Confessions of a former Fusion hater
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alvinsuper
Sounds like the LDS had an agenda.
My Fusion is more than 4 years old, a friend of mine must be about 7. Both are in pretty good condition considering the use and age.
1. The suit is fragile.
I have had two DUI membranes and one DUI crushed Neoprene. The Fusion is no more fragile than either of those.
The outer skin does give you some additional protection to the membrane inner part of the suit.
2. I only use a bp/w. Any suit shows signs of wear from the harness. There is a slight advantage with the outer skin, in that it can move independent to the suit underneath, reducing wear. I also have the stitech neck ring built in ,allowing me to change the neck seal quickly. I can't say I have had any issues with comfort. You can also replace the outer skin, it is relatively inexpensive, (assuming that they are still making the suits when it wheres out).
I dive a CCR with stages, so say 25kg of CCR + 6kg of lead + stages. I don't find it a problem on the surface, in the water there is no real weight in the kit, effectively, the wing is supporting the weight, making it (and you) neutral.
3. On technical courses, you are required to do shutdowns (on twinsets), which requires correctly setup rig, physical flexibility and a suit (and under suit) with sufficient range of movement. One significant advantage of the fusion, is the huge amount of flexibility in the suit, because the membrane section is effectively oversize, and the skin (outer) pulls it tight to the body. You get a better and more streamlined fit with significantly more movement in the suit.
One other point, the outer skin makes the suit behave more like a wetsuit, than a drysuit.
Also, because of the oversize inner skin (the waterproof bit) and the body hugging effect of the outer skin, if compensates for changes in weight, i.e if you put weight on it stretches, if you lose weight it shrinks.
Gareth
Sounds like the LDS had an agenda.
My Fusion is more than 4 years old, a friend of mine must be about 7. Both are in pretty good condition considering the use and age.
1. The suit is fragile.
I have had two DUI membranes and one DUI crushed Neoprene. The Fusion is no more fragile than either of those.
The outer skin does give you some additional protection to the membrane inner part of the suit.
2. I only use a bp/w. Any suit shows signs of wear from the harness. There is a slight advantage with the outer skin, in that it can move independent to the suit underneath, reducing wear. I also have the stitech neck ring built in ,allowing me to change the neck seal quickly. I can't say I have had any issues with comfort. You can also replace the outer skin, it is relatively inexpensive, (assuming that they are still making the suits when it wheres out).
I dive a CCR with stages, so say 25kg of CCR + 6kg of lead + stages. I don't find it a problem on the surface, in the water there is no real weight in the kit, effectively, the wing is supporting the weight, making it (and you) neutral.
3. On technical courses, you are required to do shutdowns (on twinsets), which requires correctly setup rig, physical flexibility and a suit (and under suit) with sufficient range of movement. One significant advantage of the fusion, is the huge amount of flexibility in the suit, because the membrane section is effectively oversize, and the skin (outer) pulls it tight to the body. You get a better and more streamlined fit with significantly more movement in the suit.
One other point, the outer skin makes the suit behave more like a wetsuit, than a drysuit.
Also, because of the oversize inner skin (the waterproof bit) and the body hugging effect of the outer skin, if compensates for changes in weight, i.e if you put weight on it stretches, if you lose weight it shrinks.
Gareth
runsongas
Contributor
mine is leak free still after about 200 dives. i haven't seen any abnormal wear compared to my previous usia suit.
the skin has an overzipper to protect the actual waterproof zipper. if that wears out, you can just get a new skin.
i wouldn't say the fusion is a great value at full msrp, but i am very happy with my fusion for the price i paid.
the skin has an overzipper to protect the actual waterproof zipper. if that wears out, you can just get a new skin.
i wouldn't say the fusion is a great value at full msrp, but i am very happy with my fusion for the price i paid.
OP
I know people who dive the Fusion for tech and no issues.
When I was shopping for a drysuit I asked a lot of people a lot of questions...apparently a lot of people had a poor impression of the older "drycore" material that Whites and Aqualung made the Fusion suits out of. The drycore material was referenced to being akin to a garbage bag. Folks said it was noisy, thin, and did not give a confident sensation when handled.
The current suits are made from their "Aircore" fabric which is a waterproof/breathable laminate akin to heavy duty goretex. I don't find that this material is noisy as people referred the drycore fabric (which was not breathable). The aircore fabric is thicker than "drycore" fabric but thinner than other trilam suits because other suits need the protection of a more robust outer layer to give protection against abrasion and tears. The outer skin of the fusion provides this protection really well so Aqualung could offer a thinner but significantly more supple drysuit material. I do not feel that my Fusion is fragile but I respect that any drysuit should be well cared for as there is a fine line between keeping water out and letting water in.
