I took three different wetsuits to the water’s edge in Taupo and swam in each of them to determine which one I liked best.
First, the disclaimers and disclosures:
I am a retailer who sells Quintana Roo, Desoto T1 and Orca brand wetsuits. As such, I profit from the sale of any of these suits in my store. The suits I tried I received either free or at a significant discount from their manufacturers.
I am, at best, a middle of the pack age group swimmer with little formal swim training beyond the resources available in the triathlon coaching world. I have never been a collegiate swimmer and am not a good competitive swimmer.
Please remember this is only my OPINION. It is not an empiracle test. I think it is a reasonably informed OPINION though.
So,
Going to Taupo my absolute favorite suit is the Desoto T1 because it is so easy to swim in for me.
I used my Quintana Roo Superfull at Alcatraz a couple years ago. The suit is 2 years old and has a few races on it.
I had never used the Orca P-Flex suit before I arrived in Taupo.
The conditions in Taupo were unique IMO because the water was not just cold, it was extremely cold. Wetsuits were required by the race organizers for competitiors. It was a rule, you HAD to wear one. I do not know the water temperature in fahrenheit, did know it in celsius but forgot (16?)it exactly.
After my first swim in Lake Taupo my standards for what constituted the “best wetsuit” changed. The best wetsuit became the warmest wetsuit in Taupo. The water was so cold I was actually a little worried. It made me dizzy when I stood up- I solved that problem with ear plugs. Those were essential.
Anyway.
The T1 swam great as usual. It IS and remains my suit of choice for short, fast swims. But it was not warm enough for Taupo for me. It is a racing suit- the fastest available I believe- for moderate water temperatures. It’s primary function is speed I think. Insulation is a secondary function in my opinion. So I did not use the T1 in Taupo even though I thought I would when I got there and I wanted to.
The QR Superfull has always been an excellent suit. I have not tried the new Aquaman Metal Cell that Dan spoke highly of, so I can’t compare it to that. However, I think the QR is the most flexible, easiest swimming one piece suit I have ever worn. I also used the previous high end Aquaman (what was that called?) and I liked it. The reason I didn’t use my QR was because it wasn’t much warmer than the T1 and even though the Superfull is a nice suit and I have raced in it (at Alcatraz among others) I am convert to a two piece suit (the T1) in moderate water temps.
The Orca P-Flex looked like a simple, basic suit. However, it uses a non-absorbant lining fabric (like the Metal Cell?)and that made the suit more bouyant and A LOT warmer. Hands down, the P-Flex was the warmest suit I tried in Taupo. It was not the most flexible suit, but in fairness I raced in a suit that had only 4 swims on it. Nick of Orca NZ explained to me that the suit will become more flexible with about 5-10 swims. It did become more flexible after just 4 swims. A size 6 Orca P-Flex was a perfect, perfect fit for my body. Like a tight glove. The Orca suit is a stiff swimming suit below your chest. The suit has flexibility where you need it, in the shoulders and back, but is pretty stiff where you don’t need the flexibility. The suit did take a couple swims to get used to , but after those two swims I was like “This is IT!!! I am racing in this suit.” I stayed totally comfortable in my P-Flex. I got it in on perfectly at the race start (ironically, with the assistance of the Ironman wetsuit guys!) and it felt great in the water. I do love that suit. I should add the neck was the best neck of any wetsuit I have tried.
Of the one piece suits I’ve worn the Orca P-Flex has been the best to date. It is simply the next level of evolution in one piece suits.
This year when the water is cold at races I will be in my P-Flex. If it is warmer I will be in my T1.
In my opinion Quintana Roo needs to do some catching up. The last really significant advancement in wetsuits was the development of the 2 piece by Desoto T1. They didn;t latch onto that trend. Ironman did briefly. QR has updated the look of some of their suits for '04 but I don;t see conspicuous technical features and benefits different from last year that I can tell a customer about. They are still good suits, but they are the same good suits as two years ago. Orca and T1 both have new things to talk about in '04.
We still sell QR becasue customers recognize the brand and ask for it- that goes back to threads we’ve been working on on this forum about giving the customer what they ask for…That’s important. But when they say, “What about these Orcas?” we can say- “Well, they have this and that feature and benefit new for '04…” That has selling power. QR is missing that right now in my opinion.
Now, unfortunately, I did not try an Ironman suit even though the Ironman people were there every day demoing suits right at the water’s edge. Why? Well, to be totally honest, right now I don’t sell Ironman brand wetsuits, and I am not interested in taking on a new line of wetsuits- we have at least three already, really four since we still sell Aquaman too. That is probably too too many. Left up to me (and not my customers) I woud only sell two brands: DeSoto T1 and Orca. Those brands compliment each other on the sales floor and both offer a tangible “story” of features and benefits to demonstrate to the customer.
If you are near an Ironman wetsuit dealer I suggest you try their suits before making your decision. They are fine suits, on par with each of the others and better than some.
In the end, I picked the Orca P-Flex becasue it was the warmest suit I tried, swam very well, and because I have a vested business interest in wearing a suit brand I sell, AND selling a brand I wear.
Before I sell a suit, first I have BUY a suit. So I only sell suits I would buy, or can easily sell.
