Does anyone have any experience with Promotion wetsuits? Particularly their top of the line Afterburner suit. It seems like a pretty good deal compared to other brands. The one thing I’m concerned about are the leg zippers. It seems like this might be more of a hassle than anything else. The do have a lifetime warranty on all their seams too. I’d appreciate any comments on the company and the suit.
I’ve never owned one but they are not bad as a value priced suit. Promotion built one of the very first high end wetsuits called the “3,2,1 Blaster” that Scott Molina used to use. It was a multi-colored affair he used at nice one year. I think the early versions didn’t even have a smoothskin outer. Of course, they do now.
Another decent bargain brand is Performance from the Performance mail order stores.
One thing I’ve learned from a fairly exhaustive examination of wetsuits we are just now wrapping up: The predominant determining factor in wetsuit performance is how it fits. There is no one “best” suit. Different suits works differently for different people.
I bought the power glide Long john last season and it was a great suit. I tried on several others and the fit and finish was very comperable. The rubber seems a little more surviveable than some of the oters I looked at, and the inside has a clothlike coating that makes it a snap to remove. I don’t know if it is ‘as fast’ as other suits out there, but it made me fast comfortable in the water.
Customer service was great. I emailed them my measurements and they recommended the right size. I don’t think that you will find an unhappy customer.
I’ve got the Fluid Drive. It’s my first and only wetsuit. I’m reasonably happy with it, but I second the other poster’s comment with respect to fit being paramount. I’m not entirely convinced that I’ve got the best fit possible. Budget was a big concern when I bought this wetsuit.
I like the zippers when I’m taking off the suit myself. They only tend to be a problem when getting help from overly aggressive wetsuit strippers. I’ve come out of the water dazed a couple of times and forgotten about the zippers. It’s not until they’ve pushed me to the ground and started struggling to rip off my suit that I’ve remembered to tell them about the ankle zippers.
I second what banana says. The price is right and quality is good, but you need the right fit. I got one and it fits ok, but Id much prefer to have one that fits perfect. They are actually quite good about returns for fit, so if you have the time to wait, they are not a bad option.
I’ve had one for five years, bought secondhand so it’s older than that, still going strong. Comfortable and excellent flexibility, fits me well - one of the few manufacturers that offers a medium/tall sizing. The leg zippers make it slightly easier to get on/off, but not substantially. It’s probably a wash time-wise, extra time to unzip but less to actually strip the legs off. I’d buy Promotion again.
I bought the fluid glide last year, and it is much more bouyance than others I have had. The zippers are great, very fast transitions.
I’ve had the sleeveless since last year and just bought the tri-sleeves top earlier this year. It’s my first and only suit, but I’ve been happy with it so far. The fit for me is right on and was based on a phone call with customer service. They really encourage you to call and discuss sizing with them.
For the price, I don’t think you can really beat them. I find it very difficult to believe that suits that are double the price are significantly faster or more comfortable.
have a sleeveless (cheapest version) for 2 seasons. Works great, great price and great customer service in both purchasing and follow-up questions. I love swimming with it on, wish I could use it more.
I have both a full suit and bib-john, and love them both. In fact, I tried most of the other brands before getting my bib-john, but Promotion was the one that gave me the bist overall fit. Definitely a quality suit, and the customer service was very good.
Slower than U
I’ve a sleeveless model that I absolutely love; as others have said, great value and excellent quality. Based on that I wouldn’t be afraid to try others in their lineup as their customer service is top notch as well.
I have a promotion wetsuit and it fits me great. Great product and very competitively priced. Yes, it doesn’t say Ironman on it, or Orca, etc. but a wetsuit must only 1) fit, 2) have shoulder flexibility, 3) provide lift 4) insulate well (funny, that this got #4). I got all that with that wetsuit and am 100% happy with the product and customer service of that company.