My wife recently decided to shop for a drysuit as well. The shop gave her a Beauchat tri-lam to try on for size. She liked how easy it was to put on but she also commented how stiff the material felt after she went home and tried on my Fusion.
I dive a backplate and wing exclusively with a simple hogarthian harness. I have not experienced any issues with my harness interfering with the zipper either. The Fusion Bullet's neoprene outer skin has a protective plastic zipper that follows exactly over the metal zipper of the drysuit beneath it. This kind of felt a bit bulky the first few times I donned my suit but I quickly got used to it. If anything was to wear out first it would be the skin with its zipper which can be replaced for 1/3rd the price or less of the actual suit. The outer skin can be completely removed and can be repaired instead of replaced as it is a sacrificial functional layer...you can sew it, aquaseal it, safety-pin it, etc to keep it working as it functions to protect the drysuit beneath it.
I regularly dive a 12L steel tank with 1.5kgs in the pockets on each side of my harness waist strap (another 6kgs on a weight belt around my waist under the harness)....I don;t feel any discomfort from the zipper. I am currently only wearing a thin polartec fleece top and thin fleece pants under the suit as the water and air temp have not been cold enough to switch to my Fusion Thermal undersuit yet. Perhaps it is the thin fleece undergarments I am wearing that is insulating me from feeling the zipper, I don't know...I will notice it less with the thicker undersuit later in the autumn/winter.
Folks have commmented in other threads on ScubaBoard that the neck ring affects their shoulder mobility in such a way that it keeps them from reaching their tank valves when reaching backwards. I dive a single tank and I am able to reach my valve without much problem especially if I lift the bottom of the tank with my other hand a bit. Any issues I have reaching my valve is not caused by my suit or neck ring. I have 44" shoulders (point to point) so I can only imagine those who claim to have problems reaching their valves probably have really narrow shoulders and the neck ring for the replaceble silicone seals are in the way. I can't see that changing for them with a different suit with a similar ring system, but who knows. I think it is something one gets used to, and the I think the neck ring breaks in a bit over time and begins to take the shape of the body making it less obtrusive.
I am not sure what it means "a more technical suit" for tech diving but you may find that after diving a Fusion for a bit that you want something different, so you can sell it and use the money to offset the cost of that something else....or you may really like it and use it until you ultimately wear it out...again who knows.
The things I really like about my suit are:
1. It met all the criteria that I was looking for: front entry, trilaminate, user/field replaceable neck and wrist seals.
2. the sizing plus the outer skin means that the suit will still fit if I gain some weight or lose some weight. At the beginning of June when I purchased the suit, I adopted a ketogenic diet and in the 3.5 months since I have lost about 30lbs....my suit still fits really well....I can't tell you how many drysuits I have seen for sale because the owner lost weight and the suit just doesnt fit anymore. The OP of this thread experienced that and the too large suit caused her some significant problems with her buoyancy.
3. While it took me a few dives to figure out how to control my buoyancy and body position in the water diving with my drysuit I think the learning curve was much less steep than with an ordinary tri-lam suit, it only took me about 6 dives before I was able to relatively regain the control I had when wearing a wetsuit....this is contributable to the fact that the outer skin causes the air bubble in the suit that keeps you warm from shooting around so fast as it would in other types of drysuits. I can feel the air bubble roll from shoulder to shoulder and can easily control it with my body position, I can also feel the air bubble slowly move to my feet when I am in a head down position...It does not shoot to my feet so fast that I cannot control it risking a feet first uncontrolled ascent. While some have commented that diving the Fusion is like diving a wetsuit, I don't agree completely...what I would say is that it is not a major leap away from how you would dive a wetsuit.
4. It is somewhat breathable when out of the water, which has made gearing up before the dive bearable on warm sunny days.
5. The Waterproof Ultima dryglove system was designed to work seamlessly with the pre-installed si-tec wrist ring system that came pre-installed. This provided me with a no-hassle transition from wet gloves to dry gloves.
