DUI vs Aqualung Fusion Drysuits

[Jeremy Williams]

Thanks for all the feedback. The general consensus seems to be that the Fusion isn't all that it's hyped up to be. I'm checking out the USIA and Ursuit sites and reviews and people seem to really like them. The price points seem reasonable too.

Thank goodness I have lots of time to decide! I have family in Chicago, so I might make a trip to DRIS when I'm out that way.

Regarding Ursuit... I also hope they are as good as people suggest. I have one on order and you should make sure you have plenty of time to wait for delivery. Apparently Swedes take most of the summer off. DRIS told me it would be 8 to 10 weeks of lead time when I ordered. I'm waiting through week 9 at the moment...

Tom Petty was right.

 

[lexvil]

Take a look at Seaskin, full custom all the bell and whistles for about half the cost of most basic suits.

 

[eelnoraa]

I have both TLS350 and Fusion Tech. Between the two, I like TLS better. Cost aside, the biggest advantage of fusion is the fitment. Due to the design, it will always most fit. Modification and repair of the suit is extremely easy. But that was about it. TLS, when fit, is a more comfortably suit. It is also a lighter weight/folded smaller suit of the two, dry much faster, so it is a better travel suit. The main disadvantage of TLS or DUI brand in general is expansive. TLS itself is not the toughest suit. If you contact to the environment a lot, tent to kneel at the bottom, abrasion can cause damage.

Given a choice, I will take a custom fit shell suit, not necessary DUI, over fusion type of suit.

 

[broncobowsher]

I dove with some people who have the Fusion. The best feature they list about it, they got a deal on it.

I am pretty happy with my ursuit. Only a year and a half in it, and it has been a good year and a half. Got it DRIS with a non-standard KUBI rings fitted. It works, does everything right, can't think of anything I would want different.

 

[Marie13]

I’m seriously considering Ursuit to replace my USIA once I’ve lost the remainder of my weight. Chris, the DRIS shop manager, has one and just loves it.

 

[Scott]

I dive a Fusion, DUI TLS and a Santi E-motion. I like the Fusion for our local cave. When it wears out I'll reconsider my options. What I don't care for is how the zipper and neck ring location restricts my arms being able to extend out. Important when trying to pull through a cave. I haven't tried a Fusion since Aqua Lung purchased Whites, maybe they worked those issues out.

I use the TLS for pool portions of my dry suit classes. I dived it for about five years before getting the Fusion and Santi. It's still holding up well.
Problem is it is now way to large for me.
My wife has been diving her TLS for about 25 years..that's right..the serial number is four digits. Are the current systems built like her's..oh h3ll no. Teh last couple that have come trough our shop look well built.

I've been looking at Fourth Elements suits. Look well built but I'm not sure how long the wait is on an order. USIA and OThree are also on my radar.

 

[Zef]

Thanks for all the feedback. The general consensus seems to be that the Fusion isn't all that it's hyped up to be. I'm checking out the USIA and Ursuit sites and reviews and people seem to really like them. The price points seem reasonable too.

Thank goodness I have lots of time to decide! I have family in Chicago, so I might make a trip to DRIS when I'm out that way.

That is not the consensus at all...you have a limited sample size of opinions here. A quick search on both suits will provide you lots of other opinions to evaluate and you will find that the consensus is that both suits are well liked by many who dive them and disliked by a few others.

That being said, I have a Fusion Bullet that I have been diving since early June. I really like it. The zipper placement is not a pain in the arse to me and I have some shoulder and neck problems; I can easily open and close the zipper myself without help...and the zipper gets easier to manipulate as it breaks in and one lubricates its. At first the zipper placement gave the sensation of the suit being huge around the chest and kneck area but that was because it was new to me. Now the suit is just an extension of me. I have no problem with the replaceable neck seal system...I think earlier versions of the si tech system were less flexible than what comes installed now.

Demo both suits if you can and decide which works best for you. I like the fact that I can dive in a thin fleece pants and thin fleece pullover in 15c water and not need another drysuit to use with the really thick Fusion Thermal undersuit for when the air and water temp drops significantly here in the late fall and winter.

Is the Aqualung Fusion perfect? no, but no suit is. Decide what feature you want, then find the suit with those featurs that fits YOU best.

