Whites Evo 3 boot questions

[Rob9000]

Do you need to go one size up in shoe size to accommodate for a dry suit sock + insulated booties?

Are the Evos fairly neutrally buoyant?

Is the sole fairly rigid for good support?

 

[gearhound]

I went up a size because I wear two pairs of heavy wool socks to dive in the cold. That said, when I only wear one sock, the boots have a lot of room. As for being neutrally buoyant, I don't feel foot heavy, so they must be close. I wouldn't drop them off a boat and expect them to float though. The sole is rigid. It's a great dry suit boot, but you do need a big foot pocket on your fins. I couldn't fit them into my buddies XL slipstreams ( with two pairs of socks).

 

[DiveJedi]

We Recommend that you go up at least one size. If you are in a half size - we recommend that you go up a full size and a half - that half size is not enough. By the time you get your socks on, and the drysuit shell, you need the room.

As for weight, they are definitely not positively bouyant, but you're not going to be able to drop weight off your belt either! As gearhound says they are close to neutral - but definitely not positive.

As for the sole - this boot is supplied to the Canadian Military across Canada - and has been used for a few years now in both recreational and sport - that is why we bought that sole to start with - it is definitely a very hardy sole.

Until the next dive,
Tyler

 

[Rob9000]

Thanks for the replies. I wear a size 13 street shoe....pretty much middle of the road 13, so when shoe shopping occasionally a 13 is too big for me, but a 12 is always too small. My DUI dry suit has a 3mm sock, and then I wear a Primaloft (puffy stuff like Thinsulate) bootie/sock and a thin hiking sock under that. I just got XXL Scubapro jet fins...they have a massive foot pocket. So a 14 should be big enough? None of the shops around me stock the Evo 3 boot, so I have to make a guesstimate and special order with a shop.

 

[PerroneFord]

What is so special about the Evo3 boot? I am currently scouring the internet for boots suitable for diving with my drysuit. Personally, I think the tactical boots or military boots are the front runners. Sturdy, available in large sizes, and in widths.

 

[Rob9000]

What is so special about the Evo3 boot? I am currently scouring the internet for boots suitable for diving with my drysuit. Personally, I think the tactical boots or military boots are the front runners. Sturdy, available in large sizes, and in widths.

I would add fisherman's wading boots to the list of things to look at....the ones w/o raised eyelets for the shoe laces. The thing with wading boots is most of them have some neoprene in them so they might be a bit floaty.

Here is what I am looking for in a dry suit boot:
- Constriction of the foot to control air in the foot area....all boots with laces should do this
- Rigid sole for better feeling of stability...and perhaps enough room to put in an arch support...I have flat feet
- Some ankle support - I broke an ankle almost 2 years ago and don't want to go through that again
- Not too floaty in terms of buoyancy
- Nice to have - made with materials that don't absorb water and therefore dry faster


I recently went store hopping looking for some of the cheaper Magnum boots...but they didn't have any in 14 or 15. I like the looks of this one:

Magnum Boots USA ©2006 - Response Series - Response II 6" #5289


Something like the Magnum should work, but I am just a little concerned about it taking forever to dry and therefore getting all funky.

I am leaning towards just getting a boot that was made with diving in mind. It will be about twice the cost of a Magnum. The other option I have been looking at is the OTB brand boot:

OTB Boots


I own a pair of Bare Treks and they are too flimsy for me...plus the pair I have are too small.

 

[PerroneFord]

There are a number of boots out there that will work. Magnum is not in my choice because they have poor sizes. Look for a boot company called "Original Swat". They are my front runners right now. Available in wide widths, and up to a size 15 or 16 depending on model. Bates also makes very nice boots and I've used their models before. If you don't need wide widths, combat/jungle boots are easily had from companies like Wellco and very reasonable prices. I have some Wellco's in a 14 (my normal size is a 12.5, but with my drysuit sock and my wool socks, the 14 is a bit narrow and JUST long enough. The combat and Tac boots often have Cordura for a lot of their construction so they dry quickly. I take all the footbed foam out as well to assist in this, and give me more room in the shoe.

There are other good Tac boots out there that meet your needs too. Then there is the traditional work boot models I have looked at. Some like the Timberland, Caterpillar, and John Deere are available in wide widths and large sizes as well.

Something else interesting I saw was the N.E.O.S. overboot. This are a bit more pricey, but might be a nice choice for boat diving when I won't be trudging through the swamps here in Florida to get to the dive sites.

I'll be buying a pair of something next week, and will see how it goes.