The things I don't like about my suit are:
1. The neoprene outer skin takes time to dry. I hang my suit in the garage by the velcro attached Fusion Boots the shop gave me as a gift and it takes a couple days to dry. This means that between dives the outer skin will remain wet which can be a problem if you plan to keep the suit on during the surface interval between dives....having the wet neoprene hanging from the suits suspenders is just not as nice as having a relatively dry trilam hanging from the suspenders...it can also be an issue on a charter or live aboard boat where you are prohibited from entering the cabins/dining area with a wetsuit...with a dripped dry tri-lam entering would not be an issue but with the wet neoprene skin this would mean removing the suit. Some folks have purchased a second skin made from lycra to use when they travel as it is lighter, more compact for packing, and drys much quicker...it may solve the boat cabin problem too but I don't really know.
2. It does take me longer to get into my suit than the other members in my club...I am not sure if that is because I only have 3.5 months of diving on my suit or if that is function of the suit itself. I don't feel it is a struggle to get my suit on but there is definitely more material in the drysuit part of the suit that I need to contend with when putting my legs in. I bring one of those camp chairs to the divesite with me so I can sit and get my legs in....once my legs are in and the suit is pulled up to my waist getting it on the rest of the way is a breeze. I have no problems with the torso, arms, neck, or zipper.
3. The suit is heavier than other trilaminate suites due to the outer neoprene skin...this even more true after the dive as the neoprene remains wet.
So far my suit has been dry and comfortable after 3.5 months of diving it each weekend and sometimes during the week as well.
Regarding price: The price for mine was 1600 euros minus 15% plus they gave me a set of Fusion boots (at first a used set that fit too big but they then exchanged them for a brand new pair that fit perfectly). The Beuachat suit my wife tried on costs 1000 euros and it has glue in latex seals...it would cost extra to have the si-tec neck and wrist system put in, plus customizations so the suit will not be 3 sizes too long for her in the arms and legs, and feet (attached boots)...this will cause the Beauchat suit to either approximate or exceed the cost of the Fusion.
Are there less expensive option out there? sure. Will they fit and work for you better? who knows...yo will need to shop around, try suits on, and if you can you should test dive them.
I have not experienced any of the issues people complain about except the long dry time of the out neoprene skin. I don't plan to travel by air with my drysuit so this is not a huge issue at the moment because if I want to do cold water diving I can do plenty of that in northwest europe....if I am going to travel somewhere by plane to dive it will be warm enough for my 5mm wetsuit.
I don't want anyone coming away from reading this post thinking that I believe the Aqualung Fusion is the best thing on the market. Other than a kokatat drysuit I used for whitewater kayaking a number of years ago, the only other drysuit I have used was an old waist/bib entry Typhoon drysuit that a fellow club member was selling a couple of years ago that I was able to try in the pool. There are lots of products out there with lots of different features and at different price points. The Aqualung Fusion appealed to me based on fit, features and price. I am really happy with my suit.
I hope this gives you some insight and is helpful to you in making your decision.
Cheers,
-Z
The current suits are made from their "Aircore" fabric which is a waterproof/breathable laminate akin to heavy duty goretex. I don't find that this material is noisy as people referred the drycore fabric (which was not breathable). The aircore fabric is thicker than "drycore" fabric but thinner than other trilam suits because other suits need the protection of a more robust outer layer to give protection against abrasion and tears. The outer skin of the fusion provides this protection really well so Aqualung could offer a thinner but significantly more supple drysuit material. I do not feel that my Fusion is fragile but I respect that any drysuit should be well cared for as there is a fine line between keeping water out and letting water in.
My wife recently decided to shop for a drysuit as well. The shop gave her a Beauchat tri-lam to try on for size. She liked how easy it was to put on but she also commented how stiff the material felt after she went home and tried on my Fusion.
I dive a backplate and wing exclusively with a simple hogarthian harness. I have not experienced any issues with my harness interfering with the zipper either. The Fusion Bullet's neoprene outer skin has a protective plastic zipper that follows exactly over the metal zipper of the drysuit beneath it. This kind of felt a bit bulky the first few times I donned my suit but I quickly got used to it. If anything was to wear out first it would be the skin with its zipper which can be replaced for 1/3rd the price or less of the actual suit. The outer skin can be completely removed and can be repaired instead of replaced as it is a sacrificial functional layer...you can sew it, aquaseal it, safety-pin it, etc to keep it working as it functions to protect the drysuit beneath it.
I regularly dive a 12L steel tank with 1.5kgs in the pockets on each side of my harness waist strap (another 6kgs on a weight belt around my waist under the harness)....I don;t feel any discomfort from the zipper. I am currently only wearing a thin polartec fleece top and thin fleece pants under the suit as the water and air temp have not been cold enough to switch to my Fusion Thermal undersuit yet. Perhaps it is the thin fleece undergarments I am wearing that is insulating me from feeling the zipper, I don't know...I will notice it less with the thicker undersuit later in the autumn/winter.
