Chrisky 0 #1 July 8, 2008 Hey folks, well here I am with a little money burning me a hole in my pocket as I can't jump for the next 4 weeks. I'm tunnelflying more or less regularly and my old freefly suit has grown a bit large and worn during the past 4 years... Now I'm looking for a new suit to wear in both the tunnel and the sky. Some manufacturers have started creating suits using Cordura along with or instead of Heavy/Poly Cotton, some even integrate Zero-P as I've heard. As european manufacturers don't seem to like the idea of offering many design options other than what they think their suits should look like, I'm looking for manufacturers in the US (comes in handy with the EUR/USD rate as well). I've looked at Sonic, Matter and Boogieman. I like the design option for the Sonic Classic, but they dont do tie-dye. Boogieman would use tie-dye if supplied with (where could I get it?). Matter is out of the race (too pricey for the options, dont like the design). So; What brand suits are you north americans flying in the tunnel and how satisfied with the options are you? What materials are being used? Do you use the same suit for tunnel and freefly?The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base698 20 #2 July 8, 2008 It really depends on how the fast the tunnel you are flying in is. If it's a super fast tunnel it's going to blow any suit out pretty fast and in that case you can use it for both. If it's a slower tunnel you might want the ZP for extra lift. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #3 July 8, 2008 Call Firefly up or e-mail them about their tunnel suit. I've owned one for awhile now and it's holding up very well after several hundred hours of tunnel use. It's also the same suit used by the Tunnel instructors at the tunnel I fly in. I don't know if Firefly does tie-dye or not but you can have the suit built to fit your flying style. Don't know what your budget is but the firefly tunnel suit is not cheap(compared to some FF suits) but it is bomb proof and worth it IMO if you're going to spend a lot of time in the tunnel. I'd also add that you will probably see a big difference not only in price but durability between a suit made for FFing and one specifically made for the tunnel."It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Itchy 0 #4 July 8, 2008 thats true to a certain extent... the type of suit depends on the speed of the tunnel, however, most types of tunnels you can get away with flying a re-enforced skydiving suit or a baggy suit... My preference as far as style goes are the Liquid Sky suits, Julio has done many new things to the suits and offers great options as well, let him know its gonna be a suit for tunnel flying as well as skydiving and he can give you the break down of how his suits are manufactured to meet your needs. http://www.liquidskysports.com/Life is all about experiences... Luck, is when opportunity and preparation meet... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #5 July 8, 2008 I've got near 500 hours and 500 jumps on a Bomber Freefly suit from FliteSuit. I had reinforced knees and a full length zipper cover added, and it's got plenty of life left in it.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
humanflite 0 #6 July 8, 2008 Quote I've got near 500 hours and 500 jumps on a Bomber Freefly suit from FliteSuit. I had reinforced knees and a full length zipper cover added, and it's got plenty of life left in it. 500 hours?? Holy sh*t Thats like a luxury house at UK rates (tunnel and houses) 20 days solid in the tunnel?! Do you work there or something? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #7 July 9, 2008 QuoteCall Firefly up or e-mail them about their tunnel suit.. ordered pair of shorts last September - no shorts, no responses to e-mail but I like the patterns and the construction quite a bit ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #8 July 9, 2008 Used to.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
djd 0 #9 July 9, 2008 Hiya Christian. Have a look at Vertical suits http://www.verticalsuits.com/ They are a Canadian company, I work at Bodyflight in England, one of our guys just brought a suit from them, i now know 3 more staff that are going to get them, which is proof enough lol getting tunnel instructors to spend money on a suit is near on impossible Very well made with lots of options, with the exchange rate as good as it is they are extreamly good value. If you want to get in on our order contact me and you can get in on our discount too... Dave.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefalljenn 0 #10 July 9, 2008 My teammate and I have Freak N Suits. This is my 2nd Freak N Suit and her first. We LOVE them. Angela (who makes the suits) has treated me so well and really worked well with getting me the exact suit that I want with both suits. I feel like I got an awesome deal on the suits and they have been holding up really well in the tunnel. But, the drag of the suit has to vary depending on which tunnel you will be flying in and what type of flying you will be doing. I.E. My first suits, which was built to be used in the sky and at SkyVenture Orlando is NOT the best suit for XP because it has WAY too much drag, especially on the arms. But, my new suit, which was built for freeflying in faster air makes freeflying in Orlando challenging, even when topped out. I hope this helps. Please PM me if you want more information about Freak N Suits or if you want to order one.jenn Tunnel Junkie Since November 2005! ;o)~ TPM #46 Paraclete XP TPM Delegate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jwynne 0 #11 July 9, 2008 I would agree with the strong recomendation for vertical suits.I just purchased a suit from them. I had lots of questions and Vlady was very helpful. Promised to deliver in 6 weeks and I got it in 4. Excellent quality. My comment on the tie dye fabric - if you want ZP or high drag for a slower tunnel, you have fewer fabric choices. Let them know what you want and they will work with you. Janna Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chrisky 0 #12 July 10, 2008 Hey everybody, thanks for your feedback. I've been flying at the Airkix SkyVenture tunnel so far (and will again), which is a 1000 hp tunnel. Come winter I'll be flying in a 2000hp tunnel. A bit of added drag for either tunnel or outside flying will not hurt, as I'm around 80 kilos on a 1.8m body... Fast is not the problem! My current suit is a Freak'n'Suit and it's holding up ok, but the fit has changed in the past 5 years, both by the suit wearing out a bit and me starting climbing regularly. I will send my design to the different suit makers and see what they'll say; [inline Suit_Wish1.jpg] The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #13 August 14, 2008 More good things to say about vertical suits. Last year Vladi made me a pair of free fly pants out of light-weight light, poly cotton fabric. They survived a rough season of tandems with only one small hole. This spring he sewed me a two-piece suit made of grey poly cotton, with 1000 denier Cordura on knees, butt, stripes, etc. No noticeable wear to date. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
