A "true" women's drysuit???

[PinkPADIgal]

Most drysuit are designed for men. To get a suit for a woman, you either buy a men's suit, or go custom. I have fitted drysuits for people for a number of years, and I have my favorites based on function, durability and warmth.

Beauty and fashion are not words I would associate with drysuits. However, after having 4 women try on the Whites new Fusion drysuit, these are my observations.

The Whites Fusion is the first drysuit a woman can put on and...

1. Look like a woman in it. It is flattering, slimming and shows off curves.

2. You stay warm in it and can layer in it. Diving 40 degree water with an MK3 is ideal.

3. A great suit for diving in 65-75 degree water and not get hot in it.

4. You feel like you are in a 3mm wetsuit because of the flexibility. Putting on fins is a snap and movement in this suit is not restrictive in any way.

5. It does not feel like you are in a "bag"

6. No drag.

7. It is so comfortable

8. If Dive Jedi is correct, in a couple of months it is going to come in other colors and designs rather than just black. The lycra skin is removable and changeable! That means for around $200 or less, you can have colors and switch out your style. All the women (and even some of the men) LOVE that idea!

Personally, I love compressed neoprene but I am going to dive this suit next month, and I think I am going to get one. It just looks so good on, and to have a drysuit that comfortable would be worth it for me to switch my preference. As an instructor, my concern is durability. However, after talking to Dive Jedi and other divers who have purchased this suit, I think it is going to be great.

I can't wait to try this suit!

 

[David Wilson]

If you're interested in an historical perspective on women's drysuits, here's one billed as an example of "ladies seamless diving suits" in the early 1950s:



Others from the same decade:

Lillywhites Suit:

Penguin Suit:

Dolphin Suit:

and one from the 1960s:

Skooba Totes Suit:

 

[annasea]

Thx for posting this, Pink! I had a look at the suit on White's website and I must say, it does look good! (OTOH, it's one less excuse for me to NOT dive local. Brrr... )

You mentioned flexibility and the description mentions "an incredible amount of stretch"... I'm wondering if there's any drawback to this in the long term, i.e., shortened lifespan due to wear from excessive stretching, for example.

Also, when I was trying on rental suits recently, I was told that one of the negatives about White suits was the placement of the dump valve. I believe the problem was it's placed too far in on the bicep requiring a bit of a contortionist move in order to dump air. If one goes custom, could this be adjusted?

 

[DiveJedi]

It's amazing how one bad run of suits with poor valve placement can haunt a manufacturer for years!!

A few years back we had some nexus suits that we opted to put the valve on the wrong side of a seam.....it was promptly changed - but we still pay the price for it.

Before any suit is released to the public, I/we R&D it and dive it extensively before it is released. I can assure you that none of our valves are any further forward than any other manufacturer, we do our best to find the balance between being able to manually dump it, and being able to have the exhaust automatically dump. This suit in particular has incredible bubble management, it is very easy to dump because the lycra sucks in the rest of the bladder, and does not allow the diver to have excess air in the suit, unless the diver shuts the valve. My personal recommendation having been a user of the suit since January - close the valve about half way, otherwise the lycra will force the air out of the suit.

As for duarability - we are not saying that the skin is going to last 1000 dives - we are saying that we have several suits with lots and lots of dives - that do not need to be replaced - and when they do need to be replaced - that is the beauty - for a minumal price, we can change the skin and have a brand new suit!! (sort of).

You truly need to try this suit to appreciate its value!

Until the next dive,
Tyler

 

[drl]

OTOH, looking at the size chart, these are clearly sized for men, or for women with absolutely no hips. I don't have big hips, but I would have to buy a size too big just to get this over my butt. I have a Catalyst now, and according to the size chart am a perfect size XXS, but I still have to wriggle it over my hips once I have an undergarment on. And the Fusion is even smaller in the hips/butt compared to the rest of the body. Maybe the stretch makes up for it; hard to tell without a try-on.
FWIW, I have never had a problem with the dump valve on the Catalyst; the placement is quite convenient and it works great. I look like Spaceman Spiff in it, but so what?

 

[spectrum]

BARE shows ladies cuts for most of their dry suits...

 

[mania]

I do have some doubts about this dry suit. The zipper may get in way of shoulder straps of my harness, so zipper can be damaged by harness. Sleeves - how do I mount the rings for dry gloves? There seem no way to do so and I dive in cold waters so I need dry gloves.

Honestly - I know few really good women dry suits - Bare, Northern Diver, Dui, Gates - all of them produce female dry suits.

Mania

 

[Ana]

I do have some doubts about this dry suit. The zipper may get in way of shoulder straps of my harness, so zipper can be damaged by harness. Sleeves - how do I mount the rings for dry gloves? There seem no way to do so and I dive in cold waters so I need dry gloves

Honestly - I know few really good women dry suits - Bare, Northern Diver, Dui, Gates - all of them produce female dry suits.

