Fusion Bullet

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ajduplessis

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I'm a Fish!
I upgraded my current SP Trilam Drysuit to a Whites (AuqaLung) Fusion Bullet and wanted to give my impressions/considerations around the suit selection. 95% of the diving I do is technical, trimix or cave on isolated doubles. I have made 2 changes in the way I approach diving. Firstly, I have been on a drive to increase my fitness levels and overall body strength. The second change was an increase in thermal protection as my diving boundaries increased.

My current suit was a perfect fit before, but now I have gained some muscle in my arms, torso and legs. The additional thermal protection and slight increase in body size resulted in a suit that is now to small and rather restrictive. This is a big issue for me and I had to start looking at something new. What I did know was that one’s body shape and size overtime changes (either for better or worse). I also know that your requirements change and I my case, longer and colder dives.

Both these parameters was important considerations when selecting a new suit. Up until now I never bothered looking at something else as my old suit was fine. My partner dives Fusion(s) sport & bullet, but I never gave it much attention. On our last cave outing and my obvious frustration he suggested looking at the Bullet.

The Fusion Bullet is really modular and more importantly flexible in sizing. The manufacturer Whites, only have 5 suit sizes that fits nearly all body sizes and thermal considerations. The suit is a 2 layer setup with an inner oversize drycore shell with an outer stretchy material to keep everything close to your body (streamlined). The main benefit is that the suit fit and feels like its tailored and very streamlined no matter the variables .

Many reviewers indicate don/doff to be problematic, but this is only true if you are unfamiliar with the process (very easy indeed). I like the SLT (silicone system) especially the wrist seals. I still need to “develop” an opinion on the neck ring/seal system. You can feel the ring on your shoulders and it takes up a lot of space. I think more space/flexibility can be gained by removing the ring system and going for latex neck only.

This is how I mount my Petrel to the SLT cuff along with my custom palm light for caving.

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The entire suit inner can be repaired with heatgun and drytape/patches within minutes. Only need to include a heatgun to my kit. I need to spend more time with the suit but my initial feeling is that this suit is slightly colder (same thermals & conditions) that my current suit. Time will tell….

The silicone seals are soft, robust (touch wood) and very comfortable and extremely easy to change. The suit utilizes Apeks valves that are low profile with the shoulder valve in good spot, resulting in effortless diving without thinking about dumping air from the suit. It feels like cheating. I also immediately noticed greatly reduced drag profile first dive out. The suit is very well made with attention to detail and extremely durable. I did not add the Fusion boots as they are too bulky (IMO) and will most likely require a new set of fins. I use a pair of neoprene dive boots that works great, however if you dive a lot in very cold water you will have to add thick socks that will force you into boots and another pair of larger size fins.

The suit takes time to dry and this could be a bit of an issue where cold surface temp along with a damp/cold suit might not be ideal while suiting up for a second dive. In summer this will be a great benefit gearing up in the afternoon heat. The suspenders work great, I bypassed the inner attachment chest loops as they tend to pull through the loops impeding with movement. SB member suggested this “fix” and it works great, thanks. The suit is not cheap, BUT I think this is a very good option as the suit will scale as your thermal requirements change without sacrificing movement/flexibility.

I am very happy with this suit and will give more feedback over time as I get to know this kind of funny but extremely functional and thoughtful design. This suit just makes sense.
 

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One other I noticed is that the velcro can be a b1tch to work with then taking of the skin. Maybe I need more practice.
 
I agree with you wholeheartedly about the intelligent design of the Fusion suit, and the silicone neck seals are SO comfortable . . . but the neck ring can seriously impact your ability to reach your valves, especially for someone who is narrow across the shoulders. Also, be careful with those silicone wrist seals -- I couldn't use them, because they were too big, but my husband put them on his Fusion and went through three pairs in about 2 weeks. The neck seals seem far more durable.

I did not like the Bullet skin at all, because I found it restrictive, and having to pull the Velcro apart to rinse between the skin and suit was a nuisance. I could never get the Velcro back so it lay as smooth and pretty as it came from the shop.
 
The bullet skin is very tought and the material very dense, acting as a very effective fine partical filter, thus for me I dont worry about cleaning between the layers. That said, I dont do a lot of ocean dive. Once I return from a trip I hose it down and let it dry natually.

I dont find the skin to be restrictive as its already a lot more flexible than any other bi/trilams out there. I think a lot of people compare it to the rec skins which are ridiculously flexible.

the si-tech seals I have seem tought and I never had issue with latex either. I love doing drills in this suit even with the ring. Like you mentioned, I think broader shoulder help in this matter.

The way my Petrel mounts is a great improvement compared to a trilam/latex suit without any cuff system.
 
Oh yes, it makes a difference if you aren't diving salt water. I have to get the salt out from between the skin and bag, so it doesn't crystallize and cause small punctures. If I only dove fresh water, I'd have a different opinion, I think.
 
More feedback after a weekend caving in my Bullet.

The ring system for the neck is not as restrictive as I initial thought it would be. There is no other suit currently with the flexibility and the range of motion as a Fusion. This is the first time for me with silicone and I must agree they are extremely comfortable with a large contact surface. Anyone ever considered going silicone? Just do it.

Fit and comfort in and out the water is unbelievable. The drag reduction over my previous suit is @ least 15-20% and in cave country this means deeper penetrations :D

The pockets IMO are fantastic, they hold a ton without unzipping.
 
More feedback after a weekend caving in my Bullet.

The ring system for the neck is not as restrictive as I initial thought it would be. There is no other suit currently with the flexibility and the range of motion as a Fusion. This is the first time for me with silicone and I must agree they are extremely comfortable with a large contact surface. Anyone ever considered going silicone? Just do it.

Fit and comfort in and out the water is unbelievable. The drag reduction over my previous suit is @ least 15-20% and in cave country this means deeper penetrations :D

The pockets IMO are fantastic, they hold a ton without unzipping.

I dove a Fusion with the Bullet skin for over year. Now being that the suit is an oversized bilam with a compression outer skin. I guess you can say that (see bold print above) but I found the Bullet skin too thick and too tight. Yes I had the correct size range.

Pockets when filled with stuff would tend to pull the bullet skin down despite the anti slip material used to prevent it. So I found myself pulling my skin up walking around the boat and during my 15' bubble check before continuing my dive.

When I sold my bullet fusion and bought a Santi E-Lite, valve drills became so much easier. Fit and comfort was night and day better. Pockets were way better as well.

Just saying since I had used the fusion suit. Anyone looking to buy the fusion as their first suit, please so do a search here on scubaboard on past discussions.

On the plus side..... After watching the fusion donning video and becoming efficient, putting on other suits are a breeze. Yes... they actually made a video on how to put on the suit. Which was really good. New drysuits divers especially should give it watch.
 
I am glad you are happy with your Santi. I love my bullet and stick to my views. Maybe you can give us some insight in that you have in the pockets that make the sag?

I carry spare mask, notebook, DSMB, fingerspool, dive tables, trauma shear and 3rd backup light with no issues.
 
I owned a Fusion Tech. There are a lot of great things about the Fusion suits. The only negative (a minor one) that stands out in my mind, was the drying time, particularly for the boots.
The pockets (I added Halcyon pockets) did sag, but that issue was corrected for me, because I wear a rubber free diving weight belt.
I have Santi suits now, but would have no problem at all going back to a Whites Fusion.
Great suits!
I bought mine from DRIS.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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