Fitted vs Baggy Freefly suits

[jsfreefly76 0]

I've got a question about freefly suits for all the freefliers in the house. I know that when learning to freefly I was always told that baggy suits were needed to slow down your fallrates and for stability.

As the sport has progressed, the majority of freefliers I see with experience in the sky are wearing tighter fitting suits. What does anyone out there think about someone about 185lbs and is 6'1. I've always had baggy suits, but it appears that the norm has changed.

Does a tighter suit give the flyer a better feel of one's air?

[Conquest150 0]

dont take this for granted but this is what i believe on that topic. i think you should get a suit that benefits your fall rate. if you have a fast fall rate get a baggy suit and if you have a slow one get a not so baggy suit. i jump with a not so baggy suit because im a smaller guy and dont have a fast fall rate. the

[ianmdrennan 2]

Baggier suits don't necessarily mean slower fall rates. The more drag the harder it is to get your legs wide enough to control fallrate nicely. My next suit, I'm tightening the legs up a bit.

Blue skies
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[Yoshi 0]

also you can have a super baggy, but thin single layer jumpsuite that falls much faster than a tighter tripple layered thick material suit on the same person/orientation...

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this space for rent.

[AggieDave 6]

Yeah, my FMC is very VERY baggy, to help me slow down, its also has the legs and arms made out of a really heavy cotton, to help. My next suit will be much leaner, but with multipul layers of fabric. On the upside, this suit kicks ass for doing tandems in, it has drag in all the right places.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

Baggier suits don't necessarily mean slower fall rates. The more drag the harder it is to get your legs wide enough to control fallrate nicely.

EXACTLY.

A "loose fit, can be used for the REALLY heavy boys and a tight fit for the lightweights, but using the RW suits of the 80's is over.

(I've worked for 2 jumpsuit manufacturers now if that makes a difference.....)

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[AggieDave 6]

You know, I've always wanted to get my hands on one of those old "Balloon suits" from the '70s to use as a fun FF suit, just for the hell of it...that's what the FF suits from the past few years remind me of, including mine.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[freeflybella 0]

As with everything in life, don't follow 'fashion' !!
I remember 8 years ago - one of the World Champion Freefliers telling me that the ghetto-style massive baggy suits are the way 'everyone's' going!

Are you huge and learning to freefly?
Are you huge and moderately/masterfully skilled?

Are you small and blazing fast?
Are you small and floaty?

Are you strong and do yoga?
Are you noodle-muscled and just trying to hang with the guys?

Do you jump with tiny people?
Do you jump with comparatively sized people?

Are you on a dedicated team and trying to work within median fallrates?

These are things to consider when fitting your jumpsuit.

Get advice from 'experienced' people who know you - after you've explained your general freefly goals.
Then expect to get a new suit again in a year or two!

Action expresses priority. - Mahatma Ghandi

[fedykin 0]

i was confused on the issue for sometime and fell into the super tight gimp suits commonly worn in europe and this is my now somewhat more enlightened opinion

for most people a fairly baggy(in correct drag zones) is the best bet, it keeps your speed curve more moderate and makes it less work to stay with the super slow and less force on your legs and arms while your holding an angle(head up/down)

you should probably only go to tighter suits if you are really tunned into your teamates speed curve and want to speed up your moves(transitions etc...) or if your doing alot of ad chalenge type stuff to stop you from floating on your transitions... in the summer i fly with just a t-shirt and shorts, and i honestly find my 360's and cartwheels are noticably faster, though my legs and arms do ache when im flying with someone who's slow or is wearing a suit. it is a little harder to fly without drag

find a happy medium that relates sensibly to what your doing and ability and aims

bla bla bla

michigan suits seem pretty good on the loose fit option

[jsfreefly76 0]

***Baggier suits don't necessarily mean slower fall rates. The more drag the harder it is to get your legs wide enough to control fallrate nicely.

So for somebody my size, it's not necessary to have a freefly suit that large enough for me and a small supermodel. Which is about what I'm flying now. I used to fly in just freefly pants and long sleeve t's, but during the winter months I needed my suit. I want something that is year round.

[ianmdrennan 2]

I think one of the best things you could do is call a reputable manufacturer and explain your needs for freeflying. They'll be able to tell you how freefly suits are changing and what would be best suited for your flying needs.

I'm with JP on this one, I don't believe "baggier is better" and personally think tighter suits are often a better choice (Material can make a difference). Take a look at Alchemy, Dave Brown, etc. All their suits have tightened up a LOT and I'd expect over the years to see them tighten up more. Same progression as RW went through.

Time will tell though

Blue skies
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[rocketdog 0]

here's my inexperienced guess:

fly your body, not the suit

see the world! http://gorocketdog.blogspot.com

[jsfreefly76 0]

Yeah I've seen the suits that the Alchemy and Dave are wearing and many others that are out there. This is one of the reasons I decided to get some input.

I appreciate all of the input. I do believe I'm gonna tighten up a little bit, because it creates a challenge when transitioning and I believe it will give me a better chance to fly my body.

[grega 0]

I don't think the tighter suits are popular among experienced freefliers because of the fallrate.
Someone mentioned it's easier to spread up your legs with tighter suit. that's also true, but the main reason i think is the smoothnes of flying.

When you really get the feel for freeflying, you can feel that baggy suit rocks and shakes you quite a bit in the air though you don't move a bit. the fabric that flaps all over the place is the reason for that. when you have a tighter suit, it's smooth. it's not shaky any more. when you move your hand or leg, you don't have to force it to be there, the suit won't drag it away and shake it.
i noticed that when videoing a 4-way. i used to fly my moderately baggy freefly suit, because it's easier to slow down if needed. But my flying and the team got better, so i started flying in closer proximity with wide angle lens. Then i noticed that the shaking of the suit is quite disturbing. i tried my RW suit (which is tight) and it's so much better/smoother.
So my guess is smoothnes is the reason. but you need skills to fly a tighter suit, because suit won't help you a bit, whether you're tall, short, heavy, light,... you have to use your own body to fly...

"George just lucky i guess!"