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Let's talk wetsuits!

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bamaE

Feb 6, 12 14:18

Post #1 of 64 (3684 views)

Let's talk wetsuits!	Quote \| Reply

what is everyone wearing? Likes? Dislikes?

Assuming they all fit properly, any recommendations?

NickG

Feb 6, 12 21:07

Post #2 of 64 (3613 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Aquaman Gold Cell...seems to work pretty well
_________________________

- The key is to lift with your back in a twisting, jerking motion

AwesomePossum

Feb 6, 12 21:09

Post #3 of 64 (3612 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

blueseventy axis. Have done a couple ocean swims in it, no races yet... much more flexible than my very entry-level aquaman, does what a wetsuit should do i guess.

TriBodyboarder

Feb 6, 12 21:10

Post #4 of 64 (3610 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

DeSoto First Wave. I have the bib john, and both a sleeveless and long sleeve top, so three wetsuits for the price of two basically.
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My business-eBodyboarding.com

Longboarder

Feb 6, 12 21:23

Post #5 of 64 (3596 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [NickG] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

DeSoto First Wave. I have the bib john and speedtube bottoms. Both a sleeveless and long sleeve top. Mix and match....
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Train safe & smart
Bob

(This post was edited by Longboarder on Feb 6, 12 21:24)

Scott Allen

Feb 7, 12 5:45

Post #6 of 64 (3529 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

I own a blue seventy right now but I am getting a desoto first wave this year. I swam in a desoto before and I loved the flexibility throughout and the two piece design comes off fast in T1.
____________________________________________________
Check out my blog
http://www.ironscottallen.blogspot.com

B.McMaster

Feb 7, 12 5:51

Post #7 of 64 (3523 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

trying to convince the wife I need the freak of nature.

Travis R

Feb 7, 12 6:27

Post #8 of 64 (3500 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [Longboarder] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

BeastTri

Feb 7, 12 6:45

Post #9 of 64 (3483 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Profile-Design Marlin. Awesome wetsuit!

RickLapinski

Feb 7, 12 8:59

Post #10 of 64 (3435 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [BeastTri] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Zoot Prophet...awesome!!
Zoot Ultra Team

DieTryin'

Feb 7, 12 9:05

Post #11 of 64 (3424 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Blueseventy Fusion. Excellent and fully legal if that's a concern.

Grant.Reuter

Feb 7, 12 9:09

Post #12 of 64 (3413 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [Travis R] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Travis R wrote:

There is a video on the site of how long it takes to get off. I have done probably 70 plus races in one, and I have yet to ever not have the top off and the bottoms rolled down before I get to my transition spot. That even includes a race in florida where it was 42 at race start time and i couldn't feel my hands to take it off.
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De Soto Sport Athlete
Formerly Draketriathlon

trislayer

Feb 7, 12 9:51

Post #13 of 64 (3392 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Blueseventy Helix 2011 - It's a significant improvement over the entry level IM branded suit I had borrowed from my neighbor. Awesome shoulder flexibility in the Helix.

humanator

Feb 7, 12 10:04

Post #14 of 64 (3382 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Go cheap and sleeveless, its the buoyancy that makes you fast.

(This post was edited by humanator on Feb 7, 12 10:04)

Grant.Reuter

Feb 7, 12 10:16

Post #15 of 64 (3367 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [humanator] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

humanator wrote:

Go cheap and sleeveless, its the buoyancy that makes you fast.

1) Sleeveless has never tested faster ever.
2) The sleeves increase buoyancy
3) the sleeves increase surface area for pulling so you actually pull more water than normal anyways.

I.e. Never buy sleeveless.
-----------------------------------------------------------
De Soto Sport Athlete
Formerly Draketriathlon

Emilio

Feb 7, 12 10:41

Post #16 of 64 (3352 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Hello,

Hello, Emilio De Soto here. You are fortunate to have representatives from quite a few great wetsuit companies here on the forum. So your post will offer a number of suggestions. I will agree that fit most important, but you also need to take into account how much you want to spend, water temperatures where you will be using the wetsuits as well as what your goals are with using the wetsuit. Finally study the warranties of the brands you buy.

A two piece wetsuit has been shown to be bit more forgiving if they do not fit properly. We have witnessed many triathletes who have bought a T1 over the past 10 years either gain weight or drop weight that would require them to go up or down a size in a one-piece, but not be the case with their T1. A change in weight at most would only require replacing either the Pullover or the Bibjohn, but rarely both pieces.

Also, if you swim in a rather wide range of water temperatures, it would be important to consider how your body responds to being in one wetsuit for the varying temperatures. Many people are just fine in their wetsuit in cold water, but feel like they are going to suffocate from the heat in warmer water. With the T1 modular design, if you want a top for warmers waters, you can buy just our Speedvest to wear with your Bibjohn, or buy our Speedtube to wear with no top at all.

Finally is the issue of warranty. There are 2 year limited warranties and 5 year limited warranties. Ours is unlimited and for a long as you own your T1 Wetsuit. We cover nail tears and rips caused by using your wetsuit for something other than swimming.

I want to personally invite you to try the product out and form your own opinion. Buy it, wear it, test it, and decide for yourself. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee so you risk nothing but the time to test it. Please read our guarantee below, see if any of our competitors will offer you the same and let me know if you have any other questions.

100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

De Soto Sport offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on anything you buy from our website. If you are not satisfied with one of our products at the time you receive it, or if one of our products does not perform to your satisfaction within 30 days of the purchase date, return it for a replacement, or a refund. Anything you buy from one of our authorized retailers is guaranteed through the retailer. All exchanges and refunds must be done through the retailer. Their policy may be different so please ask before purchasing.

