Do you need scuba booties for your diving and other water adventures? Many people think these are not as important as other scuba diving gear, but hey, they have not had their feet pierced by sharp pebbles on the beach.
Diving is not fun until you can enjoy it with peace of mind, knowing that you have the right gear, and the best protection for your hands, face, feet and body.
Buying the best scuba diving boots is not too hard. You should not even argue about whether you need a pair or not. Made of neoprene, and coming in different thicknesses, these boots should last a long time. Most likely, if you are a recreational diver, one pair of boots will last you years.
Water tends to make thing slippery. Therefore, the thin line between your safety and breaking a leg down there when you land on a rocky floor badly could be this scuba diving boot. Believe it or not, many divers have lived to regret.
It is best to err on the side of caution. So boot up before you slip into the water. Knife up too. Who knows what sort of debris is waiting to entangle you down there in the water?
So, with all the variety out there in the market, what pair of dive boots should you buy?
Scuba Dive Boots Reviews
Mares Equator 2mm – Best Scuba Booties
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The Mares Equator 2mm dive boots is an extremely comfortable and durable diving bootie that is ideal for a range of water sports such as diving, snorkeling, water aerobics, jet skiing, surfing and paddling among others.
It is made from 2mm nylon II neoprene and it features a vulcanized rubber outsole that provides great traction even when walking on slippery surfaces. In addition, the sole is sturdy enough to protect your feet against cuts and abrasions even when walking on sharp corals. It is extremely lightweight, easy to pack and dries very quickly making it ideal for travelling.
Since this bootie does not feature any clips, laces or toggles putting it on and taking if off is very easy. The heel caps are tall and durable to offer your feet enough added protection. They are very breathable for ultra comfort and they fit perfectly on your feet without allowing stones and other sharp things to enter inside the bootie.
This bootie however is not designed to be used with diving fins. This is because its height is not high enough and it only goes up to your mid ankles. This means that the fin strap can rub against your ankle leaving you with painful blisters.
It is safe for the water sports that do not require the use of diving fins, this bootie is an excellent choice where comfort and safety in water is concerned.
Neo Sport Premium Neoprene – Men/Women Diving Booties
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The Neo Sport Premium is a unisex multipurpose neoprene bootie that is designed in various thicknesses for different water conditions. The 3mm bootie is ideal for warm waters. On the other hand, the 5mm one is designed for moderate temperature waters and the 7mm is great for use in cold-water conditions.
The sole is made from strong and durable rubber that is puncture resistant and offers you maximum safety and great traction when venturing in slippery surfaces. It is very comfortable, breathable and warm for just any water sport.
This bootie has a heavy-duty side zipper for easy donning and doffing and the seams are glued and sewn using abrasion resistant threads, which ensure that cold water does not get in and for more durability.
The water entry barriers prevent cold water from tickling inside your shoes keeping your feet warm and comfortable. The toe and the heel cap are strong enough and they do not wear out easily. These booties are available in various sizes and getting your perfect fit is a no brainer.
Cressi ISLA Boots – Best Anti-Slip Boots for Diving
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The Cressi ISLA is a very comfortable and durable boot that is designed for any water sport including scuba diving. It is made of premium neoprene that is super stretchy to ensure that you enjoy a comfortable fit and the build in fin strap holders holds your fins into place while diving.
It comes in 5mm and 7mm thickness making it ideal for use in different water temperature conditions. The anti-slip ribbed rubber outsole gives you enough grip in slippery areas and the rubber heel and toecaps provides further protection and stability to your feet.
The elasticity of the neoprene material and the heavy-duty zippers allows for easy donning and doffing, and all the seams are glued and sewn preventing cold water from tickling inside the boots keeping your feet warm even in cold waters.
The smooth top improves your comfort by ensuring that the boot does not rub against your skin causing blisters. In addition, they are very breathable, lightweight and they dry very quickly making them extra comfortable and perfect for travelling. They come in black color and are available in multiple sizes.
SEAC Basic HD 5mm Neoprene Scuba DiveBoots
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Enjoy all your water sports by keeping your feet warm and comfortable with the SEAC Basic HD scuba bootie. Made with 5mm neoprene, this boot is very durable and ideal for use even in cooler water temperatures.
