Drysuit Boots - my latest experiment

[kayakwriter]

So I've been mostly using the standard, soft-soled low-ankle height dive boots with my drysuits. But I've been finding even the oversized zips on them tend to jam with sand, and their position over the inside ankle bone makes them spontaneously unzip as I'm paddling. When diving, you could just reach down and re-zip - not so easy with snugger cockpits as in my Etain.
When I was in the dive shop getting the wrist seals on my drysuit replaced, I noticed a new (to me) generation of dive boots, a hybrid of dayhiker and underwater footwear. I'm stealing the manufacturer's image because it's better than anything I could photograph. This image doesn't show the lace pockets in use. I'll experiment to see if they provide adequate protection against hang-ups with wet-exits; if not, I'll replace the laces with cordlocked speed laces.
There are small rubber rectangular patches on the back of the ankle intended to act as fin strap retainers. I'm hoping they'll either not contact the kayak deck at all or act as abrasion protectors. If not, I'll cut them away.
The soles are stiffer than soft dive boots, but still far more flexible than dayhiking boots, so I'm hoping they'll be in the sweet spot of providing more bottom of the foot bruise protection and ankle support while still having enough bend for paddling. Likewise, the sole material is supposedly made to grip wet diveboat decks, so perhaps it will do well on "rock-snot" aprons and so on. Further updates as events and experience warrants.

 

[JohnAbercrombie]

Thanks Philip- they look interesting.
A friend recommended 5.10 Tennie Water Shoes (canyoneering shoes), but it seems they have been discontinued.

Is the actual retail price on those $182 CAD + tax, per the website link?

 

[kayakwriter]

Thanks Philip- they look interesting.A friend recommended 5.10 Tennie Water Shoes (canyoneering shoes), but it seems they have been discontinued.Is the actual retail price on those $182 CAD + tax, per the website link?

I bought mine at International Diving Centre's bricks-and-mortar store. They also do online orders. I got'em onsale for $174.95 pre-tax. With all the COVID-caused supply-chain problems, size selection may be limited, but there are other companies that make boots intended to hit the same hybrid diveboat deck boot/underwater boot market. Incidentally the sizing on them is rated to allow for the drysuit booties and undersocks, so for example, I take a size 9.5 street shoe, so I got size 10 in these boots (they only come in whole sizes.) If you were just going to wear them with a wetsuit over bare feet or wool socks, you'd want to go down sizes appropriately.

And just FYI, I've been into International Diving Centre several times now for diving/kayaking crossover products and services (PFD knive, drysuit wrist gasket replacement, repair products) and always been very pleased with their knowledge and customer service.

 

[CPS]

Reminds me of an NRS Boundary Boot, but cut off at the ankle. I hope they work out. I've been pondering replacing my footwear for a while now but it's a balancing act, as you alluded to, of flexibility, size, and ruggedness.

 

[JohnAbercrombie]

Similar to the Astral Hiyak boot, which I have, and like. I found the (also similar, $180?) price a bit breathtaking but I'm getting used to that sort of price inflation. (Drysuit $2K, Boots $200, PFD $2-300, etc)..

 

[JohnAbercrombie]

And just FYI, I've been into International Diving Centre several times now for diving/kayaking crossover products and services (PFD knive, drysuit wrist gasket replacement, repair products) and always been very pleased with their knowledge and customer service.

Added to my list here; thanks.

 

[kayakwriter]

Similar to the Astral Hiyak boot, which I have, and like. I found the (also similar, $180?) price a bit breathtaking but I'm getting used to that sort of price inflation. (Drysuit $2K, Boots $200, PFD $2-300, etc)..

Yeah, when you remember that all diving/marine equipment costs more than the land-only equivalent, and consider that dryland dayhikers now cost $125-$200, it doesn't seem that unreasonable. (Sighs, remembering a time when comic books cost 15 cents and the idea of ever paying over a dollar for a cup of coffee would have been gobsmacking. Conveniently forgets that his "put yourself through university" grocery-store job from the same era paid $2.15 an hour...)

 

[kayakwriter]

Just bumping this with an update on my experience so far with the boots shown in the first posting on this thread: Loving the boots' grip, bottom-of-the-foot protection and better than neoprene boots ankle support. Downside: they suck up a lot of sand if you're crossing beaches and secret it in all their hidden crevasses, ready to decant it for days in your boat and home. Gotta expect that, I guess, since their typical target user (a drysuited diver) would be mostly entering and exiting the water from a dive boat, not hiking to the water's edge.

 

[cougarmeat]

Looks like those shoes would work well if the drysuit stopped at the ankle gaskets. But my attached latex booties - probably also true if they were the GoreTex variety - are bulky enough to require a larger shoe size. That would result in a sloppier fit of the foot inside the shoe (it gets slippery inside a latex sock) and more room requirement at the foot pegs.

I can appreciate the comprehensiveness of the attached bootie on the drysuit. But for my uses and experience, had the drysuit ended at the ankle, that would have been good enough. Often I wear neoprene instead of the drysuit and I never felt my safety was compromised by having my foot in a neoprene boot, separate from neoprene pants.

I carry a "land shoe" with my camping gear and switch out of in-the-boat clothes as soon as I can. I like to minimize walking around in my drysuit because any slip or brushing against the wrong kind of branch when unloading the boat is an opportunity for a tear.

I don't expect my paddling boot to double as a hiking boot on shore.

That said, I was amazed that the "stickiness" of the boots you rent to traipse up the Narrows Canyon in Zion National Park. I never feel so secure walking across slippery underwater rocks. The boots came above the ankle and were padded enough that contact with other rocks never caused an alarm. In addition to the miles hike up the canyon river, you also wear them on the mile hike (2 mi round trip) from where the shuttle bus lets you off and picks you up. I considered them for a kayak boot, but like the shoes mentioned above, I think they'd be too bulky for comfort inside the cockpit.

I tried to google it to give you a name - I think they cost $130 at liquidator sites - but the search turned up a bunch-o-sites where vendors were just hocking their wares - like telling you the Teva open-toed sandal would be fine for that (They're NOT). Best to call an Outfitter at Zion (Springdale) and ask what they use.