DUI TLS350 or Whites Fusion???

[Ulfhedinn]

Well until a few weeks ago I was in the Whites Fusion camp but had an opportunity to dive in a DUI TLS350 and now I'm frustrated.


I really liked the the ease of putting it on and how comfortable I was during the dive.


So... I looked a great deal at DUI's website and read a lot of discussions here on Sboard. Now Im unsure which on to get. Lets say money was no issue. Which one would you get and why?


Right now I do mostly recreational dives with my wife in SO Cal water. Average year round temp of 50-60 but I wont be purchasing this tell the Fall anyways.


I am currently pursuing tech diving from IANTD. I also dive wrecks when I am able and is what I love to do most. Deep, long, and most likely cold dives are on my horizon.


Caves classes in the Spring of next year. Since I live West coast I know that wont be the balk of my diving but It would be great opportunity and I will assume will increase my over all diving knowledge for Wrecks since both are "Pen dives".

If I go with the DUI TLS350 here are some of the options I have looked over. Any recommendations on these?


Black with Black Tough Duck overlay

Halcyon Exploration Pockets ?

Halcyon Balanced P-Valve

Cloverleaf crotch pad

CF200 Kneepads

CF200 ButtPad

Overlays for Butt and Knee

DUI Rockboots

"Cave Cut"

---

Also the Si Tech Neck Tite Drysuit Neck Seal System was recommend to me for the Fusion bullet. Would this option be optimal for this Drysuit too?

Unsure what I will be wearing under this but I assume for year round diving in SO Cal I could get away with a Polartec PowerStretch Pro Jumpsuit with Underarmor cold gear under that. On extra cold days maybe the Plus 5 Vest 300? I dive a 7mm Akona suit now year round but on my 3rd dive I usually start getting cold after the 30mins.

 

[Rainer]

I've owned both suits. I sold the TLS. Wasn't as reliable as the Fusion. That said, my primary suit for local diving is a crushed neo Bare (it's just warmer than the others). None are perfect.

As for undergarment, depends on your thermal tolerance. I get cold wearing 400g Thinsulate after a few dives...

 

[ligersandtions]

If money is not an issue, go with a Santi suit.

I own a leaky TLS....seems to be a fairly common complaint. The Fusion is popular (and well-liked by a couple of my buddies), but there are some negatives too. I'm in the market for a new suit and it's between a DUI FLX Extreme and one of the Santi suits (e-space or e-lite).

 

[Rainer]

Agreed. If I buy another suit soon, it'll very likely be a Santi. Not cheap, but very nice suits.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Why not the Santi Enduro? Its seems more bulletproof then the other 2 Santi suit. If your going with a Santi.

 

[Teller]

Ive had my 350 for a few years now and I love it. I have not had any other suits so I cant compare but my DUI does just what I bought it for. If I needed another drysuit I would get another DUI.

 

[mahjong]

Sometimes the problem is not with the answer to a question but rather with the question itself. For some, depending on body type, diving conditions, etc, the Fusion will work best, for others the TLS will work best.

I have never dove the Fusion, but I do know a few people who do dive it and love it. I dive a TLS and know a bunch of people who wouldn't dive anything else. I dive it and like it alot, but I might certainly consider diving something else, something like the Bare SB or the DUI Flex Extreme or 50/50. I'd like some flexibility in my suit, esp in the legs. I have wondered if the design of the Fusion--generously cut core layer and elastic skin (note how few sizes the Fusion needs to offer)--might not work well for me.

The virtues of the TLS have been well documented by many. My main gripe is that the seam technology remains primitive. It's mainly an Aquaseal job, I think. On the down side, leaks develop. On the plus side, they're easy to fix. Otherwise, it's an extremely comfortable suit, easy to don/doff, dries quickly.

No suit is perfect. The trick is to find the suit that works best for you.

 

[TSandM]

Ease of donning/doffing is not the Fusion's strong suit. On the other hand, I've been diving a Fusion, in multiple environments, for about four years. I have had two pinhole leaks, one of which I know I caused (burning the hole for the p-valve), and the zipper failed on my first suit at about 450 dives. It is EXTREMELY difficult to put a hole in those suits, and since staying dry is one of the critical functions of a dry suit, I love my Fusion. I also like how light it is, and how easy it is to pack, and how quickly it dries.

The TLS 350 is light and dries fast, and packs reasonably well, but I know very few people who have had them for any length of time who haven't gotten very good at fixing leaks. I don't like fixing leaks.

About the quick change neck and wrist rings . . . I adore the neck ring for the ease of changing a seal. It is really, truly a ten minute project, and you don't even need the little tool they give you with it, if you have access to the blunt side of a table knife. On the other hand, the ring is large, and if you are narrow across the shoulders, it WILL impede your mobility. I lost the ability to reach my isolator easily when I put the neck ring in my Fusion, which is why I'm having it taken out of one of my suits.

The wrist rings also make changing seals easy, but they aren't compatible with the Viking bayonet dry glove system that I prefer to all others, so I don't have them on my cold water suit.

As has been said, there is no perfect dry suit. As with almost everything else in diving, you learn the good points and the bad points of the equipment, and give weight to each, and decide if it all adds up on the positive side. I am very satisfied with my Fusion dry suits. I prize durability and easy of repair, and the suits are awfully nice to dive. I can live with a bit of groaning when putting the suit on

 

[ntxdiver]

Ive had my 350 for a few years now and I love it. I have not had any other suits so I cant compare but my DUI does just what I bought it for. If I needed another drysuit I would get another DUI.

Ditto for me except I use Whites boots. They have much more support and are more like wearing hiking shoes. DUI's boots are like wearing a piece of canvas with a sole.

 

[mathauck0814]

I own the Fusion Bullet, but I'm not in love with it. I know, blasphemy, I get it.

It's heavy. It dries slowly. I've had quality issues with the valves (replaced both of them in the first year I had the suit).

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it - but it's more trouble than my friends' trilam suits. When it's time to replace it, I'll go that route instead.