This pair of dive booties has an anti-slip rubber sole that gives you a great grip keeping you stable even when walking on slippery surfaces. The side zipper is durable and it is sealed to ensure that it is watertight. In addition, a strap at the zipper top ensures that the zipper does not open while you are in action.
The stretchy neoprene material, side zipper and the nylon lining facilitate easy putting on and off. A soft polyurethane padding protects the instep and the heel notch ensures that your fin strap does not slip off your heel keeping it in place. The boot comes in various sizes with a comfortable fit to cater for every foot size.
This boot is best for almost all water adventures. As you have seen, you can even fit it with diving fins. There water world is open to you to explore when you wear this boot. Where many people do not remember to protect their feet when diving, you can never be too careful under the water.
Phantom Aquatics – 3mm Surf Snorkeling Dive Boots
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If you like navigating under water with less bulky equipments, the Phantom Aquatics 3mm dive booties should feature in your gear. They are extremely lightweight, durable, comfortable and perfect for travelling.
They are ideal for all your favorite water sports such as snorkeling, diving and surfing among others. They are made of premium 3mm neoprene material that is warm, breathable and with a very comfortable fit. The anti-slip soles are made from durable rubber and they ensure that you are stable even on slippery surfaces by providing you with excellent grip. In addition, the sole is strong enough to protect your feet against cuts even when walking on sharp corals.
They are designed for diving in much warmer water conditions and they ensure that your feet remain dry and warm throughout your activity. The seams are sewn and glued to ensure that the boot remains watertight.
The ankle area is very smooth such that it cannot rub against your skin causing abrasions or blisters. The area is also stretchy enough facilitating easy donning and doffing, fitting perfectly on your feet without leaving any space small stones or sticks to enter inside the boot.
KONA 3mm Double-Lined Neoprene Scuba Diving Boots
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The KONA 3mm is a versatile diving boot designed for various water sports including scuba diving, kayaking, snorkeling, surfing, wakeboarding and canoeing among other water sports. It is made of 3mm double-lined superior neoprene for extra comfort and great durability.
The material is smooth and soft, abrasion and chaffing resistant. The heels are further reinforced since they are prone to wear ensuring extra durability and comfort. They are very warm and breathable and are ideal for all weather conditions.
The soles are made of superior anti-slip rubber that ensures that you never lose your grip even when venturing in slippery surfaces. The soles are also strong enough to protect your feet for cuts and abrasions when walking on sharp rocks.
The heavy-duty zipper allows for easy on and off and it is watertight ensuring that no cold water gets inside your bootie. In addition, the zipper top features a strap that makes sure that the zipper does not open at any given time while you are in water.
They fit perfectly even when you are wearing your dive fins and the company allows you to return and exchange your boot within 30 days from the date of purchase in case you require a different size.
U.S. Divers 5mm Comfo High-Cut – Snorkeling and Diving Boots
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If you are looking for superior comfort and warmth for your feet when you are snorkeling or diving, even in the cooler waters; the U.S divers 5mm is the bootie for you. It is made of high quality 5mm neoprene that is abrasion resistant, smooth, comfortable on your feet and very durable at the same time.
They fit perfectly on your feet and they keep your feet feeling great even when you are wearing your diving fins. They are breathable, keeping your feet fresh and dry and they are lightweight such that they do not feel bulky while you are in water and they dry very easily and therefore perfect for traveling.
They feature a vulcanized rubber sole that is puncture resistant, protecting you enough even when walking on sharp things. The sole offers great traction enabling you to maintain your stability even when walking on slithery surfaces under the water. The heavy-duty non-corrosive zipper enhances the fitting and it enables you to don and doff the boot easily without any difficulty. This boot comes in adult sizes of between 5 to 13 and a 2-year limited warranty.
Cressi Minorca 3mm Tall Neoprene – Best Water Booties
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The Cressi Minorca dive boot is a long lasting and comfortable dive bootie designed ideally for any water sport. It is made of 3mm ultra elastic neoprene that gives your feet superior comfort and keeps them warm the entire time you are under water.
All the seams are glued and sewn for extra strength and durability. This ensures that the boot remains watertight. The boot is lightweight enabling you to swing into action with less bulk. They are perfect for travelling, and since they dry very quickly, they add in to the comfort and convenience.
The rubber soles are very durable and they are non-slip giving you confidence and stability when venturing on slippery surfaces. The heel is reinforced with more rubber and toe area with a cap to enhance durability since these areas wear out highly.
