White's Fusion Tech Skin

[frogman911]

Just received my Tech skin after 4 months of waiting. While replacing the Spandex skin with the new Tech skin, I noticed it did not have pre-cut holes for the exhaust valve on left shoulder or for the inflator valve mid chest. The exhaust valve did have a rubber patch (to help from fraying?) but the inflator valve location had nothing at all. Not even a mark as to where it should be. Does anyone have any experience with this? Did you have to cut your own holes? I've already cut and installed the skin, so I'm just wondering. Also, I had to add about 4 lbs of weight as compared to the spandex skin.

[skdvr]

Here is a thread from when I got my skin. The inflator hole was there but not the one for the dump valve. As you mentioned for yours, mine had the rubber piece in the material where the dump valve goes. I would not worry to much about fraying though for your inflator valve. When I installed my P-Valve in my Fusion I did not do anything special to the skin and it has held up just fine...

Phil

[frogman911]

Thanks SKDVR ! Much appreciated. I wasn't too concerned, but did have some doubts. Thought they should have been pre-cut.

[skdvr]

Originally Posted by frogman911

Thanks SKDVR ! Much appreciated. I wasn't too concerned, but did have some doubts. Thought they should have been pre-cut.

I had some doubts too when I did it but had a few others tell me that they had done it and it was fine, so I just trusted the info I had and went for it. I agree that the holes should be punched from the factory and I do not understand why they do not. Apparently some have both punched, then there are some like mine with 1 punched and some like yours with none punched...

Enjoy the new skin...

By the way I did not add any weight when I added my tech skin. Maybe I was not completely dialed in before I put the skin on...

Have a good one...

Phil

[frogman911]

Hey Phil,
Thanks for the info! Did you have the spandex skin before the tech skin came out as well? If so, did you have to return the spandex skin? I think I get to keep mine. So far, I love the suit. Was originally concerned about durability of the skin, but so far so good. I do have a beach cleanup job coming up where I will have to clean approx 250 feet wide by approx 150 deep. I'll have to grid it out and pull metal pcs out of the sand that are washing up from an old bardge that was removed. I will definately be using my catalyst for this job as I don't worry about that one so much and I think it is more durable...

[skdvr]

I bought my Fusion before the tech skin came out. So I dove it for a while and then bought the tech skin. My first dives in it we took the boat out to a small island on a lake in southern Mo and while walking around out there I ended up going through some thorn bushes and had not one snag in the lycra skin. I still have it and may throw it on from time to time if I wanted to travel with it, or just to have as a backup.

I think for the cleanup since you have a second suit I would wear it, but if the Fusion was my only suit I would still use it and not worry about it...

Phil