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skydivingdutch

Buying a first suit - what is the best option here?

By skydivingdutch, in Wing Suit Flying

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skydivingdutch    0

skydivingdutch
So I am ready to buy my first wing suit.

I have made 5 jumps on a wingsuit so far. The first two were done with my friend's GTI, followed by some coaching & practice on an old Classic, and finally a fun jump ( + an almost-off-dz landing) on a new Classic II.

I didn't get amazing performance on any of those flights obviously but I did ok. My coach said besides more experience the only thing he wanted to see quick improvement on was opening (keep leg wing closed!).

I was planning on getting a new GTI, however I came noticed that Phoenix-Fly is now selling the Phantom soon, and some more browsing in this forum revealed the GS1 & Phi.

I am not sure that I would want a GS1 or Phi as a first suit since I am not sure what performance level they are directed at, but the Phantom seems cool...

So here's the choice:
-GTI
-wait for Phatom
-GS1?
-Phi?
-Other maybe?

Thoughts / questions / answers welcome.

PS: bird-man should definately make the T-shirt on the orderform free with the purchase of new suit :)

http://dropman.com

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Tonto    1

Tonto
Well...

What are the other people at your DZ jumping? Unless you plan to be (and remain) a solo bird, flocking should be quite important to you.

You can count out the Vampire, S3 and S3-S for now. No one really knows where the Phi will peg, performance wise. The PF Prodigy looks OK, but seems aimed at the clostrophobic.. I wouldn't buy a new Classic as they're now almost exclusively demo suits to get people going.

I'd say the S-fly may be an option, Matter, GTi, PHi.

Oh. And you do get a free shirt with a Birdman suit. You only pay for additional shirts.;)

t
It's the year of the Pig.

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iXic    0

iXic
I agree with you...Prodigy is for "clostrophobics"! That's why I fly one :P. I was interested in WS flying from the beginning but obviously lacking those two dangling things between my legs ;). And ever since I tried this zipper free (phobic-free) suit, I'm in love :$!!! And starting (to think about) to work out my poor muscular upper part in order to be able to try and maybe even fly a "real" wingsuit one day!

But as you guys are more tough, you'll probably aim into the area of GTi or Phantom. I suggest that before the purchase you try them both out! There's a lot of demos out there (also from the Phantom I think), so you can decide based on the feeling and not the opinion of others (trying only one suit)...

Wish you all long and safe flights...from the "all-kinds-of-phobic" chick! B|

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Costyn    0

Costyn
As I understand it, the PF Prodigy is somewhat like the Classic: to get people going and learn the basics of wingsuit flight.

If I were you I would get some more jumps on a Classic (or Prodigy) and eventually buy a Phantom.

I've seen it fly this weekend (I didn't have a chance this weekend to try it out), and I think fits the slot between the Prodigy and the Vampire perfectly, in terms of difficulty and performance. Certainly its probably the best for flocking (considering James was using the Phantom, not the Vampire for our flocking dives).

Oh well, this is just my opinion based on my impressions and what I've heard; don't take my word for it. There's people on this forum with a lot more experience than I. I think I'm gonna be getting a Phantom when it comes out, especially for the flocking, and from what I've seen, it can stay up for ever too, if flown right. B|

Cheers
Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

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leroydb    0

leroydb
smile...

I have been thinking about getting this suit for that reason also. Even though I have a S3, I would like to use this suit as a stepping stone.

NOW, Unless, the GS1 proves to be easy to BASE...

I say all of this now, but I will be waiting until I get 70+ more BASE jumps before I consider actually wingsuit BASE....

Le Roy
Leroy


..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio...

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TomAiello    25

TomAiello
Quote

prodigy... it has sweet BASE pontential also...



More to the point of this discussion, the Prodigy will likely also be in much greater demand on the second hand market than other "beginner" suits, because it will still have a use for "advanced" jumps--BASE jumps with near-object openings.

So, back to the original question, the Prodigy would be a good choice because it will be easier to sell it when you "trade up" to a higher performance suit.
-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

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TomAiello    25

TomAiello
I am confused as to why you are condsidering GS1 but not V-1, MTR (what are they on now, MTR3?) or S3s? It seems like if you are considering one high end suit you ought to consider the others?

For a first suit, I'd leave those out of the running, and go with Prodigy, GTi, Classic or Phantom.

Eliminating the Phantom (as it's not yet for sale), and the Classic (low resale value and not as much performance), that leaves Prodigy or GTi.

If you are planning on flying this suit for a long time, and doing mostly airplane jumps, or if you can find a used one for cheap, I'd go with GTi. Good intermediate performance, you won't have to worry so much about post-opening control issues, and better availability in used suits.

