WHITES FUSION ONE

**SPECS
**• Price: $999.99
• Style: Rear-Entry, Horizontal Shoulder Zip
• Suited For: Light-Duty General-Purpose Diving
• Available Sizes: 5
• whitesdiving.com

****FEATURES
****• Watertight shell is covered with a protective 1 mm neoprene skin fitted with Lycra panels in the high-stretch areas.
• A continuous panel of abrasion-resistant material runs from knee to ankle to fully protect lower legs.
• Cone-shaped wrist and neck seals can be trimmed to get a perfect watertight fit.
• Outer skin is user-replaceable, making it possible to upgrade without having to discard the entire suit.
• Drysuit comes with adjustable suspenders and a drawstring bag.

****PERFORMANCE
****For many test divers the Fusion One was the most interesting suit in this year’s lineup. Designed with two distinct components, the inner DryCore shell keeps the water out, while the high-stretch outer skin both protects the shell and contains it, creating a snug, streamlined fit. Because of this dual component design, the Fusion One requires a special donning process that’s different from other drysuits but not difficult. Basically, you just need to focus on pulling the shell up before worrying about the outer skin (otherwise, you’re tugging up on the skin while the shell is still bunched down around your crotch). Do it right and you end up with a flexible form-fitting suit. Ten test divers can attest to this, as 100 percent of them were able to get a “Good Fit” with only the two sizes supplied for the tests. Racking up more “Excellent” scores than any other suit, the Fusion One excelled in range of motion, valve positioning and use and hydrodrag—divers reported it was like diving in a wetsuit, only better. There were, of course, a couple of nitpicks: the soft socks were cut a bit small and, since they aren’t made of neoprene, they offered no thermal protection—meaning cold toes for those who forgot to wear extra undersocks. Also, a few divers reported some suit squeeze in the chest area, but not enough to gripe about.

****BOTTOM LINE
****For casual recreational diving, the Fusion One is a dandy. Offering a featherweight, snug fitting, watertight ride, it earned the second highest number of votes for top suit, and, combining performance with price, earned this year’s Best Buy nod. While not as rugged as other suits, if the outer skin ever wears out it can easily be replaced. A new skin costs only $200 and can be installed quickly and easily. Note: The Thermal Fusion one-piece undergarment that accompanied this suit was key to the success of this system. While any undergarments can be used, this is a case where a specific undergarment really enhances the overall performance of the suit.

Want more? See the entire ScubaLab 2013 Drysuit Review!