Hard Soled dive boots

[Marcus604]

Another option on the Scubapro Hardsole boot is the Scubapro HD Drysuit boot. I have worn both in both Drysuits and in wetsuits. Very comfortable and solid.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Another option on the Scubapro Hardsole boot is the Scubapro HD Drysuit boot. I have worn both in both Drysuits and in wetsuits. Very comfortable and solid.

Drysuit boots for Bonaire?!

My vote is for the combination of lightest weight and most sturdy sole. Heavy boots with a shorty wetsuit look and feel pretty goofy to me. Of course, so would Chuck Taylors, I think. To each his own.

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

If LDS prices were better and the quality of their booties were this good I would buy from them. But that is not the case. I have been using these for about 10 years. If the local store doesn't have them I order them. I order a pr at a time. Solid booties that protect your feet at a great price.

Academy - Magellan Outdoors™ Men's Neoprene Wading Boots

 

[lemke]

@Spd 135, Ha! I've used those too... just because I had them for wade fishing. They look amazingly similar to "dive booties" costing twice as much. I guess you can't keep the "fashionistas" from spending their money though.

 

[mikeycanuk]

I like the SeaSoft Stealth 6mm boots.

 

[AFdivedoc]

Boots with a hard felt sole are a bit hard to come by in many stateside dive shops and even online. I'm a big fan of them after years of shore diving in Okinawa. The thick felt was much better protection against sea urchins and coral. Also they have much better traction on concrete steps slick with slime or algae. The difference was so great that it was actually hard to find rubber soled boots on the island. I found this link on Amazon for IST felt soled boots. I have a similar pair I've been using for several months, and they've held up pretty well. They may not be the best if you have a wide foot. I have a couple of other brands lying around as well. I'll see if I can find a source for them.

Amazon.com : IST 3mm Nylon II Boots : Surfing Booties : Sports & Outdoors

 

[SubMariner]

For what it's worth...I spent 5 weeks on Bonaire in January with my wife and we wore 5 finger shoes from REI. They are awesome. You have the dexterity to walk on the iron shore and curl your toes as needed to help stabalize. They fit well in our Tusa Tri-ex fins and after 33 dives loooked just like new.

I don't mean to sound skeptical, but I have worn other, less hard soled booties to Bonaire and they were torn to shreds. Not to mention the state the iron shore can can leave your feet when the soles get chewed through.

So I can't see how "5 finger shoes from REI" would stand a chance.

 

[NAM001]

I use dui's rock boots. You can find them on ebay as well as other manufacture's products pretty cheap. I bought a pair recently for 25.00.

Hello All,

I am looking for a recommendation for a good pair of HARD soled dive boots. I was in Bonaire earlier this year and found that my regular dive boots were not sturdy or thick enough for some of the rocks and corals. I am looking for a boot that has a thick sole and is good for covering rough terrain, particularly for shore diving. My local dive shop does not carry anything, so I am looking for a brand recommendation that I can order online.

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[gert7to3]

I have used felt sole "Kickers" from Northwest River Supply on Bonaire. Felt soles are bullet proof and have great traction on slippery rocks. However, they are not very good for use on a boat deck. I did not see them on the NRS website either.

Their rubber soled Kicker is very good on slick rocks as well as boat decks. They are on sale now too:

NRS Kicker Wetshoe - Closeout at nrs.com

 

[Bruce Justinen]

This is Bruce from SEASOFT SCUBA and I want to throw my bit in here. I have a lot of experience with dive booties since I have designed a lot of dive gear including dive booties. I have been diving for more than 30 years, have more than 6,000 dives and I have been to Bonaire. Bonaire certainly offers the biggest challenge for dive booties because most dives are typically shore dives and there is lava and rough rock everywhere.

I am a firm believer in hard sole booties with an elevated heel and an arch support. Hard sole booties are important for two reasons:

1. Soft-soled dive booties cause the foot to flex continuously inside the foot pocket of the fin. The diver is asking the smallest muscles of the foot to start and finish every kick instead of bypassing these muscles and using the bigger muscles of the legs instead. Using these small muscles causes cramps. Most divers think this is an inevitable price to pay to dive or snorkel. It’s not! A hard sole eliminates the up and down motion of the foot inside the foot pocket of your fins that cause cramping, thus bypassing the small foot muscles, and allows you to use the large leg muscles for faster, more efficient motion.

2. Divers can easily carry over a hundred pounds of gear; should you be wearing a dive bootie that is flat bottomed like a bedroom slipper OR athletic footwear? The obvious answer, of course, is athletic footwear because the elevated heel and arch support located underneath the sole of your bootie create stability, balance and comfort. The elevated heel gives you the ability to safely carry your gear on sand, rocks and lava, or on wet docks and pitching boat decks. The arch support provides stability and supports the foot and ankle. A lot of booties try to LOOK athletic on the outside but are not athletic where it counts - on the inside. If the heel is not raised, it's just a bedroom slipper!

Here is an example of the SEASOFT STEALTH Bootie, this is an athletic dive bootie.

Thank you for an opportunity to share. If anyone has any questions about diving footwear feel free to ask.

Bruce Justinen
President
SEASOFT SCUBA