sd-slider 0 #1 February 11, 2005 I 'm 6'1" @ 240 w/ 50" chest. Not fat, but really "stocky". I see a lot of folks selling "Big Boy" and "Larger Diver" setups but can't make heads or tails of what brands/styles are best suited for my type of build. When I rent gear @ the DZ, the largest rig they have seems to feel a little snug around the shoulders, legs, etc. Any major diffs' with the articulated vs. fixed setups. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Anvil Brother #69 Sidelined with a 5mm C5-C6 herniated disk... Back2Back slammers and 40yr old fat guys don't mix! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #2 February 11, 2005 Most of the larger rigs you will encounter are formerly student rigs. When you buy used gear that will be the most common thing you will come across. There just are not tha many big people in the sport.. Face it.. the bigger you are.. the faster you fall.. so you have to dress for success( get a good suit with LOTS of surface area.. and heavy material to slow you down.) By all means get the articulated rigs.. much more comfy... and the newer the rig.. obviously the better. All of them boil down to what wingloading .. you as a new jumper are willing to jump. Alot of that depends on what your instructors feel comfortable with. My opinion.. I love my big Infinity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #3 February 11, 2005 Most of the rig mfgs make good versions of their rig in plus sizes, no problem at all. Maybe the only US exception to that is the Voodoo, I think that is not available for big canopy sizes. If you're buying new, you are not limited in your choices at all. edit to add - In my opinion, you should not even bother thinking about getting mini 3-rings. I'm a little lighter than you and there just isn't any good reason for us to use them. Large Infinity's are very nice.People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #4 February 11, 2005 Some of the articles here might be of use to you... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IanHarrop 41 #5 February 11, 2005 There's an ad posted today for a big container. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=18538&d=1"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 5 #6 February 11, 2005 I second the view that most manufacturers can hook you up just fine. Don't make this an agonizing decision. Contact some dealers and manufacturers. It isn't very usefull for an unusual size person to try rigs on and make decisions based on a rig that was built for someone else, so you need to consider features that are attractive to you. Still, having said that, most rigs could be fine for you. I jump an Infinity, and am (regretably) only a few pounds lighter than you, but also a few inches shorter. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #7 February 11, 2005 Quote Not fat, but really "stocky". Quote ....Don't you mean THICK?! Common Slider... show that PIC you showed me last week, the 'old' one when you were ...FAT...not stocky~! By the way~ Congrats on AFF graduation! Welcome to the ZOO Bro! *** ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmartone03 0 #8 February 11, 2005 Hey there....Hey man...I hear yah..Im in the same exact boat as you right now. I have explored some options but they start getting slimmer and slimmer....Anywho, I jusT graduated AFF myself in Deland not too long ago, and Im going for my A in about two weeks at Coolidge in AZ. My instructor set up a rental rig for me, that I can use all the way through the season, which is a good deal for me because we dont have a big enough rig for me a the DZ I want to jump at. Just out of curiousity, how does everyone feel about adjustable main lift webs? I know its off the topic but. just wondering. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 4 #9 February 11, 2005 Adjustable MLW's are fine on rental and student rigs. It's nearly impossible for a smaller DZ to have enough properly-fit harness/containers to fit every body type, so adjustable MLWs are the logical option. