Drysuit for a 14 year old - HELP

[jzipfel]

It had had the sport skin. I looked at several bullet skins but the general opinion (as best I could tell) is that the bullet tends to be stiff. The tech skin appears to be a nice compromise between flex of sport and bullet.

i am going to try the Bare SB in a M L and see how he like that one.

A question for the OP. Do you know what skin the rental fusion has on it? The Bullet skin is way more restrictive than the Tech or the Sport skin. I started out with the Bullet and when I switched to the Tech skin it felt like a totally different suit. I also agree with Krawlings post, It may very well be a drysuit thing and not just a fusion thing.

 

[Shinythings]

If you are looking for something he can grow in a Fusion is as good as it gets. I am a big fan of their versatility in fitting divers, however (and this is a big however), they are far from durable, are poorly built and are a PITA to get on and off.

I might suggest testing the used market for a good used suit that fits him and then, in a few more years when he has stopped growing, buy a "forever suit."

A cheap and durable suit is the Pinnacle Freedom 3. It has telescoping torso but the material is not stretchy/versatile like a fusion. Try DRIS for a good price on a discontinued one. Not ideal for your growing son however.

Bare NEXGEN suits are not the greatest as far as durability but I have noticed they have the ability to fit a wide range of divers. Very cheap deals to be had on these suits.

Obviously your could splurge for a DUI (which are some of the most versatile suits I have experience with). At 5' 10' and a slim build a medium tall would be a good fit for now and should fit a slim person up to 6' 1" or so easily (in my experience). A large would also be a good fit for someone up to 6' 1" but it may be quite large around the middle for your son.

 

[rhuntley]

If you are looking for something he can grow in a Fusion is as good as it gets. I am a big fan of their versatility in fitting divers, however (and this is a big however), they are far from durable, are poorly built and are a PITA to get on and off.

Far from durable and poorly built? Could you be more specific? I'm curious because my LDS' rental fleet is all fusions, and aside from user error, has had relatively few problems.

 

[Storker]

Whites fusion

I'm your son's size and love my Fusion Bullet.

the Fusion should fit fine

Sounds to me (after reading all the posts ) THAT IT MAY BE THAT HE DON'T LIKE THE FEEL OF HOW DRY SUITS FEEL AS APPOSED TO HOW A WET SUIT FEELS

..or maybe he just doesn't like the feel of how a Fusion feels. It's all up to the user.

When my son had outgrown his ScubaPro Everdry 4 (BTW, I can really recommend that suit. It's far from ideal for really cold water (below, 7-8C/45F), but it's almost as easy to dive as a wetsuit, IMO), we went shopping on our version of Craigslist. Looked at a Fusion, he tried it on. Neither of us liked the concept. These days, he's diving a rather plain Northland neoprene DS (and he's happy with it), I've got myself a Waterproof D7 for winter diving and I've kept my Everdry for summer diving.

In terms of other suggestions I like the Waterproof D1s and D3s, pricey though, some good used ones pop up though.

I've got a D7, definitely not unhappy with it. Wouldn't buy a D1, because I don't like the concept of integrated undergarments.

 

[jzipfel]

I think we found a winner! It is NOT the Whites Fusion.

I had him try on the Bare SB suit in a Medium/Long. Fits him very well with just enough to grow without too much to deal with a big bubble. Trim cut and some stretch in the fabric. It almost looks like it was custom.

He loves it. Integrated boots and he was in the suit and ready to go in about two minutes. Did some stretches and bends and felt very comfortable.

We're off to warm waters for a couple weeks so he won't get to dive in it until January but he has a big smile on his face.

 

[Shinythings]

Far from durable and poorly built? Could you be more specific? I'm curious because my LDS' rental fleet is all fusions, and aside from user error, has had relatively few problems.

We used to have all fusion rental suits and with new divers and rental divers in our club they were always a pain for people to put on and took a lot of instruction for people each time they used them. We then went to DUI and Bare and have been a lot happier. Not one leak in two years as opposed to leaks in all of the fusions we had previous. They had issues from holes to full rips, valve issues, seams coming unglued, zippers leaking. Basically you name it, we had a problem with it. Other suits have been far more durable for the environment around here and new divers that tend to be pretty rough on equipment.

Also, Whites is from BC so I'm sure there are several shops up to their neck in whites suits. Not giving customers options is a dis-service. I know lots of people happy about their whites suits in terms of fit and comfort but the durability has been lacking in my first hand experience.

 

[rhuntley]

We used to have all fusion rental suits and with new divers and rental divers in our club they were always a pain for people to put on and took a lot of instruction for people each time they used them. We then went to DUI and Bare and have been a lot happier. Not one leak in two years as opposed to leaks in all of the fusions we had previous. They had issues from holes to full rips, valve issues, seams coming unglued, zippers leaking. Basically you name it, we had a problem with it. Other suits have been far more durable for the environment around here and new divers that tend to be pretty rough on equipment.

Also, Whites is from BC so I'm sure there are several shops up to their neck in whites suits. Not giving customers options is a dis-service. I know lots of people happy about their whites suits in terms of fit and comfort but the durability has been lacking in my first hand experience.

No question that they take time to don, but other than that, our shop has seen very few seam issues come through our doors, one skin rip, no valve issues other than sticky valves (which doesn't happen if you maintain them). As for zippers, we have had several teeth broken in our rentals, but they have all been traced back to people not understanding that kinking a zipper with force isn't good for the suit. Assuming someone has been properly fitted, our divers come back dry..