website is spreading malware. For shame!A dolor netus non dui aliquet, sagittis felis sodales, dolor sociis mauris, vel eu libero cras. Interdum at. Eget habitasse elementum est. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coticj 0 #6 August 12, 2009 Thank you all for answering. I'm looking for a suit, that I'll use for not so serious competition 4-way and mostly for tunnels. So I'm looking for a suit that is quality built, especially the booties part (had to use miles of duct tape on my current suit to fix the tears). I'm mostly looking at suits made in Europe, as there is no duties and customs. I've seen some symbiosis suit this weekend at the dropzone, so I'm probably going to go with them. A friend has a PIT special, but she is getting some some tears around the booties, so I'm not convinced. Have looked at the skyleno website(despite the google warning) and my antivirus went off, as the site was trying to install some malware.http://www.prostipad.si Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andievh 0 #7 August 12, 2009 I got my Parasport Ghibli suit last week and flew 2.5 hours in tunnel (4 way) with it this weekend. Awesome product, it fit me perfectly and great service from Unfeathered, the US distributor of of Parasport products. Check out their website for technical specs or phone Teresha Thames at Unfeathered. Phone-850.479.7320 http://www.unfeathered.com It costs a bit more than Bev / Tony, but in my opinion a superior product!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jsaxton 0 #8 August 14, 2009 I like the Parasport. Tony suits are good and last a long time (I have over 2000 jumps on one of mine) but I still prefer the Parasport. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #9 August 15, 2009 QuoteI've had my RW suit (specsuit) for some years now, and it's starting to wear out. Now I'm looking for a new suit. Friends have recommended the Parasport suits, but I'm looking at other options. I've been looking at Symbiosis and Rainbow suits. Can anyone recommend any other suits and list some pros and cons about the suits. Are Symbiosis any good? I've been looking at Gear reviews here, but they are all old.Bev suits are also very good too. I have two Bev suits, two for serious bigway use (A fast faller and a slow faller). One of my two jumpsuits is weathered by 400 jumps and 10 hours tunnel time, and the only thing that needs regular maintenance is the booties, of which I sent the jumpsuit back to factory for, and I also got inside leg grips added (I originally didn't order them) and an additional zipper. I think they'll easily last over 1000 jumps each and many dozens of hours of tunnel with occasional shipment back to factory for bootie maintenance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,621 #10 August 17, 2009 I have over 1,000 jumps on a white Tony Pit Special, and the only part that looks worn or grubby is the collar, which has lost its elasticity.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jcoff89 0 #11 August 20, 2009 bev makes a great casual RW suit. high level competition demands a tony... I have flown a lot with both suits and love them both, for different reasons of course.http://www.turboskydiving.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bodypilot1 0 #12 August 23, 2009 Quote I have over 1,000 jumps on a white Tony Pit Special, and the only part that looks worn or grubby is the collar, which has lost its elasticity. And the guy wearing it......www.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VideoFly 0 #13 August 25, 2009 Symbiosis suits are fantastic! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 7 #14 September 9, 2009 Quotebev makes a great casual RW suit. high level competition demands a tony... You base that on?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 7 #15 September 9, 2009 RW suits are as unique as the people wearing them. The trick is to find an RW suit that you like.... And then hope that it can stand up to the abuse. I have had Tony's Merlin's, and Michigan's. I have jumped a bunch more to include Bevs, Star, Flightsuits....ect. Basically, you are going to have to pick the one YOU like. And most suits are going to be fine no matter what brand you decide on.... I'd personally go with a reputable dealer and then go after the best deal you can get.... It is not going to matter *that* much, and world class teams don't all jump one brand of suits. I personally like the Michigan's. There were some things I didn't like, such as the fact the arm grip design was hard to grip on some sidebody exits.... So I asked Mike and he made a new arm design. I like my Michigan suit, but I have friends that would swear on Bev's and others that swear on Tony's. I have a 10+ year old Michigan suit that has at least 1k jumps on it and 50 hours tunnel. It is mainly my Tandem suit now. I have attached a pic of me wearing it that is the header on a website. The kicker is that suit I am wearing is a Michigan suit.... But the header is at www.Tonysuits.com Oh the irony That pic on that website, got me a free Michigan suit BTW.... "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #16 September 15, 2009 Wow. I recognize that photo. That's uncanny it's not the suit it should be advertising. Personally, I am armed with two Bev's and am happy with them :-) One does need new booties, though, after lots more early-bootieing up before bigway dirt dives on pavement, concrete, gravel, mudflats, stone, deckboards, and pebbles. Otherwise I forget to bootie up in the rush to load the plane. To bootie up, or not to bootie up... