Fusion vs Santi vs DUI

[ScubaAl]

Something that I can't wrap my head around is the huge price tag these top of the line suits sell for. Just seem to be over priced to me.
A couple of year ago I was talking with a diver from Europe. Drysuits came up in the conversation, he had a lot of experience with Santi. He was surprised at what the suits cost here in the US. He figured it had to be some tax or tariff, so he did some checking and found that was not the reason for the inflated cost of the suits on this side of the pond.
I got the impression the price was increased over here. Maybe they looked at what a DUI cost and raised their price accordingly.
I dive a DUI and Pinnacle,(also have a old Viking Pro) got the Pinnacle off of ebay as a backup suit. Us it as much as the DUI

Al

 

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

When you look at the price of SANTI and what you get (16 stock sizes, 2 pockets, flex sole boots, warm neck collar, color choice, zipper choice metal/T-Zip and modification of up to 2" in arms or legs on stock size suits), it is comparable/less then a DUI. There are a lot of us that like to start off new and everyone has different price points that they are comfortable with. For the people that are spending a little more money for a quality suit (right the first time around) then here is a great choice at 3 different price points. Person posted about regarding 3 choices on a new suit that they were looking at so it is clear that they would be comfortable with the price. This is no different then choices we make in everyday life. What Tablet (I-Pad, Kindle, Galaxy or Nexus) do I want? Do I want to buy new or used?

 

[ScubaAl]

From all I've heard Santi is a excellent suit. I have no doubt this is true, my point was just that the suits sell for less in Europe or at least this was the case a couple of years ago.
This was from a conversation I had two years ago speaking with a individual that sold Santi in his home country.

Al

When you look at the price of SANTI and what you get (16 stock sizes, 2 pockets, flex sole boots, warm neck collar, color choice, zipper choice metal/T-Zip and modification of up to 2" in arms or legs on stock size suits), it is comparable/less then a DUI. There are a lot of us that like to start off new and everyone has different price points that they are comfortable with. For the people that are spending a little more money for a quality suit (right the first time around) then here is a great choice at 3 different price points. Person posted about regarding 3 choices on a new suit that they were looking at so it is clear that they would be comfortable with the price. This is no different then choices we make in everyday life. What Tablet (I-Pad, Kindle, Galaxy or Nexus) do I want? Do I want to buy new or used?

 

[Akimbo]

Best drysuit for life? No such thing.

I have used several DUIs over the years and currently use a Whites. I have also used old Poseidons, Vikings, home-brews, and deep sea rigs. Nothing is perfect. The good news is drysuits are SLOWLY improving so the one that is best for your purposes now is not the suit you will want in a decade.

The reason I prefer the Fusion at the moment is I find it dives closer to a wetsuit than any other drysuit I have seen. I descend head first, though I have made a few modifications to the suit and boots.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Whites Fusion I hate beyond words! I got certified in one and it was a nightmare. the suit had some lycra skin which was supposed to squeeze all the flappy extra skin against your body to give you a better trim. It was such an uncomfortable concept that just the thought of getting in that thing was enough to make me want to dive wetsuit all my life no matter how "arctic" the conditions. Yet back in those days the lycra skin was a new fad and people were paying a lot of money to get into those. Today those suits have fallen low in price and can be had cheaper. E bay has a lot of them.

Out of those three suits, I would go for Santii but it is over priced and there are better/similar quality shell suits out there than Santii. USIA has been my fav brand when it came to shell suits.

Btw ... I had the chance to do a little experiment in the pool. I had a Bi-lam shell suit and a 3 mm neoprene suit. I tried to time my full speed laps wearing both with the same rig. My lap time in my neoprene suit was always better than my shell suit. Did this a few times and was always able to get from point A to point B quicker, faster and with less effort in my neoprene suit than my beloved USIA shell suit. I ended up selling my USIA on ebay after that even though it was a great shell suit.

 

[RJP]

I will soon be upgrading from my TLS-350 to a Santi. Likely eMotion. It is for sure an upgrade, in every way. Have had a few chances to demo. Just waiting for my weight/measurements to stabilize - having lost a bunch of weight over the last two years and really getting into much better shape.

In fact, was just eyeing them up at Wayne's shop earlier this evening...

 

[doctormike]

I know that the Fusion has a lot of fans, maybe it's a sizing thing, but I personally found it really uncomfortable and hard to don/doff.

I LOVE my E.Lite! Don't know much about DUI (my last suit was a Diving Concepts), but it seems that Santi assembly, seams, fit, pockets and zip are top rate all the way around. The seams certainly look better than the few DUI seams that I have compared them to... not sure how that translates to real world durability, but I was impressed.

I have my old E.Motion on consignment, if anyone is interested - also a great suit, but a bit light for my habit of clumsily blundering through shipwrecks...

Wayne, Jason and Jeremiah will take good care of you!

 

[tracydr]

I know that the Fusion has a lot of fans, maybe it's a sizing thing, but I personally found it really uncomfortable and hard to don/doff.

I LOVE my E.Lite! Don't know much about DUI (my last suit was a Diving Concepts), but it seems that Santi assembly, seams, fit, pockets and zip are top rate all the way around. The seams certainly look better than the few DUI seams that I have compared them to... not sure how that translates to real world durability, but I was impressed.

I have my old E.Motion on consignment, if anyone is interested - also a great suit, but a bit light for my habit of clumsily blundering through shipwrecks...

Wayne, Jason and Jeremiah will take good care of you!

How would you compare your DC suit to your Santi or the DUI suits that you've seen?

 

[doctormike]

How would you compare your DC suit to your Santi or the DUI suits that you've seen?

It's not a bad suit... doesn't fit quite as well and is a lot bulkier than even the heavier E.Lite. I had a lot of leaks for a while, finally had it fixed (after I had ordered my Santi), and now I use it as a backup, or when I go bottle diving (no rings on the wrists, so easier to dig in the muck!).

I'm not sure if they are still in business, actually..

M

 

[TSandM]

I currently own both a Fusion and a Santi. The Santi is a little easier to put on, and definitely easier to zip by myself. The pockets are MUCH nicer. The suit is more pleasant to wear with the top of it down, as one might between dives on a warm day, because the suspenders hold it up better and the pockets don't sag as much. It has color, which makes me more visible, which I like. I have the E-lite, and it dries very, very quickly -- much faster than the Fusion Sport, even, and far faster than the Tech.

The Fusions have their good points, too. They're $1000 cheaper, which is a lot of charter boat fees. They are light (especially with the Sport skin) and pack up small. They're EXTREMELY difficult to damage (the Santi may be as well, but I haven't had mine long enough to say). They're also very easy to patch. I do not use the White's boots (either the lace-up or the semi-installed). I use a set of McGill Marine boat shoes on my Fusion that has the socks, and I put Turbosoles on the other one (which is part of why it's hard to get into, honestly).

I have little experience with DUI suits. They're cut somewhat similar to the Santis, but I've heard a lot more complaints about leakage, and a lot more problems with proper fit if you get them custom. Just my take from living in a DUI-oriented community