Drysuit - Boot options?

[Darran J]

I have a Hydrotech drysuit and the boots are too large for me, they are the "Welly boot" type which are very flexibly, easy to get into with gret grips on the sole.

But they do start to slip during the dive no matter how tight I seem to pull the fin straps, and they seem to hold a lot of air when inverted.

I would invest in changing the boots if I got something exactly right (The existing ones are dry so I am slightly reluctant to change), I have seen a guy wearing a dry suit with separate boots (laced) which had a neoprene waterproof dry sock attached - does anyone know where to find these?

Are they any good?

Cheers,
Darran

[Gareth]

The sock & shoe option

DUI & I believe Whites both do this. (I have a rather worn DUI & think the sock & shoe option is great).

I would guess Stoney (DUI Agents) & SDS (Whites Agents) can both modify the suit to the sock & shoe option.

Gareth

[Woz]

Pop a pair of neoprene socks on underneath the wellies. Stops floaty feet a treat. If they don't work, get some old fashioned fin retainers and put them over the top of your drysuit boots. Holds your feet nice and securely in the boots. Neo socks about a fiver from Decathlon and retainers £3.95 a pair from your LDS. Worth a go before spending lots on changing your boots.

http://www.beaversports.co.uk/catalogue/fins/frt.jpg

[Casanunder]

I had the same problem. I have odd size feet and found one foot would always slip out of the boot heel, particularly when inverted. I went for the latex socks and DUI Rock Boot option.

Works really well and adds a sense of sure-footedness when walking across uneven terrain, wet rocks etc.

[Janos]

Pop a pair of neoprene socks on underneath the wellies. Stops floaty feet a treat. If they don't work, get some old fashioned fin retainers and put them over the top of your drysuit boots. Holds your feet nice and securely in the boots. Neo socks about a fiver from Decathlon and retainers £3.95 a pair from your LDS. Worth a go before spending lots on changing your boots.

http://www.beaversports.co.uk/catalogue/fins/frt.jpg

Oi that's my tip!

I was blown out the Friday before last and spent the day in Vobster practicing skills and drills. I've always had boots that are slightly too big for me. My buddy suggested I have a go with his fin retainers and they're brilliant - my boots are now glued to my feet.

Janos

[jules59]

Fin retainers. Hmmm
How do you wear them? Sorry to be so ignorant but I've never seen them in action - but they may be the answer to my "sloppy feet" feeling when inverted.
Jules

[Woz]

Fit them so that the top of the Y is round your ankle and the "stick" of the Y goes under your heel. The centre of the Y is roughly on your ankle bone.

[Janos]

[QUOTE=jules59]How do you wear them? Sorry to be so ignorant but I've never seen them in action - but they may be the answer to my "sloppy feet" feeling when inverted.QUOTE]

Yes. They do remove that sloppy feet feeling. I always worried about going negative as if I didn't control it quickly it felt like my feet would slip out of my boots. However with the fin retainers that feeling disappears.

And at £4 a pair it's a lot cheaper than new boots!

Janos

[Yazzyfooty]

Ok another 'silly' question. I know you call them fin retainers but as they are being used for a different reason do they get fitted straight onto the boot or when you have your fins on.
Can someone take photo please as I am trying to picture it in my mind and I cant.
Yaz

[Woz]

Put them over your boots before you put your fins on.

[Mike Halligan]

Ok another 'silly' question. I know you call them fin retainers but as they are being used for a different reason do they get fitted straight onto the boot or when you have your fins on.
Can someone take photo please as I am trying to picture it in my mind and I cant.
Yaz

They are known as fin retainers since that is what they were designed and used for over many years. They would work with either strapped or 'slipper' fins and were fitted after the fin was donned, lying over the fin and leg/bootee/suit boot to remove the slack. They appeared as a 'Y' shape across the ankle bone, running over the front of the ankle, the Achilles tendon and below the heel.

Nowadays, drysuits are more common and people seem less attentive to sizing and filling of boots (mind you I never miss an opportunity of filling my boots :cool: ). The use of retainers can be adapted to crush the boot before adding the fin, I suppose.

HTH

[No Waiting]

I have a similar problem, with my dry suit boots being too big - I was wondering about putting something (suitably shapped) in the toe for packing...

Anyone any ideas on what material the "something" should be?

[Adrian Kelland]

I have a similar problem, with my dry suit boots being too big - I was wondering about putting something (suitably shapped) in the toe for packing...

Anyone any ideas on what material the "something" should be? Put on another pair of socks? With the added benefit of keeping your tootsies warm .:)

[Woz]

I have a similar problem, with my dry suit boots being too big - I was wondering about putting something (suitably shapped) in the toe for packing...

Anyone any ideas on what material the "something" should be?Neoprene socks. Decathlon. Fiver.

[Paul Fivian]

- or just thick undersuit booties/socks. I get mine from Othree.

Also try - ankle weights. Not only do they transfer a bit of weight from your belt but they stop your ankles ballooning so you don't need quite so much -AND they keep your feet in the boots.

Paul

For sale: 1 pair new unused Endurotech gloves XXL bought in error. The real db's. First £20 secures.

[Richard Whitcombe]

I wear 3 pairs of skiing socks and Weezle booties in my suit to take up boot space.

[stu wall]

Hi Darren,
I can advise that Otter Watersports at Bradford fit a Rock boot similar to the DUI style onto such suits, the cost of which is @ £70.
I was down there earlier in the year getting some repairs to my Neoprene drysuit and ended up buying a membrane suit for use in the UK in the summer and Sharm in the winter ( getting old :D )!!
Anyway the hard sole boots that i like on my drysuits usually weigh a ton so i opted to have the Rock type boots fitted.
These boots comprise of a neoprene sock attatched to the suit and a separete pair of hard sole boots. The boots are very lightweight but hard wearing and are made by Seac SUB.

The dogs b+++++S!!! :p

Hope this may help ;)

[Darran J]

Hi Stu,

I think the ones that you have described are the same as the pair I saw on a recent dive and they do look good - Probably what I will end up with.

I bought a pair of the fin retainers that Woz recommended and used them for the first time last weekend. My boots are still too big,(and I wear 2 socks and thermal booties) but the retainers kept them snug and for the first time (In my short diving career) my fins did not start and slip after 15mins.

Cheers,
Darran