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rebecca-Berlin 0 #17 September 24, 2009 Wow, my Bevsuit booties are falling apart too. I thought I would have to chuck the suit altogether. Can I really just send it back in to get re-bootied? Also my Bevsuit booties don't have zippers, as do my new Rainbow suit booties. Can Bevsuit redo the booties and add zippers? How much does this cost? (Am attaching pic of my 3-year old Bevsuit) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #18 September 25, 2009 QuoteWow, my Bevsuit booties are falling apart too. I thought I would have to chuck the suit altogether. Can I really just send it back in to get re-bootied? Also my Bevsuit booties don't have zippers, as do my new Rainbow suit booties. Can Bevsuit redo the booties and add zippers? How much does this cost? (Am attaching pic of my 3-year old Bevsuit)No jumpsuit is too tattered for Bev to "reboot". She did a good job rebootieing, but it may cost more than the $40 or thereabouts I paid. Still cheaper than a new jumpsuit. Not sure about adding zippers, but she did add extra pockets and extra inside grippers when I sent the jumpsuit back. So bootie replacement, add extra grippers, and add new pocket -- Bev did it for a reasonable price. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VideoFly 0 #19 September 26, 2009 I bought two pieces of leather at Michaels Craft store. They were about a square foot each and about six dollars per piece. I folded them around my sneakers, carefully folding flaps so the leather fit my sneakers snugly. I then cut each fold and laid one part on the sneaker and folded the other part overlapping the first piece. I then contact cemented each fold until the leather fit well around each sneaker. Finally, I cut the height of the leather about one inch up from the sole. Once the leather was finished being prepared, I had my rigger sew the leather to the lower hem of my jumpsuit’s booties. They work great. Another thing I do is coat the leather part of my booties with Shoe Goo. I cover my sneakers with aluminum foil and put the booties on them. I also wear rubber gloves and squeeze about half a tube of goo on each bootie. I then spread the goo evenly and let it dry overnight. The booties last forever with shoe goo on them. You can get Shoe Goo at Wal Mart and Sports Authority. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,621 #20 September 27, 2009 I'm surprised the booties wore out. I've never managed to wear out a Tony Suit bootie, and I DON'T remove the booties for dirt diving or walking in from the landing area.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elightle 8 #21 September 28, 2009 Quote I'm surprised the booties wore out. I've never managed to wear out a Tony Suit bootie, and I DON'T remove the booties for dirt diving or walking in from the landing area. Yea, but John, you walk like a praying mantis, hardly touching the ground - HEHEHE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rebecca-Berlin 0 #22 September 28, 2009 First of all, I have to admit, that I, too, put on my booties BEFORE walking to the plane. And since my Bevsuit Booties have no side zippers, I also land with them on and then walk back through the grass and sledge and dirt. So the thin leather bottoms did not last long. I now have a second (cotton-front) jumpsuit from Rainbow and am on the verge of ordering a third jumpsuit from Tony Suits (new team, new colors), but I think I will still send back my original Bev Suit to get the booties redone. Fourty dollars is a good deal. Some of the spandex looks worse for wear too. I like my Bev Suit colors and it is my fast (nylon-front) jumpsuit for flying in the base of big-ways. Thanks for all the advice!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lauraliscious 0 #23 September 30, 2009 Has anyone tried Tony's Multi suit for RW? I'm on the verge of ordering the 4-way pants to go with my camera jacket (because I really want booties to film AFF videos...I just fly so much better with booties! ). Not sure yet if I want to order the big way jacket so I can do RW with the Multisuit. I have a perfectly good Bev Suit, but I could use another RW suit with a slower fall rate..... Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #24 October 1, 2009 completely NOT a fan of the concept - but if it can be pulled off, I'd think Tony could find a way if you want to freefly - use a freefly suit if you want to RW - use a RW suit if you want to camera - etc etc piece parts suits are for people that don't commit ... 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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HSPScott 0 #25 October 1, 2009 "completely NOT a fan of the concept - but if it can be pulled off, I'd think Tony could find a way if you want to freefly - use a freefly suit if you want to RW - use a RW suit if you want to camera - etc etc piece parts suits are for people that don't commit" I have two different camera jackets and five different pants options. How is that not committing?? Different tools for different jobs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
