Wetsuit boots for winter SUPing

[supcymru]

I went out on Sunday morning for a flat water paddle. It was a beautiful winter's morning here in Wales, UK, with a great sunrise! I noticed that my toes got cold quickly. Air temperature was -1*C and sea temperature at the moment is 8*C.
I wear a pair of 5mm Xcel Infinity split toe boots which are normally fine when SUSing. I was wondering how much difference a pair of 7mm Xcel Infinity round toe boots would make? After reading similar posts here on the Zone, another option is a pair of dive boots e.g Typhoon Surfmaster 6.5mm zipped boots.  I like the idea of zipped boots (they should be less of a wrestle than getting my regular boots off!!) but would the zip let in water and be colder than my 5mm boots?
Advice is always appreciated!!
Diolch!!

[hbsteve]

From all the posts here and winter glove vs mitten information--get rid of the split toe.
I have a pair of xcel dive boots.  The zipper doesn't open like a jacket.  It has a wetsuit piece from one side to the other.  Water will only come in from the top.

[supthecreek]

I agree with hbsteve about zippered boots in the surf... easy on/off and less expensive than the constrictor surf booties. I wear 5 mm zipper boots to surf all winter in New England.

Flat-water is another matter altogether.... much harder to keep your feet warm in cold weather.

I found boots that really do a much better job than anything made for surf:
5mm Neosport Explorer Boots
buy them 2 sizes too big and wear thick warm socks under them. (only up to size 13)

They are tall (just below knee) to allow you to walk out to launch depth without letting water any in.
2 pair of thick socks insulate your foot from the cold

When I get home, they peel off with no effort and my socks are dry... feet warm.

They are comfortable and well built.... and double nicely as snow boots

[mrbig]

+1 on the explorer UGH boots! Dry and warm with sox, and yeah I wear a drysuit for flat water here in New England.

My last paddle was on Pleasant Bay in ice with a bonus flow in the middle where all of the currents meet. It was about the size of half a football field. PERFECT glass with steam rising off the ice, and lots of wildfowl. Quiet, Zen Pure Water Paddle Practice...

[Bean]

MB and STC, how do the explorers perform if you happen to fall in?  Do you have to drain them or are they as snugg as regular wetsuit boots?  They do seem practical for a back bay paddle.

HBSteve, I have to say I like split toe boots for surf.  In the 5 and 3 mm they keep the lower foot from twisting especially if you have narrow feet.   In 7mm, round toe is ok since they are relatively stiff.

[hbsteve]

Bean--That makes sense.  Since the question was about cold feet and flat water paddling, I was responding accordlingly (I thought).  Ops.

[stoneaxe]

I need to get a pair of those neos from JimK. In the meantime add a pair of wool socks to the boots you have now. I have both round toe and split toe...my Mom knit me a pair of split toe wool socks....love you Mom.....my feet are definitely warmer with them.

[supthecreek]

Bean... they are definitely "back bay" flat-water equipment.... I wouldn't wear them in the ocean.
Water will enter if you fall in... it can be minimized I suppose, if you crank the top cinch tight... but that would be to uncomfortable for me.
Worst case? You have water in wetsuit boots.
It could possibly be a problem if you are thin, because there is a lot of loose space around the ankles, so they could get heavy and make things a bit more dangerous if you fell in and lost your board at the same time.

My legs are big enough that they are naturally snug around my calf muscles, so I have never had, more than a dribble sneak in, if I stepped into a deep spot and went over the top.

Since you have thin feet, you may want to stick with 1 size bigger.... my feet are x-wide so I go 2 sizes bigger to provide room for thick socks.

Stoney, I agree.... in the past, I have worn socks in regular wetsuit boots, to hold water close to my feet, long enough to warm up some and provide extra warmth
Explorers only make to size 13, you may find them a bit of a squeeze... but then maybe not.... I'm wearing your old Teva's right now

I am going to order these socks (see pics) now, since I have a larger pair of Explorer boots on the way. They are suppose to be really good at holding onto body heat and providing a better thermal barrier... I will review after I get to try everything out.


Note:
Explorer boots make excellent snow boots.... I always use them if shoveling in deep snow, when other boots are too short. They have excellent grip on slippery ground as well.

[stoneaxe]

13 should work. I'm a 12. Maybe I should just get them now...I need some new snow boots too....

[mrbig]

Skinny guy report.

With a drysuit there are no issues at all because of the seals.

I did fall in last year wearing a wetsuit with the boots on the outside and all that happened is that the first four inches of socks got slightly damp. No issues at all!

And from the theater of the absurd; I like to experiment to see what WILL happen as opposed to theoretical speculation, I wore them surfing in 34 degree water on the outside of my wetsuit.

Surprise - they filled up with water and got kinda heavy!

Warm as toast though! They are designed for hardcore kayak guys and are AWESOME for winter ice paddling.

My Kamik boots are far superior for running the snow blower and ice chipping however...

[spookini]

With a drysuit there are no issues at all because of the seals.

'Cept for... sharks?

[supcymru]

Thanks for all of your replies! I've had a look for the 5mm Neosort Explorer boots but they don't seem to be available here in the UK (without paying high delivery costs from abroad).
I've found these boots available - THERMOFLEX FLEX SOLE DIVE BOOT 6.5MM. They look like your boots, hbsteve, and I like the fact that they have a 'barrier' behind the zip. Could be just the job!

[supcymru]

hbsteve, I forgot to ask about sizing. Do these boots fit true to size and also does the 6.5mm keep your feet warm in cold water similar to the conditions that I paddle in here in winter? I presume that the 6.5mm should be fine without the need to go larger and wear a pair of socks?
Thanks again!

[hbsteve]

That is a trick question.  First, I have left foot drop.  If my foot gets cold it cramps really bad.  When I wear the 6.5mm,
most of the time the air and water are in the upper 50'sF and I'm still wearing only boardshorts on the bottom.  My legs might be cool.  But my feet stay warm.
Since you are comfortable with 5mm split toe for surfing and are probably wearing a wetsuit, you might be ok.
I usually wear a 9 or 9 1/2 shoe.  The Xcel's I have are size 10.

[esskay1000]

I have these from Camaro and they've been awesome

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/camaro-65-mm-explorer-deluxe-dive-boots~p~1163u/

Sierra Trading Post runs tons of crazy coupons and you can get them for much cheaper than that, I think I paid about $30.  I wear NRS Hydroskin socks with them and it makes for a bomb proof and very warm system for my feet. I routinely paddle in 0 to 10 degrees (F) weather with no issues