There are two kinds of triathlon wetsuits in this world. There is the T1, and there is every other kind.
The T1, made by De Soto, is an entirely different kind of wetsuit, in that a complete wetsuit requires two pieces. Why would this be a step forward? That just means there are two things now to take care of—to hang onto—not to lose or have stolen. Right?
Point taken. Offsetting that is this: All one-piece wetsuits—that is to say, every other triathlon wetsuit in the world, practically—has a fixed torso length. Further, that torso length is hindered by the zipper running its entire dimension. So, the torso of the rest of the world's wetsuits is a fixed distance, and in most cases that distance is just a little too short. In other words, the rubber pulling up under your crotch is directly connected, and impeding, the rubber in your shoulders during the "recovery" and "catch" phases of your stroke.
The T1, on the other hand, has that part of the suit responsible for shoulder mobility disconnected from the rest of the suit. Hence, total freedom while you swim.
That's the idea behind it, anyway. Does it really work? I can only give you my view, which is probably by now fairly well known. If I were making wetsuits today, all my suits would be of this design. And I admit this though being the yahoo who invented the wetsuit you're now wearing, that is, if you're wearing the one-piece kind.
Frankly, I don't get why more wetsuit companies don't copy this design. The only thing I can imagine is that the designers at those companies just don't know how to copy it, or are afraid to step out into a realm with which they're not familiar. However, that is not a question covered under the circumspection of this overview, so...
The T1's bottom is called a "bibjohn" and is quite similar to the pattern one would find in a cycling bib tight. The T-back and over-the-shoulder straps keep the bottom from falling. The bibjohn is constructed of 5mm rubber up to a point just above the crotch. It is 3mm thick above that.
The top, called a "pullover," is entirely made of 2mm rubber, which is the rubber most wetsuit companies use in their arms. It is quite light and flexible, and is designed to fit snugly over the top, and does not require an attachment to the bibjohn. This allows the suit the mobility and movement of which I write above.
One can swim in this suit with entire freedom of movement, with any technique the wearer chooses to use. It is dry. Very little water gets in, making this a warm son of a gun, suitable for cold water swims (I swam in this suit in 51° last year, and was toasty except for my uncovered hands and feet).
For those who are afraid the suit is too warm, I have not found it subject to overheating. That said, there is also a vest option ($104), making this suit the functional equivalent of a sleeveless or longjohn model (or, buy the bibjohn, pullover and vest, and you've got both a fullsuit and a longjohn).
And, the T1 is fast. My suspicion is that it's 0:30 to 1:30 faster over 1500M—triple that over an Ironman distance—depending on the user.
One additional benefit to this style of wetsuit: Neck chafing is history. It's very low neckline and the fact that there is no velcro closure eliminates any neck rashes or hickies.
BLACK PEARL
This suit—pictured above—is the second wetsuit down from the top, and might be the world's second best wetsuit, only by virtue of the kind of suit it is. The Black Pearl does have a tone-on-tone logo, imperceptible with a camera, but you'll see it in real life. It is an expert suit and many people will have a difficult time discerning much or any difference between it and the First Wave described below. The suit is glued & blindstitched entirely of Yamamoto SCS smoothskin outside, nylon inside. There are seven sizes, and they're unisex. Women and men tend to run true to form via the size chart on the bibjohn, but many women will buy one size down from the size chart on the pullover.
A top and bottom, as a pair, will run you $299, a fair price and right in line with what suits of this level cost—in fact, as much as $100 less than those in its competitive set.
Both the Black Pearl and the First Wave have zippered pullovers (pictured at right). Taking off the T1 with ease used to require a bit of practice, as they did not originally have zippers. But, the strategy of placing zippers in the pullovers of all the suits became evident. Now, there is no class or age or style of athlete who can't take off a T1 quickly and with ease, and the zipper does not adversely affect those elements of the T1 that make it the speed and comfort leader it is.
These zippers do not run to the top of the neck, but stop a few inches below it, preserving one of the T1's best features: no neck chafing, very little or no water entry through the back of the neck while swimming.
FIRST WAVE
This is Yamamoto's best rubber, and is more or less what you'll find in Orca, Aquaman, Ironman, and QR's best wetsuits (although there are certain proprietary variations of this that each company claims for its own).
There is one additional change De Soto made between last year and this, and this is the case with both the $424 First Wave, as with the Black Pearl. The arm contour was rotated, such that the natural state of a T1 wetsuit is with your arms atop your head, such as during the catch phase of the stroke. The suit fits better that way. The idea is to have the suit's pattern trend toward that state, so the rubber wants to go where you're taking it, instead of fighting against the user's intentions.
CONCLUSION
All these are sold as separate pieces, so the wearer can mix and match sizes and styles of all the separates to make any ensemble he might need for the day.
One final thing. I've always put a high priority on a stateside R&D, warranty and repair center. T1 joins only QR, to my knowledge, in its ability to make its own prototypes and perform its own warranty in its own stateside factory.
