booties maintanence

[darkmoon3d]

Does anyone have any helpful hints for dive boot maintanence. Is there a secret to get them to dry quickly? I'm on my second set of boots after 4 years of diving (zipper wouldn't stay secure on last set). As with my other dive gear I always rinse in fresh water and let them dry out of the sun until they dry before putting them away. I try not to crumble or fold the boots when storing them; does this make a difference?

 

[diveaway]

If you are talking about neoprene booties: Don't dry them in the sun. That kills neoprene. Always dry them in the shade or indoors. Takes longer to dry them, but you will protect your neoprene. It's worth the wait. Mine are still in good shape and I used 100+ dives.

BTW - This would also apply to any wet suits or neoprene equipment parts ...

Ray

 

[wetman]

I bought one of those heavy plastic hangars that hold 1 pair of gloves, boots and a hood. the way the boots and gloves fit on there, they dry very well and quickly.

s

 

[ckharlan66]

I use the hanger like wetman does but I made mine out of a scrap of plywood and then polyurathaned (sp) it.

Chad

 

[Rick Murchison]

I stick the toes of my booties in a chain-link fence. This holds the bootie wide open and upside down so it will drain and dry inside quickly. I'll post a picture if you need it to visualize what I'm saying. (but not 'til Monday.. leaving for the Gulf now...)
Rick

 

[seabass]

My fins came with plastic inserts to keep them from collapsing, I put those into the booties to keep them open. I then use a box fan and point it at the booties (and hanging wetsuit) in the shower (no tub). My neoprene dries out in a few hours this way and doesn't smell. I have also used dry cleaning hangers which I have way too many of. I fold them in half and insert them into the booties to prop them open. The key though is using a fan to keep the air circulating.

 

[pipedope]

I made my own bootie dryer from an electrical conduit junction box and a few PVC elbows (long curved ones for electric wires, not the short plumbing ones) with a fan to blow air through the pipe. This thing sits on the floor and the boots slip over the elbows, air is blown through the elbows to the toe of the boot and out the bottom.
With this rig boots dry in a few hours every time.

I am still working on my wet suit washer and dryer.

 

[Moray1]

The best way to dry out the boots is to cram newspaper inside them and let them dry out of sun. It works quickly more than you imagine.

regards

sinan

 

[darkmoon3d]

Thanks for the helpful hints. What I've always done was simply lay my boots on their side (in ventilated area out of sun; either on apartment balcony or in garage with door open) to drain the water off. Later I'd sit them upright to dry. I should look into finding a dive hanger to hang boots upside down from. Do most dive stores have them? I already use the hangers found in most shops for drying out wetsuit.

 

[astrofunk]

skip tracking down and buying a hanger (though if you must, I'd try eBay first). Instead, take 20 minutes and 10 bucks and build yourself a drying rack.

In a nutshell, I took some 7/8" dowels and cut them into 8 foot-long sections. Then I took two thin scraps of wood (maybe 0.5" x 2" x 24") and I connected them at their midsections with a wingnut to form an "X"; these cross pieces form the base. Finally, I bolted the sections of dowel upright onto the cross pieces, and voila, a drying rack which can be disassembled for storage. Booties, gloves, and hoods can all be hung upside down, and there's room enough for you and your buddy.

If you're interested, I'll scan a picture so you can visualize the thing.