Who hates their White Fusion Dry Suit?

[sfdiver140]

Just a place to vent to air frustration over all the great promises that were handed out and did not come through.......maybe hate is to strong so even if you don't like it....and maybe it is just me

 

[tstormdiver]

I tried a Fusion on a year ago. Can't say I was overly impressed with it. Think I'll stick with my DUI's.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

How many dives have you put on the Fusion?
How many lifetime drysuit dives do you have?
What other brand/model drysuits have you used?

What are your specific complaints about the Fusion?

Just curious.

 

[sfdiver140]

My WHITE FUSION SPORT DRY SUIT...I had such high hopes, read so many reviews, asked all the right questions, even tried them out had problems and everyone said just have to dive it more and you will love it...so I bought one......well I did dive it more and...well I hate it....when diving to be level it is so touchy, weighting is so hard to get right I never did......the bubble is hard to manage.....I am not dry I am wet with sweat...super soaked.....it is hard to get in to.....neck seal chokes me....my wrist seals?.. well my hand just does not fit though with out cream and then trobs because it is so tight......My White Fusion Dry Suit Sport makes diving not fun......and the bigest issue.......I AM STILL COLD!!!! even with the $259.00 4th Element xerotherm undergarments I was really trying. The reviews are great and people love it but I just don't know......I hate it...never even had a marginally good dive....I would rather dive wet put it on and go..... the dive shop I bought it from does not offer much help...... so I am a for believing the LDS when they said that more dives make it better...only thing I can do is ...and..:laughing:......feeling like a fool.....and I guess it is sadly time to just write this......so anyone who wants a great deal on a drysuit or wetsuit (or other equipment) with an extra neoprene skin contact me 2x/3x short it has all the goodies.......hope someone gives it a good home and loves my lonely White Fusion Dry Suit I learned my lesson Hey maybe I can donate it to Good Will and write it off of taxes? or toss it in the dump.....Ok I vented.....I am happy for all those who found diving dry in a White Fusion their salvation.......wish I was one.

 

[sfdiver140]

I have 25 dives on the Fusion, I did dive a custom made neoprene dry suit from the now closed Monterey Bay Wet Suit company in the 90's Maybe diving dry is just not for me....because I have never had a dry dive....I some how I am always wet.....sweat I think. So dam frustrating.....A $2500.00 dust collector.

 

[ScubaSteve]

All I can say is I have about 25 dives on my Evo2 and I still have a tough time with the bubble, venting and all that good stuff. The reality is though, if you suit is ill fitting then that is fixable. You have not given it sufficient time (from my experience anyways) and attention from the sounds of it.

Ask my dive buddies, I started to hate diving when I first got the dry suit. I am still very much uneducated where drysuits are involved but I have seen progress so hope may be on the horizon.

My recommendation (not that it will matter):

1. get a set of gloves that fit properly
2. find a lighter undergarment so you are not as hot
3. do many shallow (30' to 60' worked best for me) and simple dives just to get used to diving. You really do have to learn to dive again with a dry suit and that can be frustrating.

 

[sfdiver140]

Hey BubbleTrubble, First of all thank you for your help in the past You have tried to help me here on Scubaboard and you offered sound advise thank you. It is just nothing seems to work.....so tired of spending money, so much time and hours and hours of thinking how I might try to figure out my issues....thank you again.

 

[sfdiver140]

Hi SubaSteve thank you for great advise so here is my question......with all the frustrations I hear from almost everyone who has ever spent time diving dry........why dive dry? go after the better higher end custom fit wet suits with wrist and neck seals....dive and go be able to dive in any postition under water have a blast like when we learned and just LOVE TO DIVE because it is fun.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Hi SubaSteve thank you for great advise so here is my question......with all the frustrations I hear from almost everyone who has ever spent time diving dry........why dive dry? go after the better higher end custom fit wet suits with wrist and neck seals....dive and go be able to dive in any postition under water have a blast like when we learned and just LOVE TO DIVE because it is fun.

Well I suppose my answer would be different from yours about why. My answer is because I stopped enjoying diving wet in 45° or lower water and that can happen year round here at depth.

I personally agree that it is a real frustrating thing, resetting your dive "skills". I had my wetsuit dialed in and my buoyancy was never an issue......then the drysuit happened. I flopped around like new diver in the water at depth just trying to maintain my position in the water. I still to this day fight to get my suit to vent quick enough.....I have all but decided to install a high flow dump valve to overcome this issue.

Bottom line is, knowing how I felt, I could not blame you for quitting. But, I am a firm believer that as long as I stick with it, it will get figured out and I will be more comfortable in the future. My regular dive buddy took to a dry suit as quick as I thought I would......but I did not. Everybody is different. But I see many people that are as comfortable in the water in a dry suit as I was in my wetsuit......so I know it is possible.

I still think that since you still own the suit, see if anybody can loan you a lighter undergarment. What are your gloves? Are they a removable dry glove (like Viking bayonnette or Si Tech glove lock)? If they are, then it is simple to change out for a larger glove.

Either way, just make sure you are doing whatever you want. If that does not include a dry suit then so be it. It is a personal choice.

 

[tech3324]

weighting is so hard to get right I never did......the bubble is hard to manage.....I am not dry I am wet with sweat...super soaked.....it is hard to get in to.....neck seal chokes me....my wrist seals?.. well my hand just does not fit though with out cream and then trobs because it is so tight......and the bigest issue.......I AM STILL COLD!!!! even with the $259.00 4th Element xerotherm undergarments I was really trying.

It sounds like you have a variety of issues going on here that need to be addressed individually before you even get in the water again with the Fusion.

Start with the seals. It sounds like both the wrist and neck seals are too tight and need to be need to be trimmed to fit you. Get a shop to help you with that.

If you are cold but soaked in sweat it sounds like you need a simple wicking layer beneath the Xerotherm. Just something like Capilene or thin polypro long underwear should do that job.

Once those things are squared away, I would either take a drysuit cert class with the Fusion or get a drysuit competent mentor to make some dives with you. It's not hard to estimate how much weight to add with the Fusion. My instructor told me to add 9# and that was pretty much spot on. The gas bubble is easy to manage on the Fusion unless you are over inflated. Just add enough gas to avoid suit squeeze and use your BC for buoyancy.

Don't give up now, you sound frustrated, but fixed the issues one at a time and give it another try.