OP
So you can laugh your arse off (I certainly did!), here's an "outtake" from last night. The look on my face! 
Confessions of a former Fusion hater
- Thread starter Marie13
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OP
Got two dives in today at the quarry. Very positive experience. My dive buddy (whom I've been diving with since the beginning nearly 2 years ago) said they were among the best dives he's ever seen me do, and I didn't look like I was diving a new dry suit for the first time. 
And he's not afraid to tell me if I'm doing something wrong!
The heavy foot issue I posted about in another thread is much improved. I gave buddy my camera and he got some pics/video. I was very happy with the results.
Dives like a dream. Very comfortable. No leaks at all, from either my neck seal or Waterproof Ultima dry gloves.
Undergarments: AL MK2 fleece one piece with REI merino wool base layer over wicking t-shirt and leggings (the t-shirt and leggings were what I wore to the quarry), Fourth Element Arctic socks. First time wearing the merino base layer. Really does wick nicely. I think I'll be upgrading to the Thermal Fusion before the beginning of next season. Water temp on the deep side of the quarry was 52F at 45ft (second dive). My feet were somewhat chilly. I have merino wool socks (and silk liners) to go under the Arctic socks. The MK2 is OK for warmer water, but not the colder stuff.
Need to try something better than the thumb loops from my MK2 to equalize my gloves. Piece of thick bungee is next. Saw someone do that on the boat last weekend.
The shallow side of the quarry (first dive) was 75F at 19-20ft. I was too warm. I ended up pushing my 5mm Waterproof hood back off my forehead to get cooler. That really helped.
Think I'll be pulling out my 7mm hood for my deep dives next weekend on Lake Michigan (one wreck is 130ft to the sand, deck about 90-100ft).
Suit is much easier to get in and out of than the original DryCore liner. Our air temps were only about 70F today, with a really stiff breeze, but we were in the sun. The AirCore made a huge difference, as I was not roasting in my suit. I did go get wet after I suited up before first dive, as I was a bit warm, but it wasn't that bad.
I had 28 lbs on me. 12 of that is SS BP and weighted STA. I also dive steel HP80s. I had 3lbs each in both hip pockets, 3 lbs each in both top cam band pockets, and 2 lbs each in both bottom cam band pockets. Moving the 4 lbs off my hips to the bottom cam band helped get my feet up.
Pic is from today's second dive. And yes, viz really was that bad. 5ft at the most. We had heavy rain a few days ago and a lot of students were stirring up the bottom today.
And he's not afraid to tell me if I'm doing something wrong!The heavy foot issue I posted about in another thread is much improved. I gave buddy my camera and he got some pics/video. I was very happy with the results.
Dives like a dream. Very comfortable. No leaks at all, from either my neck seal or Waterproof Ultima dry gloves.
Undergarments: AL MK2 fleece one piece with REI merino wool base layer over wicking t-shirt and leggings (the t-shirt and leggings were what I wore to the quarry), Fourth Element Arctic socks. First time wearing the merino base layer. Really does wick nicely. I think I'll be upgrading to the Thermal Fusion before the beginning of next season. Water temp on the deep side of the quarry was 52F at 45ft (second dive). My feet were somewhat chilly. I have merino wool socks (and silk liners) to go under the Arctic socks. The MK2 is OK for warmer water, but not the colder stuff.
Need to try something better than the thumb loops from my MK2 to equalize my gloves. Piece of thick bungee is next. Saw someone do that on the boat last weekend.
The shallow side of the quarry (first dive) was 75F at 19-20ft. I was too warm. I ended up pushing my 5mm Waterproof hood back off my forehead to get cooler. That really helped.
Think I'll be pulling out my 7mm hood for my deep dives next weekend on Lake Michigan (one wreck is 130ft to the sand, deck about 90-100ft).
