I am a human Cannonball

[DJmikeD 0]

OK I am a new AFF student graduate who needs to find a jUmp suit to help with a problem I have. I am 200 Pounds size 34 inch waist and only about 5'6". this translats to me falling at about 150 MPH. I am looking for ideas from everyone in my same situation on what I can do slow myself down in FreeFall to hang with my Friends. I know It will be around 20 more jumps before I can Free Fall with them but I thought I would Get some advice from the pros on things I should look into when Buying a Jump Suit. Any help would be great. The problem was so bad that My instructors had to jump in shorts and a tee shirt to keep up. Thanks guys in advance

"Falling is the easy part, Landing smoothly is the most importent part!
-DJ Mike

[MB38 0]

Have your instructors made any recommendations for you? Perhaps regarding body position or jumpsuit choice?

I really don't know what I'm talking about.

[DJmikeD 0]

really just told me that I should have a suit maid for me. I have good body position, arch, but I am pretty lean and most of the weight is muscle. just looking for some ideas before I talk to one guy about a suit.

"Falling is the easy part, Landing smoothly is the most importent part!
-DJ Mike

[darkwing 5]

You aren't THAT fast. I jump with several guys in your league, and beyond. Sure, you will need a baggy jumpsuit. The details depend on how flexible you are, your arm reach, etc, but you will do fine with a proper suit from any of several manufacturers. Several of us have been very happy with Bev suits, for people of all sizes.

Withmore experience you can be in big demand for hybrid jumps too.
These days many jumpers end up with mroe than one jumpsuit - fast and slow RW suits, FF suits, etc.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[DJmikeD 0]

could you explain what you mean by Hybrid jumps?

thanks

"Falling is the easy part, Landing smoothly is the most importent part!
-DJ Mike

[darkwing 5]

Quote

could you explain what you mean by Hybrid jumps?

Jumps that have freeflyers and belly flyers doing RW together.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[shermanator 4]

this is a hybrid... a kickass one at that..

http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/video/2006.July.html

CLICK HERE! new blog posted 9/21/08
CSA #720

[rwieder 0]

Go Here: Talkt to Chi-Chi

She will custom make you anything you want or need.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[Reginald 0]

Quote

really just told me that I should have a suit maid for me. I have good body position, arch,

I bet you have a nice big AFF arch; that is what you need in AFF for basic stability. Once you get your license or even farther into your coached jumps STOP ARCHING SO MUCH. This is what your coached jumps are for - talk to your coach. That will slow you down a LOT.

Next you aren't particularly heavy, maybe just a tad. A loose fitting jump suit is the second thing you should look at AFTER you work out your body position. It probably does not need to be particularly loose just a little.

You really don't need to be worrying about this so much right now. Get close to getting your license and then see what your speeds are like. 150 sounds like a mistake to me. It might be your high speed on the dive but I doubt it's an average. Even if it is that will change as you learn to fly your body properly.

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

[AndyMan 7]

There's no reason why you can't fall at "normal" speeds, even without a custom made jumpsuit. I'm a LOT heavier than you and have no problems.

Getting a good jumpsuit will help, but your first priority should be to ask this question to your instructors. As you do more jumps and get more comfortable you'll be learning new ways to fly your body that won't focus on arching so much.

The key part here is to work with your instructor - that's what they're here for.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[DJmikeD 0]

Thanks guys I really appriciate the help. I do have a big arch that I will work on as I get more and more stable in the air. my instructors were about the same weight as I and they were Diving with their arms to their chest trying to keep up with me on the final jumps. I wish there was a jump tunnel in sacramento that I could have some fun in.

"Falling is the easy part, Landing smoothly is the most importent part!
-DJ Mike

[riggerrob 643]

When you order a jumpsuit, start with "big, baggy, loose-fitting, double layer cotton, etc."

Booties will increase surface area too, but are more hassle than they are worth for juniors.

Also order swoop cords. Don't connect them for your fist twenty-or-so jumps in the suit, but sooner or later you will want swoop cords.

[Remster 30]

Quote

Booties will increase surface area too, but are more hassle than they are worth for juniors.

I dunno about that. I'd tell any one getting a RW jumpsuit once they have their AFF or A to get booties. You need to learn how to fly them, might as well be now. Besides, there's a couple of months in between ordering it and getting it.

Remster

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

I dunno about that. I'd tell any one getting a RW jumpsuit once they have their AFF or A to get booties. You need to learn how to fly them, might as well be now. Besides, there's a couple of months in between ordering it and getting it.

Square parachutes were more of a hassle than they were worth for juniors at one point too. The sport has evolved, there's no reason why a jumper shouldn't get a jumpsuit with booties for their first jumpsuit off of student training. If they end up having problems with the booties, they can fold them up and tape them down while they get some more RW coaching for their body position. That's better then buying a jumpsuit then having to buy another jumpsuit in less than a year.

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

[fireemt97 0]

Hey Mike, This is Mark, I think I met you Sunday at the dropzone. I only have 43 jumps and I can tell you it will get easier and easier to control your fall rate. I'm fairly heavy also and had a problem at the beginning. Now between me adjusting my rate and who ever I jump with doing the same, I can jump with people that weigh significantly less then me. I also jump with s suit that is a little baggy to help.

SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP

[DJmikeD 0]

hey mark that was me at the drop zone on Sunday, I will look into the a baggy suit to help. I think the hardest part about being a new guy is taking the time to figure out just what you need to begin with so that you do not make any costly mistakes when it comes to buying gear. I would hate to spend 3000 on a rig and have to spend another 5000 on a rig that is new to get what I want. what does everyone here think about just spending the money to have a rig that is a few sizes to small for me and custom maid. Then I would rent gear to graduly downsize to what my cutsom rig is. I am not thinking anything crazy but a rig that can hold a 210 for me to jump in a few months. Right now I am at a 280 Main.

"Falling is the easy part, Landing smoothly is the most importent part!
-DJ Mike

[kelpdiver 2]

you'll likely be fine on that 210 by then. Once you're ok with the 230s, Actionair has (had?) a nice fusion 230 rig that I used at 20lb over your weight.

Given the time lag, go order that suit soon, be it a Flitesuit or a different brand.

[fireemt97 0]

They still have that 230 fusion, I jumped it this past Sunday. They also have a silhouette 230 (hopefully I spelled that right) that flyes great.

SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP

[DJmikeD 0]

I think that I am going to to a couple more jumps with the 280 by myslef and work my way down to try out that 230 at the Drop Zone. I did use a 240 but winds were at about 14 MPH so If i did not ask to be brought down in size I would have Been blown to San Francisco. That was another fun ride that day with the wind and a 240 canopy I was staying in one spot all the way down going into the wind. It was probly the softest landing I have done to date.

"Falling is the easy part, Landing smoothly is the most importent part!
-DJ Mike

[azdiver 0]

if your thinking about buy a rig and then renting untill then check out if they have a rental agreement/ purchase
my dz has a program that if you buy a rig from them you can pay 99 a month towards the rig and u get free rentals until your rig comes in and you can pay it off, you get free rentals for 12 month i think

light travels faster than sound, that's why some people appear to be bright until you hear them speak

[jannas 0]

Get one of theese

http://storage.headdown.net//ff2004/archmaster.mov