Fusion try-out dive: impressions

[Matt S.]

A friend of mine got a great deal on a Fusion, and since she isn't certified yet I got to try it out on our last dive. I thought I would share my thoughts on it as compared to the other suits I am familiar with. (Bare CD4 4mm compressed neoprene, Pinnacle Evolution 2 trilam)

Weight & Flexibility: It was not exactly like wearing pajamas, but in the Fusion I had a greater range of motion. It is still somewhat restrictive--it isn't magical, but it's a nice improvement over my Pinnacle trilam.

Bubble management & venting: The Fusion has dry socks, which I jammed into some wetsuit booties. The snug fit on the feet and legs made the air bubble easy to manage. It would be hard to get balloon feet in this suit. And it does vent very easily. This was my favorite thing about the suit: i's just plain easy to dive.

Donning/doffing: The suit fits tightly and it is not easy to get on. It gets easier with experience, but your body shape may make donning a pain regardless. The "U" zipper is not as easy to secure as the diagonal zipper on my Pinnacle. Due to the awkward angle, I really had to work to get the last couple of inches zipped, or ask for help. This was my least favorite thing about the suit.

Material/durability: The inner liner is very light, and did not look very durable to me. Then again, compared to my Pinnacle trilam, nothing looks durable.

This Fusion was bought slightly used from a local shop. I believe it was a return that went into the rental fleet, and it had about 20 dives on it when it was sold. The shop was very honest about its history and showed one place where the inner bag had already been patched due to a puncture. They did leak test it before selling it, too. Unfortunately the suit developed a leak while I was using it and I ended up with my front half soaked. I wasn't crawling around on a wreck or anything like that either.

Developing 2 leaks in about 20 dives is not a great record, but it could just be bad luck and I am not going to condemn the suit for it. Nonetheless, if you need a tough suit... I don't think the Fusion is it.

Conclusion: It's a clever product with some good features. If you are considering a shell suit, you should definitely investigate it--unless you are crawling around on wrecks or oyster beds. But absolutely, try it on before you make any decisions. Depending on your body shape you may find donning it to be a chore.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Body shape is also a consideration with this suit. I purchased one over a year ago and I rarely dive it because the calves and forearms of the DryCore are so restrictive that I can only get into it with a thin undergarment.

If you're small or thin, this suit is more appropriate a choice for you. I understand that they've made some changes in the shape of the DryCore since I purchased mine, but given my experiences I would not recommend the Fusion for anyone who's got an above-average BMI. The restrictiveness of the DryCore in the forearms and calves reduces the flexibility advantages inherent in the design of the suit.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[SteveR1952]

I'm not exactly built for speed and have a pear-like body shape. I have large legs, hands and feet. I tried on several sizes of Fusion recently and found that for my shape I needed to go with the XXL/XXXL to get all of me and my undies into the suit.

The beauty of this suit is that I can use a LG/XL skin to tuck in all the extra inner skin folds and keep the bubble smaller.

I have never dived dry before but this suit is changing my mind. It offers a lot of options for underwear for the different water temperatures around here and it appears to be much easier to manage the suit for a newbie. I will find out soon.