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VIDEO: De Soto Black Pearl Bibjohn & Pullover - Part 2

author : Ontherun
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In part 2 of this series on mid-range fullsuits, we review the De Soto Black Pearl Bibjohn & Pullover combination for comfort, warmth, buoyancy and performance.


By Ontherun

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I live in Massachusetts, and do most of my swimming in open water. I need a wetsuit that will let me get in the open water early and stay there late in the season.

 

The Product

Black Pearl Bibjohn + Pullover

 

 

 

  

The Maker

De Soto

(http://www.desotosport.com/)  

The Price

$195     +  $160  USD

Bibjohn       Pullover

The Rating  (4.3)

The Skinny

The De Soto Black Pearl is a very well crafted suit that will work well for most triathletes, especially those used to cooler water temperatures. This suit offers great warmth, versatility in sizing, and the nice option of adding a vest to make this suit a sleeveless for a reasonable additional cost. Adding this suit to the QR sleeveless I already own, would make a nice set of options for warm and cold water swims.

   

Category

Score

Notes

Ease to put on

To get the two pieces to fit right, a little extra time is needed to make sure that the suit is lined-up correctly for the best fit to reduce any possible chaffing.
ComfortThis suit fit great! My only issue was a little over heating in waters that were warm enough that I would otherwise normally not worry about being too warm.
BuoyancyWhen swimming in this suit, I felt my form was as good as it gets. My only complaint would be that when I went swimming without a wetsuit, I found that I had used the suit as a little bit of a crutch to hide any flaws in my stroke.

Ease to take off

Getting used to having two pieces to take off took just a little getting used to, but once I did, I had no problems getting the suit off.

Cosmo Factor*

The Black Pearl has a very clean and refined look to it. I guess basic black is hard to go wrong with. The graphics are very subtle, but work well.

Overall

My only issues with this suit were overheating and price. If it were my only suit, I would have a tough time using both pieces all year long. As a two piece, I could add a vest top to help with the heat which would give me two suits for a very competitive cost of owning two separate suits.
 
As a beginner, this suit is on the expensive side for a first wetsuit. If you know you will be using it a lot, it is worth the money all day long.
   
Ontherun is a father of two and loving husband who competes in triathlons in the Clydesdale- 35-40 AG category. He has been racing with the Beginner Triathlete community since 2004. He has numerous sprint and Olympic races completed. In endurance sports, he is currently most proud of his finishes in the 2007 Mooseman 1/2 Iron distance triathlon and the 2006 Baystate Marathon. As a solid middle to back of the pack finisher, racing is a lifestyle choice and a true passion. You may contact him at [email protected]
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Desoto Bibjohn Pullover Video Review (777 downloads)

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date: October 7, 2008

Author


Ontherun

Father of two, devoted husband, Clydesdale, hope to become just an age grouper someday. Former nationally ranked triathlete (sounds better than it really is, but I like the sound of it). Competing in the 50-54 bracket this year. Have done a 1/2 Ironman tri, a marathon and a bunch of sprint and oly distance races. Member of BT since 12-1-03

Author

avatarOntherun

Father of two, devoted husband, Clydesdale, hope to become just an age grouper someday. Former nationally ranked triathlete (sounds better than it really is, but I like the sound of it). Competing in the 50-54 bracket this year. Have done a 1/2 Ironman tri, a marathon and a bunch of sprint and oly distance races. Member of BT since 12-1-03

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