How to Choose the Right Skydiving Suit
An in-depth look at how to choose and spec your next skydiving suit — fit, fabrics, cuffs and everything that shapes your fall rate.
At the time of writing Andrew has around 1700 jumps and many hours of tunnel. He is passionate about angle flying and can often be found at his local dropzone of Langar. Andrew also organises the Vertex sky and tunnel skills camps.
01 Choosing the right suit for you
With constant evolution in our sport, we as suit manufacturers need to adapt and evolve our products so that we can keep up with the latest trends and new sub-disciplines. A perfect example is the evolution of freeflying and angle flying (tracking) that has seen the complexity and speeds increase significantly over the recent years as well as the fashion that has said goodbye to baggy suits made from porous fabrics to tight-fitting nylon suits. I am going to explain a bit about the different specifications to consider when buying your new suit whether you are a total beginner or a ninja in any of the disciplines.
The first step is to pick the right suit for you. If you are very new to the sport (under 100 jumps), think about which discipline really excites you. In the UK the progression system includes FS1, the belly flying qualification you need to jump with your friends in a belly to earth orientation. Most new skydivers achieve it within their first 100 jumps and keep building on those skills long afterwards.
Should I buy an FS suit as my first suit? That depends entirely on you, and it is worth a proper conversation about what you actually want to fly. Belly flying is a fundamental skill that connects to every skydiving discipline, so if you are going to be doing it, an FS suit is a sound first purchase. If you are certain you won't be doing any more belly flying, don't waste your money on one. For most new skydivers, though, the early years are either all belly flying or a mix of belly flying and other disciplines.
02 Which Vertex suit should I choose?
A quick starting point. It is a guide rather than a rule, as fit, fabrics and cuff options all play a part in how a suit ends up performing.
| Requirement | Recommended starting point |
|---|---|
| Best all-round freefly suit | Flex |
| Maximum fall speed and lowest-drag fit | Flex Speed |
| Freefly and tunnel flying with a very close fit | Flex Speed |
| Durable freefly suit in Regular fit or looser | Onyx |
| Affordable first suit or general work suit | Core |
| Indoor and tunnel-focused performance suit | Edge |
| Belly formation skydiving | FS |
| Instructor or professional suit with adjustable drag | Prozip |
| Hot-weather freefly suit | Flex Short Flex Summer |
03 Fit types
Plenty of manufacturers leave the fitting of the suit up to you to work out, which is a tall order with little knowledge of how suits are tailored. Instead we give you the fit options below, developed over thousands of suits. A few products vary — our Camera Jacket and Onyx suits don't offer tight fits.
Intentionally cut smaller than the customer's body measurements so that the stretch fabric is under tension when worn. This provides the closest, lowest-drag fit and is intended for maximum fall speed, high-performance freeflying and tunnel flying. Available on selected models only, currently the Flex Speed and the Edge.
Cut close to the body, approximately 1cm larger than the customer's measurements in the relevant areas. This provides a very close fit, expect it to feel tight and the duraflex to be used to allow movement.
Best described as a slim fit and still quite snug.
More forgiving than regular, without moving into properly loose territory.
Comfortably loose without being baggy, and a slower falling suit.
For those who know they need a very, very slow suit.
Skin and Tight are two separate fit selections and should not be confused with one another. A Tight fit sits close to the body but is still slightly larger than your measurements, whereas a Skin fit is deliberately undersized so that the stretch fabrics are tensioned when the suit is worn.
These figures aren't applied evenly across the suit. Areas prone to tightness, like the armpit, get a little more; the neck, collar and cuffs get nothing added at all. So follow the measuring guide and don't adjust your measurements yourself in the hope of fixing a problem our fit type system has already solved.
How many layers fit underneath? Always measure in your underwear and a t-shirt, or a thin under layer like sports thermals. Measured that way, you should get thin thermals under a tight fit, a thin jumper under a regular fit, and a thicker jumper or two thin ones under a relaxed or loose fit, with room to spare on loose and extra loose.
Fit type is our number one recommendation for adjusting your fall rate in most circumstances. If in doubt, get in touch by e-mail or Facebook — we are always happy to help.
04 Fabrics
Fabric choice shapes how a suit performs, so the defaults on each suit designer are already set to what suits most people ordering that model.
Most Vertex suits combine Taslan, Duraflex and reinforcement fabrics. Taslan is the principal non-stretch outer fabric, Duraflex provides stretch and articulation, and standard Cordura is used in selected panels and reinforcement areas rather than as the main fabric. Cordura Flex is used where a close-fitting stretch fabric with greater abrasion resistance is required. Tap any fabric for its characteristics.
Taslan Fast ▾
The principal non-stretch outer fabric on most of our suits.
Pros
- Strong nylon blend.
- Lightweight and flexible.
- Fast.
Cons
- Offers little in terms of warmth.
- Might be too fast on its own for those that are quite heavy (adding Cordura shins on freefly suits may be the extra you need).
Cordura Flex Fastest ▾
A durable four-way stretch fabric used where a close, low-flap fit is required. It combines stretch and freedom of movement with greater abrasion resistance than conventional lightweight stretch materials. It is used prominently in the Flex Speed and selected performance-focused designs.
Pros
- Four way stretch with a high level of abrasion resistance.
- Holds a close, low-flap fit, making it ideal for Skin and Tight fits.
- Our fastest fabric when fitted close to the body.
Cons
- Only offered on the models and panels where a close-fitting stretch fabric is appropriate.
