Scuba Vs Surf booties? Is there an important difference?

[drewbabich]

I 'm gonna buy my first pair of 7mm winter booties and I am gonna buy scuba booties because they have them at campmore for only $35, unless there is a reason I need surfing booties and not scuba.

Are surfing booties better to swim in or stand on.

Description of them:

The 7MM NeoSport Zipper bootie is a great entry level wetsuit boot. Features a YKK side zipper for easy entry/exit and a W.E.B (Water Entry Barrier) that insures water will not enter through zipper.

7mm Neoprene Upper
Durable traction sole
Big beefy YKK zipper
W.E.B. Water Entry Barrier

[dafoink]

I both scuba and surf. and I have different booties for the activities. Normally, the scuba booties have thicker soles and arent quite as tight as surf booties.

pro's
- they are normally cheaper than surf booties.

Con's
- the thick sole makes it harder to feel the deck
- your feet could slosh around in the boot a bit more causing you to slide inside the boot.
- they arent as flexible. diving, you dont need the flexibility that you would doing something like surfing

[tony g]

I agree with the last post. You want your surf booties to be tight with minimul water leakage and a botttom that you can still feel your surfboard. You want to be light on your feet and warm at the same time. You also do not want to wear heavy type dive boots. You would not wear logging boots to play basketball in. Saving a little money is not always the best way to go. Get something that will work well. I would not skimp on the booties your feet are controlling your surfboard and good booties make a huge difference.

[billie_morini]

Agree with the two posts above. Due to the reasons they cite, scuba boots would be horrible for surfing. A sales guy in a dive shop tried to sell some scuba botos one time. Even though I was new to surfing, I could tell once I had his boots on that they would be bad. He, apparently, was not a surfer. Or he was unscroupulous because he said they'd be great for surfing. After that I got some thin split toe surfing booties and have been very happy

[jaffa1949]

Go on take it to extremes! the next step is to go surfing in gumboots

Dive boots are just that, wear them and you will immediately confirm why the surf split toe boot was invented.

[drewbabich]

Thanks guys. Went with your advice and got 7mm split toe surf booties. 40 degree water, 45 degree raining weather with wind and still warm enough.

Best part, first wave I actually caught I was as comefortable in the booties as I would be barefoot. Heck maybe more comefortable. They felt like a second skin.

Now getting them off at the end of the day. That was a pita!

Great advice. I appreciate it.

[Snowfade]

What about for scuba diving, are surf booties a good idea? (Even without fins)

[jaffa1949]

Of course you can use surf booties for scuba diving but they won't wear as well scuba booties where the fins rub and why would you scuba dive without fins
Most equipment for water sports is sport specific , booties are not athletic cross trainers