Let’s just say your wetsuit was a DeSoto T1 and say your a 1:05 - 1:08 IM swimmer. Let’s go on to say that your wetsuit met its untimely death this past week (and no it can’t be repaired) and well you have an Ironman say in less than 6 weeks. Do you simply re-up and get a new DeSoto suit (the devil you know) or do you think about making the switch to something that is unknown (to you) but appears to be a pretty little angel? I’m vexed.
If the pretty little angel is a ZOOT Zenith be vexed no longer and get yourself the most comfortable, fastest (IMO) wetsuit made. As long as it fits you well etc. You’ll be in good company- Kate Major, Jim Vance, Sam McGlone, Conrad Stoltz, etc…
…and me, my fiancee, and most of our friends. 
back in the day, we had a 2yr, no fault guarantee. a lady puts her husband’s QR into the dryer, high heat, after his race. out comes a ball of plastic. she freaks, calls us. we instruct her to mail it in. we discretely return to her a brand new QR, no charge.
besides that fact that this is how you build a company, about 8 years later we sign a deal worth many hundreds of thousands of dollars. i invite the fellow with which we did the deal back to show him our factory, and what it is we do back there. he says he knows all about our factory; once after a race his wife through his wetsuit in the high heat cycle…
a lady puts her husband’s QR into the dryer, high heat, after his race. out comes a ball of plastic. she freaks, calls us. we instruct her to mail it in. we discretely return to her a brand new QR, no charge.
Dan,
There was a return when I worked at Sugoi from a guy who had melted a pair of Sugoi Cycling shorts. He sent them back in an envelope. There was not much left. He said that he was trying to warm himself by an open fire after a cold wet MTB ride. The shorts caught fire as he had his ass to the fire. I thought we may have a law suit on our hands, but the guy was just expecting a replacment pair of shorts - which we sent to him, with a note that the new line of Sugoi asbestos lined, fire-proof shorts were coming out next year! 
I guess you would call that karma, no?
Normally I’m a big fan of the pretty little angel, however I’m also a big fan of the T1 design. I liked it better before they added the zipper, but I think the “mummy cut” of the new suits is a stroke of genius.
If it fits you well, I say go for the new deSoto.
6 weeks is a good amount of time for a break in.
Break in? Flash back to one year ago this week…
I got my T1 on Thurs nite, swam in it for the first time ever on Sat am, then used it at IMLP on Sunday.
Break in? We don’t need no stinkin’ break in!
I guess I’m biased, but if my T1 ever got trashed (beyond Emilio’s ability to fix it for free), I’d order another one in a heartbeat.
Man do I agree. Love my T1. Love I can get it on by myself. Love is fits like a glove for a tall skinny guy.
Love the 2 piece design allows a tall guy to not pull the crotch in the swim. Guess I am biased.
(Now, if I could just beat Emilio in a race. )
Dave
No offense, because I love you like a BFAM, but I have a tough time taking advice from you given your training protocols.
“I guess you would call that karma, no?”
you could, but it was more treachery than karma. i established a policy that would cut at the knees any competition that might come my way. if your customer faces no warranty issue, he’s happy. if he faces a warranty issue and you treat him golden, you make him more than happy. you make him loyal. your retailers appreciate your taking that burden from them and onto yourself, and executing the warranty service first rate.
the reason i had two-thirds of all the triathlon wetsuit business in north america is not because our wetsuits were so superior to everybody else’s. it’s because the dealers refused to carry anybody else’s, and a large part of that was our warranty service.
if you search this forum for references to de soto’s customer service, you’ll find that same sort of ethic. if you like the wetsuit, and you like the company, you probably ought to take that into account.
Yes, the newer cars always look better for some reason. I originally got the T1 because my swimming prowess was on the average side and I needed something that would minimize the restriction on my stroke. However, having swum in a few one piece suits, either my stroke has overcome this limitation or the technology in them has improved materially over the past 3 years.
back in the day, we had a 2yr, no fault guarantee. a lady puts her husband’s QR into the dryer, high heat, after his race. out comes a ball of plastic. she freaks, calls us. we instruct her to mail it in. we discretely return to her a brand new QR, no charge.
besides that fact that this is how you build a company, about 8 years later we sign a deal worth many hundreds of thousands of dollars. i invite the fellow with which we did the deal back to show him our factory, and what it is we do back there. he says he knows all about our factory; once after a race his wife through his wetsuit in the high heat cycle…
That kid’s name was Moe Green - and the city he invented was Las Vegas. This was a great man - a man of vision and guts. And there isn’t even a plaque - or a signpost - or a statue of him in that town! Someone put a bullet through his eye. No one knows who gave the order - when I heard it, I wasn’t angry; I knew Moe - I knew he was head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up dead - I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the business we’ve chosen - I didn’t ask who gave the order - because it had nothing to do with business!
:^P
Duely noted and contemplated prior to posting.
Think of it this way. As well as I do in spite of my training protocols, one would think that my equipment choices have to be good!
Well - maybe not the fixie…
I honestly think all top of the line wetsuits are pretty close in performance. So you have to differentiate the companies. Me, DeSoto will always be my wetsuit of choice. If my T1 goes down, then I will buy another one. Emilio’s customer service is second to none, IMO.
Steve
Break in? Flash back to one year ago this week…
I got my T1 on Thurs nite, swam in it for the first time ever on Sat am, then used it at IMLP on Sunday.
Break in? We don’t need no stinkin’ break in!
I guess I’m biased, but if my T1 ever got trashed (beyond Emilio’s ability to fix it for free), I’d order another one in a heartbeat.
You should plan farther ahead, my new one will be here wednesday
<< You should plan farther ahead, my new one will be here wednesday >>
I bet you were an Eagle Scout, huh?
Good luck this weekend!!! Enjoy it all, such a great time!!
(I almost wish I were doing it again. Almost.)
I’m in the same situation. I figure if it is a good quality wetsuit and fits me well then it will be no problem. Fingers crossed!
too bad you are not coming up, now I have to find someone else who thinks prerace preparation involves drining beer
.