DeSoto T1 First Wave Bibjohn

I've read reviews where the reviewer had hardly gotten to know the product and wondered why they bothered to write a review. Now I'm doing exactly that, because I used the DeSoto T1 wetsuit for the first time yesterday and have been solicited for my thoughts on it. If I wait to use it more, the email solicitation will likely be buried in my inbox and never be seen again :-)

I bought this suit because my full-sleeve QR suit is very difficult to get on and off. I prefer sleeveless suits, but sometimes need the warmth of a sleeved-suit.

For putting the suit on, I'd rate the The DeSoto suite mid-pack. This category isn't terribly important in my opinion.

Once on, the suit had wrinkles which I couldn't work out. But when I outstretched my arms, the wrinkles were gone. I figured that's the position the suit will be in when swimming, so I brushed it off.

For swimming, I was quite happy with the suit. The legs are quite thick, producing a lot of buoyancy. This felt a bit odd at first, but I told myself to kick less and let my legs take a free ride. The shoulders and arms allowed good freedom of movement, which is probably the most important trait of a sleeved-suit.

Warmth: The water was in the high 60's. After several hundred yards, I actually felt quite warm in the suit. I found myself getting too warm and pummeled water down the neck to cool down. Unlike a one-piece suit, the water doesn't filter down into the legs. Warmth is a personal preference, but I wont…