I have always swum in a Desoto T1 wetsuit, honestly I don’t have any gripes about it… I dare say I love it. But there is a part of me… a little voice in the back of my head that wonders what it is like swimming in a ROKA, HUBB or any other high end brand.
I am int he market for a new wetsuit. Should I just stick with what I know, or take a risk on something else?
For context:
I am:
6’
185 pounds
42 inch chest
I was a devoted T1 fan for many years
I am almost exactly the same sails as you
I got a lower priced blue seventy and a highest priced Blue Seventy model and a ROKA Maverick x and a lower priced Roka Model and extensively tested all of them
I was hoping the T1 would be the fastest
Turned out the most expensive ROKA Maverick as the fastest for me
.
My n=1: Really liked my T1. Won a B70 Helix at a race. The Helix was notably faster (~2s/100m) for me.
I still have the T1, and use it for OWS training, as well as using the top for things like snorkeling where I could use a bit of extra warmth.
The big advantage of the T1 is that it can fit non-standard body types due to the 2pc design (the lack of stroke restriction used to be a big benefit but today’s higher end suits are plenty flexible). This makes the T1 a great suit for some people, but rarely the fastest suit for those with normal bulds.
I don’t have one, but I love everything else from De Soto. In all my reading and research, I have never seen anyone comment that the T1 is slow. I think they are generally accepted as fast and comfortable.
If you already like your T1 and have no driver to change, I wouldn’t.
In a similar boat. I bought an Xterra Vengeance as my first wetsuit and still use it. Have been wondering the past couple seasons whether it’s worth an upgrade.
For me: I don’t see any speed advantage (and we are talking seconds) is worth it over the two piece design of De Soto. Whenever I try a one piece suit now, it cannot wait to take it off and go back to my De Soto.
For me the comfort wins as does the easy of putting it on and taking it off.
John
I have always swum in a Desoto T1 wetsuit, honestly I don’t have any gripes about it… I dare say I love it. But there is a part of me… a little voice in the back of my head that wonders what it is like swimming in a ROKA, HUBB or any other high end brand.
I am int he market for a new wetsuit. Should I just stick with what I know, or take a risk on something else?
For context:
I am:
6’
185 pounds
42 inch chest
I liked my T1, but am very glad I switched. I am faster in Roka. And, more importantly, despite the two-piece design, I find the Roka noticeably less restrictive. I have shoulder issues and was always a bit surprised and disappointed that I found the T1 to be quite restrictive in that area as compared to other brands I tried (Roka and Huub)
I tried the T1, but couldn’t get the fit or feel to be right. I sold it. I have had a few series of the Xterra. I loved the Vendetta. Now I think it is the Vengeance. I bought another one brand new for $270 or something. That is a pretty good deal. I also got a brand new sleeveless Xterra suit from someone on here for $85 shipped. I forget the level, but with it being sleeveless, don’t feel it really matters. I cut about 3 inches off the legs and it is super easy to get on and off. I think it would be slower trying to take off 2 pieces, rather than 1.
I am a bit more comfortable in my Roka than the T1. I don’t know that I am any faster though.
A bit faster in transition with the Roka, but not much.
I don’t have shoulder issues but had the exact same experience with the T1 and my full sleeve Roka. I could never get used to the shoulder restriction on the T1, despite the two piece design. Then I bought the Roka full sleeve.
There’s no comparison in the shoulder mobility between the two, and you can easily see why if you see these wetsuits up close. The design of the Roka has thinner and more flexible material around the shoulder area.
There’s no comparison in the shoulder mobility between the two, and you can easily see why if you see these wetsuits up close. The design of the Roka has thinner and more flexible material around the shoulder area.
Once manufactures realised that you could make stretchy areas around the lats that brought other suits up to the flexibility level of the two-piece then they lost most of their dominance. I have a few wetsuits on rotation and I really like the 2-piece because of the additional floatation. It requires a different kind of stroke though, more like waddling on a paddle board. The hyper-stretchy thin shoulder ones feel the same as a sleeveless so the transition between pool and open water is smaller. I think the amount of training close to how you race is perhaps a crucial determinant here.