http://www.slowtwitch.com/...Maverick_X_5884.html
Dan has a nice review of the Maverick X up. I've only swum in the Pro and Elite, and kept the Elite and swim in it regularly, so I have no personal experience with the X.
He talks about how he won't decide on a wetsuit until he's pool tested it against other suits, so I was expecting results, but I suppose a comparative test only makes sense occasionally when you have a bunch of new suits to test.
He compares the arm-up positions of the X and DeSoto suits. I'm pretty sure DeSoto describes theirs as "mummy," i.e. arms forward, whereas Roka describes theirs as more superman, above the head-style.
While the Roka forearm panel isn't supposed to be a catch panel, it is supposed to aid proprioception or feel of the water, which in turn is supposed to help stroke mechanics. I'm a bit skeptical that's a worthwhile tradeoff for the potential failure point, and lack of insulation at a key bloodflow area, but at this point the market seems to demand something other than regular neoprene at the forearms of a premium suit.
He talks about how a well-fitting suit won't trickle in new cold water until late into a long swim, if at all, but also describes the suit as having been "dry" until that point. That doesn't seem right--my sense is that there's a tiny layer of water inside the suit that the body warms up, and the absence of new cold water is what defines a well-fitting suit, not being genuinely dry. Or do people genuinely experience dryness inside a well-fitting suit?
Very much agreed with his positive bottom line about Roka generally, great company for which I'm definitely rooting.
Dan has a nice review of the Maverick X up. I've only swum in the Pro and Elite, and kept the Elite and swim in it regularly, so I have no personal experience with the X.
He talks about how he won't decide on a wetsuit until he's pool tested it against other suits, so I was expecting results, but I suppose a comparative test only makes sense occasionally when you have a bunch of new suits to test.
He compares the arm-up positions of the X and DeSoto suits. I'm pretty sure DeSoto describes theirs as "mummy," i.e. arms forward, whereas Roka describes theirs as more superman, above the head-style.
While the Roka forearm panel isn't supposed to be a catch panel, it is supposed to aid proprioception or feel of the water, which in turn is supposed to help stroke mechanics. I'm a bit skeptical that's a worthwhile tradeoff for the potential failure point, and lack of insulation at a key bloodflow area, but at this point the market seems to demand something other than regular neoprene at the forearms of a premium suit.
He talks about how a well-fitting suit won't trickle in new cold water until late into a long swim, if at all, but also describes the suit as having been "dry" until that point. That doesn't seem right--my sense is that there's a tiny layer of water inside the suit that the body warms up, and the absence of new cold water is what defines a well-fitting suit, not being genuinely dry. Or do people genuinely experience dryness inside a well-fitting suit?
Very much agreed with his positive bottom line about Roka generally, great company for which I'm definitely rooting.