Mania

I think this suit is designed for "not so cold" waters. I think is part of their "tropical" line whatever that means.
It's been a while since I used dry gloves but, don't you install the rings wherever the latex seal would be installed either over or instead of them.?

I do have some concerns though, after reading the first post above I jumped to their web site. Everything looked great to me, I asked for prices and it seemed like there is something going these days that is favorable, (either that or the LDS wants me to feel good about this).

Anyway the OP says that this suit doesn't make you feel like you are inside a bag, that it feels similar to wearing a 3mm wet suit. Those are huge claims.
Spearfishing with a dry suit is not my husband's or my favorite activity, so once the waters cool down, it is either very short or no spearing dives.

How is the structure of the suit? the website mentions several layers, with the outermost layer being a replaceable skin. Are these layers independent of eachother? totally independent or partially? There are only 3 sizes available right now, so what if a person is at the smaller end of a size? Is the inside layer going to be all bunched up inside the outermost layer?

The website has pretty pictures and flashy statements but no technicall specs, I understand some technology is cutting edge and it doesn't make sense to disclose certain details but how about putting a little more emphasis on how it works as well as the typical suit (if it actually does), and no so much hipe of the future available colors.

 

[PinkPADIgal]

I think this suit is designed for "not so cold" waters. I think is part of their "tropical" line whatever that means.
It's been a while since I used dry gloves but, don't you install the rings wherever the latex seal would be installed either over or instead of them.?

I do have some concerns though, after reading the first post above I jumped to their web site. Everything looked great to me, I asked for prices and it seemed like there is something going these days that is favorable, (either that or the LDS wants me to feel good about this).

Anyway the OP says that this suit doesn't make you feel like you are inside a bag, that it feels similar to wearing a 3mm wet suit. Those are huge claims.
Spearfishing with a dry suit is not my husband's or my favorite activity, so once the waters cool down, it is either very short or no spearing dives.

How is the structure of the suit? the website mentions several layers, with the outermost layer being a replaceable skin. Are these layers independent of eachother? totally independent or partially? There are only 3 sizes available right now, so what if a person is at the smaller end of a size? Is the inside layer going to be all bunched up inside the outermost layer?

The website has pretty pictures and flashy statements but no technicall specs, I understand some technology is cutting edge and it doesn't make sense to disclose certain details but how about putting a little more emphasis on how it works as well as the typical suit (if it actually does), and no so much hipe of the future available colors.

First, rings can be installed very easily on this suit. I dive in 48-50 degree water and I love my drygloves. The ability to layer with this suit is why it is good from 40 degree water, to 70 degree water.

Second, this suit is hard to describe how it feels until you have it on. It is 2 layers, with the outer layer being lycra. You would think the inside layer would get bunched up, but it doesn't. It is very comfortable. I was extremely surprised and amazed with the flexibilty it offers. It compares to my Xcel Hydrospan 3mm wetsuit for moveabilty.

I am pretty excited about this suit because in the 7 years I have been diving, I have never seen a stock drysuit that can fit anyone, from 90lbs to 300lbs, from 5ft-6'4". As for fitting a woman, it makes us look like women in it.

 

[DiveJedi]

I think this suit is designed for "not so cold" waters. I think is part of their "tropical" line whatever that means.
It's been a while since I used dry gloves but, don't you install the rings wherever the latex seal would be installed either over or instead of them.?

I do have some concerns though, after reading the first post above I jumped to their web site. Everything looked great to me, I asked for prices and it seemed like there is something going these days that is favorable, (either that or the LDS wants me to feel good about this).

Anyway the OP says that this suit doesn't make you feel like you are inside a bag, that it feels similar to wearing a 3mm wet suit. Those are huge claims.
Spearfishing with a dry suit is not my husband's or my favorite activity, so once the waters cool down, it is either very short or no spearing dives.

How is the structure of the suit? the website mentions several layers, with the outermost layer being a replaceable skin. Are these layers independent of eachother? totally independent or partially? There are only 3 sizes available right now, so what if a person is at the smaller end of a size? Is the inside layer going to be all bunched up inside the outermost layer?

The website has pretty pictures and flashy statements but no technicall specs, I understand some technology is cutting edge and it doesn't make sense to disclose certain details but how about putting a little more emphasis on how it works as well as the typical suit (if it actually does), and no so much hipe of the future available colors.

We are currently working on the technical side of how this suit works, complete with diagrams. We understand that looking at a website does not allow you to envision how the suit feels, performs, and what really happens underwater to the suit compared to "normal" drysuits.

As far as sizing goes - we currently have 4 sizes available - the middle 2 sizes with smaller seals or bigger seals available to accomodate men or women. We are in the process of adding a couple sizes - once these sizes have been approved, the 6 suit sizes will accomodate 90% of divers (maybe more).

We will be releasing this information when completed (for DEMA).

Until the next dive,
Tyler