Boot Advice

[Rainsey]

Hi all,

Have recently purchased a Dry Suit which, rather than hard boots, has 5 mm compressed neoprene socks. To squeeze into a normal wet suit boot I have had to go up a few sizes and as a result I am experiencing issues with my finning.

Visualise my foot, in a 5mm dry suit sock (part of my dry suit) , in a 5mm wet suit boot pushed into the boot of my fin. When I fin, I seem to be grosely inefficient compared to using my wet suit as my foot, while tight in the fin, has considerable amount of movement as it is working against effectively 20mm of neoprene (10 above and 10 below my foot). The layers of neoprene almost act like a resilient mount, absorbing the kicking action. Net result I have to work like buggery to get anywhere.

Problem is I cannot seem to force my foot, once in the dry suit neopremne sock, into something like a rock boot which I am thinking would be a better option as it would negate the need for the wet suit boot.

What I am thinking is the need for a lace up boot, similar to a rock boot, that I can drop my foot in and lace up but not have to slide in as I have the thermal qualities of the sealed dry suit boot. This way I could have a hard shoe with only the 5 mm dry suit boot.

Anyone seen anything such as this??? Or any one else had this sort of problem and solved it

Cheers
Rainsey

 

[boat sju]

Chuck Taylor's are popular. They might work for you.

http://www.chucksconnection.com/1991blackhightops/images/e90sblackhigh09.jpg

 

[spectrum]

I hear what you are saying about 20mm of neoprene but are you sure you are not feet high with a lot of air trapped in the lower legs? If that happens in my drysuit I need to purposefully go head high for a moment to let the legs evacuate.

Tight knife straps in the lower legs can add to the stubbornness of trapped air.

How positive or negative are your fins? I have at least 2 buddies who love diving your boot configuration including one that switched today. They are both using SP jets which are somewhat negative.

Pete

 

[JamieS]

I'm planning on getting some Chucks to use as my dry suit boots. Anyone have ideas on how many sizes bigger to order them? I wear a size 11.5 - 12 shoe normally and don't feel like taking my dry suit to the shoe store to try them on. I thought I would start with a 13 and see if that fits.

 

[boat sju]

Jamie,

I wear size 9 street shoes and am using size 11 Chucks. I tried size 10 Chucks first. They were close but not quite. It will probably depend on what you want to wear inside your neoprene socks. Also, my neoprene DS socks are a little bigger than I'd like. Anyway, I'd guess that if your neoprene socks fit pretty well and you only wear a ski sock inside them, then you might be able to wear CT's that are only one size up.

Not to be a pessimist but getting anything larger than a size 11 CT into an XL fin might be tricky.

 

[Rainsey]

I hear what you are saying about 20mm of neoprene but are you sure you are not feet high with a lot of air trapped in the lower legs?

Pete,

Yep, I do suffer from this, especially on my first dive of a repetitive dive, I am guessing that the air that is trapped in my sock and / or boot gradually wriggles out after one dive, an hour of walking around on a surface interval and so on.

But... regardless of if I am feet high or not, I seem to have the same sensation with my finning that I do not get in my wet suit.

Re the Jet fins.. I have a set, that I love dearly but I cannot fit into them with the sock and boot arrangement . I am currently using a set of Mares as they have a wider foot with my dry suit and are definitely not as negative as my jets. I can see a new set having to be purchased!

My tanks are in getting o2 cleaned at the moment so I am high and dry. When I get them back I am going to steal my sons canvas volleys and see if this makes a difference. If it does, bottla, I have a solution. If not ... back to the drawing board.

Thanks for everyone who have responded.

Cheers

Rainsey