Eating crow: Santi custom cut suit

[TSandM]

I went with the latex seals for a couple of reasons. Both Jason and I agreed (and on my part, it was from experience) that the SiTech neck ring doesn't work for people my size. It's too wide, and restricts motion too much. For the wrists, I wanted to be able to use my Viking bayonet rings. Replacing wrist seals is actually a very easy DIY and I'm good at doing it (not so successful with necks, but I'm just going to have to learn).

The boots are really a good compromise. The sole is thick enough to give you significant protection from small rocks or uneven surfaces, without being so thick that you're forced into enormous foot pockets in your fins. If I were going to do daily entries over sharp lava rocks, I might want something even sturdier, but for all the diving I do, these will wear fine, I think.

Retail on this suit runs about 3K.

 

[beanojones]

Nothing to do with the suit but boy do pockets like those make me jealous: Big out of the way, proper sealing, stiffeners, and the key pocket, amazing well done suit!

It would definitely not be worth it to me for the price of my last three cars combined retail, but then again, warm water is nice for that reason.

 

[lv2dive]

Quick question - those pockets are up as high as they can go on your legs, aren't they? I know sometimes one has to request that pockets be placed higher than standard on other brands, to get them where they are actually reachable, but your look like they are as high as they can be given your waist.

 

[Tortuga68]

I also wondered about the pockets, since in the 4th pic it looks like the bottom of them is around your knees, and your hands (when standing straight up) are pretty much above them

 

[TSandM]

Well, looking at the photos, I wonder if I could get my hands to the very bottom of the pocket -- but I'd never need to, anyway; I clip everything off that goes in a pocket, so all I ever have to do is reach the bungies, and be able to stuff something down below the pocket opening, and I can do those things easily.

 

[divedry1956]

Your Whites is getting jealous....

:crying2:

 

[TSandM]

My Whites suits aren't jealous . . . they're both out on loan right now and diving their faces off!

I still see a definite role for the Fusion in my diving, particularly the Sport. I suspect it will still be the suit I take to the tropics or anywhere else that I fly. I am very curious, once the suits get home, to weigh them and see how the weights compare.

The other nice thing about the Fusion is that I don't have to look at every chocolate chip cookie and wonder if that's the one that's going to make it hard to zip my dry suit -- kind of like keeping fat pants in the closet

 

[manni-yunk]

I would be interested in comparing that Santi to the new 4th element Argonaut that I saw. They are the two "next generation of improvement" lighter weight suits that I would look at if I wasnt in love with my heavy crushed neo suit.

 

[BluewaterSail]

Lynn,
I love my E-motion, but the one thing that you need to watch out for with that plastic zipper is to give it that extra tug to make sure its closed. I apparently neglected that step one day, and had my only wet dive with the suit.
Linda

 

[tech3324]

I went with the latex seals for a couple of reasons. Both Jason and I agreed (and on my part, it was from experience) that the SiTech neck ring doesn't work for people my size. It's too wide, and restricts motion too much.

I'm surprised to hear that the SiTech Neck Tite system didn't work for you. Seemed like you were enthusiastic about it when first installed. I had a similar experience with mine, so still hoping for a system with a more flexible ring.