4 Things To Know Before You Buy A Wingsuit

Talk to any great wingsuit instructor and they’ll agree: The first and worst mistakes that most new wingsuit pilots make are mistakes they make on the ground. And pretty much all of those mistakes have to do with gear.

You might be surprised to know that lots of brand-new wingsuit pilots rock up to a first jump course wearing their very own wingsuit. Often, they’re wearing a brand-new (and spend-AY) beginner wingsuit that they’ll grow out of before they can say “I’ll never get into the jump wearing this.” Less often (but more alarmingly), students will turn up in a used wingsuit that’s wa-hay-HAY too advanced for them. Even if you think you’re being a smart cookie and buying a used wingsuit that’s skills-appropriate and fits you reasonably well, we’re here to tell you there’s a better way:

Just rent it.

Seriously.

Here are four reasons why we’re right.

1. Wingsuits cost serious money.

A new beginner wingsuit will set you back about $1,200. That’s, like, fifty jumps, man. Right now, you need those jumps, because steady, procedural, consistent training is the only thing that’s going to allow you to grow in the discipline.

2. Fit is key.

When you decide on a wingsuit to call your own, you really need it to fit you properly. If you decide not to spend that aforementioned $1,200 and to pick up a used wingsuit from the dropzone corkboard or an online classified post, it’s almost guaranteed that the fit will be somewhere between “ridiculously poor” and “almost-there.” That ill-fitting suit may feel more-or-less okay when you do your obligatory starfish Facebook photo in the living room, but in the sky it’ll be a clenchingly different story.

3. Borrowing a wingsuit is not a great idea.

For much the same reason, borrowing a wingsuit from a buddy isn’t the best way forward. First of all, let’s talk about what you’re trying to accomplish: starting from zero (because let’s face it, you are) and learning to skilfully fly a “stump-winged, low efficiency, high drag lifting body platform” (thanks, Rich Webb). You need full access to your training materials: very specifically, a wingsuit. You can’t be borrowing suits here and there and expecting to learn what you need to learn with any efficiency.

4. There are a lot of options out there, and you need the right one.

There’s only one way to know which wingsuit is right for you–by jumping it. Preferably, you’ll jump it a bunch of times before you make a decision. By renting a suit from us, you have access to a solid arsenal of suits from which to choose, and you can hang onto them until you’re darn well ready.

So whaddaya say? Can we get you started on the right foot? Rent a wingsuit from us today and you’ll see just how right we are.

*All photos by Jeff Donahue “Skwrl”