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Well my Thermal Fusion arrived today and the fit seams good, the only concern I have is the inner core bunches up around my ankles. I'm all packed for a dive tomorrow, so I will see how it performs. When putting the suit on in the morning I am going to try and pull the inner core up like when putting on the Fusion drysuit. I would have played with it more tonight but while my eldest son and I were working the scout tree sales my wife was back at the homestead and was a little over zealous with the wood stove, the house is 83 degrees inside so it's not the best environment to be trying on thermal gear.
Just came across this thread - I have no idea how I missed it originally.
Anyway, I've been diving the Thermal Fusion for about 3 months now. It has become my front-line undergarment for all my diving, mostly because of the warmth, and, the amazing flexibility.
The warmth is easily the equivalent of my Mk3. Also, my other frontline undergarment, especially for long overhead-restricted dives has been the Santi BZ400 Extreme. When compared to the Santi BZ400, my Thermal Fusion has been a slightly warmer. The way I equate this has been the Thermal Fusion in 45 degree F water feels the same as the Santi in 47 degree water.
In switching to the Thermal Fusion, I have removed 5 lbs from my weight belt as compared to the BZ400. I am contemplating another pound or two.
Flexibility...weeelll...I can easily flow check my left post using my right hand.
As soon as I can get the last couple photos shot, I'll post a complete Fdog review.
Mine is coming, looking forward to it. Would you say the vented panels that sit behind the intake and exauhst valves help a lot with venting gas out of the suit?
Just came across this thread - I have no idea how I missed it originally.
Anyway, I've been diving the Thermal Fusion for about 3 months now. It has become my front-line undergarment for all my diving, mostly because of the warmth, and, the amazing flexibility.
The warmth is easily the equivalent of my Mk3. Also, my other frontline undergarment, especially for long overhead-restricted dives has been the Santi BZ400 Extreme. When compared to the Santi BZ400, my Thermal Fusion has been a slightly warmer. The way I equate this has been the Thermal Fusion in 45 degree F water feels the same as the Santi in 47 degree water.
In switching to the Thermal Fusion, I have removed 5 lbs from my weight belt as compared to the BZ400. I am contemplating another pound or two.
Flexibility...weeelll...I can easily flow check my left post using my right hand.
As soon as I can get the last couple photos shot, I'll post a complete Fdog review.
Mine is coming, looking forward to it. Would you say the vented panels that sit behind the intake and exauhst valves help a lot with venting gas out of the suit?
I like the porous material in the area of the shoulder dump. With the Thermal Fusion, I've only experienced clean, quick dumps from the shoulder, and I believe this material has had a big part in that. Other undergarments have once in a while had "shoulder trickle" (forcing a quick chicken wing flap), and I've not experienced this with the Thermal Fusion.
As for the same material in the chest, I have had a cold spot over the sternum from occasionally. I am not sure, but believe the next iteration of the Thermal Fusion won't have this.
Thanks dog, that's just what I was looking for. My only other experience with an undergarment was a Weezle compact. I had the chicken wing flap down to a science. Can'twait for the thermal Fusion to get here.
So I used the thermal fusion on Saturday and I think I was impressed with it. The water temp was 48* and and I was comfortable the whole dive, now keep in mind that I was about 6lbs under weight and was totally shrink wrapped the whole dive. I had hoped that I would have been warmer but it is understandable to feel the cold with no air in the suit. The real test for the Thermal Fusion will be in two weeks, it will be in a quarry with water temp of 42* about a 90 minute dive including around 20 minutes of deco time. I did like the flexibility of the suit but I found it a pain to get my feet through the legs(the inner material was bunching up and I had a hard time getting my foot through maybe with practice it will get better?).
First, when I held them up and squeezed the garment, it felt about as thick as the Fourth Elements Artic undergarment. Maybe a wee bit thicker, but not much. It's certainly waaay stretchier . . .
The inside material is much like a brand new Polypro sweatshirt . . . I'll be looking for it to pill after a few washes. The outer shell is a kind of slick - it should slide easily into my Fusion, unlike the Fourth Element Arctics. I have never tried the MK3, BTW.
There's a nice grill over the exhaust, as Whites shows in their video.
I threw on some cotton stretch (Danskins) leggings and an Under Armor shirt to try on the garment. I had a bit of the bunching in the legs as Aqua-Andy said, but no problem in grabbing the inner layer and pulling it up.
BTW - I am 5'4", 120 pounds. I am well within all the White's parameters for their 2XS-XS drysuit, except for the height - I am one inch taller. I will eventually get new socks on the drysuit to give me that little extra length.
So, I was a little wary of getting the 2XS-XS undergarment, but went for it anyway. I was a little dismayed to pull it out and the little scrunched up thing had me worried! However, after I slid into it, I found there is plenty of length in the thing - arms, legs, and torso! Whoot!!! :dance3:
Yo, Whites! How come no drop flap?!?!?!?! Seriously, who wants to bare their whole body in a toilet? :cold:
My feet were cold - there is no insulation in sock area, so keep those ski socks handy for your dive suit!
I was wearing a support cuff for tennis elbow - it got a little tight around there. My build is considered slender, if not wiry, so too much extra body fat should steer you towards the next larger size.
I wore the thing about five minutes before I took a video. I was a wee bit disappointed because I didn't get hot in a 73F house. Still, the proof will be a dive next weekend in that cold, mountain-fed Lake Pleasant. I will post the video when it's done uploading.
Likes: A nice, smooth feeling garment with less bulk than my Fourth Element Arctic and Xerotherms layering. Very mobile - I could touch toes, grasp my fingers behind my back with one arm up and the other under and back, move arms / shoulders / knees every which way. The Fusion Thermal will not be the mobility limiter.
Dislikes: No back drop. A single zipper from side to side at the lower back would make this a LOT more convenient undergarment.
Shoot! I thought I had read something that they were putting a crotch zipper in the TF. That drop seat (and the hand warmer pockets) are two of my favorite features of the MK3.
I distinctly remember my first time pulling one on - I started getting hot immediately and wanted out in minutes.
Still the same thing when I'm indoors. Is it possible that <gasp> you could be "colder" than me? Nope, on reflection, that isn't possible. Just ask the people I dive with.
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The outer shell is a kind of slick - it should slide easily into my Fusion, unlike the Fourth Element Arctics. I have never tried the MK3, BTW.
Seriously, who wants to bare their whole body in a toilet? :cold:
