so, back to basics, a gear review.
and i don't have to force this one, not at all. the T1 First Wave wetsuit is one of the most mind blowing and paradigm shifting pieces of equipment i have ever owned.
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| My T1 Out of the Box |
i got mine in the mail two weeks ago, just in time for open water season here in ontario. i have since had test swims in lake wilcox (about 68 degrees) and lake ontario (high 50's). a couple choppy swims, and one of those swims that makes you think you are in that martial arts movie, crouching tiger hidden dragon, floating on a glass lake at dawn. the T1 was great in all situations. warm in the cold water. excellent flotation. but just like a dream to swim in.
this wetsuit has increased my enjoyment of open water swimming by 100%. and i have swam in several top brands, which are now hanging in my closet and will soon be up for sale on slowtwitch. here is why:
-it is the easiest wetsuit that i have ever put on. i am not exhausted from fighting the the fricking zipper for 10 minutes and rolling rubber up my belly and down my arms for another five. i am not tired and sweating by the time i have it on. the top goes on so easily i could not almost believe it. the bib-john is just like putting on the bottom part of a traditional wetsuit, but a little easier, because there are no arms flailing around. no more asking strange foreign people walking by the lake at dawn to do up my zipper. i will never need to be zipped again!
-it is equally easy to get off. the material really is very supple and flexible. the top comes off like a dream. you flip it up like a sweater and the arms come off very very easy. the bottoms are easy because there is less to contend with. no arm fabric in your way. the rubber is very flexible. is just pops off around your feet the way you want it to. no more standing there like and asshole falling over trying to get my f'ing wetsuit legs off. this wetsuit will make my T-1's a bit faster, i have no doubt.
-it is as warm as any other wetsuit. there is no issue with water entry which is what i guess everyone is anxious about in moving to a two piece. but believe me, actually less water enters the suit. at least for me.
-the neck is lower, so i don't choke. i did chafe slightly first swim (over 3k). but you really don't feel as restricted by a high neckline in this suit. and there is no velcro to contend with, no zippers on your c-spine. it feels like you are wearing a nice, comfortable sweater. just really tight. like a miami clubbing sweater...but that is another story.
-my arms can do whatever they want, however fast they want. i can actually swim the way i do in the pool. no shoulder fatigue. i am not fighting rubber with every stroke. i was able to finish my stroke completely. my elbows were free to go nice and high. my arms could stretch as far as i wanted. really, i mean imagine swimming in a wetsuit and feeling absolutely no restriction to your arms or shoulders and that is the feeling. it is awesome. my stroke rate was naturally increased as a result.
-it is more flexible around the torso, so i can roll better than with any other wetsuit.and, no, the top does not ride up. it stays just where it should. but it really does allows greater rotational motion than any other wetsuit. this makes sense. you are not fighting rubber, it is moving with you.
-i have bigger more muscular arms and shoulers than most triathletes. the T-1 allows you to mix different top sizes to bibjohns, so you can always have a perfect fit. you don't have to be built like michael raelert (and do you really want to be???)
-the bio-stroke mummy arm thing is no gimmick. my arms feel like they are in a perfect position for my catch and pull. this wetsuit has actually taught me to swim better in the pool!
--tom brady wears it to play football in the snow
ok, now that is cool.
and it tells you how flexible the arms and shoulders are.
this wetsuit has me looking at people squeezing into their one peicers just wondering why or how i ever did that. i feel i have re-discovered the world of wetsuit swimming, as it should be. and freed myself from the land of neoprene bondage torture.
while i was picking sizes i had great service on the phone with steve at desoto. i mentioned the brand i was currently swimming in and he told me it would be like moving from a ford to a ferarri (i own a ford but i took no offense.) i thought, it is nice to have such brand enthusiasm, but this guy is over-stating things a bit. well....he wasn't.
there really is no going back to a one piece when you have tried a desoto wetsuit. trust me. it is one of the best investments you will ever make in your triathlon career. and they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so just go for it. or don't. i don't care. i will feel superior and have a better swim experience. come to think of it. don't order one, not if you are racing in canada anyways...
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