Whites Fusion and upgrades?

[tpf1230]

I live in Chicago and learned to dive dry suit to extend my diving season. I'm a new diver so my season has just started.

I rented a Whites Hazmat that was a bit too big (I'm stocky) and had difficulty managing the internal air bubble with all the extra material. I fumbled through training dives well enough.

My LDS is recommending the Whites Fusion with a future upgrade to the Bullet.

Does anyone have any experience with this brand? Seems like a good deal and the potential for a good fit for a reasonable price.

Todd

 

[rhuntley]

All of my open water dives have been in the White's Fusion Sport, I highly recommend Whites. Not sure how it compares to other brands, but I haven't had a problem with it. Assuming you buy the suit that is in your size range, there shouldn't be a problem with fit. The Fusion expands to the size of a dinner table when fully inflated, showing the diversity of size it offers, and in combination with the stretchy skin on top of the shell, it over all holds the shell close to your body, (similar to the internal bungee system on a Hollis wing when deflated) giving you maximum mobility and comfort.

The Fusion suits that have a front zipper all share the same shell, so if at any time you want to upgrade your Fusion Sport to a Fusion tech (thicker skin and pockets), all you need to do is order a Fusion Tech skin and swap it out for your Fusion Sport skin, there is no need to buy a new shell.

I highly recommend going for the SLT option due to being able to swap out neck and wrist seals on your own at the dive site if one rips, instead of having to go to your LDS and pay for the repair. In the long run, it is money well spent. It also helps for resale value, I imagine. Their Fusion undergarments are toasty warm as well. To my knowledge, they also have a deal that allows you to save $200 if you swap in your old wetsuit.

Overall, great mobility, durability and great customer support.

Hope that helps.

 

[tpf1230]

I highly recommend going for the SLT option due to being able to swap out neck and wrist seals on your own at the dive site if one rips, instead of having to go to your LDS and pay

I checked Whites website and don't see an SLT option. What is it?

 

[buddhasummer]

*Sport Diving - Seal Lock Technology - Whites Diving

 

[tpf1230]

Nice! Thanks for the tip. Is that an individual upgrade for each shell?


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[buddhasummer]

Nice! Thanks for the tip. Is that an individual upgrade for each shell?


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You can get it direct from factory or have it installed at a later date. The neck Tite cannot however be fitted to the Fusion one or Essence (women's cut) due to rear entry zip. The system can be fitted or retro fitted to Sport, Tec, Bullet and Fit (women's cut).

 

[TSandM]

The SiTech system is installed on the inner bag so it's independent of the shell.

I have two Fusions -- I bought my first one when they first came out. They're good suits -- very difficult to damage and forgiving in fit. The SiTech seal system makes them ideal for travel, because you can replace a seal even on a boat. It does commit you to having big wrist rings, and the neck ring does impact the mobility in the suit to some degree, but if you intend to travel or if you dive a great deal, the payoff is worth it.

The three skins have different things to offer. The sport is the lightest and fastest drying, but you can't easily put pockets on it. The Tech is a little heavier but supports pockets, and impacts the mobility minimally. The Bullet I didn't like at all. It was heavy, dried slowly, required more care, and really impacted the flexibility of the suit. Since the mobility is one of the big selling points of the Fusion, I thought that skin didn't make a lot of sense, and I do not use mine.

 

[mk706]

I bought a Bullet, Thermal Fusion, Evo boots, Si Tech ring system combo earlier this year. Suppose I have about 30 dives on it. I'm coming around to liking it. I was ready to give up on it after the first eight dives, but with a few tweaks it's diving better.

The Good:
- Forgivable sizing
- Price; it's a lot of suit for the money

The Bad:
- Stays wet/damp for days
- Loose inner core tends to traps gas in all the folds/wrinkles
- Feet are huge, and tend to trap gas
- Pockets are very loose, wish they were more rigid; frankly wish they were the Halcyon bellows pockets which are great
- Evo boots are huge, and when paired with the big foot pockets presents a challenge

Neutral:
- Donning/doffing, took a little getting used to; not too bad now
- Can be a challenge to donn/doff with the Thermal Fusion
- Very buoyant with TF, traps gas around feet. Can be over come with practice
- Durability has yet to be seen. DRIS installed a pee valve in the inner core without exiting the skin. I'm already getting small pulls/holes where the valve rubs the skin.

I don't know that I'd buy one again. Too soon to tell. With luck I'll get a couple seasons/ few hundred dives out of it. I'm still looking for better boots. Right now I'm leaning towards DUI rock boots, or good old Chuck Taylor's.

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[altaskier]

There are a good number of Chicago area divers who use the Whites Fusion (including me; I mainly use the Sport skin, and my wife has the Fusion One which is more like the Bullet skin). I travel a lot with mine, which is why I like the Fusion Sport.

You might consider taking a dry suit course to learn about the different suit types and how to dive in them; you'd probably do your checkout dives at Haigh Quarry in Kankakee which is a great place for courses and skills practice.

One of the shops that does a whole lot of internet sales and service visit with Whites drysuits is Dive Right In which happens to be at the southwestern edge of the Chicago suburbs. You should talk with them on the phone, and then consider making a visit to see different suits in person (they carry at least 4-5 brands for drysuits). Or try one of the other dive shops in Chicagoland.

 

[tpf1230]

You might consider taking a dry suit course to learn about the different suit types and how to dive in them; you'd probably do your checkout dives at Haigh Quarry in Kankakee which is a great place for courses and skills practice.

One of the shops that does a whole lot of internet sales and service visit with Whites drysuits is Dive Right In which happens to be at the southwestern edge of the Chicago suburbs. You should talk with them on the phone, and then consider making a visit to see different suits in person (they carry at least 4-5 brands for drysuits). Or try one of the other dive shops in Chicagoland.

I have my dry suit c-card but only dove a whites hazmat for that. I deal with DJ scuba locker in Brookfield as they cater to public safety and I'm a firefighter. They suggest the whites for quality and affordability as well as the upgrade illite. They have them in rental now so I'll be checking into it a bit more.


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