COld Feet and water safety

  Have been mulling over the dry suit/waders/wet suit  issue since our trip to Point No Point last Saturday, our feet were really cold,  we had NRS bib neoprene wet suit bottoms, with wading sandals over socks (Rob) and I had regular wet suit booties full of cold water.
    Has anybody come up with a decent solution?  I know the $500 or $1,000 kokatat dry suit has attached socks, but that neoprene (sorta bad) or latex neck seal (very bad) is really uncomfortable for my fat old neck, feels like my ex-wife's hands are around my neck, slowly squeezing the life outta me........the latex wrist seals on my Kokatat Tropos paddle jacket resulted in my hands getting horribly swollen due to lymph accumulation, they were real Frankenstein mitts for a whole day after.  I can imagine my purple-faced head slowly swelling until it pops like a squeezed grape if I were to have the latex neck gasket for any length of time.

  Have been mulling over the dry suit/waders/wet suit  issue since our trip to Point No Point last Saturday, our feet were really cold,  we had NRS bib neoprene wet suit bottoms, with wading sandals over socks (Rob) and I had regular wet suit booties full of cold water.
    Has anybody come up with a decent solution?  I know the $500 or $1,000 kokatat dry suit has attached socks, but that neoprene (sorta bad) or latex neck seal (very bad) is really uncomfortable for my fat old neck, feels like my ex-wife's hands are around my neck, slowly squeezing the life outta me........the latex wrist seals on my Kokatat Tropos paddle jacket resulted in my hands getting horribly swollen due to lymph accumulation, they were real Frankenstein mitts for a whole day after.  I can imagine my purple-faced head slowly swelling until it pops like a squeezed grape if I were to have the latex neck gasket for any length of time.

I have drysuit w/ attached socks and neoprene booties on top. If it's really cold I'll wear wool sock as a base and sticky heating pads on top.

I know what you mean about the latex seal on the wrists but leaving a soup can in them overnight can stretch them out and more comfy. Also the SuperNova line of drysuits have neoprene neck seals that are pretty damn comfy.

Z

My feet get really cold also due to poor circulation. The last trip out my feet were hurtin bad. If i could keep them dry it is not an issue.

My buddy Ralph got a pair of these boots and he loves 'em. as long as you don't overtop them with water your feet stay dry. I am thinking about getting a pair. This is the cheapest price I've found online. Ralph paid 70 bucks at our local Kayak Shop

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___45566

Hey CBY, if you went fishing in something more than a blue track suit you might stay warmer.


The key to warm feet for me is "loose".  If my shoes/boots/socks etc.. are too tight I get cold feet.  A thin wicking pair of socks covered by a thicker wool pair of socks does wonders for me.

Brian

i've been wearing my neoprene waders with a mysterioso base layer on underneath....im not too impressed with there sock design...the seam is in a bad place for pedaling...but i also wear my neoprene booties over all that...even if i get water in the feet i stay pretty warm...i did some self rescue practice runs on sunday in the sound by my house and wasn't too cold after the initial shock...i tell you what though when those waders do fill up with water is harder too walk on the ground lol...didn't seem to affect my self rescues

i wear the mysterioso shirt and a fleece jacket with a gore tex rain jacket over all of that

since my army days, freezing on gurad duty and a couple incidents of immersion foot in panama, ,my feet have really been susceptible to cold.

i found a set of wicking socks or sock liners, then a nice pair of wool socks, under my neoprenes, work pretty darn good. if i'm wade fishing in my neo's, i over top all that with a set of neoprene kayak booties i got at backpackers supply in tacoma, then put on a pair of oversized wading boots. nice and toasty. come to think of it, if you have a slightly larger set of waders or a slightly larger suit, you could wear the neo booties under the outer layer , too.

 btw, that great little store in tacoma has the same or similar boots CBY has linked us to here. for comprable price. 

guess, KT, the answer is, really, layering under the dry suit/ waders, and sometimes, a little more on the outside too.

Which Tacoma store would that be---the kayak supply on Tacoma Way?

Backpacker's Supply ... http://www.marmotmountain.com/store-tacoma.htm

-Allen

Which Tacoma store would that be---the kayak supply on Tacoma Way?

yes...

see allens link....

but, i think you being the old school fish yakker you are, you've been there before..

cannot say enough good about these folks. if they dont have it on hand, they can get it for you quick..

Their website leaves alot to be desired. Didn't see the boots on there. What was their price Rich?

geesh i think like $35.00 ?? been a while since i looked

also, check these out too, guys;
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0018146830359a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&No=126&Ntk=Products&QueryText=waders&sort=all&Go.y=9&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&Go.x=26&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

a bit more expensive, but would/should do the job nicely.

Their website leaves alot to be desired. Didn't see the boots on there. What was their price Rich?

well what their website lacks in snap crackle pop, their people and service more than make up for it. experience in every field they retail for far beyond the modest image of their business.

I haven't tried the Neosport boot, but I have something similar (minus the top strap) from Bog Boots. This is the 3rd winter in a row that they have been my primary boots in the snow! I don't put on the Sorels until it's below 0F. I haven't tried them with my waders, but I will.

I use 7mm dive booties, along with my 7mm farmer john. My feet would still get cold sometimes, so I bought a pair of these to wear under the booties.

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2342&src=related_items&refer=From-2406-To-2342

Now my feet stay about as warm as can be expected. I also got a pair of the Hydroskin gloves which I just love. For really cold days, I also wear a long sleeved hydroskin shirt with the farmer john. Over that goes the paddling jacket. The only problem with that, is if the sun comes out, it can get pretty warm. The best thing about the whole outfit is if I fall into the water. I am still comfortable, plus the added flotation makes it really easy to get back on the yak.

Dave

Just ran across Kokatat's new dry pants with "booties"---$160

New for 2009 the Kokatat Tempest Pant with Socks are a kayak fisherman's dream come true! Finally a paddle pant with socks built in so your feet can stay warm and dry - even when dangling over the side of your kayak. With a wide, secure neoprene waistband that keeps water out or can mate with a double skirted top, you can feel secure even if you take a swim. The Kokatat Tempest Pant with Socks also feature a "gravel guard" on the ankles to keep sand and debris out of your footwear. Unisex sizing. Color: Gray.

   Looks like these will mate pretty well with my kokatat dry top with skirt---first the fleece long johns, then the jacket, then the pants pulled up and over the jacket under-skirt, and snugged with the velcro, then the jacket over-skirt.  Must find someplace to try a dip to test the seal, that is warmer than 46 degrees, which is what we measured in the Sound last saturday.  Push comes to shove, I'll try it in Joel's hot tub, he's gone for a week and the temp is falling....