Folks have commmented in other threads on ScubaBoard that the neck ring affects their shoulder mobility in such a way that it keeps them from reaching their tank valves when reaching backwards. I dive a single tank and I am able to reach my valve without much problem especially if I lift the bottom of the tank with my other hand a bit. Any issues I have reaching my valve is not caused by my suit or neck ring. I have 44" shoulders (point to point) so I can only imagine those who claim to have problems reaching their valves probably have really narrow shoulders and the neck ring for the replaceble silicone seals are in the way. I can't see that changing for them with a different suit with a similar ring system, but who knows. I think it is something one gets used to, and the I think the neck ring breaks in a bit over time and begins to take the shape of the body making it less obtrusive.
I am not sure what it means "a more technical suit" for tech diving but you may find that after diving a Fusion for a bit that you want something different, so you can sell it and use the money to offset the cost of that something else....or you may really like it and use it until you ultimately wear it out...again who knows.
The things I really like about my suit are:
1. It met all the criteria that I was looking for: front entry, trilaminate, user/field replaceable neck and wrist seals.
2. the sizing plus the outer skin means that the suit will still fit if I gain some weight or lose some weight. At the beginning of June when I purchased the suit, I adopted a ketogenic diet and in the 3.5 months since I have lost about 30lbs....my suit still fits really well....I can't tell you how many drysuits I have seen for sale because the owner lost weight and the suit just doesnt fit anymore. The OP of this thread experienced that and the too large suit caused her some significant problems with her buoyancy.
3. While it took me a few dives to figure out how to control my buoyancy and body position in the water diving with my drysuit I think the learning curve was much less steep than with an ordinary tri-lam suit, it only took me about 6 dives before I was able to relatively regain the control I had when wearing a wetsuit....this is contributable to the fact that the outer skin causes the air bubble in the suit that keeps you warm from shooting around so fast as it would in other types of drysuits. I can feel the air bubble roll from shoulder to shoulder and can easily control it with my body position, I can also feel the air bubble slowly move to my feet when I am in a head down position...It does not shoot to my feet so fast that I cannot control it risking a feet first uncontrolled ascent. While some have commented that diving the Fusion is like diving a wetsuit, I don't agree completely...what I would say is that it is not a major leap away from how you would dive a wetsuit.
4. It is somewhat breathable when out of the water, which has made gearing up before the dive bearable on warm sunny days.
5. The Waterproof Ultima dryglove system was designed to work seamlessly with the pre-installed si-tec wrist ring system that came pre-installed. This provided me with a no-hassle transition from wet gloves to dry gloves.
The things I don't like about my suit are:
1. The neoprene outer skin takes time to dry. I hang my suit in the garage by the velcro attached Fusion Boots the shop gave me as a gift and it takes a couple days to dry. This means that between dives the outer skin will remain wet which can be a problem if you plan to keep the suit on during the surface interval between dives....having the wet neoprene hanging from the suits suspenders is just not as nice as having a relatively dry trilam hanging from the suspenders...it can also be an issue on a charter or live aboard boat where you are prohibited from entering the cabins/dining area with a wetsuit...with a dripped dry tri-lam entering would not be an issue but with the wet neoprene skin this would mean removing the suit. Some folks have purchased a second skin made from lycra to use when they travel as it is lighter, more compact for packing, and drys much quicker...it may solve the boat cabin problem too but I don't really know.
2. It does take me longer to get into my suit than the other members in my club...I am not sure if that is because I only have 3.5 months of diving on my suit or if that is function of the suit itself. I don't feel it is a struggle to get my suit on but there is definitely more material in the drysuit part of the suit that I need to contend with when putting my legs in. I bring one of those camp chairs to the divesite with me so I can sit and get my legs in....once my legs are in and the suit is pulled up to my waist getting it on the rest of the way is a breeze. I have no problems with the torso, arms, neck, or zipper.
3. The suit is heavier than other trilaminate suites due to the outer neoprene skin...this even more true after the dive as the neoprene remains wet.
So far my suit has been dry and comfortable after 3.5 months of diving it each weekend and sometimes during the week as well.
Regarding price: The price for mine was 1600 euros minus 15% plus they gave me a set of Fusion boots (at first a used set that fit too big but they then exchanged them for a brand new pair that fit perfectly). The Beuachat suit my wife tried on costs 1000 euros and it has glue in latex seals...it would cost extra to have the si-tec neck and wrist system put in, plus customizations so the suit will not be 3 sizes too long for her in the arms and legs, and feet (attached boots)...this will cause the Beauchat suit to either approximate or exceed the cost of the Fusion.
