Neoprene Sock over Attatched Drysuit Boots?

[jim T.]

I have a new drysuit (Diving Concepts) with attatched boots. I'd like to consider something to slip over them for rock shore entries that are stable enough to walk over nice pointy rocks with and protect the suits boots even more. I've only done a half dozen dives and the tread is already beginning to smooth out in places. I'd like to be sure the boots will last as long as the rest of the suit.

I've considered something easy to slip off at the water like flip-flops or garden cloggers, but they aren't stable enough to gear up and climb around in and I'd have to figure out what to do with 'em at the entry point. Sneakers, etc. would be cheap and easy but then I'd have to wear 'em on the dive and that doesn't appeal.

Would thin neoprene socks with rubber soles work best? I use ankle weights so, a very minimal amount of additional buoyancy shouldn't be a problem?
Just a bit of trim weight moving.
What MM would you recommend?
Rock Boots would be humongous and be too hard on the attatched boots and not needed for my boat dives...

It just occured to me to try black rubber galoshes as they might hold minimum air compared to neoprene. Anyone done this?

Any other ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Rick Inman]

I've only done a half dozen dives and the tread is already beginning to smooth out in places.

Really? I've got about twice that in mine and they are still fine (also a new DC suit). I usually have to climb over some rocks and cross a street or parking lot. Are you picking up your feet? Do you have long exceptionally long walks/hikes over rough terrain?

If they are going bald so quickly, I'd call DC directly and talk to them. The attached boots shouldn't go bad that quickly.

 

[jim T.]

Hi Rick,
It's nothing really severe yet. No balding, just some shine, but obviously it concerns me for down the road... I don't want it to sound like I'm disparaging Diving Concepts (even though they previoulsy/in the past, had boot wearing issues before going to their new forumulation. It just seems logical at this point to protect them if there's an easy way to do that on the rockier/pointier shore entries. The boots don't seem to me to be particularly puncture proof, but maybe they will prove to be so.

I'll ask, on my next shore dives this weekend to have a peek at other D.C. boot soles and see if this (still extremely minor wear) is normal. It just seems to make sense to me to try and find something harder to walk on for the couple of minutes it takes to enter the water and exit back up the shoreline. When my LDS folks are back from their shop's dive trip, I'll show them and ask them what they think as well.

Seeing as how the newer boots haven't been around for years yet, I'd like to err on the side of caution. I'd rather not have to send the suit in for a major repair if something simple could've prevented it.

I dive a Neo Z and like the suit very much. I guess 25 yrs. of sailing have made me more concious of chafe issues and material fatigue than I'd otherwise be.

So... I'll check into galoshes for now I guess and see how that goes.
I might even be able to stow really flexible ones in a pocket on the dive but their buoyancy issues would have to be experimented with...
I don't know if I'll end up ultimately wearing anything other than the boots as I chose the attatched boots for their ease/quickness of donning but my gut instincts just tell me (as pointy rocks push up into the sole of my feet) that anything that soft "cant' possibly" hold up for 7-10 yrs. like (hopefully) the rest of the suit.

Looking forward to what others think about a hard soled neoprene sock over the drysuit boots.

Thanks for your response! Hope to meet and dive with you on an Orca Bait dive, etc. one day.

Jim

 

[Web Monkey]

I have a new drysuit (Diving Concepts) with attatched boots. I'd like to consider something to slip over them for rock shore entries that are stable enough to walk over nice pointy rocks with and protect the suits boots even more. I've only done a half dozen dives and the tread is already beginning to smooth out in places. I'd like to be sure the boots will last as long as the rest of the suit.

This is based on absolutely nothing but a random thought I just had, but how about velcroing Vibram soles to the bottom of the boots. When you get to the water, you can rip them off.

Shoe repair places have the soles available.

Terry

 

[Firediver32]

I wear my wet boots over my dry suit (my fins won't fit if I wear the rock boots) and that seems to work well. I have ordered some turtles however to correct that issue.

 

[jim T.]

Good to know Firediver32. Thanks. Are you using 1mm? 3mm?

If I have fin fitting issues Web Monkey's suggestion might be an easy solution, nice and flat, easy to stow. Maybe with velcro wrap around straps like a sandal so they don't shift around-I'm scoping out sandals too.
Firediver32, did you notice any really obvious buoyancy/floaty feet issues wearing your wet boots over your drysuit boots?

I spoke with my LDS this afternoon and he said that the wear isn't a concern for a long time but attatched boots do puncture relatively easy. He suggested wearing them out and then switching to neo socks and Bare laced boots for $280 rather than having the boots repaired at $200. I'd rather avoid that issue altogether or at least delay it with extended extra years of use by using a simple/cheap "add on".