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #10 February 11, 2005 Quality is about the same across the top dozen manufacturers. The key is determining which yoke best fits your shoulders. If you order a Javelin, specify a "D" yoke. If ordering a Talon or Racer, specify an "extra large" yoke, etc. After that, it is a simple matter of making the other straps long enough to accommodate your chest, thighs, etc. Hip rings make big guys far more comfortable when stuffed into small airplanes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakflyer9999 1 #11 February 12, 2005 When I started back in the sport last year, I was over 300 lbs. Since that time I've lost over 55 lbs and I'm continuing downwards. I found a cheap used Vector that would hold the canopies I wanted. I then took the rig to Relative Workshop and had them build me a fully adjustable harness. It sounds as though you aren't planning on losing weight, so you should probably have a fixed size harness made to fit you. It cost me $125 for the rig plus $500 for the adjustable harness. I believe that a fixed harness is a couple hundred $ less. I've never jumped an articulated harness, but from what I've seen I don't believe that it would do that much for us big guys. As I said though, I've never jumped one. As someone else has pointed out, get a large jumpsuit with lots of surface area. I've had the best luck with BodySport. They design the wing to give you the freefall rate that you specifiy. Tonysuit also makes a great bigboy suit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velvetjo 0 #12 February 12, 2005 I agree with Rob's comment about hip rings. I'm 6'1" and 240, and my Mirage M6 with hip rings is way more comfortable than the rigs I've jumped without them. I jump mostly from Cessnas, so any additional comfort on the ride up is welcome. Lance Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redramdriver 0 #13 February 12, 2005 I'm 6'1" myself...240 (what I call winter weight) and down to 227 or so in the summer (jump) months. I could not find anything as far as a rig was concerned, used, that would fit me and the canopy that I felt were best for me then. So I ordered a new one made to fit, with articulated harness/hip rings, and the comfort zone soared. Like was said, especially in small or cramped spaces. I have a wings W-27, which is quite large. Have to go with all the others opinion, with my limited jump #'s, there are lots of other stuff around that will work, but maybe a "new" rig is in order. Good Luck. MarkSo, you bring your beer? Its 5 o'clock somewhere POPS #9344 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
70sdiver 0 #14 February 12, 2005 I'm a big jumper also ,if you look theres used rigs out there you may have to buy one and change a chute lol.I bought a javelin j-7 with b-12 snaps i weight 260 at 6 ft when i started back to jumping after leaving the sport in 1981 .I found a used javelin with a falcon 300 and a raven III reserve.I sold the raven III and bought a raven IV reserve added a used cypress and have about 2300.00 in my rig the main and container had 50 jumps.Good luck. I hope to down size in a few months and may have a pd 300 or a falcon 300 for sale as i've been dieting and exerciseing hard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyD 0 #15 February 12, 2005 You were probably using Terry's rig for AFF??? Ask the guys there at SSD. There are some big dudes that jump down there, they will be able to help you out far more than someone that doesn't know you and has never seen you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dropzonefool 0 #16 February 13, 2005 I'm 6'1" myself...240 (what I call winter weight) and down to 227 or so in the summer (jump) months. I could not find anything as far as a rig was concerned, used, that would fit me and the canopy that I felt were best for me then. So I ordered a new one made to fit, with articulated harness/hip rings, and the comfort zone soared. Like was said, especially in small or cramped spaces. I have a wings W-27, which is quite large. Have to go with all the others opinion, with my limited jump #'s, there are lots of other stuff around that will work, but maybe a "new" rig is in order. Good Luck. Mark<<<< ------------------------------------------------------------ Ditto. I'm 6' 230lbs with out gear. I ordered a new wings w-10 the fit is great. The student rigs at my home DZ had a tendency to cut in to my legs, I have pictures of awfull brusing on my inner thigh. The wings is a very comfortable rig to wear. NOTE the cut in laterial option is for rigs that are wider than the back of the person wearing it. In my case with a w-10 I didn't need that option. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sd-slider 0 #17 February 14, 2005 OK! Here it is..."Big Boned" are the words you were looking for right!? BTW....I went from 310 to 230 for the improved pic! Boy to I hate celery!Anvil Brother #69 Sidelined with a 5mm C5-C6 herniated disk... Back2Back slammers and 40yr old fat guys don't mix! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlindBrick 0 #19 February 14, 2005 The Mirage RTS student contianer is really just a G3 with some minor mods to make it more friendly for student operations. If you could get one of those used it would be a very good first rig. It's what I jump. -Blind"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