Are there less expensive option out there? sure. Will they fit and work for you better? who knows...yo will need to shop around, try suits on, and if you can you should test dive them.
I have not experienced any of the issues people complain about except the long dry time of the out neoprene skin. I don't plan to travel by air with my drysuit so this is not a huge issue at the moment because if I want to do cold water diving I can do plenty of that in northwest europe....if I am going to travel somewhere by plane to dive it will be warm enough for my 5mm wetsuit.
I don't want anyone coming away from reading this post thinking that I believe the Aqualung Fusion is the best thing on the market. Other than a kokatat drysuit I used for whitewater kayaking a number of years ago, the only other drysuit I have used was an old waist/bib entry Typhoon drysuit that a fellow club member was selling a couple of years ago that I was able to try in the pool. There are lots of products out there with lots of different features and at different price points. The Aqualung Fusion appealed to me based on fit, features and price. I am really happy with my suit.
I hope this gives you some insight and is helpful to you in making your decision.
Cheers,
-Z
@alvinsuper
Here is listing I came across earlier this evening by someone looking to sell their Fusion...note it is drycore fabric not aircore.
For Sale - Fusion Bullet SLT Drysuit Complete package with undergarment
Comes with a bunch of extras.
-Z
Here is listing I came across earlier this evening by someone looking to sell their Fusion...note it is drycore fabric not aircore.
For Sale - Fusion Bullet SLT Drysuit Complete package with undergarment
Comes with a bunch of extras.
-Z
alvinsuper
Registered
The comments from Zef are pretty accurate.
I originally bought my suit because my primary suit, a DUI neoprene suit was at the end of its life and leaking quite badly, and had been for some time, I had been getting wet on every dive.
I was looking to buy a new suit, I would have had a new DUI if there quality had been so poor on the newer suits. I was considering a new O3.
The DUI shop also had some Whites suits, on offer, my girlfriend suggested I bought for the next season or two. She wanted me dry, so we would do more diving. We where planning a trip to Iceland, and i needed a dry drysuit for that.
Its lighter than a crushed neoprene, but heavier than my DUI Trilam'.
The inner is damp after diving, from the condensation, but drys quickly.
Putting it on is a technique, you pull on the inner layer, not the outer skin.
Getting it off is much easier with a buddy pulling on the socks.
Mine is obviously the older inner core material.
I originally bought my suit because my primary suit, a DUI neoprene suit was at the end of its life and leaking quite badly, and had been for some time, I had been getting wet on every dive.
I was looking to buy a new suit, I would have had a new DUI if there quality had been so poor on the newer suits. I was considering a new O3.
The DUI shop also had some Whites suits, on offer, my girlfriend suggested I bought for the next season or two. She wanted me dry, so we would do more diving. We where planning a trip to Iceland, and i needed a dry drysuit for that.
Its lighter than a crushed neoprene, but heavier than my DUI Trilam'.
The inner is damp after diving, from the condensation, but drys quickly.
Putting it on is a technique, you pull on the inner layer, not the outer skin.
Getting it off is much easier with a buddy pulling on the socks.
Mine is obviously the older inner core material.
I went diving today with my Fusion Bullet and my Thermal Fusion under suit....the only complaints I have are the neoprene outer skin is heavy when wet, and despite the suit being a 2xl/3xl I find it restrictive in the inner upper thigh area. I have this restricted sensation even with thinner fleece trousers under the suit. I am not sure if this is an issue with the Fusion, or if it is an issue with drysuits in general...this is my first drysuit so I have nothing to compare this to. Any one have any feedback with experience with other types of suits?
-Z
-Z
Zef's reply seems to be right on. I'm at about 250 dives in a Fusion Tech with the old Dry core, and the only leaks it's ever had were around the ankle join where my Evo3 boots rub. I dive BP/W, so after 250 dives, there's a slight wear point at the bottom of the plate, and a little discoloration from the crotch strap. I also dive doubles and sidemount, and have never noticed any issue with tech dives other than the lousy Fusion Tech pockets. It's probably due a new skin, and overall, when it's time to replace, I'd probably look at a new Bullet. The Aircore is supposedly easier to pull on, the ankle zippers allow easier entry of feet, much better pockets, and the outer skin is more flexible than the previous Bullet (I'm told).
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