Fusion/Seasoft Tx3/BareXCD2/Waterproof Draco

[mjgoodman]

Hi All,
I'm in the market for my first dry suit. Here are the factors that are most important, in no particular order:
1. Durability
2. Flexibility
3. Warmth
4. Quality/Workmanship
5. Warranty/Customer Service

Most of my diving is in the Pacific Northwest/Canada. Basically, I want a suit will feel like diving a regular 3 or 5mm suit, but will keep me warm due to the fact I get very cold very easily. I really don't want to wear more weight than I have to and would prefer to avoid ankle weights. Oh, and I don't want to feel like I'm diving in garbage bag. Here is a list of the final four:

Seasoft Scuba Tx3
Waterproof Draco
White Fusion Tech
Bare XCD2

I'd like to hear people's opinions and/or recommendation. I was learning toward getting Fourth Element undergarments. Thanks

Matt

 

[on_two_wheels]

I have the Fusion Tech LE and absolutely love it. I'ts incredibly easy to dive in. Mine came with the undergarment AND the jacket. I'm using ankle weights because I'm still having a tough time staying trim without. I think it's the rock boots and 3mm socks that's causing my feet to be so buoyant.

Many question durability with the fusion but the dry core suit itself seems very durable. Granted, a DUI that's twice the cost is better but...do ya need it? If the skin gets damaged, replace it. Hell, mine came with a second (sport) skin. However, I've heard of guys that have been in situations they thought would damage the skin yet had none. Don/doff procedures are incredibly simple!! Definitely a solo job. The other diver I know using one, same boots doesn't need ankle weights but is a much more skilled diver than I am.

Can't help ya with the rest.

 

[kevjl2]

Draco is my choice. your requirements were mine. I got rid of 2 before the Draco and I love it. Here is a copy and paste of my post about Waterproof.

Well I have to add my 2 cents because I love my new Draco from Waterproof! I have had an Oceanic Biodry and a Bare Trilam HD. These were nice suits but I just did not really enjoy diving them and got rid of them both within 6 months. I have always liked how a wetsuit felt. However, the more I dive (and I dove a lot) the more I have realized that I needed to find a drysuit I could wear. After a lot of searching and reading reviews, I decided to buy the Draco from Waterproof. I worked directly with the Northern Ca rep for Waterproof as I needed to be convinced that this suit would fit correctly and I would not end up getting rid of another suit. It arrived 3 weeks ago and man I gotta tell ya, this suit friggin rocks!! I absolutely love it. When I tested it the first time in the pool, I couldn't believe how well it fit and how great it felt. No annoying wrinkles, stiffness and feeling of being vacuum packed! Lots of flexibility, and feels like I am wearing a pair of pajamas. The quality of the suit is amazing. the attention to detail was very impressive. You probably can't tell but I really loved diving it. This past weekend, 48 degree water for 56-60 minute dives while spearing. I also picked up the Body Zor undergarments and they are extremely comfortable. I highly recommend this suit. PM me if you have any questions. What a weekend. I am a huge fan!!

 

[Acanthurus]

I have the Whites Fusion Tech and I love it. I have a challenging body shape to fit and the Fusion fits like it was made for me. It is very flexible, easy to don/doff with some practice and the undergarments which came with it are toasty warm.

I have used it 4 times so far and each time it keeps getting easier. I even managed to stay warm in 39F water.

I have also used Bare NexGen which although kept me warm and dry was not as comfortable as my Fusion.

Good luck

 

[irishsquid]

I have the Whites Fusion Tech and I love it. I have a challenging body shape to fit and the Fusion fits like it was made for me. It is very flexible, easy to don/doff with some practice and the undergarments which came with it are toasty warm.

I have used it 4 times so far and each time it keeps getting easier. I even managed to stay warm in 39F water.

I have also used Bare NexGen which although kept me warm and dry was not as comfortable as my Fusion.

Good luck

New DS diver also. I have the Fusion Bullet. It's about like diving my 5mm wetsuit. The undergarment that came with it left me sweating in 42F water. My feet were a little floaty, but; I was using my OMS Slipstreams which are light. I'm getting some SP jets which are heavier and will also fit better. So far I love it and the craftsmanship is top quality, the best I can tell.

 

[TSandM]

Granted, a DUI that's twice the cost is better but...do ya need it?

I will respectfully dispute that a DUI is better. I have lots of friends with DUI suits. They are very attractive suits, but they get leaks in them just like ALL other dry suits do. They are VERY expensive.

My Fusion (which I bought with the Sport skin and still dive that way) has been the best-behaved dry suit I've owned (of the three I've had). It's extremely comfortable in the water, and over three years and nearly 500 dives, including about a hundred cave dives, it's had two pinhole leaks, both of which were neatly fixed with Gorilla tape (not the technique Whites would recommend, but it has worked!).

I have several small dissatisfactions with the suit. One is the pocket situation -- the tech skins can come with pockets, but I like a bigger pocket that's configured differently, so I use X-shorts instead, which is a small PITA mostly because one can forget them (and I have). Another was that the fabric socks seem to be one size fits all, and were way too big for my feet, so I always seemed to have extra fabric bunched up somewhere inside whatever footgear I wore. I eventually just had them changed to TurboSoles, with which I have been pretty happy.

I use the Fusion MK3 undergarment. It's the warmest and most comfortable thing I have tried.

 

[MarkH]

I have the Fusion Tech. Durability I guess depends on the kind of diving you do. Diving from a boat or Whytecliff/Porteau should be fine, but on low tide (barnacle) entries with steep/jagged rock and a bit of swell.... I've patched several holes in the knees/butt area in the last few months (admittedly, most shell-type suits would have problems in these conditions). It is easy to fix though. The Tech skin's knees are thinner than the rest of the suit and don't offer much protection. I've put pin holes in my knees just from kneeling on the street to put my gear on (the little bits of asphalt poked right through it). I think they fixed this problem with the bullet skin. It has knee pads and is much more durable. That skin costs almost as much as a neoprene drysuit though. I had to wear ankle-weights as well (neo socks and rock boots) until I started wearing Jet/turtle fins. I wear 45 lbs of lead with the MK3 undergarment, which took a bit of therapy to resign myself to.

 

[MarkH]

Oops. I just figured out that you're from Vancouver, WASHINGTON, so the "Whytecliff/Porteau" reference probably doesn't help you much.

 

[on_two_wheels]

I wear 45 lbs of lead with the MK3 undergarment, which took a bit of therapy to resign myself to.

Holy crap!! I've been disappointed that I was using about 24 lbs in mine.

OP, hope you get a chance to try at least one or two. I never tried anything out. Just did your method. I did get to try on a Pinnacle Evo 2 and the Fusion before buying but not dive in them. The fit was enough to sway me.

 

[TSandM]

Swankenstein, 45 pounds of lead? Man, I thought I was bad off with 31 total pounds of ballast (including backplate) in a single tank setup!