Questions about whites Fusion drysuits

[MrPfeffer]

Im looking at taking the plunge and getting a drysuit. Ive been looking at the Whites Fusion suit for a few reasons. Looks like it travels well, I like the idea of attaching different 'skins' to it seems like would be easier to repair and keep the core suit more protected and doesnt look as bulky as some suits Ive seen.

I dont know how true any of these statements are this is why Im asking any and all who own one Is this a good suit. I mainly dive NE US so its cold and would like to eventually hit the wrecks. Also would travel with suit so weight is an issue somewhat. Is mobility decent in this suit? My buddies dive DUI suits but quite frankly I dont have the money for one and seems like only smaller people sell them used anyway lol.

Thanks for reading and any help offered

 

[TSandM]

Well, I'm on my second Fusion, so I guess I like them . . .

Mobility is unparalleled. The construction of the suit, with the oversized inner bag contained by the outer skin, means there is more "slack" in the material than you will find in other suits, and that means you can move.

With the Sport skin, the suit is amazingly light. My suit, with that skin, weighed less than my 5 mil wetsuit. It does not dry quite as fast as a trilam, but quite fast enough for travel. The problem with the Sport skin is that it's difficult to put pockets on it. I used X-shorts, which work fine, but are one more thing to forget.

I now have the Tech skin, with which I'm quite happy. The pockets are a bit funny, because they stretch, but I'm learning how to manage the flaps with dry gloves (with bare hands, it wouldn't be an issue at all). I am taking the suit to the Red Sea in a couple of weeks, with the Tech skin on it. I don't think it will add much weight to the bags.

My first Fusion lived through almost four years of diving, and about 450 dives. I had two pinhole leaks, one of which I'm almost certain I caused when I installed the p-valve. And I had one tear, which was due to the suit catching on a bolt when I fell off a dive boat in Florida in doubles. That's not a bad track record for a dry suit. The system works as Whites says it does -- things catch the outer skin, but not the inner bag.

I would highly recommend installing the SiTech neck seal ring system. It makes swapping out neck seals a trivial endeavor, which is nice when you travel with a dry suit. I'm a little ambivalent about the wrist rings, but then again, I've never had a wrist seal problem threaten a dive, even when traveling.

I think the Fusion is an extraordinary value for the money. I've owned three different dry suits, and this is my favorite.

 

[MrPfeffer]

Thanks TSandM seems like your saying exactly what I was wanting to hear lol. Is the SiTech neck seal able to be installed on a used suit or does it need to be done from the manufacturer? And can you change the boots from the suit?

 

[Broct]

I picked up a Fusion Bullet this year and really have enjoyed it. I tried to install a Hollis p-valve but also got leaks too. I picked up a Halcyon p-valve and had John @ Indian valley scuba (whites repair center) in PA install it for me. He did an awesome job on the patch and on the install of the new valve. Worth the money to have the pros do it with the right hardware....


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[TSandM]

The SiTech system can be installed on a used suit, but Whites won't do it. I had mine done by Dive Right In Scuba. I don't know how it went, though, because halfway through all the repairs, Mike offered me a great deal on a new suit, and I took it.

 

[MrPfeffer]

LOL maybe I should just go for the new suit instead of used and have it made with everything I want on it. Was probably going to head to Indian Valley Scuba also to try them on and buy order from them. Should I get the P-valve how much of a pain is it to get installed after the fact? Ive never had any urge to do that in a suit yet so dont know if I need it. Dont plan on doing any long deco diving for a bit.

 

[mathauck0814]

Be careful to note that TSandM mentioned specific skins. The bullet does not have these characteristics. With the bullet skin the suit can take days to dry and can weigh quite a bit (even dry, with the bullet it is several pounds). The good side of the bullet is that it has pockets and is quite durable. I would get the sport and some Halcyon (explorer??) pockets and aqua seal them in place if I had it to do again.

 

[TSandM]

It's a bigger deal than that to put pockets on the Sport skin. The Lycra is simply too stretchy to support pockets, unless you attach them in some way to the bag underneath. I have a friend who did that -- he sewed the pockets to the Lycra, put Velcro on the inside of the skin and on the bag, and Velcroes the pockets so they don't sag.

The Tech skin is a good compromise, I think, having tried all three. It dries pretty fast (not quite as fast as the Lycra alone) and isn't much heavier than the Sport, and does support pockets. They don't sag much unless you have the top of the suit down. I did not like the Bullet skin -- it was heavy, made the suit harder to done, and dried slowly. I also had to loosen the skin to rinse between the skin and the bag. It was a PITA, even though it was red and pretty

 

[MrPfeffer]

Was thinking the tech skin actually for now would work for me since I dont want to keep a whole lot in pockets anyway at the moment.

 

[mathauck0814]

Thanks for clearing that up, TSandM. I will have to look at different solutions. For now I've got to say that if I had to buy it again, I'd probably go a different direction. The bullet is just too darn heavy & wet for me.