The soles are made of sturdy rubber that is long lasting and keeps your feet protected from cuts even when you are walking on sharp corals. In addition, the sole is anti-slip giving you more traction when walking on slippery surfaces. The bootie also features a zipper that makes donning and doffing very easy. This is easily one of the best scuba booties in the market. You can buy it with confidence.
Deep See Atlantic 6.5mm – Best Dive Boots
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The Deep See is an amazing bootie that is designed to offer your feet excellent protection and warmth while engaging in your favorite water sport. It is extremely lightweight to ensure that you enjoy you under water adventure with minimal bulk and that offers you convenience when traveling.
It is made of 6.5mm superior neoprene that is super stretchy ensuring that you have a perfect fit. The material is very comfortable against your skin, it is breathable and it dries very quickly making the transition between the underwater and dry land easier. When buying, buy one size less what you would buy for your regular shoes.
The heavy-duty side zipper facilitates an easy donning and doffing and the zipper lock ensure that the boot stays in place the entire time you are under water. The rubber laminate guards that are very flexible protect your feet against abrasions from the dive fin straps and the foot pockets.
The built-in strap stop makes sure that your dive fins are held in place when you are in action. The low profile molded out sole gives your feet maximum protection by protecting them against cuts and abrasions and they are anti-slip to ensure that you maintain your balance while venturing in slithery places. These booties come when packaged in a drawstring mesh bag that further increases the convenience while traveling.
Aqua Lung Echozip Ergo 5mm – Men’s Diving Boots
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The Aqua Lung is a fantastic bootie that is designed to keep your feet warm, protected and comfortable during any of your preferred water sport. Made of high quality 5mm neoprene, it ensures that your feet remain dry and warm even when diving in cooler waters.
The material also is ultra stretchy for a comfortable fit and it breathable enough to keep your feet fresh while in and out of water. The in sole is soft against your feet for more comfort and the outsole is made of vulcanized rubber ensuring that your feet are well protected even when walking n areas with sharp rocks and sticks that cut or bruise your feet. In addition, the outsole is anti-slip, giving you enough grip and stability when walking on slippery surfaces.
The Aqua Lung Ergo Booties are ergonomically designed to match to the shape of your feet, and therefore you can rest assured that they will perfectly and comfortably fit on your feet. They are also waterproof, ensuring that your feet remain warm the entire time you are under water. The seam cuts are further away from the widest section of your feet reducing the chances of abrasions caused by the seams.
The non-corrosive heavy-duty zipper allows for easy donning and doffing and the hook and loop zipper locks keeps the zipper in place so that you do not worry about it opening while you are fully in action. The boots are available in multiple sizes to cater for different feet sizes.
Important Tips for Buying Scuba Booties
You have your BCD ready, your dive knife is already in its scabbard on your BCD or perhaps secured to the leg with the leg strap. However, do you have your scuba booties on your feet?
Booties/ You ask. Yes booties. You need them if you will be landing on that coral reef. You need them if you will be diving into that shipwreck for you see, you always land feet, or hands first. And if you are not wearing your gloves… that piercing pain, that prick…
Or you could even meet with a sea snake on its way to the surface for air. Now, many people say that sea snakes will not attack you, but they sure will when you catch them unawares, or when they decide you far too close in their territory. And like the land snakes, they will bite and run.
Thankfully, there is a wide selection of scuba diving boots for you. Some are gender-specific, some are cheap, some are neoprene and some are made with other material. It doesn’t matter though, as long as you wear your dive boots.
You can choose your diving boots depending on where you will be diving. Cold waters require thicker boots, while warmer tropical waters like in Africa or the Caribbean require thin boots. But remember, you are not only wearing your boots to protect you against cold, you are wearing them to protect your feet against accidents.
How wetsuit boots work
Many people wonder how it is supposed to keep you warm in cold water if it is a wet suit. What happens is that the scuba boots soak up water, and then your body heats the water. The boots then trap this warm layer of water that is between your legs and the skin of the boots so that it doesn’t escape and so that cold water does not come in. This means that your feet will stay warm. Simple science, eh?
Thick diving boots – 5mm to 7mm
These are perfect for cold water diving. Do make sure to wear them when you are diving in low temperatures. They can be 7mm thick or close to that. Besides, you are likely to meet with some serious coral reef down there, and you do not want it to puncture the boots, do you?
