bev suit questions

[zekeallmon 0]

Hello all, looking to order my first suit for belly flying. Im a big guy 6'7'' 240, and I fall faster. Just switched to mantis and that has helped alot.

question is, there are several options for wings, I fall around 130+ when im in my normal arch. Which should I go with?

1) Wing, 3 or 4 inch
2) Retractable wing (includes swoop cords)
3) swoop cords $10
4) Continuous swoop cords $30.00


Another question, does anybody know what the majik condura bootie modification is?

Last, what is tape color? Is that like where some of the seams are sewn together? There are options for two stripes, two stripes with pin, and 5 stripes.

Thanks to any / all for your help and suggestions.

[excaza 1]

How many jumps do you have and how baggy were the suits you've been jumping?

The only reason i ask is because 130+ for your size isn't absurdly quick and wings could possibly be overkill. I'm no expert by any means, but I've been frustrated (probably even overly so) with my fall rate and I've made a significant dent just by working on body position. At 6'7" you've got a lot of surface area.

Like I said, not an expert, just some food for thought. I don't have any experience with wings/cords, so I'll defer to those with more experience than I.

[davelepka 4]

Call the company, tell them your story, answer their questions, and see what they say. They're the experts on suits and their options, let them do their job and go right to the source.

[zekeallmon 0]

Hey! I appreciate the response! I have 93 right now, and the only suits I can fit into are the drop zones, and are very baggy.

When i switched to mantis (only 10 jumps ago) and really work at slowing down in these baggy suits, I can slow down to around 115, that said I know I can always improve in body position, and I definitely dont want to do too much .

I was interested in the retractable wing, but just not sure what exactly that was.

[davelepka 4]

Quote

When i switched to mantis (only 10 jumps ago) and really work at slowing down in these baggy suits, I can slow down to around 115, that said I know I can always improve in body position, and I definitely dont want to do too much .

Keep in mind that there are certain physical limitations at work. You're a bigger guy, and some people are much smaller and lighter.

Even if you can get to 115, can you fly and manuver at that speed, or are you 'stuck' just trying to hold that speed? You need to have some 'room to move' while going a more 'normal' speed, meaning that you can manuver with the formation, take grips, and stay in your slot.

Just like the little girls need to work on body position AND wear weights, the big guys need to have good body position AND get a suit to help put them in the right range.

[zekeallmon 0]

Dave, thank you so much. To answer your question, at my current skillset I feel "stuck" when I have to get to be that slow, forward movements arent too bad, backing up I have problems with. I feel like I have come a long way in the past 50 jumps in being able to slow down. I used to just fall like a rock past everybody, and just wave bye bye.

Now with the baggy suits/ mantis combo I can at least match fall rates. I definitely want some room to move like you said. I did contact bevsuits, and they are helpful, but just wanted some help from jumpers like yourself that have been there done that. So again, I appreciate it.

[BKS60 0]

Have about half your jump numbers so obviously I have no response to your questions. Just thought it was funny that you went to mantis to slow down. I'm 6'5 and a little over 230 and my normal fall rate was a little on the slow end so started using mantis to speed up.
Guess everyone's own natural body position is just different.
I have been thinking about a Bev suit but plan on waiting for my experience level to grow to allow for a better long term fit.

"You don't get many warnings in this sport before you get damaged"

[williammonk 0]

Hey Guys,
I'd watch out with the Bev Suits.

Before ordering my comp suit, I called them and asked specifically if the different materials on the suit would match colors. They assured me that they would.

After receiving my suit, this was not the case at all. The cordura was about the color I wanted, the nylon was several shades lighter than the cordura, and the spandex was almost purple.

I ordered an all navy suit, so I can't tell you how other colors look.

One other thing, the Majik stripes on the grippers look... cheap.

I'm not trying to bash BevSuits, but my experience with them was not good. When I spend top dollar on a suit, I expect quality. I didn't find it here.

William.

[DBCOOPER 5]

Guess you didn't look at the samples of the material and colors did you?

Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.

[guppykf 0]

I have a Bev suit with 200 jumps on it and just recently started working on Mantis myself. I know the suit was a little tight on my forearm etc when I was flying boxman, but didnt know how tight until I switch to Mantis. I just busted out one of my booties and ripped the heck out of a seam under my arms. I know I'm strong but I felt like the Hulk

In the mantis position it felt like my neck was going to rip off due the seam across the neck. I will be in the market for a new suit during PIA. BTW I actually have lost weight since the suit purchase. The point of this post is when you get measured pay particular attention that you have enough room to fly in a deep arched position.

Also I have the majik cordura bootie and I havent noticed them being different than a typical bootie. I also have competition grips and the grips inside the leg are super large, which would be great for competition but for the every day jumper it sucks to walk around the DZ with these big grips between your legs.

THRIVING IN MY DASH!!

[ufk22 33]

I bought a Bev suit 3 years ago to replace a 10 year old diverite.
The quality is great, but take care with measurements.
Get the regular comp suit, poly cotton forearms if you want a little more drag there. Get the continuous swoop cords with full spandex across the back and under your upper arms (I'm not sure if this is what she calls retractable wings, as I sent her my old suit to copy).
The majic bootie has a double pleat running from the knee to the toe. It seems to catch a little more air and gives me both more range for fall rate and a slightly better track.
Color tape would be for stripes around the grippers. I like the magic stripe, which is thin and runs the length of the grippers.
Get the regular grippers, the oversize comp grippers are too big.
This is the only suit I use for belly flying, and I can stay with any size AFF student, match fall rate with any size group, and with the swoop cords can stay with Roger P's incredibly slow falling dives.
Again, have someone else measure you, call and get someone ther to go through how you should measure each measurement. A friend got a new suit last summer and had to return it for mods because he got a measurement wrong.
Also, get the loose fit if you jump in a wide range of temps. It give extra room when you add layers.
Talk to Bev. She can give you a lot of good advice.

This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer.

[ChrisD 0]

Hey zekeallmon,
just know that if your not happy the fine folks at Bev land will always be there to help with modifications and assistance if you have any issues!!


Hey williammonk, can you help the guy out?? Why aren't yo answereing the ops' question?

Did you make any attempt at resolving this "problem" with the fine folks at Bev Suits, before posting here???

THIS IS YOUR QUOTE:
"I'm not trying to bash BevSuits, but my experience with them was not good. When I spend top dollar on a suit, I expect quality. I didn't find it here."

If your not trying to "bash BevSuits," then what the fuck are you trying to do?

But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

[williammonk 0]

Sorry for the off-topic discussion.

I called ChrisD out on some stuff on a thread and now he's digging up all my old posts and commenting on them to make me look bad, just check out the gear and rigging section.


Sorry once again for the BS.

William.