Walking in Water

sborowko · Apr 5, 2017

Hi, I am looking for recommendations on footwear for walking in water when shallow water detecting. My current idea is to wear Keen sandals over my wetsuit boots for improved traction and to provide better footing on my scoop. Any thoughts?

ChampFerguson/TN · Apr 5, 2017

In warm water, I wear closed toe Keen sandals. That scoop is hard on toes otherwise. I haven't tried them over my wetsuit gear, but I think your system would work nicely for me.

FFFPatriot · Apr 5, 2017

Short shag carpeting or miners moss cut and Shoe-Goo(ed) to the bottom of a pair of dedicated boots works good on the slimy river rocks.

ron lord · Apr 6, 2017

I wear jet ski boots, they have a very good hard soul.

RustyGold · Apr 9, 2017

I have the hard soled dive boots that zipper up the side that work perfect. You can walk all over the place with them like tennis shoes.

slider66 · Apr 10, 2017

RustyGold said:
I have the hard soled dive boots that zipper up the side that work perfect. You can walk all over the place with them like tennis shoes.

I have tried keen shoes and dive boots with the zipper. No matter what I get sand in the boot and also find it hard to open the zipper once I am done detecting. I'm still looking for something that keeps the sand out. I also tried dive socks with the boot but still get sand.

LawrencetheMDer · Apr 11, 2017

RustyGold said:
I have the hard soled dive boots that zipper up the side that work perfect. You can walk all over the place with them like tennis shoes.

Ditto. I buy all my diving gear (for MDing the water) at LeisurePro where ya can get thick sole diving boots for 40-60% off. They work fine w my Stealth water scoop and last a few years. For dry sand work in Florida I buy white Shrimper boots (a lot of people on the beach ask where I get them) at Walmart for about $20 a pair. Work great in the sand and low water areas.

sborowko · Apr 11, 2017

slider66 said:
I have tried keen shoes and dive boots with the zipper. No matter what I get sand in the boot and also find it hard to open the zipper once I am done detecting. I'm still looking for something that keeps the sand out. I also tried dive socks with the boot but still get sand.

I saw a YouTube video where someone made seals to go over the gap where the boots and wetsuit overlap. They took disposable nitrile gloves, cut off the bottom sections, and ended up with stretchy tubes that could be pulled up and positioned over the gap to keep the sand out.

RustyGold · Apr 11, 2017

LawrencetheMDer said:
Ditto. I buy all my diving gear (for MDing the water) at LeisurePro where ya can get thick sole diving boots for 40-60% off. They work fine w my Stealth water scoop and last a few years. For dry sand work in Florida I buy white Shrimper boots (a lot of people on the beach ask where I get them) at Walmart for about $20 a pair. Work great in the sand and low water areas.

Same here. I bought my Mares from LeisurePro.

cudamark · Apr 11, 2017

LeisurePro was out of my size.......went to Scuba.com.....same price and free shipping.

pat-tekker-cat · Apr 11, 2017

"Bare" booties were the best I ever bought. I liked that they would stay up, while you could run the zipper up and down to clear the sand in the beach shower. The bottom of one wore out (after about 4-5 yrs), I still got them, will need to repair that one, though.

I now got the Evo brand, it's difficult to work the zipper, they won't stay up good and you have to use 2 hands to hold the bootie and the other hand to zipper, pita.
Gotta try that glove tubey trick...... thanks for that, and good luck.

Here's a pic of the Bare booties, not sure if the link will work, I just bought them, lol.
Last pair and they were my size, priced decent, too. $24.00 bucks.

Bare 7mm Water Sport Boot Sz 6 XS Scuba Diving Snorkeling Booties Wetsuit | eBay

dewcon4414 · Apr 13, 2017

Hard Sole Mares dive boots. Using the scoop wears on regular dive boots....... and there are things you dont want to step on.... creatures as well.

hookahman · Apr 18, 2017

I found recently that spraying the zipper right before taking it off with some wd-40 really does the trick. It's made that maddening moment of "oh crap I gotta keep this boogie on till I get home!?!?!" Happen a whole lot less

WaterWalker · Apr 20, 2017

I have used a knee or elbow compression sleeve over the top of the bootie and the exposed section of skin above the bootie. I found some at a flea market for a dollar a pair and only have one pair left. Forgot to looks for some when I was in Florida's largest flea market last week. For my short top slip on "booties" I wear a pair of heavy socks to buffer my foot from the sand that gets in-between the foot and boot.

pat-tekker-cat · Apr 20, 2017

I wore those flimsy Evo's out yesterday, stepped in the water once, water was rough, started raining, stayed on the sand.
Got em off later dry ok, but even back home when washing them in the 5-gal bucket, pita, gotta use 2 hands, hold zipper up, hold zipper down, hold zipper lather rinse repeat. I'll never buy another pair of those! >:(

I look for things that make life easier, not more difficult, time consuming, and complicated..... :BangHead:

Yeah, that can a wd40 I keep in my back bikini pocket, when beach and water hunting...... :laughing7:

Imma gonna stick with the beach shower..... thanks. Maybe in Miami, where they rob you with knives, lol,
can of wd and a lighter....... wha-whooooossssshhhhhh. :evil6:

Them Bare boots, thick soled, one hand can run that zipper up and down all day, easy bucket cleaning,
I like em! I don't care what anybody says......

FriscoT06 · Apr 20, 2017

What if you just put vaseline over the zipper before you go out? I haven't tried this, just thought of it now and am curious. What about hot glue? Then you could just peel it off when you're done?