Bottoms of feet cold (drysuit, 39F / 3.9C water)

[OTF]

Not saying this is the answer but a possibility - how much of the dive are you near vertical in the water at the surface (eg. talking to buddies or leisurely surface swimming)? That will squeeze air from your feet to the top of your suit and make them cold no matter what. If you need to hang out on the surface in cold water in a drysuit, make sure to do it floating horizontal with lots of air in the suit and the valve closed.

 

[Rich1280]

I dive down to 4-5deg off Scotland, and rarely get cold feet. Definitely more warm food and core layers helps, but in terms of sock, I found Coolmax liner socks that fitted snug topped with winter wool mountaineering socks to be most effective. The coolmax lifts the sweat so your feet stay dry, and the heavy wool is nice and 3d to keep the volume of air. Bridgedale are the brand of liners I use, the socks are Extremities Mountain Toesters. They were on sale recently when I looked at their website ( Extremities® Mountain Toester (Short) Sock - Made In Britain - Terra Nova ). This is under crushed neoprene drysocks and rockboots, with a fleecy undersuit not thinsulate.
I was told a trick for keeping warm by an RM Mountain Leader when you are very stationary. Spray your feet before hand with a good anti perspirant deodorant, then talc your feet but with a hot chilli powder in the talc mix. The capsaicin is a mild irritant and will stimulate blood flow, but if it gets wet it makes a paste and gets nasty. I've not tried it diving!

Rich

 

[Ulfhedinn]

I'm trying to dial in my exposure protection for winter Lake Tahoe diving. It gets down to (and is currently) 39F, pretty much from the surface on down. I've taken a number of steps to boost my thermal protection and have successfully done 90 minute dives at this temp without getting too chilly. BUT the bottoms of feet get cold right where my insulation compresses when I'm frog kicking. I'm experimenting with some cheap insoles stuffed into my socks, but I'm curious if anyone has advice in this area.

My setup:

• Trilam drysuit
• Expedition weight baselayer top and bottom
• Santi BZ400x undergarment
• Smartwool expedition weight socks
• Fourth Element Arctic socks
• Drysuit has 3mm compressed neoprene socks
• Size 13 NRS paddle boots (up two sizes from my normal boots to accommodate the extra insulation)
• KUBI dry gloves
• Wool + 40g Thinsulate gloves I found on Amazon (these work really well)
• Waterproof 10mm hood (the sweet orange one)

I'm also diving double steel 100s on an SS backplate with V weights and an extra five pounder so I can stay down at the end of the dive for deco obligations without having to completely empty my suit and subsequently freeze.

TL;DR. I'm diving in cold water and frog kicking while doing so, which makes the bottom of my feet get cold. Any tips?

First question..,. what fins and what size fins to support those shoes?

 

[drakcheslav]

My dry suit has vulcanized rubber boots, and I found the best thing fir chilly feet is

1. Reflective fleece lined insoles
2. Termal thin sock (I use injinju)
3. Thick fishing boot socks (ones that are knee high and meant for wearing in wading boots.

So far, this combination kept my feet fine and dry

 

[Thrutch]

First question..,. what fins and what size fins to support those shoes?

Got it all figured out, thanks! Ended up using thinner wool socks and adding the Fourth Element Hotfoot Pro over them. Works like a charm.

 

[BlueTrin]

You are 100% wrong here.

I've done more than double that, 3.5 hours in 38F water and exited as warm as I started. And I am extremely slow, barely exercise at all, and crazy cold blooded. My O2 consumption on this dive was 0.6L/min which is downright sedate.

My personal outfit:

• DUI CF200 crushed neo suit
• weezle extreme+ undergarment with matching booties
• midweight patagonia capiline tops and bottoms
• thin wool socks that are stretchy and not tight in the foot or ankle
• 50w motorcycle vest run at 60% on a 15ah 11.1V nominal suit heater so ~25watts, i suspect I turned it up to 80% for the last 30mins of deco just sitting there and with the battery running down a bit but I don't honestly recall. As the voltage drops the output at 80% is about 32watts.
• dry gloves with medium weight wool liners
• 8mm X01 hood
• air suit gas
• 18/45 diluent in a kiss sidewinder CCR with a custom 300wh scrubber heater battery
• 18lbs lead in fresh water

It is possible to be comfortable or even "warm" in <5C water for as long as you need to be - assuming you aren't leaking.

I didn’t know that Weezle made undersuit boots. I don’t think I could fit this in my integrated boots

Weezle Extreme Undersuit Boots

Specifications | FAQs | Size Chart 70.00 Ex VAT: 84.00 Inc VAT To combat cold feet and for added comfort, the Weezle thermal boots are made from the same fibres as the Award Winning Weezle Undersuits, with our unique long cut, toughened sole, available in 6 sizes, 3 weights and colours The...

weezle.co.uk

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I didn’t know that Weezle made undersuit boots. I don’t think I could fit this in my integrated boots

Weezle Extreme Undersuit Boots

Specifications | FAQs | Size Chart 70.00 Ex VAT: 84.00 Inc VAT To combat cold feet and for added comfort, the Weezle thermal boots are made from the same fibres as the Award Winning Weezle Undersuits, with our unique long cut, toughened sole, available in 6 sizes, 3 weights and colours The...

weezle.co.uk

Another option. I have alpaca foot liners. It can help a bit.

 

[Stoo]

We know a thing or two about cold water here in Tobermory, so let me offer a couple of thoughts. Most suits come with some variation of "flex sole" boots which are generally 3mm neoprene with a rubber sole and it just enough. Consider upgrading to a proper boot. Something like these ones. Mine are 6mm neoprene with rubber over top. Some purists with dish out some BS about lack of flexibility and hindering a proper kick, but it's wrong.

Second, consider some toe warmers. They have a self-adhesive patch on the bottom. Stick them outside your socks (or between two socks) but not on your skin. I use the equivalent in my gloves as well. I've also removed my wrist seals, but don't do this unless you're using a rock-solid locking cuff. (and if you use wet gloves, get dry gloves).

We dive year round here, and the water never gets above 38° at depth. Springtime means 34° up top.

 

[rjack321]

I didn’t know that Weezle made undersuit boots. I don’t think I could fit this in my integrated boots

Weezle Extreme Undersuit Boots

Specifications | FAQs | Size Chart 70.00 Ex VAT: 84.00 Inc VAT To combat cold feet and for added comfort, the Weezle thermal boots are made from the same fibres as the Award Winning Weezle Undersuits, with our unique long cut, toughened sole, available in 6 sizes, 3 weights and colours The...

weezle.co.uk

If you want to be warm you need to have room in there, have proper boots put on and go up a size.

 

[broncobowsher]

I know the OP stated they fixed it...

But too much warmth can be cold as well. If your feet start to sweat and get the socks wet.
Learned that with drysuits really quick. The more I bundle up, the colder I got, because I was sweating too much, mostly on the surface. I need to stay ever so slightly chilled to stay dry and warm.