Dry Suit Advice

[Darnold9999]

Get a crushed neoprene suit. The shell suits (I.e., White's fusion) that everyone thinks are so great are IMHO unsuited to BC waters. Very chilly. You have to cram so much undergarments in them to try to stay warm, you turn into a very buoyant Michelin puffball. Crushed neoprene is the way to go. Warm, easy to get into, easy to control your buoyancy. If you want, you can order one with neoprene socks, and then wear an overboot, that will counteract the potential problem of overly buoyant feet.

Don't believe that IDC sells the Fusion so unlikely she will be going this way.

However I also dive a White's Fusion and while I do get cold on some dives - those longer than an hour - the benefits of a very flexible suit, the reduced weight required, and one that is MUCH easier to dive and push through the water, in my opinion, far outweigh the slight advantage in 'warmth" that a crushed neoprene suit brings to the table. In no way am I anything near a "Michelin Man" even if I do dress to stay warm for an extra long dive. In fact the opposite is true. I am MUCH more flexible in my Fusion both in and out of the water, than any other suit I have dived (and that does include a crushed neoprene suit).

Every kind of suit has its advantages and disadvantages, but to say that the Fusion is not suitable for diving in our local waters is simply wrong. It would be a good choice, one of many.

 

[Kat.O]

Thank you for the advice about dry suits and for wishing me well in my course. Only 3 more classes left till my ocean dives this weekend.

 

[rob1967]

Every kind of suit has its advantages and disadvantages, but to say that the Fusion is not suitable for diving in our local waters is simply wrong. It would be a good choice, one of many.

Hang on there a second Doug, with all due respect, I think you have misquoted me there. I did say IMHO shell suits are unsuited to BC. IMHO means "In my humble opinion". Everyone has a right to have an opinion now, don't they?

I realize that there are many people who think the fusion is great, which is why I bought it in the first place. Now it collects dust in my closet. I still use it as a back up, and maybe I can use it for warm water tech diving some day, but my overall experience with it has been poor. Maybe it's because I have to cram the thick puffy MK3 undergarment into it to have any chance to stay warm. Once I got my crushed neoprene suit, I switched to the much lighter MK2, and not only was warmer, but was able to drop 7 lbs off the weight belt, and felt just as mobile. Obviously with a crushed neoprene, a good fit is more important, whereas with the fusion, 4 sizes fit the whole world.

I do agree that dry gloves are the only way to go, BTW.

 

[Hyper-limits]

I dive with a fusion and I don't think they are that great, but for about $1000 for the tech skin model with pockets and dry gloves I couldn't say no to the deal, I do 2 hours plus dive all the time using the MK3 and sometimes I go a little crazy and do 3 hours dive. IMHO a nice crushed neoprene like a DUI CF200 would be a better suit but you will pay around $2800.

Al

 

[xdjio]

Well, I am quite new to scuba in general but I've done all my dives in a shell-type suit (BARE Nexgen) and so far, really like it. That said, I have nothing to compare it to.

The only thing I dislike is the placement of the vent on the upper left shoulder area - feel really awkward for me but it could just be my undergarment. It strikes me that I'd rather have the vest near my left wrist. What do people generally prefer anyway, or is it really just a matter of personal preference?

I do like the flexibility and mobility of the suit. I have not found trim or buoyancy particularly tough in it - IDC taught me to use the BCD as a BCD, and only inflate the suit the minimum amount to counteract squeeze, nothing more.

 

[Kat.O]

I dive with a fusion and I don't think they are that great, but for about $1000 for the tech skin model with pockets and dry gloves I couldn't say no to the deal

Thanks for the advice Al, that is around the price limit I'm hoping for.

 

[Kat.O]

Well, I am quite new to scuba in general but I've done all my dives in a shell-type suit (BARE Nexgen)

May I ask, have you purchased a dry suit yet or are you still renting? If you are still renting I want to know a little more about how that experience is going. I may have to rent for a while before I can afford a dry suit.

 

[xdjio]

Oh I still rent one - I don't dive frequently enough that I plan to buy one for a little while yet. Since IDC trained me I just rent all my gear there and they know my sizing. The experience is totally painless, I am pretty sure I've gotten the exact same suit from them every time. I may try and switch it up this time though and get one with dry gloves, we'll see.

 

[Slamfire]

Welcome, Kat. You must be Marty's better half. Hopefully you're not having too much of a hard time trying to get that young man civilized.

To your question, I have both a Whites Fusion shell suit and a Brooks neoprene suit. I feel fine diving either and dive both of them competently. I use them about half of the time each. I do prefer the Fusion when diving solo because it's much easier to self don. My point is that this is largely personal preferences. You mentioned you plan to rent suits before you buy. I think that's a good idea because it allows you to try different brands and different styles and make an informed choice before you commit to buying. There's several good local manufacturers: Bare, Whites, Oceaner, Sea Tux, Brooks.

BTW, tell Marty to take you diving to Pavillion Lake, visibility on a bad day was 80'+

 

[Kat.O]

Welcome, Kat. You must be Marty's better half. Hopefully you're not having too much of a hard time trying to get that young man civilized.

Haha, Yes breaking Marty in has been quite an ordeal, but I think we're through the worst of it now

I think renting a variety of suits before I buy is the way to go, so thank you for your input.

As for Pavillion Lake, Marty seems to be afraid of the locals and I can't have my body guard scared so maybe this could be a bigger group trip in the future?