Choosing a drysuit

[kunak83]

I am looking to buy my fist drysuit. I am looking at the scuba pro ever dry 4 and the new whites fusion one or similar trilam. I do northeast diving (spring and Ocean). Does anyone have any suggestions or helpful info to help me decide? I am going to try them on this week to get a better idea of comfort. My friend owns an ever dry 4 and loves it. Thanks for any advise.

Anthony

 

[leeksallovertheplace]

I've had extensive experience with the Whites Fusion (but not the newest Fusion one), and although great flexibility and versatility, it wouldn't be my choice for cold water diving (We hover around 30-32F here in the winter, 60F in the summer). Not sure what your temps are, but I think it would suit warmer temps just fine (50F and above) with the bullet skin, not the sport skin. It was great in the summer here. Also found the boots weren't warm enough for our waters and used the Bare Cold Water boot over top the soft boot. Can't help you on the SP, sorry.

I dive the Bare XCS2 and find it acts just like a shell trilam suit (like the Fusion), but with the warmth properties of a compressed neoprene. Great flexibility and stretch as well.

Good luck!

---------- Post added March 24th, 2013 at 09:40 PM ----------

The Fusion undergarments are second to none, though!! SUPER warm!

 

[kunak83]

ok thanks for the reply

 

[TSandM]

Don't take that prior reply as gospel. Shell dry suits (of which the Fusion line is one) are dependent on the undergarments you use for their warmth. Neoprene dry suits, like the EverDry, have intrinsic insulation and require less undergarment -- BUT they suffer from the same problem wetsuits have, in that they compress at depth and lose some of their insulating properties. In addition, buoyancy control is a little more complicated, because you have THREE airspaces that are expanding -- any air in your BC, the air in your dry suit, and the gas in the neoprene. Neoprene suits are inexpensive starter suits, but most people who dive in cold water over the long term end up with something else.

 

[Glenn08]

I prefer my Viking. It is rubber and does not have any inherent buoyancy. After I have compensated for suit squeeze, I am neutrally buoyant. And I do change how much underwear I use to suit the water temperature.