Assuming that you will be diving over some rocks for some time, then you had better go for diving boots with thick soles. This is going to protect your feet from the fierce rocks and coral reef. In fact, sole thickness is one of the chief considerations that you should make when buying a pair of dive boots.
Thin diving boots – 2mm to 3mm
Thin diving boots are good for diving in warm waters. Made of neoprene, these boots are mostly 3mm thick or less. Ideally, you are supposed to make sure that the diving wetsuit and scuba dive boots are of the same thickness.
If you are diving in gentler waters and do not expect to come across rocks and other debris, then just go for boots with a thinner sole because such will be less weight on you. Besides, since boots are made of neoprene, they do help to increase your buoyancy meaning that you may have to put on more weights.
Scuba boot size
Size is one of the biggest considerations when you are looking for scuba boots. Usually, these boots come in men sizes, meaning that women should go lower a size or two.
Just make sure the boots fit comfortably, as you would regular shoes. Before you go diving in your new boots, break them a few times. This means wearing them around the home, get their feel and most importantly, make sure they fit well. Not lose and not tight, just nicely. Your toes should be feel. If you can feel the sides and the front of the boot pressing against them, it is too small for your feet.
In addition, one should also consider the height of the boot. Where you will be diving matters a lot. For example, warm water diving requires that you use low cut boots. There is no need of dragging all that weight around if you do not need it.
If you will be diving in cold waters, buy a higher scuba boot. It will give you more protection.
Wear your diving boots with open heel fins
If you wear open heel fins without your boots on, the fins will harm your skin, cause undue stress to your feet and this is going to hamper your diving ability. The fin cup is hard on the inside and therefore you need to protect your foot skin, sole, toecaps and the toes themselves from this hardness.
With buckles and straps rubbing all the time against the skin of your heel, you can see that you will not be very comfortable wearing open heel fins without your boots. That said, buy your boots with your fins and vice versa so that you get the right fit.
Scuba boots are good for walking on the beach
When it is cold, the beach sand becomes quite cold to the sole and when it is hot, it becomes too hot such that it can cause blisters and a lot of discomfort. Thankfully, scuba diving boots are made for walking on the sand, on rocks and other surfaces. That is why they have that thick sole, to protect your feet against shells, rocks, pebbles and all other stuff that you find on the beaches.
Diving boots make you look cool
Yes they do, they complete the look and they tell people you are a real diver. In addition, when you are feeling secure with your scuba gear, diving computer and mask, you can dive with more confidence and as a result, you will be able to explore some more of the water world. There will be no fear that a fish is aiming for your toes.
How to care for your diving boots
If you would like your neoprene dive boots to last a long time, you will have to take excellent care of them. Thankfully, this is not really too hard. On the contrary, it is very easy for you to care for the boots.
Once you are done diving in lake or ocean water, you need to clean your boots, If not given good care, neoprene does produce a nasty smell especially after coming into contact with salt water. Do clean your boots anyway, even after diving in fresh water.
Go over the diving boots carefully looking for minor or major damage. If you have been diving among rocks, carefully consider the boots. If there are any cracks, you need to repair them straight away. Luckily, neoprene is easy to repair and besides, dive boots repair kits can be bought online or in the local diving store.
Soak the boots in clean, fresh water. 10 to 15 minutes should be enough for this. You also need to clean them thoroughly. You can then hang them upside down to dry, not in direct sunlight, in a shade somewhere, or indoors. Thankfully, neoprene dries fast. It is also advisable to apply some wetsuit shampoo on the diving boots every few months or when taking them to storage after the diving season is over for you.
Finally, how do you store your dive boots? Just make sure they are not folded over. You can store them in a box so that they stay straight, or dedicate a drawer for them. Make sure they are completely dry though and shampooed if need be. That way, when you take them out for the next diving season, they will be ready to wear.
Do not hold on too long to your diving boots. Neoprene can lose its elasticity with time and with more contact with salt water. When you notice that your boots have started feeling a bit bigger, maybe it is time for you to retire them and look for new ones. Remember, a wetsuit boot is just like a wetsuit. It should never be waterlogged, otherwise you will be dragging too much weight around.
Those are the basics of choosing the best scuba booties for diving and other water activities. Remember, your diving gear cannot be complete without a pair of these neoprene boots. After reading this, you can now choose a nice pair for protecting your feet in water.
