How do speed skydivers go faster?

Answer 1

I have never done speed skydiving, but from my experience you gain speed by reducing drag on your body. So, by wearing smoother clothing (or very tight suits) and maneuvering the body into a position so that your body surface is the smallest (head down) you have less drag, thus to greatest opportunity to gain speed.

Wearing weights also helps to overcome the drag, but I doubt if this will be allowed in speed competitions.

Answer 2

By increasing or decreasing their body surface; the larger your body surface, the greater the drag, the slower you fall.

So, by making making a ball with your body, you fall a lot faster than spreading your body out.

Since you would still like to maintain control while falling, you can also spill more air off your body by bending backwards when falling face first (called arching). By arching harder, you spill more air, creating less resistance, thus falling faster.

By de-arching, thus laying flatter or even going as far as to 'cup' the air (slightly bending forward), you increase your drag, thus make you fall slower.

The more experienced you get, the more varieties you can apply to cup or spill more air, while maintaining extreme control over your flying.