Just wondering what everyone wears on their feet for Sea Kayaking this tiemof the year. I find if I wear neoprene booties my feet are wet all day long. I guess from initally steping in the water. I tried wearing Teva sandals but they are uncomforable leaning on the floor. I end up taking them off and wearing bare feet in my boat. Is there something comfortable to wear I am missing. Not jsut for cold weather but all season. I also have some neoprene socks which may be comfortable.
RR
Neoprene booties
I usually wear them, but with polypro sock liners, that way my feet don’t feel as wet and yucky, and the booties don’t get as stinky.
sandals
You need a shoe with heel support. The back band on my chacos kills my feet too when paddling. I like keen watershoes. I think they are called newports.
Ryan L.
NRS Kickers
Low cut, so not as hot as booties. Comfortable and durable. No stones and crap in your shoe as with sandals. Love em, wear them from April after I ditch my drysuit until October when i get back into it. Then I wear neoprene booties.
+1 on socks with booties
this time of the year I’m normally bare foot with feet on foam bulkhead and padded floor. But when it gets colder or I’m playing around rocks I wear socks under booties. When warm I use ultra thin wicking socks, otherwise wool.
Crocs
After 10 years of experimenting with kayaking footwear, I wear Crocs three out of four seasons (unfortunately they don’t make them with XC ski bindings!). The holes are big enough to let pebbles & sand out, the fit is roomy enough that I can wear neoprene socks for warmth.
I recently started using velcro watchbands from the front of the backstrap over the top of my foot for a more secure fit. Kind of like Mary Janes. Works great, they don’t come off for nothin’!
If it’s really cold I’ll switch to Chotas, but it’s amazing how warm your feet stay in Crocs with neoprene socks over drysuit booties.
Teva Gamma Water Shoes
I’ve been really happy with the Teva Gammas:
http://www.amazon.com/TEVA-GAMMA-PRO-WATER-SHOES/dp/B000FKB748/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1
Easy draining, good support, solid sneaker-like soles, and they don’t look like most dorky water shoes.
Looks like some online retailers are out of stock for some reason, so you may have to shop around a bit.
Good luck!
Delphinus
http://www.AquaDynology.com
Wet feet/ dry feet
I wear the basic over the ankle with zipper version of NRS boots 3 seasons, with wool socks under usually, admittedly that leaves my feet wet unless I am in dry pants or dry wear with a Goretex sock. Chotas as well as others have something similar.
I started with the regular low rise Kickers, but my pair literally started falling apart and I went to this higher top shoe that I had bought for cold weather and wasn’t beat to heck yet. That pair is looking like the cat dragged it in now, but I’ll replace it with another over the ankle zip up boot. They are just much more flexible.
For the canoe, or winter, I wear knee high diving dry boots that are similar to the paddling mukluks. The one diff is that like most diving stuff, these are a mill thicker than the paddling mukluks. If water gets over the top of course they aren’t dry any more, but by the time I am wearing mukluks for paddling I am also in a dry suit with Goretex socks.
I use NRS kickers in the warm weather
and then water proof NRS boundary shoes in the cold weather/water.
Lots of times in the summer, once I am in the boat, I’ll take the kickers off and just go barefoot
Jack L
boot
lots of versitility in what ppl wear. I was mostly hoping to keep my feet dry. A person at our club says they paddle in Crocs and his feet dry out fast. I’m mostly considering for the non dry suit weather. I’m not familiar with some of the styles mentioned and will look them up. Thanks for all the imput.
RR
Barefeet to neoprene
Where we paddle i step into the water - its still ok but soon will turn too cold to step in and stay warm without some form of foot warmth protection. The only thing that works for stepping into water for me is the Chota Mukluk lites with socks for controlling the odor. Yes my feet tend to sweat unfortunately but once out - i stuff the boots with paper to absorb the moisture - a couple of changes and then they are dry and dont reek.
If you want dry feet…
you’ll get a lot of suggestions to find a different activity. But for most situations the mukluk style boots will do it unless of course you capsize, the problem being they are way to hot for warm weather. Good way to get athelete’s foot.
Sandals/Bare Feet
I usually wear sandals until I get in the boat then I take them off. I also like a towel in the floor of the boat to protect my heals and soak up water drops.
Very short shoulder season for booties
I find that in my region there is a very short shoulder season in the spring and fall when it’s too cold for sandals and not cold enough yet (both water and air temperature) for mukluks. So my booties almost never get used, although I might bring them along in case they’re needed.
If the water is warm enough I wear some type of fast-drying sandals. Otherwise I wear knee-length neoprene mukluks, which are waterproof. However, they’re bulky and can get hot. Also they make it a bit harder to exit the kayak.
Not many choices
The only ways my feet have stayed dry while paddling are these:
- Wear Chota Mukluks over thin wicking socks (wool is best for this).
- Wear a drysuit with Gore-tex feet over wicking socks. Then a neoprene bootie over those; I use the above-the-ankle kind.
All other footwear wets my feet.
Crocs have worked well in summer because even though the feet get wet, the shoes are open and let feet dry when out of the kayak. However, these offer almost NO insulation for colder times of the year.
Next best are the old-model-year Teva Protons with mesh tops. I love these shoes. But your feet will still be wet inside the kayak. They do let air and sun get to feet when out of the boat, which is nice on a warm day.
Closed Cell Foam
I’ve never carried a towel while kayaking but have found the bare hull uncomfortable on my heels also. For several years I’ve brought along a section of 1/2 inch closed cell foam to rest my feet on. It fits in every boat and absorbs no water so it dries quickly on the way home. Either barefoot or with shoes it’s much more comfortable than the bare hull.
I second Crocs
Not sure how appropriate they are specifically for sea kayaking because they have a loose fit and might easily be lost in the water, but I wear them all the time for lake kayaking. The best thing about them is that they have a built in heel pad.
Wet sport
I think your problem is not what you are wearing on your feet, but where you are choosing to kayak.
I bet you have been kayaking on water. Do your hands get a bit wet also?
You can keep quite dry doing your kayaking in your garage or your yard, and also keep from scratching your boat.
Protons
are no longer being sold by Teva. I had a pair and liked them until they started peeling apart after a few days on the river. Teva replaced Protons with the new Nilch model and that’s what I got as a replacement.
They are not a decent water shoe due to the poor quality material used for the upper. The upper doesn’t have enough grip and allows the shoe to slip around on the foot when wet.
Teva is trending toward other markets and has forgotten about kayakers that want shoes instead of sandals.