I am in the market for a new wetsuit. Everything I read about the DeSoto T-1 is very positive. Any T-1 users out there? What are your thoughts? Can anyone compare a one-pice vs the two piece design. Thanks for any input.
We’re wrapping up a trial of wetsuits that includes quite a number different popular wetsuits. Now, these trials don’t reveal what the “best” or “fastest” wetsuit is, they only indicate what suit works best for the two testers, my wife Sarah and I.
I was interested to learn that the suit that worked best for me was no better than any other suit for her. In other words, I found a suit that was 2 seconds faster (a little more than 2 seconds actually) than all the other suits I tried. It was a DeSoto T1 First wave.
That same suit did not work as well for my wife, possibly due to a number of factors.
The bottom line for me was that the T1 was fastest by a decent margin over 100 yards for me. It also “felt” the fastest, with the best flexibility and ease of swimming.
What does this mean? Well, it only means if you are built and swim exactly like me, I wager you’ll get similar results. I liked the T1 better than any suit I tried, and I bought and tried quite a few.
-One man’s opinion FWIW.
tom . . . what is your body type/build (i.e Height, weight, muscularity)?
thanks
Well I used to use a one piece and liked it quite a bit, but the fit was not just perfect. I just finished my first race in the DeSoto 2 piece and was very happy. Oceanside was cold but I stayed very warm in the suit and had no chafing with no body glide anywhere. I was also able to get different size top and bottoms, and the high end first wave top with loads more flexibility was only a $60 upgrade. I went with the black pearl bottoms which provided plenty of flexibility in the legs. Getting out is a snap. All things considered get what fits best, and if you can afford the high end stuff it really is way more flexible, at least out of what I tried on.
I’ve only got anecdotal evidence and opinion but here goes. My only comparison is against a sleevelss one-piece, but I felt good in that suit and raced a season of tris in it - longest was Olympic.
My comparison is that I changed from sleeveless one-piece to the T1, took one private swim lesson and dropped 6min off my Olympic swim time (comparing races in May and Aug.) My swim fitness hadn’t really changed but wetsuit did so there you go. My results are likely not typical. 
Josh
I just did my first race with the T1 black pearl and loved it. I needed to get different sizes (3 in the top and 4 in the bottom) so it was really helpful there. It was very warm and I didn’t use bodyglide, though I did have substantial chaffing on the back of my neck.
Bottom line, as a swimmer, I like the freedom of movement that I didn’t find in 1 pieces. $.02 from a very inexperienced wetsuit user.
All of your points fall right in line with my experience as well, the black pearl 4 top was too tight, but the first wave 4 was perfect. I am also a size down from the chart.
Did IMC in a Orca Predator II one year and the DeSoto T1 the following year. Times were within a minute.
I prefer the feel of the T-1 but can’t say it is any faster / slower than my one piece. The advantages of the T-1 is I could go smaller on the bottom than the top and it is easier to get out of.
I have the first wave and love it.
“I have noticed the T1 pullover to be much warmer than my 2004 IM Stealth was.”
that’s because the T1 is almost a dry suit. the pullover is only 2mm thick (it’s 5mm where it overlaps the 3mm bibjohn, and of course the latter is 5mm down to the ankle). even tho that is the case, the pullover is still warm, because almost no water gets in (a lot of this is because there is no neck closure).
the T1 suit is in my view the way fullsuits should be made. but then, ahem, i designed it, so what else would i think?
I too have noticed that the T1 can be warm. I don’t have enough experience to compare this with one-piece wetsuits, but during the IMC swim last year I found myself almost overheating a bit in the T1. Don’t get me wrong though - I love the T1 and will probably stick with the 2-piece design for quite some time to come! And I actually figured that with it being a two piece I had an advantage that others might not have during a warm swim: every so often I reached back and briefly tugged the bottom of the T1 top away from my back for a second, which let in a nice “cool” rush of refreshing water across my back - which was both mentally and physically stimulating. I was thinking that maybe the 1 piece wearers didn’t have a convenient way to let in this rush of cool water (short of unzipping mid-swim), but then I can also see Slowman’s point that the zipper on a 1-piece suit lets the water in as a natural “feature” of that design ;-).
Clay
I have swam in a 2 piece and 1 piece and find the 2 piece always slides up on my chest (I am 6 feet 175- so normal joe). I like things simple and the fussing around in transition drove me nuts and the dizzy part pulling the top over my head. The rubber in my new 1 piece is easily as flexible as my the 2 piece I swam in.
After getting into a new 1 piece I realized why everyone makes a 1 piece and why the pro’s all swim in one as well. I think if the 2 piece was truly faster the ITU guys would be all over this.