 

[Outbound]

Zef, you are correct - the sample size was too small for me to say it was a consensus. I really do like the concept of the Fusion, and that's what led me to consider it in the first place. That and the fact that it is a more streamlined suit like the compressed neoprene one I'm using now. The issue with zipper placement would potentially be interfering with my BCD straps and/or digging into me, but I'd have to try one on before I can make that determination. That goes for any suit.

Marie, any particular reason why you are considering an Ursuit over another USIA Techniflex for your next suit? Just want to try it out? Is there anything you really don't like about your Techniflex? After looking into it, that one jumped to the top of my list. I really like the fact that I can get a custom cut suit for only $150 over the off-the-peg ones.

I started this thread comparing DUI's offerings to the Fusion Tech, and am now adding USIA and Ursuit to the mix. I'm supposed to be narrowing my list, people! Lol.

I guess the only thing to do is to try some on and check them out in person and see which one works better for me. I already told my wife that the next time we're in Chicago to visit family we'll be taking a trip to DRIS.

Thanks for all the comments and feedback.

 

[Zef]

The issue with zipper placement would potentially be interfering with my BCD straps and/or digging into me, but I'd have to try one on before I can make that determination. That goes for any suit.
.

I had the same concern before laying my cash down for the suit. I dive a BP/W with a simple hogarthian harness....I was concerned that the shoulder straps and the drysuit zipper would interfere with each other and be problematic. I have not experienced any issues with that what soever. I have no problems diving with my arms out front of me. I dive a singe tank so reaching behind and turning on/off valves is not a frequent issue but I have done it just to see if it would be an issue with my suit.

I am not a rep of aqualung or whites, and really don't care what gear anyone chooses to spend their money on and use. I am just trying to provide a counter-balance to some the advice and feedback that some have offered.

To me the biggest advantages, TO ME, of the Fusion suit are as follows:
1. it met all the basic criteria I was looking for in dry suit - trilaminate type fabric, front entry, field replaceable neck and wrist seals.
2. The suit design is such that if I gain a little weight or lose a bit it will not cause me to need to invest in another suit. The same applies to the fact that I can readily vary the thickness of my undergarments without having an adverse affect on fit...the only thing that shifts is the amount of lead I need to wear.
3. The fusion suit I bought has the air-core fabric which is a waterproof breathable laminate. I have found this to be very comfortable when suiting up on the warm Belgian summer weekends while I wait for my partners to finish getting ready to splash. While I have only been diving dry since the beginning of June, I am no stranger to dry suits as I have plenty of dry gear for white water kayaking. When I started kayaking my dry top and pants were not breathable; I quickly learned that w s a poor investment and replaced them with similar products made from gortex fabric, eventually I bought a full goretex white water kayaking drysuit....what I am getting at is that the breathability really does make a difference and I am happy to have this feature in my scuba drysuit.

I almost pulled the trigger on a 4th element suit from a great shop in the netherlands who seemed to be reps/ambassadors for the brand. The shop owner was really cool and spent some time with me to explain why these suits are so good. It was the same price to buy one off the rack as it would have been to have one custom made and I would have driven the nearly 3 hours to purchase one from them without any issues, except I started thinking about how much I was investing and that I did not want nor did my wife expect that I would need to buy another suit in the near future. The major thought of what would I do if I gained or lost weight? What if the cut of the suit felt good in the shop in the spring/summer but come winter when you are not dying to get out of those thick undersuits that you are trying the suit on in the shop with, that the suit just doesn't feel right? 2200-2400 Euros for a custom 4th element suit seemed less attractive given these practical concerns. That is what led me to the aqualung fusion. One of the things I like about it is that the neoprene outer skin layer compresses the suit a bit making it very easy to manage the air bubble inside, I can feel the air bubble move across my shoulders or up/down my legs depending on body position. My dive partners that use other brands (bare, dui, typhoon, etc) were surprise at this description of the sensation of the air bubble because in their suits the air bubble shoots around, as they describe it, based on their body position.

Good luck in your search, and I hope you find the suit that is right for you (your needs, your budget, etc.).

Cheers,
-Z

 

[Marie13]

@Outbound

USIA only uses brass zippers. They do a lot of US military suits so that’s understandable. That was just too bulky for me with my body shape. I want a plastic zipper for less bulk in the torso.

Otherwise, great value and the suits are tough. I also want a material that’s a little bit more flexible.