First dive in fusion. Dampness question

[TSandM]

If you were diving without dry gloves, it wouldn't be unusual to get some moisture in through the wrist seals and have damp wrists and forearms at the end of the dive, especially if you were using your hands very much.

A L/XL is the perfect size Fusion for you. The question is whether the seals were cut properly or not, or whether they are too big. You should not have sloshing water in the suit anywhere, ever. Undergarments should feel damp on the outside, but just the kind of damp clothes have when you didn't run the dryer quite long enough. If you can wring water out of any part, you have a leak.

 

[FWADIVER]

+1 to lynns post if anything is squish wet you are leaking, also +1 to wearing something underneath, I wear a thin off brand underarmor type top and bottom (100% poly) this keeps my skin dry even with condensation and sweat. On a dive like you are suggesting depending on exposure time I would wear a mk1 or equivalent (thin fleece pants and top) I usually only put the mk2 on for sub 50degree water, or exposures over 2 hours.

 

[fdog]

Yes, condensation will occur on the inside of the bilam material. This can cause the outside of the undergarment to become slightly damp. The inside of the undergarment will certainly become damp if you were sweating.

You may have experienced a minor leak through the wrist seals. If you have prominent wrist tendons, trimmed the seals too much, or the untrimmed seals are too large (yes, seals come in different sizes), this will be a common occurrence. If you determine that you are leaking through one or both wrist seals, a solution is to move to a dryglove system. Hopefully, you took advantage of the $99 "upgrade" to the replaceable seal system (Seal-Lock Technology; SLT) that Whites is now offering with its Fusion suits. I believe that there are drygloves on the market that lock onto the suitside rings of the SLT system. Contact Whites customer service in case you're interested in this.

Yes, the L/XL Fusion size is the appropriate size for you. Based on your height and weight, you probably wouldn't fit very well into the S/M size.

Shorts and a T-shirt are not enough of an "undergarment" for water in the mid-to-high 40s °F. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

On a hot day, it's critical to minimize time spent at the surface or on land in a zipped up drysuit. It's both a comfort and safety issue. Get all of your gear set up and pre-dive checks done prior to donning the drysuit. Coordinate zipping up your drysuit with everyone else on your dive team. It can be very helpful to set everything up in the shade (natural or a tent-like sunshade) so that you can stay out of the hot sun while gearing up.

During the surface swim on shore dives, I prefer to kick out on my back. I generally keep my mask around my neck until we hit the drop-in site. If I put the mask on during the surface swim, the inside of the mask gets all steamy. I find it annoying. YMMV.

Weeeellll...I had a big long dissertation all primed and ready....then saw Bubbletruble had beat me to it on all points...

So, I'll just co-sign on what he said!


All the best, James

 

[ajduplessis]

<snipped>

A L/XL is the perfect size Fusion for you.

The reason I asked about size is that I am 5'8 at 176 pounds and dive with a S/M Fjord HD and it fits perfect. As stated before I dont know the fusion sizes, L/XL sounds big for 5'8 170lbs diver, maybe the diver falls in between the sizes.

I had a quick look at the fusion size chart and a L/XL in more for a 5'9-6'1 170-210lb diver Sport Diving - Fusion Sport Drysuit - Whites Diving

Just asking, maybe I can learn something.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

The reason I asked about size is that I am 5'8 at 176 pounds and dive with a S/M Fjord HD and it fits perfect. As stated before I dont know the fusion sizes, L/XL sounds big for 5'8 170lbs diver, maybe the diver falls in between the sizes.

I had a quick look at the fusion size chart and a L/XL in more for a 5'9-6'1 170-210lb diver Sport Diving - Fusion Sport Drysuit - Whites Diving

@ajduplessis: This is going to sound strange, but...
If you have a longer-than-average neck, then I could see a person being able to fit into a slightly smaller size than what the sizing chart may indicate. Remember that the suit only needs to reach the base of your neck -- not the top of your head.

The sizing charts should only be used as fit guidelines. They shouldn't be used as a substitute for a real-world fitting. Consider that the style/thickness of undergarment will also influence sizing. A thick/puffy undergarment may necessitate going up a size.
In the end, though, if your drysuit fits, it fits.

From what I've seen, the design of the Fusion allows a fair amount of leeway in terms of sizing.
My girlfriend, whose height is at the midpoint of the S/M Fusion size and weight is at the low end of the S/M size, used a L/XL Fusion for several dives without even realizing it.

 

[FWADIVER]

@ajduplessis:
From what I've seen, the design of the Fusion allows a fair amount of leeway in terms of sizing.
My girlfriend, whose height is at the midpoint of the S/M Fusion size and weight is at the low end of the S/M size, used a L/XL Fusion for several dives without even realizing it.

It allows a lot of leeway, I can dive a L/XL. a 2x/3x(what i own) or the 4x without any big changes, they all dive the same for me because of the compression of the outer skin.

 

[ajduplessis]

Thanks for the feedback. I think I will then fall into the giraffe/swank neck category

 

[Ouvea]

Hi Guys:

Sorry to revive an old thread but how much moisture do you guys find in the drysuit. I have the same issue but the interior of the suit has considerable condensation on the interior. Didn't notice this with my Pinnacle Evolution. Is this because the Fusion has such a form fitting cut vs my Evolution that was more loosely cut? I don't detect any water leaks and I wear dry gloves so the neck is really the only point of entry. I often have a fair amount of moisture on my quads/legs and stomach area.

I wear a heavy base layer with Fourth Element Arctic undergarments. Would love to switch to something warmer that offers the same mobility/range of motion.

Claude

 

[TSandM]

Try the MK3!

If your undergarments wick well, and you are diving in relatively warm air temperatures, you can have quite a bit of condensation on the inside of the suit. When I'm cave diving in MX, by the end of the dive, the inside of the suit is frankly wet, and I have to hang it inside-out for a little while when we get home, before turning it right-side-out to finish drying.

 

[Peter_C]

Today was a beautiful day on the North Coast. Sunny and hot for the middle of winter. We geared up and I had to jump in the water, to cool down, before putting my kit on. After an hour long dive (Scootered so no surface swim per say, but we did cover a lot of ground under water swimming), I took off my drysuit and had water droplets in the chest area of my Fusion. I consider this "normal".