OK, so the next question (with winter coming) how about booties? Do you wear them? Which ones are good. I've broken the same toe twice in 6 months. Starting to wonder if I should wear them all the time.

Yep. I wear booties. Every time I try without them I cut my feet, or get blisters. I also like the extra grip on the board, and the tighter fit in the straps (that can cause big problems though). Rip curl make good ones.

I brought a pair of O'Neal boots for last winter and have not sailed with out them since! Just pick up a new pair of west boots yesterday and used them today and they were even better as they have no holes to let sand into them, the O'Neal one had 3 holes on each side.

I really like the O'neill Heat, which i have used several pairs of both in 5 and 7 mm. However i would note that they by no means provide bare-foot feeling. But they are as warm and comfortable as i have tried.
This winter i tried some rip curl, which turned out horrible. Water is leaking in and out so they are very cold. They advertise that they are dry within 15 minutes. Of course I took this with a grain of salt, but after two weeks of no surf and having them open by a toilet paper roll they still weren't dry. I contacted rip curl. Whose reply was: "what did you expect, it's not magic?" Seriously... WTF?

Best driving shoes I have ever worn.

No. I'm serious. Almost as good as bare feet. Remember when people used to change gears? It's like that but warmer.

They occasionally bunch up under-foot, but overall they're better than nothing. I've cut myself up too too many times to wear nothing anymore.

Oh look! There's a fish book in my foot! Again. Ha ha.

Just be careful the first time you sail again without booties, because you'll slip just when you're going the fastest and you're at your most aggre... ARPBHHHHPBANGGGPOOOWWWWWFFFTP!!! And now you've. Stopped.

Booties; best driving shoes you can go boating in.

I've got a pair of flying objects boots. Cheap and fit for purpose. There is no alternative to booties if you sail on Morton Bay. There are too many rocks and shellfish. My only gripe is that mud / sand gets in through the drain holes.

Always, all year long, and my feet love me for it.

Want to go to Maui to windsurf? Without booties or reef shoes, your trip can be ruined on the first day by kicking a coral head.

The best boots by far are the ION Balistic socks, really warm but they give the feeling of sailing barefoot, only downside is they won't last as long as conventional winter boots.

MattDowse do you not find that the ones without holes fill up with water?? Do you put your boots underneath your wetsuit?

So how cold does the water get out there in winter? Gets as low as a couple of degrees above freezing here.

Fit is critical, since there is not much selection where I live I had Amazon deliver 3 pairs, kept the good ones and sent two back.
The really thin ones you can have em fit tight like a glove but the sole is also thinner and doesn't provide much protection from sharp coral and rocks.
I ended up with Oneill psychofreak 3.5mm, my feet are a bit narrow and not so tall above the arch and these fit the tightest. If your feet are wide most brands will fit good. Mine are split toe, without a split toe your toes will become jammed in the front of the bootie.
These have a strap at the top and one over the arch area, I could not imagine using booties without the straps, too much water and sand would pour in, as it is they end up with a lot of water trapped in them. I have an idea to have little one way valve thingies along the sides like a scupper valve on a boat that would let the water out but not in. Even good fitting booties will sometimes fill up with water and look and feel like clown shoes.
I have used Vibram 5 finger booties, they work really well but let a lot of sand in if you spend a lot of time floundering around with your feet on the bottom of the ocean like me.

tried wearing them a couple of times but just didn't like the loss of feeling from the board.
I'm prepared to sacrifice my feet to the cold and sharp odds and ends for the superior control and feel.

I still look upon those who cruise across the sharp rocks to and from the water in their booties with envy though.

You don't get the feel of the board with boots makes it hard to get in & out of foot straps they fill with water & grit so I hate them I get cuts as I sail at Wello its very hard on your feet but you can learn to be careful just tread lightly I know where the reefs are.

used to wear booties but it only took a few months before my toes punch thru on an Okespore .. nice booties but then a fellow windsurfer always asked me why not do it barefoot and I thought why not..it's been 2 seasons now without using one although deep or slight cuts got over it and earned callouses which only takes about 10 sessions trudging sand and walking around barefoot.. one thing I've noticed is extra feel on the board and an extra pinky can hold on to a strap if board suddenly gets out of control in chop..curling your feet forward seems to be extra helpfull as well

IMO the extra feel or control you may gain without booties is strictly a personal thing. For instance I always wear gloves doing my plumbing and construction work, lot's of guys have told me they couldn't get the feel for things wearing gloves so had to go without. The truth is, it was like that at first for me too but after a while I got used to it and it feels weird to work without them now. Should be the same with booties.

Select to expand quote

Beaglebuddy said..

IMO the extra feel or control you may gain without booties is strictly a personal thing. For instance I always wear gloves doing my plumbing and construction work, lot's of guys have told me they couldn't get the feel for things wearing gloves so had to go without. The truth is, it was like that at first for me too but after a while I got used to it and it feels weird to work without them now. Should be the same with booties.

+1, exactly, just adjust your straps, and you can remove that worthless volcano pad around the universal as well, no need for it.
One thing though, the split toe booties kinda suck, they can hurt inside the footstraps, get the round toe versions.

what do people think - will they stop me breaking my toes?

depends how you break em - stop kicking the mast

here i wear booties for clams n rocks
for the cold, still have not found a preferred brand
this summer (in Canada) i will try a new methodology
purchased a Speedo mesh back pack
the idea is to wear booties up to waist deep water - nice n protected
put in the backpack and go off with "feeling"
have heard of others in the area putting them in a bag and tethering them with a rock
that sounds like others better be aware - or the floating bags could be a hindrance

OK Sputnik, been holding off replying to this thread for sometime but here goes. Personally I hate booties, the only analogy I can draw is that it is like having sex with a condom. You lose the true sensation of what the real thing should feel like. if you know where you are putting your body parts are safe then why would you do it to yourself. If conditions require it, like your board and straps are dirty and have had plenty of owners or if you feel you need it for extra staying time then go for it.

If where you sail is full of reef or barnacles then probably not a bad idea. If it is cold then feet should not be the major concern, get a neoprene hoodie and before you know it you will be hoping you stuff up a gybe or jump just to get wet and to cool down.

How do you keep breaking your toe???? Can you just tape it up to the ones next to it?

Having said all the above, I am learning to kite surf at the moment and given that I am a muppet at kiting, I do lots of walking back up wind and am concerned about stepping on crabs or cobblers, hence I currently use booties and hate it. Can't wait to get better and get the whole up wind thing sorted so I can ditch the booties.

Select to expand quote

Sputnik11 said..

what do people think - will they stop me breaking my toes?

It depends how tightly fitting they are. If they are thin booties and are stretched tightly over your feet so your toes are right to the front then perhaps not but if they are thicker split toe booties and fit more like a pair of shoes with a small gap in front of the toes then quite probably.

Dont get the Pryde ones as my toe always hits the end will try the oneil or flying objects next.
once you get used to them they are fine. Lots of extra grip just have your straps really big.

i think the pair i bought were crap, suppose you get what you pay for

i like the idea of snug fitting split toes ones