Suit is much easier to get in and out of than the original DryCore liner. Our air temps were only about 70F today, with a really stiff breeze, but we were in the sun. The AirCore made a huge difference, as I was not roasting in my suit. I did go get wet after I suited up before first dive, as I was a bit warm, but it wasn't that bad.
I had 28 lbs on me. 12 of that is SS BP and weighted STA. I also dive steel HP80s. I had 3lbs each in both hip pockets, 3 lbs each in both top cam band pockets, and 2 lbs each in both bottom cam band pockets. Moving the 4 lbs off my hips to the bottom cam band helped get my feet up.
Pic is from today's second dive. And yes, viz really was that bad. 5ft at the most. We had heavy rain a few days ago and a lot of students were stirring up the bottom today.
OP
All the hype about a Fusion diving like a wetsuit is spot on. I'm able to get my fins on myself. I had a very hard time doing that in my previous drysuit. This was a much better choice for me.
Marie, I understand the seal ring has been soften up since AL bought out Whites. My biggest complaint with the Fusion has always been the neck seal ring being stiff an limiting arm shoulder movement. Have you noticed any difference in that regard between the old suit you dove and the new one?
OP
My suit has the Neck Tite ring. The Quick Neck is the more flexible one. I had the Quick Neck on my original USIA suit. However, it seems the Quick Neck ring might be larger. Not sure. The loaner suit I had was an AL Fusion, not White’s. The Neck Tite doesn’t seem too bad. I’m not going to be reaching behind my head to do valve drills. I’ve just taken up sidemount this year. I only did SM once in the loaner suit. Unless Lake Michigan charters are blown out, I won’t be diving SM until later in October (boat comes out of the water after the second weekend in October).
ajduplessis
Contributor
OP
The neck ring is quite stiff. Depending on your build and how you’re moving your arms, it can limit your range of motion. I’d have issues reaching behind my head, but I’m not the most flexible person anyway.
The neck ring doesn’t bother me. If it did, I’d say something about it.
drl
Contributor
If you’re small and have narrow shoulders, the stiff neck ring can sit on or past your shoulder joint, impeding arm movement. I loved my Fusion until I needed a new neck seal and got the ring installed. Now it’s like a straitjacket.
OP
Did 4 Lake Michigan wreck dives this weekend. Nice and dry. Did my deepest dive to date - 117ft on the Milwaukee Car Ferry (bottom is at 130ft). 50F. Warm and cozy. Surprised how much air I had to put in the suit to combat squeeze - maybe 10 hits on the inflator.
Hotter than hell and very humid on the way out to the car ferry (first dive) yesterday. I climbed into the suit fast, told someone to zip me up, and jumped in to get cool. Everyone had to. Much better for second dive.
Hotter than hell and very humid on the way out to the car ferry (first dive) yesterday. I climbed into the suit fast, told someone to zip me up, and jumped in to get cool. Everyone had to. Much better for second dive.
alvinsuper
Registered
Does any of you dive bp/w and find problems with the Fusion in that config?
Today, I have been to a LDS which is an Aqualung dealer (not my usual LDS) and I wanted to try on the Fusion Bullet with the Aircore, but he didn't have any suits in stock and only sells on order. Long story short, his remarks were less than complimentary about the suit and he wanted so sell to me a trilam of a different brand.
The critiques boiled down to these:
1) The suit is fragile according to him (I didn't get this impression reading comments in this forum).
2) The suit doesn't work well in bp/w because the attrition between the zipper and the harness webbing wears the latter down around the shoulder area and it also makes it uncomfortable (yay? nay?).
3) If I take more technical courses, I will be likely required to move to a more 'technical' (sic) suit (I had never heard this one) and I would end up selling a fusion for a more conventional trilam design.
4) Given all of the above, it doesn't have a convenient price.
As a side note, the other brand he tried to sell has a similar price tag, but I don't know if his mark up is higher on that one than on the aqualung stuff.
Maybe @Zef could also chime in, as I believe he/she has a lot of experience on the fusion.
Thank you.
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