- Not intended for looser fitting suits where the fabric would no longer be under tension.
Duraflex Medium ▾
Our own stretch fabric, used for the articulation panels that let a suit move with you.
Pros
- Extremely strong stretch material.
- Medium speed.
- Perfect for the stretchy areas of the suit. This is the default material for stretch areas and often can't be changed, although some areas can be changed to a non-stretch material, like below the butt on the Flex suit.
Cons
- Offers a bit less abrasion resistance compared to stiff fabrics, but is an important component of a well-designed suit.
Cordura Slow ▾
Used in selected panels and reinforcement areas, or on the shins where extra drag is wanted.
Pros
- Strong nylon blend.
- Slow fabric. Great for use on the shins if extra drag is needed.
- Perfect for strength areas on a suit like knee and butt reinforcement.
Cons
- Very stiff for the suit main fabric. We no longer offer standard Cordura as a main material, only for reinforcement areas and extra drag areas like the shins.
- Too slow in excessive quantities for those who are quite light (slow falling).
- Not very breathable; can be warm in hot countries or summer months.
Ballistic Cordura Slow ▾
Reserved for the hardest wear areas on a suit.
Pros
- Extremely strong nylon blend.
- Slow fabric. Generally just used on the hardest wear areas like the knees and butt. Can be selected on FS suit booties due to its excellent wear resistance.
Cons
- Quite stiff fabric and heavy. This is why we typically only allow the use of it in high wear areas.
- Only available in black currently.
In short, the default selections suit most customers ordering that model. We have occasionally built a suit with no Duraflex at a customer's request, but we wouldn't recommend it — taking the stretch out of a suit we spent years developing only makes it perform worse.
05 Fall rates
Fit and fabric can both be used to shift your natural fall rate, in any discipline. Some changes are small and some are big. Before changing anything, though, be sure you really are fast or slow falling rather than working on body position or skill — a jump with an experienced coach in that discipline will tell you quickly. If the gap turns out to be minor, your skills are the better place to spend the money.
Adding drag
Start with a looser fit. Our regular fit is quite snug in reality, and even our loose fit isn't baggy by the standards of 15 years ago. Loose helps most people who fall a little fast; extra loose is there if you are heavy compared to average.
We don't usually recommend moving away from the default fabrics unless you really need the help. If you hate the idea of a baggy suit, a more regular fitting suit with Cordura on the shins works well — add it from the colouring popup window. FS suits also have a slow fall loose forearms option.
Some models suit looser fits by design. The Onyx and Core use less Duraflex with that in mind, and the Prozip lets instructors go really slow on demand while still zipping up the arms and legs for faster falling students.
Reducing drag
Here the fabric defaults are almost never worth changing. Taslan really is the best main fabric for most modern skydiving suits, so the fit is where the gains are.
If you aren't happy wearing tight suits you will be limited in how fast you can go in a neutral body position. A tight fit still takes a thin base layer underneath without much trouble, but avoid piling layers under it or you may stretch the Duraflex out over time.
Then look at your cuffs. Hybrid cuffs are tight-fitting and speed up your fall rate noticeably, and the zip cuff introduced with the Flex gives a comparable result with a closer fit on the calf and ankle.
Where does your spec sit?
Pick an option from each row to see which way it pushes your fall rate. Fit makes by far the biggest difference, then fabric, with cuffs and extras fine-tuning either side of it.
A regular fit with normal cuffs and standard fabrics.
Indicative only. Your weight, body position and discipline matter as much as the suit, and the combination is what counts — not any single choice.
Don't overlook your cuffs. Our Flex suit is designed to be a competition standard freefly suit, so the default cuffs are tight-fitting and fast. If you are a fast faller we would recommend selecting one of the slower cuff types. Hidden cuffs are the slowest, with normal cuffs only very slightly faster. Hybrid and zip cuffs are the fast options and produce much the same drag as each other. You can also add a little extra (3-6cm) to your hand and foot cuff measurements for extra drag on the arms and legs. It is easy to overlook something so small, but the right cuffs make a big difference to the performance of your suit.
06 Flex or Onyx?
The main difference between the Flex and the Onyx is not that the Flex is always tighter. Both suits can be ordered in comparable fit selections from Regular upwards.
Flex
The Flex uses more Duraflex articulation panels, giving it greater stretch and freedom of movement across the body. It can also be ordered in Tight fit for a closer, lower drag result.
The Flex remains our best all-round freefly suit for both skydiving and tunnel flying.
Onyx
The Onyx uses fewer Duraflex articulation panels and is available from Regular fit upwards.
It is a good option for customers who want a durable freefly suit but do not require a Tight fit.
Ordered in the same fit type and with the same cuff options, the two suits will produce much the same drag. Fall rate is driven by your fit, cuff and fabric selections rather than by the model on its own. The practical difference is the range of fits on offer: because the Onyx starts at Regular, the Flex is the one to choose if you want a suit closer fitting than that. A Flex ordered in Regular, Relaxed or Loose fit may well create as much or more drag than a closer-fitting Onyx.
Going faster still
For flyers who want to maximise fall speed and minimise drag, the Flex Speed is now our most suitable option. It combines a close fit with Cordura Flex and is designed for high-speed freeflying and tunnel use. The Flex Speed is suitable for both tunnel flying and freeflying in the sky.
Still not sure?
For advice on choosing the right suit, fit or fabric options, contact Vertex Sky Sports. We have an incredibly friendly and helpful team who are there to help you make the right choices.