what drysuit would you buy and why?

[Agility]

I am rather new at (drysuit) diving so I have only dived one, a 8 year old DUI CLX I bought used.
I am glad it has neoprene socks because I can turn it inside out to dry inside. I had lots of leaks due to seals being too wide, now I have at last changed all my seals (ZIP-seals are great) and really dive dry as long as it is cold enough.
So my point is: do you prefer neoprene socks and rockboots (another item to forget to pack) or attached boots (that do not dry easily once they get wet inside)

 

[TSandM]

I have a Santi E-Lite and I love it. The custom fitting was perfect on the first try. The pockets are awesome -- big, with stiffened flaps that are easy to work with cold hands. The flap on the suspenders has a water-resistant pocket with a zipper for keys, located so that you only need to unzip the suit a little bit to get to them. The boots have loops on them to make them easy to don. The TiZip plastic zipper is SO easy to work (as long as you keep the docking end lubricated). If you have the budget to go with a Santi, they are awfully nice . . . but again, if you are ONLY going to dive locally, you may want a suit with some intrinsic insulating capacity.


I have three suits. I have a Fusion Sport, a Fusion Tech, and a Santi. I dive the Santi exclusively at home, because it's just such a nice suit. I dive the Fusion Sport for travel, because it's light and dries quickly, and I can change out all the seals. The Fusion Tech is a backup suit.

 

[tphelps]

Correct, assuming you're only talking Fusion Sport, Tech, and Bullet. Fusion One and Essence have back zipper configurations. A local dive buddy has had both a One and the Sport and he likes the One better due to less bulk in the front due to the zipper. The shortfall is lack of quick change seal on the One's neck.

Not true. You can upgrade and get "Seal Lock Technology." Just a few weeks ago, my buddy and I drove 2.5 hours across the island to do a 300fsw dive. Upon suiting up my neck seal tore, with other suits... that's a wrap. But because I had this feature I was able to change my neck seal in 15 minutes. Same applies to the ring cuffs, you can literally change a wrist seal in 5 minutes.
*Sport Diving - Seal Lock Technology - Whites Diving I have a Whites Fusion Bullet and I dive it in 51F San Diego water and primarily now for long exposure dives in Hawai'i (76F).

If you do decide to get a Whites, do NOT get their Fusion Boots. I've had too many problems with them. Got stuck inverted once and because of the loose Velcro strap, I got an air pocket in my feet and lost all dexterity to my fins. I use EVO3 boots now and I am much happier. I've also had problems with a sticky inflator valve and my exhaust valve is leaking to the point where my left arm is soaked after every dive. From what I've heard with other Whites divers these are not uncommon. So just be conscious of them and get them replaced ASAP under warranty if you suspect either. The lateral zipper takes a bit getting used to but makes donning pretty easy.

Overall, it's a good suit. The Bullet skin is super nice but I've found a bit too thick for tec diving. With the rebreather on and 2 bottles, it becomes a chore to reach my exhaust valve and feels a bit restrictive. I just ordered the Tech skin and going to try that out (another advantage of Whites). Will post feedback later with my experience on the new skin.
@Poomero, if you're not looking to buy a suit immediately I MAY be selling my L/XL Whites in the future. I'm getting all the kinks worked out (leaking exhaust valve, etc) but my main issue is mobility. I have all the toys installed (SiTech seal replacement, EVO boots, and pee valve!) Let me know if you're interested.

 

[buddhasummer]

Not true. You can upgrade and get "Seal Lock Technology." Just a few weeks ago, my buddy and I drove 2.5 hours across the island to do a 300fsw dive. Upon suiting up my neck seal tore, with other suits... that's a wrap. But because I had this feature I was able to change my neck seal in 15 minutes. Same applies to the ring cuffs, you can literally change a wrist seal in 5 minutes.
*Sport Diving - Seal Lock Technology - Whites Diving I have a Whites Fusion Bullet and I dive it in 51F San Diego water and primarily now for long exposure dives in Hawai'i (76F).

If you do decide to get a Whites, do NOT get their Fusion Boots. I've had too many problems with them. Got stuck inverted once and because of the loose Velcro strap, I got an air pocket in my feet and lost all dexterity to my fins. I use EVO3 boots now and I am much happier. I've also had problems with a sticky inflator valve and my exhaust valve is leaking to the point where my left arm is soaked after every dive. From what I've heard with other Whites divers these are not uncommon. So just be conscious of them and get them replaced ASAP under warranty if you suspect either. The lateral zipper takes a bit getting used to but makes donning pretty easy.

Overall, it's a good suit. The Bullet skin is super nice but I've found a bit too thick for tec diving. With the rebreather on and 2 bottles, it becomes a chore to reach my exhaust valve and feels a bit restrictive. I just ordered the Tech skin and going to try that out (another advantage of Whites). Will post feedback later with my experience on the new skin.
@Poomero, if you're not looking to buy a suit immediately I MAY be selling my L/XL Whites in the future. I'm getting all the kinks worked out (leaking exhaust valve, etc) but my main issue is mobility. I have all the toys installed (SiTech seal replacement, EVO boots, and pee valve!) Let me know if you're interested.

I know you can get the wrist system fitted but didn't think the neck ring was possible on the Fusion One. Can you provide additional info or a link? Cheers.

---------- Post added April 17th, 2014 at 08:09 AM ----------

I did some checking and Whites site says it's not available on the Fusion One, of course could be out of date info.

---------- Post added April 17th, 2014 at 08:21 AM ----------

It appears the SLT neck ring is not possible due to location of rear zipper.

Do you know someone who has it fitted to a Fusion One or Essence?

 

[kr2y5]

I don't know if this is a concern for you, but it definitely was for me... I've been, at times, gaining and losing quite a bit of weight, and one of the things that sold me on the Whites Fusion was the fact that it can very easily accommodate such changes while maintaining a close, streamlined fit. The baggy inner core can, at times, be annoying, e.g., when you try to install a P-valve, and the comment about it being like putting two condoms one on top of another is true, but overall, I'm very satisfied with this choice so far.

 

[doctormike]

I have a Santi E-Lite and I love it.

+1 for the Santi E-Lite. Awesome suit, I really love mine as well. Lots of attention to detail and workmanship, little things that you don't always notice until you start diving the suit.

 

[poomero]

+1 for the Santi E-Lite. Awesome suit, I really love mine as well. Lots of attention to detail and workmanship, little things that you don't always notice until you start diving the suit.

What type of little thing do you mean?

 

[doctormike]

What type of little thing do you mean?

I mean that a lot of thought went into the design... there are a number of little things that don't seem like much individually, but they make it a really nice suit.

For example, the big flaps on the pockets, the bungee loops in the pockets, the way you can disconnect and reconnect the suspenders so that you can fix them without taking off the suit, the pocket in the suspenders, the little pockets on the big pocket flaps, the neck collar, the thick welds at the seams, the loops and ankle straps on the boots.

Stuff like that.

 

[poomero]

Yeah that's a lot of little things. I guess for $3500 you get the best.

 

[doctormike]

Yeah that's a lot of little things. I guess for $3500 you get the best.

$3000 originally. But only $1850 if you are the right size!