How Skydive Jumpsuits Affect Your Fall Rate
Skydive jumpsuits are different things to different people. Some see jumpsuits as a pretty cool fashion accessory. Others see them as a necessary piece of sports equipment. When you’re first investing in skydiving gear, you’ll probably be looking for something like a freefly suit. It’s one of the best options to go for while you’re still getting used to the sport. And it will do the job perfectly well until you choose to specialise. When that day comes, one of the most important things to consider with your choice of skydive jumpsuit is the way it affects your fall rate.
Skydive jumpsuits need to be built for action. They need to be sturdy and strong and constructed from quality, hard wearing materials. Colour and style are a matter of personal taste. But the overall fit of the jumpsuit will have the biggest effect on your fall rate. You need to select a suit that is just right for you – and by that I mean right for your size as well as your level of experience.
So how exactly does the fit of your skydive jumpsuit connect with your experience level and your fall rate? It’s all to do with how different we all are. Human beings come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, proportions, lengths and weights. All this affects our terminal velocity or fall rate. If you’re a long skinny person who doesn’t weigh much, you’ll fall more slowly than a short and stocky person or a tall and heavy person. It’s a bit like those science experiments we all did back in our school days. The feather will fall from the roof more slowly than the cricket ball. It’s all about surface area in proportion to weight.
To make the most of each skydiving experience, I’m picking that you want to stay up there and enjoy the view for a while. You’re also probably quite keen on hanging around up there with your mates – and they may all be different sizes and shapes. So, to match your fall rates, you can adjust your surface area by rolling up or spreading out. The rest is a matter of adding weights to your suit and having a tailor made suit that gives you the fall rate you desire. Things to consider are the type of fabric, how tight the suit is and the addition of flares that affect your drag.
Some skydivers have a whole wardrobe full of skydiving gear for different disciplines, but it’s not really necessary unless you have plenty of money to splash around. If you think about it, you’ll be able to save a lot of money by being versatile with your skydiving equipment. If you look for a suit that can perform a range of different functions – including the possibility of going for a jacket and pants combo – you will be able to have some money for some of your other passions.