I have been swimming in a DeSoto two piece and like it very much. While I can’t tell you if it is any faster than other suits, here are the reasons why I recommend it. First, I have a long torso and one-piece suits don’t fit me well and therefore chafe. Second, having two pieces allows you to mix and match sizes if need be (a L bottom with an XL top, etc.) Third, I bought two tops for mine - one full sleeve, one sleeveless for warmer waters. This was much cheaper than buying a full second suit. (I have swam - but not raced - in just the bottom and it did not balloon up on me the way that people had warned it might.)
Bottom line: I love my two-piece DeSoto and recommend it.
“I realized why everyone makes a 1 piece and why the pro’s all swim in one as well.”
the reason all the pros swim in 1pc is that emilio doesn’t sponsor pro athletes. do is search on “wetsuits” on this forum. you’ll see hundreds of testimonials by people who wear every kind of wetsuit. i might choose orca and T1 wetsuits as examples. read the testimonials on each wetsuit, orca and T1, and then factor in the truism you pointed out: orca probably has more ITU folks in its suit than any other company.
you can’t get out of a T1 any faster than you can an orca, QR, ironman or anything else. they’re more/less equivalent in transition (tho piel is slightly faster to exit). the ITU swim is generally a packed up affair. why not go with the company who’ll give you suits and pay money? the money is what tempts the ITU folks, in general. same with the bikes they ride.
I’m just a snorkis short of 5’9", aren’t too skinny and weigh 157 lbs. My upper body and lower body are proportional (I think) but I do take a size 4 top in the First wave and a size 3 bottom.
Here is what I look like:
Dan,
Do you think a T1 would benefit a good swimmer (due to improved shoulder motion, for one thing) vs. a normal 1pc fullsuit, moreso than for a MOP or BOP (or WAAAY BOP like me) swimmer, who doesn’t have a smooth grooved stroke to f’ up in the first place??
I own a Piel sleeveless (I got it cheap a while back) and have the use of (borrowed) an older Orca Predator full. I didn’t like swimming in the Predator, my arms just felt contrained, but it was a VERY cold water race, so full sleeves were mandatory.
I’ve been tempted to pick up a T1, since I like the idea of mixing and matching top and bottom for best fit, but is it really gonna be that much faster/better than what I have now to justify the $??
Oh, and regarding the Black Pearl vs. First Wave - it seems to me that for an avg (or worse) swimmer, the Black Pearl bibjohn is more than adequate, but it might benefit anybody more to upgrade the top since the flexibility and bouancy would be improved w/ the First Wave. Do you think this makes sense? We’re triathletes, we’re not s’posed to be kicking all that much anyway, so less flexibility in the legs is kinda moot I’d think. (and anything is more flexible in the legs than my Piel - the dual zippers make me feel like the Tin man, and no oil can in sight)
I know your opinions may be slightly biased in regards to this suit. I’m cool with that.
THX!!!
Another T1 First Wave user here. I got it last summer after the strippers at IMCDA tore my T1 Dos sleaveless suit. Emilio was kind enough to take back the Dos and give me credit on the First Wave. I have been pretty happy with it. I am a former college swimmer and frankly don’t really like swimming in wetsuits but this one is the best I have tried.
Bama,
I swam in the middle of the road QR sleeveless for three or four years it was ok. Tried on a t1 two years ago and really like it. Much better flexability, and sizing with a two piece is much easier. I have a long torso and short legs and really like having the two peices. I am 5-10, 165# medium build, former runner and the size #4 top and bottum t1 has been a great suit for me.
Even with long sleeves the T1 feels better then my sleeveless QR did.
Peace,
RF
“Do you think a T1 would benefit a good swimmer (due to improved shoulder motion, for one thing”
the benefits of a 2pc when it comes to just raw speed are these:
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you can swim your normal technique. you can’t with a 1pc. mind, the 1pc generally makes you swim with a BETTER technique, and a 2pc won’t mandate that. perhaps the reason some do well in a 2pc vs 1pc, while others notice no difference, is this. i don’t know.
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you can change cadences in a 2pc. so, if you are in danger of getting dropped coming out of a buoy turn (just as you might in a bicycle road race) you can speed up in a 2pc, increase your turnover. if you try to do that in a 1pc, you can quickly toast your shoulders.
i LOVE certain 1pc suits, and the aquaman metal cell and QR supersuit come to mind. would i swim faster in a T1 than either of these suits? hard to say. but then i don’t notice a shoulder issue with either of these suits. if you have a problem with fullsuits because of shoulder constriction, you’ve got the wrong fullsuit. you might just need one of these other fullsuits vs your P-flex. as to the T1, you can say what you want + or - about that suit, but you will NOT have any constriction issues.
I dunno, Dan. I’m in the right size T1 (not as I type this) and my shoulders pooped out in 500y wearing it. Couldn’t wait to get it off. On race day a few weeks later, I went with just the bibjohn with a rashguard over it to keep things aquadynamic.