Freefly Suit doing RW

[propilot 0]

I'm a lowtime jumper planning on eventually doing mostly tandem videos and freeflying. I want to also get some basic RW skills to round out my flying ability. I don't want to buy a 3rd suit (Camera, FF, RW).

Is there any problem with using a freefly suit with flat grippers on RW jumps?

I got on a load recently with just a regular FF suit and people freaked that I didn't have any grippers. At my older small dropzone no one cared but at the turbine DZ it was like I slapped them in the face. They couldn't believe I would get on a RW load without an RW jumpsuit.

I'm in the market for a new FF suit and am wondering if having flat grippers would be good enough for most people.

I plan on working on just freefly and camera for a good while but want to eventually get some 4 way belly experience just to be more well rounded. Will a freefly suit with flat grippers be ok for this?


Thanks

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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I'm a lowtime jumper planning on eventually doing mostly tandem videos and freeflying. I want to also get some basic RW skills to round out my flying ability. I don't want to buy a 3rd suit (Camera, FF, RW).

Is there any problem with using a freefly suit with flat grippers on RW jumps?

Sometimes. Many people need more drag for popular fall rates in vertical positions than flat and compensating for the extra drag can put you too far from a neutral position to have range left over.

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I plan on working on just freefly and camera for a good while but want to eventually get some 4 way belly experience just to be more well rounded. Will a freefly suit with flat grippers be ok for this?

Depends on how tight it is, the material it's made of, how much you weigh, how flexible you are, aerodynamic belly enhancements from a few too many six packs...

[AndyBoyd 0]

Like Drew says, you may be able to get away with it depending on certain variables. I've been on RW loads with people in FF suits and they were fine. But the baggier the suit, the harder it is to avoid getting floaty. And the lack of grippers is a real problem. Most FF suits I've seen have no grippers, or they have some crappy little flat grippers that are hard to find and grip. Buy a RW suit. You don't have to buy a new one. Look around for a used one that fits OK. You'll have an easier time learning RW with the right suit.

[Ron 7]

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Is there any problem with using a freefly suit with flat grippers on RW jumps?

Can you use a wrench as a hammer? Yes, but expect it to be a bunch more difficult when you use one tool for another function it was not designed for.

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I plan on working on just freefly and camera for a good while but want to eventually get some 4 way belly experience just to be more well rounded. Will a freefly suit with flat grippers be ok for this?

This would totally depend on the group, your suit, and your skills. For example, at 2010 nationals we had Melissa Nelson on our 10 way team... One of the Worlds best freefliers... She wore an RW suit for the RW jumps.

You CAN wear a FF suit on an RW jump.... As long as fall rate and lack of grips are not going to be a problem.

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I got on a load recently with just a regular FF suit and people freaked that I didn't have any grippers. At my older small dropzone no one cared but at the turbine DZ it was like I slapped them in the face. They couldn't believe I would get on a RW load without an RW jumpsuit.

If you were doing a FF jump and a guy walked up with an RW suit on.... What would you think?

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[propilot 0]

Okay thanks for the replies.

[Skydivesg 6]

When you show up to a dirt dive with a FF suit you are saying to all on the dive that you are not serious about horizontal formation skydiving.

Instead you want to make the jump just so you can "be more well rounded" (your words).

So you are asking everyone to pony up jump tickets so you can get better at your horizontal skills even though you would actually prefer to be free flying (so much so that you don't want to waist money on a HFS suit).

"What you are speaks so load I can't hear what you're saying."

Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

[rehmwa 2]

Sounds to me like he's interested in RW and all the disciplines, but he's been so brainwashed by the FF-Only crowd that he can't admit it publicly.

To the OP - Have fun in jumping - enjoy all the disciplines and take them seriously enough to dress for success. There are plenty of one-discipline-wonders out there and they are stifling their progression by refusing to be well rounded. Your FF will help your belly, and your belly work will make you a better FFer - it's all just pushing air.

But don't do something half assed unless you want to jump the rest of your career with those that also just jump half assed. Those that can really help you get better won't waste their time on you if you look like you just showed up for a boogie style air bath.

(BTW - a true freeflier flies head down, head up, back AND belly. Freefly means all orientations - not just sit, not just HD)

...
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

[livendive 8]

It depends on what kind of RW you want to do. If you're just talking about occasional pickup groups, turn a few points at the end of the day kind of stuff, a FF suit can be fine (assuming fall rate compatability). If you're interested in something a bit more polished, yeah, a purpose-built suit will help. Personally I dress for the folks I'm jumping with. If it's some anal-retentive types, I'll put on booties. If it's folks just interested in one more laugh before an end of the day beer, I'll wear my FF pants and a T-shirt. If it's just me and my fiance, it's whatever I'm wearing at the time.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[Rstanley0312 0]

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Sounds to me like he's interested in RW and all the disciplines, but he's been so brainwashed by the FF-Only crowd that he can't admit it publicly.

To the OP - Have fun in jumping - enjoy all the disciplines and take them seriously enough to dress for success. There are plenty of one-discipline-wonders out there and they are stifling their progression by refusing to be well rounded. Your FF will help your belly, and your belly work will make you a better FFer - it's all just pushing air.

But don't do something half assed unless you want to jump the rest of your career with those that also just jump half assed. Those that can really help you get better won't waste their time on you if you look like you just showed up for a boogie style air bath.

(BTW - a true freeflier flies head down, head up, back AND belly. Freefly means all orientations - not just sit, not just HD)

The last bit you added is exactly what I was going to say.... I do 4 way and 8 way all of the time in my freefly suit and there is no problem at all with it & I don't have grippers. One of my coaches told me as a person that chose freefly that I should fly in my freefly suit on most jumps including RW jumps. It sounds like the OP is pretty much doing pick up jumps so I do not think they should have to buy an RW suit... that's stupid if you ask me. On the other hand if the OP wants to start doing some serious 4 way with some solid fliers then I would say have the RW suit. I have one and that is the only time I put it on is when I am jumping with hard core RW jumpers going for some tough points or a lot of them. Just my $0.02 but if the OP has made a choice to freefly I would suggest what my coach told me.... learn to fly in that suit! Honestly, there is no reason a person cannot do some great four way with a FF suit unless the skill is not there and in that case I do not think an RW suit will make that much difference.... a little but not a ton.

Life is all about ass....either you're kicking it, kissing it, working it off, or trying to get a piece of it.
Muff Brother #4382 Dudeist Skydiver #000
www.fundraiseadventure.com

[rehmwa 2]

Ok - as long as you don't mind me showing up for sitfly with you wearing my camera jacket

...
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