This is the time of year when the best deals on the best wetsuits are available. I was wondering if anyone has experience with Pro Motion’s line of wetsuits. I am considering the After Burner model. Pro Motion has been around longer than any of the more familiar names like XTera or Blue Seventy and like XTera you order direct from them. The Pro Motion models look a little dated but still offer good design and materials and seem like a good mid range option. Would welcome some first hand accounts…
I love Pro Motion suits. They are based in Hood River, OR which is a windsurfing hot spot. I have both windsurfing and tri suits. Obviously they are cheaper because they are not using the newer/more expensive rubbers, but as a MOP swimmer, my suit works well enough for me. I have had my suit for about 6 years and it is holding up well.
A few years ago, I was out in Hood River with a group of windsurfers. One guy had a ProMotion suit which he had owned for a number of years (perhaps 10 years). A seam had come unglued. He took it to their store and they repaired it overnight free of charge, no questions asked.
bought my first suit, sleeveless, there in 2001 and still wear it for short races. I also wear it in the pool several times a year when the kids want to go in early in the season or late when my weak tolerance for cold water kicks in. No bad seams or holes. A great place to start if you’re just getting into the sport or even if you’re just looking to save some $$. Very functional, might not have all the bells and whistles of some, but it does its job well.
good luck
My 1st WS was a PM Powerglide sleeveless. I called them about sizing and gave me a few things to measure and call them back. They put me in the suit that was a perfect fit. I had one issue with it, if I swam without a top I would get rub issues on top of the shoulder due to the seams. I then started wearing a trisuit and didn’t have an issue. I did call them about it and they offered to cover the seams with a large patch if I sent it bask to them. I never bother.
Suit died 3 years ago when I accidently left it in the car when it was 100F out when we were on a road trip, it literally melted to itself!
Thanks for the feedback. I too stopped by the Promotion Store/Factory at Hood River several years ago, and picked up one of their hats which has been my primary hat since then. I swim a mile to two miles most of the time and have never used a wetsuit before as our group follows English Channel guidelines. For winter swimming going forward I am going to need a wetsuit. I will be getting a full sleeve wetsuit so I was hoping someone might be able to share their experience with flexibility/feel and or comparisons with other wetsuits.
I have not been able to find any reviews of Pro Motion wetsuits except for this helpful review from Swimmer Magazine - March 2011 - Open Water Edition. There is the video where each test swimmer is interviewed and then there is the PDF from the print edition which includes some additional notes. Several well known wetsuit models are included in the review including Orca (which sounds appealing as far as possibly being the least noticeable one to wear), Blue Seventy, TYR, Aqua Sphere, and Xterra.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M5fQJLUROo
PDF:
http://www.usmsswimmer.com/201103/swimbagwetsuitsmarch-april2011.pdf
I’m another Promotion fan, had my wetsuit for several years and have been happy with it.