OK, assuming both fit me, which one is the better choice. 2008 Orca Sonar for under $190 or a DeSoto Black Pearl for under $280? Is the DeSoto suit worth $90 more? For those that pwn these two suits, can you give me some feedback (either pros or cons). Thanks.
I tried the sonar on last year and was pretty impressed with it, but I have never tried the black pearl. I am guessing its a pretty solid option. If it fits really well, then yes its worth the extra $90.
Hey Wes,
Emilio here. A couple of things you may want to know.
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The T1 Black Pearl retails for $400.00 so it is by no means an entry level suit. It is not fair to compare it to a $190.00 wetsuit. You will swim faster, you will be more comfortable, in the Black Pearl. It will also last longer.
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If you can buy a Black Pearl somewhere for only $280 you should buy it. In fact if you don’t, I might.
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Is the Black Pearl worth $90.00 more? Yes, in fact it is worth $210.00 more.
Let me know who is selling it at this price so I can let you know if it is covered by our guarantee and warranty.
At those prices, you have the choice of saving money or going for the superior product. This past November, I went to my local shop and bought an Orca Apex 2 for $375 (normally $500+). Granted, I don’t NEED a pro-level suit, but I wanted a good quality product that would last and would do well, as my last suit, which I tried to save money on (AquaSphere) lasted 2 years. Orca has some all new suits for 2009, but I figure 1 year old technology ain’t too bad. The big thing is, all suits fit so differently, I tried on BlueSeventy (which they unfortunately had almost none of, so none fit), Orca, 2XU (their sizing is way screwed up), Zoot (which everyone but me fits into), QR. Zoot, QR, and Orca were the “best” of the bunch, but I had to go with the Orca’s far superior fit. But that’s for me. The next guy could have been Zoot. Trying stuff on just can’t be duplicated.
I have the DeSoto; it’s a great suit (not really fair to compare it to an entry level Orca). I’ve used Blue70, QR, and Aquaman suits before this; I can’t comment on the Orca per se, but here are some of the good things about the DS:
-The top and bottom move independently, so the shoulder flexibility is great
-If you damage the top or bottom, you only have to replace 1/2 the suit (ditto if you gain or lose significant weight)
-There is no neck closure (pulls on like a t-shirt); this is the first suit I didn’t have neck chafing issues with
-You can use just the top in sprints (adds some flotation and you can pull it off as you run to T1)
-DS support is the best out there (you’ll see that echo’d again and again in the ST forums)
Hi,
Look for something else.
Try SynergySport…seriously.
Stefan designed Orca’s for ten years.
His suits are great and they have DeSoto Levels of CS (Hey ED3!)
TP
I have never worn the two suits in question but I did have an entry level Orca that I bought 2 years ago, I got 3 1/2 Ironmans, 2 Ironmans, and lots of training time out of it. It was well worth the $175 I spent on it, but I recently purchased a Exterra Vendetta (they were on sale 50% off) and oh what a difference between the entry level suit and the top of the line suit. I now get out of the water without feeling like I was in a fight, the flexibility is amazing. So yes I would go for the higher end suit if it is in your budget.