In the market for a wingsuit? Look no further than Squirrel!

12 hours ago, 20kN said:

I'd disagree. Squirrel's products are still noticeably superior than the other brands. It might not be a night and day difference, but small amounts of attention to detail go a long way and Squirrel consistently considers the small details while the other brands largely skip over them.

You’re joking, right? The only thing you can give Squirrel the edge on is customer service. Their products aren’t any higher quality than PF or Tony. 

13 hours ago, 20kN said:

I'd disagree. Squirrel's products are still noticeably superior than the other brands. It might not be a night and day difference, but small amounts of attention to detail go a long way and Squirrel consistently considers the small details while the other brands largely skip over them.

That's the nice thing about opinions. We all get to have them, and we're all right. =)

I've ordered from most, and flown from all. I personally like what Phoenix Fly offers. And when I talk to people, that's the opinion I provide. I would never say something like "noticeably superior," because that's a subjective opinion and not based on fact.

There is no single unit to measure which piece of equipment is the best, overall. They all make compromises to find a balance of factors (performance, comfort, extra features, price, build quality, lead time, etc.) which best represents what they feel adds up to the best product. But guess what? Not every jumper prioritizes these factors in the same way. Some people like less pressure, some people prefer lighter weight, some people are willing to wait longer than others, some people etc. etc. etc.

If you've found something that you like and meets your needs, then by all means let people know that. Fly what makes you happy, and when someone else likes something else just remember that they aren't wrong. =)

1) We need competition btw different manufactorers. It's vital for innovation. Innovative features a manufactorer develops, that are that good, will be copied/absorbed by the others - happens all the time. And so innovation is ongoing in order for the manufactorers to stay in the game.  Also competition keeps prices in check I am assuming. As for innovation, especially Tonysuits seems to be flying at the moment.

None of this will make suits do GR 7:1. We are at 3.5 :1 guys and we will probably stay there?  

But it will make suits easier to fly, easier to progress in, easier to deploy in, easier to perform in, easier to do acro in, etc etc. 

2) The different vendors are differing quite a lot in customer service as said in this topic. Squirrel is outstanding and from experience I know they are in a class of their own.

3) Quality and durability is important for all the manufactorers and they are all good

4) Finally a given suit, flies as its testpilots prefer themselves to fly - and you feel that. So two suits from two manufactorers might look similar but in the air feels different; e.g. The Squirrel suits is all about efficiency in all aspects, PF tends to prioritize easy progression more and more forgiving flyingstyle. Especially the race suits shows this difference in how testpilots wants a suit to fly. A Squirrel CR+ is a crazy race machine, its built for the job and win's all the time, however it is probably not a suit I would take to the dropzone and use for fun bigsuit flocking. Other manufactorers have race suits that are more docile and friendly and thus might also be used on a daily basis. And so on. 

5) A pilot invests in a new suit. He likes it no actually loves it. This suit is now "he best suit in the world" and nothing can be said to change that view - for some time. Demoing all suits in that class is very often not possible and so the pilot will vent his opinion and influence others about to purchase. Another pilot is somehow affiliated with a specific manufactorer and all his views is biased from a to z. In time, this pilot will become more open to other flavours and become more balanced, unless $$$ is involved ofcourse.

Nof said. 

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39 minutes ago, Bluhdow said:

That's the nice thing about opinions. We all get to have them, and we're all right. =)

I've ordered from most, and flown from all. I personally like what Phoenix Fly offers. And when I talk to people, that's the opinion I provide. I would never say something like "noticeably superior," because that's a subjective opinion and not based on fact.

There is no single unit to measure which piece of equipment is the best, overall. They all make compromises to find a balance of factors (performance, comfort, extra features, price, build quality, lead time, etc.) which best represents what they feel adds up to the best product. But guess what? Not every jumper prioritizes these factors in the same way. Some people like less pressure, some people prefer lighter weight, some people are willing to wait longer than others, some people etc. etc. etc.

If you've found something that you like and meets your needs, then by all means let people know that. Fly what makes you happy, and when someone else likes something else just remember that they aren't wrong. =)

 

36 minutes ago, birdynamnam said:

The Squirrel suits is all about efficiency in all aspects, PF tends to prioritize easy progression more and more forgiving flyingstyle.

A pilot invests in a new suit. He likes it no actually loves it. This suit is now "he best suit in the world" and nothing can be said to change that view

100% agree. 

Having moved from a Freak to a Rafale I'm finding that Squirrel is able to get more performance per square inch of fabric (hence more fabric on the Rafale compared to the Freak), but the trade-off with PF is in favor of a more forgiving design. My Rafale is a lot nicer to me when my transitions are imperfect and, for me, that trade off is well worth it.  I had a great experience working with Robi and Edo at PF so I would definitely not short them on the service side either. 

All that said, my Rafale is "the best suit in the world" and nothing can be said to change my view.

10 hours ago, skydave89 said:

You’re joking, right? The only thing you can give Squirrel the edge on is customer service. Their products aren’t any higher quality than PF or Tony. 

I cant speak to Tony, but I own some PF suits and I fly them all the time along with my Squirrel products. I just find the Squirrel product to be noticeably higher quality. That does not mean it flies better necessarily, I just mean the fabrication of the suit itself shows a high level of attention to detail and Squirrel does not cut corners.

There used to be a lot of problems with material that PF used on their wingsuits. The "colour" layer was peeling leaving a thin fabric that air was passing through. However PF seems to be now using different materials on newer suits which is of much better quality. 
Seems that the lead times have also become shorter. 

So a little competition is good for everyone - especially the customers.

I feel the need to update my Squirrel experience since placing my order and posting the other day. I was quoted 8 weeks lead time for an Epicene Pro at the peak time to order just before the season starts. Just received an email today saying it is finished and should be here next week. Total time from ordering to receiving has been about 4.5 weeks. Absolutely thrilled with Squirrel and their service.

must admit - ive been jumping suits for 13years now and i have owned all the major manufacturers and i have had the same experience reg SQUIRREL - keep up the good work guys - disclaimer, i am a full price paying customer