Booties Have No Lip

[LI Diver]

My new booties have no little fin retainer ridge and my spring straps are not very tight but they did stay on in the pool. I'm on the fence whether to trust them or not. I was thinking of trying to glue a small piece of rubber hose to them with aqua seal. Anybody know if that stuff is strong enough and will cure before saturday if I use it tonight?? Will be diving sat thru sat and don't want any lost fin issues.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

You might try just using some Aquaseal and build it up along the back of the boot --where you want the spring strap to stay. You can put some on, let it dry, put some more on --until you build up a ridge. That might work.

Jeff

 

[redacted]

I have one pair of booties like that and the spring straps slide down and catch on the molded sole. Never had one go beyond that but it is a bit annoying. I've gotten pretty good at pulling the strap back up with my other fin. I was thinking of gluing a couple layers of inner tube on the heals to prevent it but have not gotten around to it yet.

 

[Walter]

A fin retainer on boots is not necessary. I've had boots with and without, there's no difference.

 

[DiverBizz]

My boots don't have a fin retainer and I have spring straps. They have not slipped off in the 60 dives I have used the spring straps and before the spring I never had a problem with the boot.

 

[LI Diver]

I Ordered The Smallest Springs I Could And Still Had To Trim Them. They Stayed On Fine With My Old Booties That Are Now Shot BUT SEEM LOOSER NOW W/NEW BOOTS

 

[lmorin]

From one LI diver to another--I made my own spring straps and had the same problem. The plastic tube covering the spring would slide down my achilles to the point that I knew it would come off. (It never did, but it always felt that way, so I was constantly pulling back up to the juncture of achilles tendon and heel bone). My solution was to make a ridge immediately below the comfort point where the strap pressed against the booty. I made my "ridge" with a piece of 1/8" diam bungee cord. I cut a 2" length, blued the 2 ends together to make a circle, squeezed the circle into a narrow ellipse and hand-stitched one end into position with a few loops of nylon thread, gave the ellipse one full twist and stitched the other end in place. That was probably sufficient, but just in case (and to prevent the thread from unravelling/unknoting), I painted the stitching and bungee with rubber cement. This also effectively glued the bungee in place. I have done about 40 dives since this procedure and it has worked perfectly. When I buy a new pair of booties, however, I'll get them with a ridge created by the sole as it wraps up the heel.

 

[meesier42]

get yourself a pair of Forcefins, the strap does absolutely nothing on them anyway, the fin pushes itself onto your foot and you can actually leave the straps off, now your little lip is worthless if you did have it.

But my 3mm booties don't have one either, but since I dive FF, I have never had a use for one anyway, its more of a pain than a help

 

[castanagajt]

Believe it or not, meesier42 is right about Force Fins doing that. Force fin stays almost by itself after a few kicks and just sets on the boots.

 

[LI Diver]

get yourself a pair of Forcefins, the strap does absolutely nothing on them anyway, the fin pushes itself onto your foot and you can actually leave the straps off, now your little lip is worthless if you did have it.

But my 3mm booties don't have one either, but since I dive FF, I have never had a use for one anyway, its more of a pain than a help

Believe it or not, meesier42 is right about Force Fins doing that. Force fin stays almost by itself after a few kicks and just sets on the boots.

Ok don't flame me and I apreciate the help but..... they look funny