Converse Chucks

[Trace Malinowski]

So what do you suggest? Wetsuit booties? A few people on here (some cave divers even) suggest these;

NRS Paddle Wetshoes - Men's | REI Co-op

Warm and comfortable, the Paddle Wetshoes have zippered side entry that is easy to put on over bare feet or dry suit socks, making them an excellent choice for kayaking, paddle boarding and canoeing.

www.rei.com

I am not a cave diver, so I have no dog in the race. But I can't understand the need for converses in any form for diving as the booties I just linked are inexpensive, have better thermal properties, and no laces?

Maybe converses are just a fashion statement?

Yes, wetsuit boots. I don't know anything about paddle shoes to have an opinion on them. The goal is nothing that can get caught. I had the vent of my Jet Fin snag a piece of rebar going through the locked gate at 130 feet in Vortex Spring. While waiting for my cave instructor to install a gap reel when I was first learning, my fin bumped the gate and I was snagged. My instructor's assistant had to remove my fin to get it unhooked.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I know a number of people who use Chucks as rock boots. Cheaper than rock boots and the toe cap is much more streamlined than the DUI rock boots. I used them myself at one time. Used thin bungee and a cord lock for laces. Worked pretty well.

I can understand their use in an open water or amphibious environment. Rock boots were designed for military and PSD divers who wanted a sturdier option than wetsuit boots. Rather than trying to look tacticool, I could see where sneakers could replace rock boots. I've seen the French Foreign Legion use sneakers. Here's a pic of me wearing hiking shoes in place of wetsuit boots for climbing steep paths along the Delaware River. But, for most cave diving, I would think that old timey cave instructors would have a cardiac if they saw laces of any sort including bungee. They'd make you duct tape around any laces before a cave dive.

 

[Vicko]

I went trough 3 pairs of (expensive) rock boots while clearing out a pipe track after demolition.
I was very pleasantly surprised how durable and comfortable normal sneakers are, and even more so how well they stay on without any laces, considering I shredded them on the first dive.

 

[Jack Hammer]

I used Chuck Taylors with bungee laces for my first 3 years of cave diving. We got into some pretty small stuff without issue. Like most things in cave diving setup is important. Only reason I switched away is I bought a suit with boots built in.

I do agree that i kinda cringe when i see them with the laces flopping all over.

 

[mdwalter]

Yes, wetsuit boots. I don't know anything about paddle shoes to have an opinion on them. The goal is nothing that can get caught. I had the vent of my Jet Fin snag a piece of rebar going through the locked gate at 130 feet in Vortex Spring. While waiting for my cave instructor to install a gap reel when I was first learning, my fin bumped the gate and I was snagged. My instructor's assistant had to remove my fin to get it unhooked.

So are you advocating that we should all also ditch the Jet fins as well as the rock boots and sneakers?

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I don't know anything about paddle shoes to have an opinion on them.

I don't either, but for $60 I'll give them a shot the next time I need a pair of booties.

 

[InWay2Deep]

I use chucks on my DrySuit, mostly because it makes getting the Fins on/off easier as the rock boots are pretty big. I have a set of DUI boots and switch back and forth. I put bungees on my Chucks.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

So are you advocating that we should all also ditch the Jet fins as well as the rock boots and sneakers?

No, I guess I did a poor job of making a point about how caves just find ways of grabbing everything. The more strack we are the better but within reason. Old cave instructors made students tape the loose ends of rubber fin straps and now divers are wearing shoes with laces. My first cave instructor would have made a student duct tape bungee laces smooth.

 

[rddvet]

My wife wore them because no rock boots were small enough to fit

 

[rddvet]

My first cave instructor would have made a student duct tape bungee laces smooth.

Things change. I wore rockboots with laces for 7+ years. It was never anything close to an issue. It was easy. I wore very long laces, tied a simple knot, wrapped the laces around the boot, then double knotted them. The laces were then tucked into themselves where they had been wrapped. I could see it being a problem one in a billion times, but not a realistic enough problem that the laces need to be taped. As a new cave student I would probably have conceded. Nowadays I know enough to know that duct taping laces is just stupid and unnecessary and if it was required by the instructor I'd find a new instructor. I no longer wear rockboots so it's not an issue.