If you would like help on getting properly sized, shoot me an email to emilio@desotosport.com.

Emilio De Soto II
emilio@desotosport.com http://www.desotosport.com
For deals or updates on new products, "LIKE" us De Soto Facebook

morey000

Feb 7, 12 15:40

Post #17 of 64 (3274 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

I've got an Orca Sonar. Nice and stretchy. doesn't take on water. skin tight. good shoulder movement (when I have it installed properly). extra stretchy panels around the calves and shoulders. Seams are all both stiched on the inside, and glued on the outside. Stress points are additionally covered on the inside. Overall it's clearly a well made suit. After two seasons of use, 9 races and about as many OWS- it looks and functions good as new. No tears, cracks, fingernail cuts. All good. a quality product.

Tom Demerly posted over on BT a few months back about a test they did between the higher end suits and the lower priced ones. Hoping to find that the $600 suits were faster than the $200 ones- so Trisports could offer that information to potential buyers to upsell them (fair enough). Turns out- that while there was a sizeable speed difference between no-wetsuit and wearing one, and a noticeable difference between a sleeved and sleeveless suit... they couldn't discern any speed differences between the expensive one vs the cheap ones. Or- brand to brand.

So- they're all the same speed. Buy one that fits well... and is on sale.

(This post was edited by morey000 on Feb 7, 12 15:40)

Alibabwa

Feb 7, 12 15:52

Post #18 of 64 (3262 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

As others have said, find what fits and is comfortable. I had nightmares finding anything that fit (I have extremely narrow shoulders and ribcage for my height) so was very limited in my options.

It might help if you give people an idea of your build. I know quite a few hard core swimmers with broad, muscular shoulders wear 2XU - which is why I never tried the brand.

Orcaman

Feb 7, 12 15:59

Post #19 of 64 (3253 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bamaE] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Nineteen Frequency full-sleeve ..really like it!

Member of the Litespeed Factory Team
www.litespeed.com

Fleck

Feb 7, 12 15:59

Post #20 of 64 (3252 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [humanator] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Go cheap and sleeveless, its the buoyancy that makes you fast.

You are only partly right with that. There is a lot more to it than that.

Actually testing has shown that in all conditions - sleeved suits are faster. That's the reason why on the ITU world Cup Circuit you never, see anyone swimming in a sleeveless wetsuit. Every second counts in an ITU swim, and if you miss the front pack by even a few seconds, your day may be done right there.

As an added bonus, I have found that good fitting full sleeve suits are more comfortable. I see less issues with serious neck chafing and rashing on good fitting full suits than on sleeveless suits.

To the OP. Focus on fit. Focus on spending the time to find the best fitting wetsuit for you, because with triathlon wetsuits, it's all about fit. Do not be swayed by marketing, hype, price, and sales pitches other than from people who really know what they are talking about.

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog | EventsOnline | Bibnumbers.com

rss_joey

Feb 7, 12 16:33

Post #21 of 64 (3233 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [humanator] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

As has been stated before, sleeves add to the buoyancy (and thus speed) of a suit. Of course, it is better for my bottom line if everyone bought our highest priced, top end suits but really you need to know yourself before you spend the cash. What are you bringing to the table, from a performance perspective, determines what you can get from your gear.

If you are a top of the pack swimmer you can get an edge over the competition with the right suit. If you are a mid-pack swimmer you're likely to see about the same performance boost from a mid-tier suit. We see this in all aspects of sport - there is a point of diminishing return in technology investment. Rocket Science Sports also makes competitive swimsuits which 99% of swimmers would get no benefit from. However, major college swim teams salivate over these suits because they might give their swimmers an extra thousandth of a second per 100 (or whatever).

All that said, don't completely cheap out. The price ranges of tri wetsuits are reflections of the amount of attention to detail, quality of the materials, and service after the sale you are going to get. Just because a $400 suit won't move you to the front of the pack doesn't mean it isn't worth it in terms of comfort and durability season after season.

-Joey
US Sales
Rocket Science Sports
http://www.rocketsciencesports.com

kirrapoint

Feb 7, 12 16:47

Post #22 of 64 (3218 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [bmcmaster11] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

I'm trying to do the same thing, but at $1200, it may come with a divorce paper.

Kagemusha

Feb 7, 12 21:59

Post #23 of 64 (3158 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [kirrapoint] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

I recently did a long swim race(part of a triathlon relay) and used a borrowed Freak of Nature. I found this suit to be everything that is advertised. I am recommending this suit to anyone who can afford the price tag.

Longboarder

Feb 7, 12 22:14

Post #24 of 64 (3145 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [Travis R] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

For those of you with the First Wave, do you have the pullover top? How hard is it to get off in T1? I'm looking at their current lineup, and I don't see a sleeveless top (discontinued maybe?), just the pullover.
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There is a video on the site of how long it takes to get off. I have done probably 70 plus races in one, and I have yet to ever not have the top off and the bottoms rolled down before I get to my transition spot. That even includes a race in florida where it was 42 at race start time and i couldn't feel my hands to take it off.
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I can get my T1 off quicker then my old one piece WS. The clip is good to watch. I just pull the top off as soon as I get out of the water running to T1.

Train safe & smart
Bob

Bavarian_Frank

Feb 8, 12 1:53

Post #25 of 64 (3114 views)

Re: Let's talk wetsuits! [Longboarder] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Now, as the Water Rover is illegal, which suit comes next to the Water Rover in buoyancy? I need some kind of flotation device ...

(This post was edited by Bavarian_Frank on Feb 8, 12 3:40)

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