How do you like your Fusion drysuit?

[Lt CHEG]

So I am wanting to acquire my first drysuit which will be used for recreational diving in the winter months or early spring, as well as my foray into tech and my foray into public safety diving. My local dive shops have been kind enough to work with me a bit on pricing for this item as it will be used for work in a public safety context. I don’t have access to all the brands of dry suits through these shops, but have access to Apeks/Aqualung and Bare at reduced pricing. I see myself doing most of my diving with a wetsuit, and will probably only use a drysuit for work related public safety stuff, occasional tech dives which require the redundant buoyancy of a drysuit and the occasional ice dive. Because of this I really would prefer to keep costs in check, and that will eliminate a lot of other good choices. I still want something durable and flexible, and really prefer a front zipper. With all this in mind the Apeks Fusion KVR1 is probably the leading contender for me right now. I know some other Aqualung Fusion divers that seem to enjoy their suits, and one of the neighboring dive teams is buying a bunch of these Apeks suits too. What do all of you Fusion drysuit owners think of your dry suits? Would you buy one again if you had it to do all over? Assuming that Santi, DUI, and Waterproof are not options due to cost, and in the case of the DUI a horrible ownership on the part of a couple of their owners that I dive with, am I making a good choice with the Apeks suit? The Bare would be available for slightly more money but I don’t know anyone that I dive with that uses a Bare drysuit. Should I keep looking? Thanks

 

[Zef]

Not sure I would recommend the KVR1 unless you were going to be dragging yourself through caves and wrecks where you believe/know you will be making contact with the environment around you...otherwise the kevlar skin is just an unnecessary expense and adds a bit to the weight and flexibility of the suit without much benefit.

If you do not need the kevlar but still want the other features of the KVR1 then I recommend the fusion bullet. I have one and really like diving it. The only thing I do not like about it is that the neoprene skin takes a long time to dry...but you would have that problem with that with kevlar skinned suit as well.

The fusion sport will dry the fastest as its skin is only lycra but it lacks pockets.'

The fusion tech has some neoprene and some lycra and it has pockets but there seems to be a contingent that do not like the pocket design...I have never used one so have nothing useful to add about this.

I will say that the fusion suits are easy to dive. I find mine to be comfortable and if I could go back in time to do purchase my 1st drysuit again I would make the same purchase with 1 caveat...I would purchase one size smaller. That is not really a general recommendation regarding sizing/purchasing...it is more so an acknowledgement that the actual drysuit (the Core) is cut much larger than one would typically imagine...I know this because I removed the skin from mine and inflated the suit's core (see picture below)..I am 5ft 10in and although I purchased a 2xl/3xl, I am sure I could fit in a L/XL....its just that the 2xl/3xl fit more comfortably when I was shopping for what was my first drysuit and I was not used to how the suits should fit. I strongly advise that you consider fit as your primary deciding factor with whichever suit you purchase whether it is a fusion suit or anything else.

A couple of final notes:
1. If you are purchasing off the rack I would recommend you check that the suit is made in canada. Aqualung has issues with their fusion suits that were produced in mexico and currently dealing with lots of warranty replacements for those suits.

2. If your suit is being ordered then there will be a couple of months as Aqualung has no on-hand stock to send out so suits are being produced for warranty replacement and initial sales on a first come first served basis. Because of this, unless you plan to install a pee-valve, I recommend you consider taking advantage of the fact the suit will be made for you to have a relief zipper installed (it is an option if ordering from the factory)...while this may be considered a potential failure point by some, I wish I had one in my suit as my dives are not long enough to warrant the hassle of a pee-valve but between dives and after dives a relief zipper would be ultra handy. I have one on my whitewater kayaking drysuit and wish I had requested one in my fusion. It would be better to have Aqualung install this in the core and the skin twhen new han have someone do this aftermarket which would most likely void the warranty.

-Z

 

[runsongas]

works fine. wish it had neo socks instead of fabric and the chest zipper isn't the most comfortable.

i still would consider a customized seaskin instead if i was buying another suit.

