Which sea boots

[sijmon]

I'm about to do my first serious ocean crossing (SF-Hawaii), and was wondering whether anyone could offer advice on footwear. Options appear to be boots with gaiters, w/o gaiters or gore-tex socks and deck shoes. Any strong views?

Thanks
Simon

 

[alex_rogers]

How about bare feet. 100% waterproof, fully breathable and guaranteed to last a lifetime.

 

[rogerroger]

you forgot to mention cheap...

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[extravert]

That trip is unlikely to be bitterly cold, especially at the Hawaii end. However, when I was there I was surprised that the water was not a warm as I expected given its tropical latitude. Some of the surfers were wearing wet suits. Something to do with the islands rising steeply from abyssal depths I was told.

On long trips I use one pair of ordinary boaty wellies with long socks to stop them rubbing (and plenty of dry spares) and two pairs of the cheapest plimsols I can find, one for dry days and inside, and the other for getting wet and salty. Being cheap I just dump them at the end when they are salty and whiffy. Wellies and thick socks will be uncomfortable in the tropics and bare feet or open toes sandals are a bad idea on a boat. Plimsols without socks that you don't mind getting wet will be good when it gets hot.

One of my ambitions in life is to see an erupting volcano. As a vent of Mauna Loa had been erupting for something like 8 years before I got there I thought I was in luck. Unfortunately it stopped 3 weeks before I arrived. Everyone was saying 'You should have been here 3 weeks ago...'. Bah humbug! If anyone knows of an impending eruption within a day's sail of Pwllheli coming up soon, post it up here and I'll go and have a look.

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Unless you lose them and have to replace them ;-)

If it Cooks Flys or Floats, Rent it.

 

[Mike_02]

Whatever you choose don't do what i did...!

I used to wear a pair of normal wellies....big mistake.

On a very wet and windy day i had just arrived back at the marina....putting on the mainsail cover...slipped.(wellies crap sole) ..boom went under my arm....one dislocated shoulder was the result...very painfull.....!!

So what ever you choose please make sure that it has a good sole that has been designed for wet decks..!!!

 

[rogerroger]

or worse - losing one, then having to find one to match the other...

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[jimi]

My feet are knackered ... athritis, gout, ingrowing toenails & pedicular halitosis .. where should I go to claim on the guarantee?

 

[sijmon]

Hmm. Thanks for the useful advice. My guess is that the first two days will be chilly, and thereafter I can resort to my trusty non-marking Teva sandals. I'm just fed up with my old (smelly) dinghy / diving neoprene boots, and was wondering about the options that folks have identified for the chilly part.

 

[BrianJ]

Grab a pair of" Gill"... they will cost you about $40...well worth it in rough weather. If you are loaded then go for the Du Barry
BrianJ

 

[bob_tyler]

If you can get round to the Thames in a day you might catch an eruption from No 10 when the next Labour Lie (sorry spin) goes wrong! Probably not long to wait.