If you are planning on trading up to a high end suit (like those listed in the first paragraph) relatively soon, I'd go with the Prodigy. Good secondhand demand (for better resale), better controllability immediately post-opening, easier to put on and use, and still plenty of performance for your first 50 or 100 flights.

One other thought: If you have any intention of BASE jumping with the suit, get the Prodigy for sure. Those comfort and ease of use issues quickly become safety issues when you are two seconds from an object strike.
-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

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cateT    0

cateT
Regardless of our commitment to performance and design aesthetics - SAFETY is the bedrock of ALL our design decisions.

and this is what Jules - who tests our suits had to say to the same question the other day:

"Hello all, jules b here,

It's quite simple.
I have about 6 prototypes, all with the deep deflectors at the back. I have no problems at pull time. If the suit is made for YOU, and you tell us what size canopies you are jumping, it gets made to order.
don't freak out people, it's all good.
Fly nice everyone and dont forget to breathe."

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GeordieSkydiver    0

GeordieSkydiver
Quote

If you are planning on flying this suit for a long time, and doing mostly airplane jumps, or if you can find a used one for cheap, I'd go with GTi. Good intermediate performance, you won't have to worry so much about post-opening control issues, and better availability in used suits.



Would you care to expand on this reason a little Tom?

I'm planning on jumping a GTi (borrowed) for my first WS jumps.
Lee _______________________________

In a world full of people, only some want to fly, is that not crazy?
http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

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TomAiello    25

TomAiello
Quote

Quote

If you are planning on flying this suit for a long time, and doing mostly airplane jumps, or if you can find a used one for cheap, I'd go with GTi. Good intermediate performance, you won't have to worry so much about post-opening control issues, and better availability in used suits.



Would you care to expand on this reason a little Tom?

I'm planning on jumping a GTi (borrowed) for my first WS jumps.



On a jump from an aircraft with good clearance (i.e. not a big flock, or flocking with people with good experience and a clear break off plan) establishing immediate control of your parachute is not as a critical a safety issue as it is when, say, opening in the immediate proximity of a solid object.

In other words, you, the jumper, don't have to worry so much about it taking a little longer to take control of your canopy, so you can afford the time necessary to open zippers, cut wings away, or whatever you want to do.

Note that I'm talking here about the difference between taking 3 seconds to get free of the suit before controlling the canopy and taking no time at all. On a normal skydive, the 3 seconds just isn't going to make much difference.

You'll be fine with the borrowed GTi. :)
-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

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skydivingdutch    0

skydivingdutch
So it has come down to a GTI or Phantom. Is the Phantom going to be worth the wait? They won't start till August and with the initial rush of orders i am thinking 8 weeks minimum, not to mention that there is no sales rep in my area (SDAZ Eloy), I dont really trust myself to take accurate measurements.
But the Phantom is so cool, seems like more bang for the buck.

http://dropman.com

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Helmut    0

Helmut
Why dont you just give Rob and Kathy a call at Morpheus [/url]www.baserigs.com[url] and ask them about how many suits are currently in the pipeline. Might be worth the wait if you have the cash I am sure our friend Robi won't let you down the phantom and acro are going to be great suits. Just look at what he has hit the market with in the last 6 months or so.

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The111    0

The111
Quote


Quote

I dont really trust myself to take accurate measurements.



Then have someone that is farmiliar with measuring RW jump suits. ;)



When I wanted measurements for my S3, I didn't trust myself a whole lot, but I wasn't sure who else to trust either. I got two different people to measure me, then compared all the numbers. They were mostly very close, and I always took the larger one, but there was one number that differed by close to 6 inches. I took that measurement myself and found I was very close to the larger of the 2 numbers. So if it weren't for my anal retentive paranoia, I could have had a suit that was WAY too tight in the ass! :D

On the Bird-man order form there are explanations of precisely how to make each measurement. I recommend understanding those measurements yourself, and even taking them and comparing them to the measurements of a pro... if you really want a great fitting suit like I got! B|
www.WingsuitPhotos.com

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TomAiello    25

TomAiello
Quote

So it has come down to a GTI or Phantom. Is the Phantom going to be worth the wait?



If it were me, I'd wait for the Phantom. Part of that might be a desire for the latest-greatest, though. And to be fair, part of it is definitely because I like Robert and want to see his company be a resounding success. He really impressed me once (when he was part of Birdman) when someone asked him why he didn't just hire more workers to cut delivery times and he answered something like "well, when you hire people they trust you to look out for them, so I don't want to hire more people unless I know I'll be able to keep providing work for them in the long term."


UncleCharlie, can you give us an estimate as to when the pre-ordered Phantoms will be delivered?
-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

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