 

[JackD342]

I love my Fusion. I also think you should consider whether you really need the Kevlar version, for the reasons given. For sizing, the size chart is pretty accurate. I think @Zef erred in convincing himself to buy the 2x3x originally. Accept that it is supposed to fit snug when you try one on. I have actually found that divers at the upper end of the M/L sizing do very well in a L/XL suit, especially with thicker undergarments.

If you are reconsidering the Kevlar, ask your shop to pull out their DEMA new item lists and look over the new Xscape version. Pricing suggests it will replace the Sport. Lightweight, dries fast, more durable skin than Sport. But, still no pockets.

 

[Ben_3]

I have the fusion one. It dose not have the dry core so drying is not an issue. It takes only minutes. I enjoy mine very much! The outer shell is stretch, this helps avoid the air in the feet problem. It dose have a back zipper and not a front one. If you're looking for a price these are a steal. I paid 1/4 of the price of a fusion bullet.

If I would have had the extra money at the time I would have gone with the fusion bullet. The Air-Core for added comfort, the pockets and the possibility to change the seals on site. These are all sweet features. Then again for the price I paid, I am happy with my original purchase.

The Apexs Kevlar one is pretty robust. If you think you're going into pretty harsh conditions than ok, if not I personally think the fusions are good enough.

 

[grf88]

I have the Fusion Tech as made by Whites before Aqualung took over. Can be a bit of a pain to put on but is very easy to dive. It doesn't look that robust but the double skin provides a lot of protection and the only damage that I have done to it was out of the water and that was easily repaired with a hair dryer and the Fusion patch kit. Replaceable neck and wrist seals are a major advantage as it is easy to change out a damaged seal. I use it for any dive that a 3 mm wet-suit or a rash-guard is not suitable for and would never go back to a thick wet-suit.

 

[Marie13]

Mine works fine. Get one with pockets on the skin if you can. Damned handy.

A number of us had issues with leaking Mexican made AirCores (the inner layer). We have new Canadian made ones now. I’ve only had two dives on mine since I got it back (off season here) but I’ll be in the pool with it a few times over the winter.

I’m not terribly thrilled with the socks being huge on me (one size fits most, my a$$!). But other than that, I like the flexibility. A friend of mine said his was a heart attack to get in and out of, but a dream to dive. I’ll agree with that.

A major selling point for the Fusion is a good fit without having to go custom.

 

[Lt CHEG]

I’m glad to hear so much positive stuff about the Fusion suits, very encouraging! They do look to be somewhat form fitting, is there any problem with using thick undergarments for ice diving? My thoughts on going with the Kevlar (Apeks) skin were twofold. First is that that is what the dive team closest to me, and the one I’ve done some training with and will continue to train and work with, is going to as their standard suit. Second was that the role that I will be fulfilling is one of an underwater bomb technician, which would include checking ship hulls, underwater infrastructure etc. and using disrupters to mitigate an IED threat if necessary. While I hope to go the remainder of my career without having to actually conduct underwater operations for real, I will definitely be training in those kind of environments. So with that information and knowing that I would likely be spending time around potentially abrasive items and whatnot, I’d the consensus still that the Kevlar suit is overkill? I do not think I would want anything less than the Fusion Bullet in terms of an outer skin, but would that really suit me better? Also, pockets are a must for me so the models without pockets would be a no go unfortunately. Thanks again for all of your insight thus far, it’s greatly appreciated.

 

[Marie13]

I wear the Thermal Fusion undersuit that is flexible and made to work with the Fusion. New they’re $450 or so. Got mine for $350 used here on SB. Very warm.

 

[Lt CHEG]

Oh and I don’t think that getting the suit on and off will bother me that much. I’m used to putting on a level A hazmat suit and a bomb suit. The video of the donning procedure on aqualung’s website actually looks similar to the way I would put on a hazmat suit lol.