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So, Whites announces another undergarment. Yawn. It's polarfleece and multiple layers. Yeah, heard this one before. They have infrared images of how much heat gets through it -- but it's compared to something I know is cold. Yawn again. They claim it allows you to drop 7 or 8 pounds -- NOW my ears are pricked up. And it's supposed to be the least bulky thing for its degree of insulation -- intriguing. But I'm not spending that much money to TRY a new undergarment; I already own a Halo.
So Jax, having levitated out of 48 degree water and decided to leave the lakes for the winter, sends me hers.
It's an XS, and I'm not sure I can even pour myself into it, and at first try, I'm still not convinced. Then I figure out how it's done, and it's easy. It's cut a little slim in the hips for the distaff sector, but it's doable. It's very streamlined, and it's very stretchy. It's quite comfortable to wear. But I'm not overheating very fast in the house, which is a bad sign. Warm undergarments overheat.
So I dive it, but the first dive is a pretty short one. I'm pleased with how easy it is to get into the Fusion -- much easier than either the MK3 or Halo. I don't get cold, but the dive isn't very long.
So I do a second day, which is a day of teaching. The dives themselves aren't long, although we also set floats and such, but I'm in my drysuit all day on a cold and windy winter day. I don't get cold, but I put it down to short dives.
So tonight was the final test. This was a "real" dive, and more, it was a skills dive, so we didn't plan on moving around much. To add to the challenge, my never-to-be-sufficiently-condemned SiTech dry glove rings flooded AGAIN at the inception of the dive, and due to an inadequately tight left wrist seal, I was eventually wet to the shoulder. We did 50 minutes in 48 degree water, on an evening where air temps were in the high 40s. At the end of the dive, I wasn't shivering. More than that -- I wasn't cold. I WASN'T COLD, AT ALL!!!! I would cheerfully have gone back for a second dive, had I not been sopping wet (pouring water out of the sleeve of the suit).
Although I haven't done a formal weight check, it appears likely that I can shed a few pounds with this undergarment. But I don't care. Even if it took MORE weight, it would be worth it. This thing is warm, guys; I'm the queen of the search for insulation, and it rocks.
Now I have to send it back to Jax . . . I think there's going to be a big purchase in my near future.
Excellent review, I bet this one review sells more Thermal Fusions than there thermal images and the review Whites posted by a diver no one on this board has heard of(well me at-least). I have suggested that Whites send You, FDOG and DA Aquamaster a Thermal fusion to demo as you three are very well respected on this board and dive Fusions but hay no one listens to me anyway. To bad you missed the DRIS black friday deak they were selling for $320, I couldn't pas a deal like that up, and yes I like mine very much.
thanks for the write-up, lynne. i agree with andy - sending one to you, james, and larry would be an excellent way to generate respected reports.
but since they won't even cut larry a deal on an improved bag layer, i doubt it'll happen. 'gee, thanks for all the input, guys. we'll get right on those improvements. others who come after you will benefit big-time! now piss off.'
...and the days go by, water flowing under ground, into the blue again, into the silent water, under the rocks and stones, there is water underground... - talking heads
Sounds promising, I've started to favor my older suits for winter diving as putting on my Fusion with all the bulky undies is bit of a pain. I'd prefer to dive the Fusion for the mobility...
For the next 5 months I'm looking at something like 20-40 min BTs @ 39-40F and 40-70min deco at around 35F... So I'd be very interested in any hour+ experiences in that temp range. It's comfy enough with Santi or Weezle E+ and a heated vest, but there's always room for improvement.
I would need head gloves, boots and hood to go along with that. After around 30 minutes of deco in 42F water I,m frozen and it doesn't matter what I wear. I guess I'm now classified as a warm water sissy now.
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I, alone, am responsible for my health and safety, my actions and inactions.
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I would need head gloves, boots and hood to go along with that. After around 30 minutes of deco in 42F water I,m frozen and it doesn't matter what I wear. I guess I'm now classified as a warm water sissy now.
Santi has recently come up with a 400gram Thinsulate suit with integrated heating all over the body - no gloves, boots or hood though. Sounds really nice, as the heat from just a vest really only feels nice on the upper body (I'm sure helps everywhere else, too, of course). My hard runtime limit is dictated by what I can take without the heating, though - I just don't trust the system yet. Probably won't, as it's basically one big circuit - break one spot and no more heat... For the rest of the gear I've got a fairly good idea of what works and what not, and what I can take as long as the dry suit is intact. After that it's (unfortunately) just a matter or deciding how much deco you're willing to shave if there's a leak.
I'm pretty tempted at getting a Thermal Fusion, even if it turns out it won't beat what I'm currently using it would almost certainly still make an excellent summer/autumn suit. Or a suit for no-deco winter dives - after I saw what these guys produced I've promised myself to try to get more errr... fun dives done, too: Fishing under ice on Vimeo
TSandM: I guess if I was sane or smart I'd be living in Mexico.
TSandM, would you mind revealing your entire layering solution with the Thermal Fusion? Just wicking layer underneath? Did you use your Arctic Socks over the foot stirrups? Etc.
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I think there's going to be a big purchase in my near future.
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Originally Posted by laurin
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