The Forgotten Neoprene Boots

Neoprene Boots

New divers are so cute.

They’re so excited to buy their first mask, snorkel and fin set.

They ask a ton of questions, they laugh at themselves when they look at their masks in the mirror and they even fall for it when I tell them to walk around in their fins to see how they feel.

These new divers want high quality masks and fins, but when it comes to neoprene boots they don’t see the point in buying anything but the cheapest neoprene boot possible.

That can be a big mistake.

Neoprene boots can make your fins more comfortable by providing a better fit, they can make your dives more comfortable by providing warmth and they can make your surface interval more comfortable by providing more traction for walking around a shaky boat.

Here are some things you should consider when buying a neoprene boot:

Neoprene Boots - Neoprene Thickness

There are two things that neoprene thickness is good for: providing padding and providing warmth.

It stands to reason that the thicker your boot is, the more protection it will provide against your fin digging into your foot, but this consideration should be secondary. After all, a 7mm neoprene boot is a bit of overkill for diving in the tropics.

Your primary concern when choosing the thickness of your neoprene boot should be thermal protection. I would say that a neoprene boot should be a minimum of 3mm thick.

That’s enough padding to protect your feet and will keep you warm in waters as cold as 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20C). The colder the water you dive in, the thicker your boot should be.

Neoprene Boots - Tread

There are several reasons to have good tread on your neoprene boots.

The obvious reason is for good traction when you’re walking around on wet surfaces, however choosing a neoprene boot with good tread has other advantages as well. For example, a boot with sufficient tread can be used to walk through surf zones as well as protect your feet from your fins.

Surf zones can have all kinds of rocks and marine life with sharp spines. A good neoprene boot with thick tread will protect you from these dangers

Neoprene Boots - Quality and Reputation

Perhaps the most important feature for a neoprene boot to have is the logo on its side.

Buying a boot from a well-known company with a solid reputation ensures that you have a boot that will last a long, long time. If you skimp and buy a cheap boot, you’ll soon find that your tread is coming unglued and the stitching is literally coming apart at the seams.

Think about that before you choose Bob’s BS Booties over Scubapro.

Neoprene boots may seem like an insignificant piece of equipment, but the truth is that nothing is insignificant when you’re counting on it 60 feet (18m) below the surface.

It’s true that having neoprene boots fall apart isn’t exactly an emergency situation, but I guarantee it will wreck your dive.

Why take the risk?

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