White's Fusion and Setup

[Vlane]

I'm really wanting to make the step towards dry diving but the cost is a major factor for me right now. I've been looking into dry suits and the White's Fusion seems to be an excellent choice so i have that cost nailed down. The next step is where i need help.

As far as undergarments go for dry suits, i'm clueless. What should i be looking for in an undergarment and are there any mid priced ones you can suggest? Secondly, boots. My diving right now usually requires walking over some rocky ground so i know i will need something with the fusion. I've heard of some using regular shoes, anyone have any downsides to this? Lastly, hood and gloves. I currently own a 6.5mm hood and 5mm gloves would these work temporarily with a dry suit or do i need to go ahead and get ones meant for use dry?

Hope i covered most the bases in this. Any other comments/tips regarding starting up diving dry or the Fusion are welcomed!

[frogman911]

Most of these questions depend on the water temp you'll be diving in. I'm guessing it's cold as you have a 6.5mm hood. I bought the whites fleece jumpsuit undergarment and I dive in temps of 45 degrees all the time. If you get cold, it's easy to layer. I can also put on the fleece jacket over the jumpsuit for further insulation. Layering is good for me because it gives me more options. I also dive with 5 to 6 mm gloves and hood which are usually fine. I dive alone a lot and use my hands quite a bit, so I never liked the big rings needed for dry gloves. They tend to get caught on things for me including putting on my harness. I also have the Whites Rock boots which are very sturdy and work well.

[skdvr]

Congrats on your purchase... I know that I love my Fusion...

With your hood you will be fine with the wetsuit hood. If that has worked for you so far it will continue to be just fine. The downside of using the wetsuit hood is that you will need a buddy to help tuck in the bib but luckly the Fusion has a place for it to go. I purchased a hood meant for use with a drysuit do that it did not have the bib.

Gloves - again you should be fine with the ones that you have. If there are really long gauntlet gloves then it may be an issue but most wetsuit gloves will work just fine...

Boots - I bought the Whites Evo boots which are nice but do not offer a ton of ankle support. Several of my buddies use Chucks (Chuck Taylor high tops) and LOVE them. Last week I forgot my boots and borrowed a pair of wetsuit boots for a very tall friend of mine and they happened to be the perfect size to fit over my drysuit and they worked out well also. You will not be able to use your current wetsuit boots because they will be to small to fit over all the material, but if you like your wetsuit booties then you could just buy another pair in a bigger size.

Bigger boots mean more than likely that you will need new fins also so keep that in mind. I would not buy new fins until you have gotten your boots. That way you can make sure that you get the correct fit in your fins...

Undergarments. I have a Whites MK2 and a Antartica from Rondell (Ron) on Ebay. Very nice undergarments for a great price. I use the MK2 for water temps down to about 55* and the Antartica for anything below that. I would also suggest some of Rons Fleece Socks. He has several different kinds but the linked ones is what I have and really like them. The Fusion's feet are thin nylon and do not offer any thermal protection. My feet kept getting cold on me until I got these. As far as which undergarment will work for YOU well that just depends on YOU. Ron is great to work with and very helpfull if you shoot him an email with questions. Sizes can be a little funky so if you order one and it does not fit correctly just talk to Ron and you can either swap it for another or talk to him about getting it taylored. He does travel a lot so sometimes when you email him he does not get back to you right away. There is a very long thread about him and these undergarments on scuba board. Just do a search for "Cheap Ebay Undergarments" and there was a recent thead on this board about them I think under "RB Undergarments".

As far as tips about the Fusion the only thing I can think of is to practice getting it on. That is the biggest pain about it, espically with thicker undergarments. I made a goofy video of me getting into the suit and put it on You Tube after Mike from Dive Right In Scuba in Chicago put a video up of how fast he could put the suit on. You can check it out here if you like.

Just keep your zipper lubricated and keep it stored properly and it will treat you great...

Phil

EDIT: Here is the link for the R&B Undergarments on this board.

[Rileybri]

So I am kind of in the same boat. I know what I want (cant afford it yet but am not far off) but need more input on undergarments. I will be diving moderate to cold fresh water for the most part. That said my LDS runs a short and inexpensive dry suit class that I plan on taking. not only for the skills portion of the class but also because they go into the different undergarments and there pos's and cons. I think we also get to try the different options out. As my LDS is a Weasel dealer and I have heard great things about the product I will be going with one of their undergarments. Its just a matter of which one. Good luck choosing your!

[Vlane]

Frogman911 and Skdvr thanks for the the help. I don't have the suit yet and it may be a year or so before i get one, i just want to see the total cost of going dry.

I'm not quite sure on the water temps i'm wanting to dive just yet. All i dive as of now is a lake and at 60' it's in the low 60s to high 50s. I'm wanting to be able to go down there more comfortably than my typical 7mm and also extend my diving season quite a bit. It looks like the toughest decision will be an undergarment choice, so keep the help coming!

[skdvr]

Being from AR you can dive all year with a Drysuit... You will end up with 2 undergarments at some point. I bought the thinner one first and then just layered some poly pro undergarments that I use for hunting under it to get me through my first winter with the drysuit. Then the next season I got the Thicker undergarment and I was much happier.

Have fun in your quest...

Phil

[Scuba Pete]

I bought my first and second drysuit used. It is a much cheaper way to get into drysuit diving. I dont know if i will ever really want to purchase a new drysuit for 1000+. The undergarmets that i have are the bare t-100. I have worn long johns underneath them from time to time. But i have not yet had the pleasure of needing anything more. I have been in 50* water with nothing but the undergarments on. (besides shorts and a t-shirt) My first drysuit had the rubber boots attached to it. i needed to get fins that where xxxL to fit them. My 2nd suit has the DUI rockboots and i can use my normal wetsuit fins.

[Vlane]

I've been checking out Ron's undergarments and they seem to be pretty solid based off what others have said. Only trouble i'm having with undergarments now is water temp.

How much does the water temp from 60'-100' vary during the fall and winter compared to now? I know at 90' it's about 51F in beaver lake so i'm curious as to whether this will change a whole lot as it gets colder outside.

[wheelman]

Plan for the lower 40s during the winter.

[skdvr]

In the dead of winter the water will either be warmer down a bit deeper or it will all be the same temp COLD. Down as far south as Beaver you do not really get Ice over the lake so the lake temp will be pretty much the same from top to bottom which I would guess would be in the mid to upper 40's. Probably more so upper 40's to lower 50's down at Beaver...

Phil