Drysuit recommendations

[ibmichael]

I have decided to buy a drysuit and i am looking fgor some good recommendations. i was looking at Whites fusion tech... this is where i am looking to all you drysuit divers for some great advice

 

[antattack]

As with all things SCUBA, depends on what you want to do. There are a lot of good brands out there, but even if you fall in love with Whites, DUI, USIA, Harveys or whatever, you will be confronted with a whole bunch of more important decisions.

Non compressed Neoprene dry suits are very streamlined, fairly durable and insulate to some degree even if flooded. I think O'Neal is still making these. These suits can be repaired easily, but then the seams start to go, they never quite get right again. DUI says they are the only outfit offering Crushed neoprene.

Compressed and/or Crushed Neoprene suites are a little less streamlined, very durable and if you dive in many temperatures of water ,you can collect a whole wardrobe of undergarments. Crushed Neoprene lasts a long time and resists cuts and scrapes, it can be a bit heavy.

Trilam and Shell Dry suits are great, but in general, are the least streamlined. If they flood, they provide no insulation at all. But the are quite durable.

The Fusion is a shell dry suit with a stretchy outer layer aimed as streamlining the suit. Lots of people really appreciate this approach, but it is a more complex system. More parts means more maintenance.


In all cases, you have some other decisions to make regarding
-the profile of your dump valves. Tall valves are inexpensive, low profile valves cost a bit more, both perform well as far as I can tell.
-Installation of a balanced or unbalanced dump valve
-Self Donning/ front entry vs. back entry (shorter zipper, less cost, less to go wrong)
-Socks/over boots, integrated rock boots (I have integrated rock boots but wish I had socks with over boots.)
-Neoprene or Latex wrist/ Neck seals (I prefer latex- it's less comfortable but drier)
-Cone or bottle neck wrist / Neck Seals (I prefer cone, you have a chance of fixing a torn seal with a cone)
-Zip seals or glue on seals (I go with glue on seals)
-Dry gloves or wrist seals (I have wrist seals, never really needed dry gloves even though I dive cold water)
-Custom/ semi custom or off the rack fit (If you buy a suit and then see a tailor, you will want semi custom or custom)

so... there are probably more questions there than answers and few of them revolve around the brand of the dry suit.

 

[Rich Keller]

I prefer a neoprene drysuit. In the case of a total failure you still have some buoyancy built into the suit. Bare makes the best drysuits in this category that I have ever seen.

 

[offroadr1]

i have a whites fusion tech and i love it. its not bulky, but can fit a range of people per size. i dont have much i can complain about on it. the only issue i have had is that my neck seal burps nad leaks a little water in when i bend my neck down, but i think this is more an operator error from the way i have my kit setup. my spg's ride low(sidemount) and i have to bend my head way down to see them. might change it up and see how it does.

my whites dives like a wetsuit. i made no adjustments to my harness going from a 3mm to drysuit. none at all.

 

[Dam0]

I have an O3 MSF 500.

5mm Neoprene, warm, easy to get in and out. Great all round suit. Love it.

 

[TSandM]

The Fusion is a shell dry suit with a stretchy outer layer aimed as streamlining the suit. Lots of people really appreciate this approach, but it is a more complex system. More parts means more maintenance.

There is no more complexity to maintenance of a Fusion than there is to any other dry suit. You rinse the valves and zipper, lube the zipper, rinse the suit and hang it up.

I'm very happy with my Fusions -- one has the Sport skin and the other has the Tech. Whites also has the new back-zip Fusion, which is considerably less expensive, but it doesn't come with the Tech skin and it doesn't come with the wrist rings. It's still an awfully good buy, even if you have to wear x-shorts for pockets. The suits are extremely difficult to damage and are easy to dive.

 

[Johanan]

This article helped me opt for Whites fusion. I have used my Fusion Tech with the Whites Thermal Fusion undergarment down to 90 ft / 46F and stayed reasonably warm all the time, even though my arms usually feel cooler then the rest of my body. Thermal Fusion is a great undergarment. Donning and doffing is not such a problem as some people say. However, for me it is not really a self-donning suit. You can do it if you try harder but I preffer to ask my buddy to pull the zippers to the dock. Un-zipping is not a problem. Underwater the Fusion it's definitely more flexible than my 7+7 wetsuit and I don't need more weight. It really keeps the gas evenly distributed. I have never had a trapped bubble or floating feet problem even with pretty light fins. I am also delighted how comfortable it is between the dives - just like wearing a jogging suit. If you buy, watch out for indented socks. I bought online and one sock has an indent that disturbs during the dive.

Now, somtimes I think - perhaps the Fusion Sport had been even a better choice. It's cheaper, lighter and dries faster. And I do not need pockets all the time. If I needed them, I could use shorts.

 

[offroadr1]

i like how i can wear the fusion boots, or wear my regular booties or pretty much any boot too. i usually don mine from a seated position. i pull the leg of the drycore up so that i can put my foot in to about knee high, then do the same on the other side. then i stand up and pull the whole suit up and slip the suspenders on. i can pull the zipper all the way to the end, but i usually just have my buddy pull the last 2 inches since thats easier.

 

[j yaeger]

pop up os systems drysuits
as jim lapenta will also attest-they take a good beating for the buck!!
no issues!
have fun
yaeg

 

[Peter_C]

This thread has a lot of good info for all kinds of drysuits. Might even be worthy of a sticky.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/exposure-suits/433165-best-worst-your-dry-suit.html