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todvan

Flats Boots?

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I don't think you have to go quite that far, but a little common sense goes a long way. Everything out there defends itself one way or another - the saltwater environment is light-years removed from what you'll find in a farm pond. Even eel grass has tiny critters living on it that can produce an allergic reaction in some people. When I was diving, I wore my wet suit and dive boots, even in mid-summer. I'd learned the hard way that everything that could bite, cut, scrape, or sting had me in its crosshairs. BTW - the bacterial infections that Bob mentioned aren't limited to salt water. You can pick them up in fresh water as well. The run-of-the-mill "flesh-eating" bugs are bad enough, but there's a rarer fast-moving marine variety that can kill you in short order. It's a jungle out there, no matter how you look at it.

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I am one of the perverbial tourists and I guess I have been lucky all these years of vacationing in Fl. The worst thing that I have stepped on was a sand spur. I did start doing the 'ray shuffle' many years ago though. Sounds like those ray guards might be a good investment. I have looked at some of the flats boots and most don't have hard soles. I would think that hard soles would be much better protection from glass and urchins and coral. I have thought that flats boots with good soles would be good for wet wading in freshwater too. I have just not found what I thought were good enough to protect from the common glass shark

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Fly Fishin Jam;

 

I think you just need to know the water. If I wade the flats in he bay I find shuffling is enough with good heavy soles.

 

In the surf, you are bounced around. A wave will take you up and it's just a guess where you will put your foot down. The other thing with rays is the sting is almost always in the ankle. Soles won't help no matter what they are made of. Do a web search and you will see what I mean. Even some boots are not properly rated or suck as protection. Just as with ballistic vests.

 

I still maintain salt water sucks except for athletes foot or jock itch. It cures the shit r ight up.

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True about knowing the waters, i just about lept out of my boots a few times while focussed on fishing and a piece of seaweed has brushed against my leg. Boots are not going to help unless they are waist high for box jellyfish or 'sea wasps', those things can kill you very quickly, i am not sure what the solution is but maybe long pants help against that? I usually wade with shorts which probably has to change?

 

The boots i have now are 'mirage premium zipless boot 5mm' - as i said earier i love neoprene as it keeps the scratchy sand out.

 

http://www.scubadoctor.com.au/diveshop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=388

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flyfishinjam.....those look like a good option. Glue some felt on the soles and good for the creek too. How hard are they to get on and remove. I am an old fat man and this could be a problem for me and do you wear them over socks or just your bare foot?

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I've read through this thread - and I don't see an answer to the original question. I would also like to know.

 

If you have regular wading boots - are there any advantages to flats specific wading boots - or are you just as well off bringing your normal wading boots with neoprene socks?

 

Thanks in advance.

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I would think that regular wading boots would work fine though probably heavier than what one needs. For a few years I have been using canvas or nylon mesh running shoe with carpet glued to the soles for my local creeks. They work great....except for one thing, they fill with small gravel that is very uncomfortable to walk in. Painful in fact. I finally broke down and bought some wading boots and some gravel guards and the gravel problem went away. No more painful walking. The only draw back is the weight. The boods and gravel guards are way way heavier. Not sure which is more objectionable, the weight or the pain. As in most things in life. Everything is a compromise.

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Stiff soles and ankle protection just makes sense. Be prepared. Wear neoprene gaitors over any wading shoes you settle on. Bad things can and do happen in saltwater environs.

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I work on the water as a full time guide and recently did a bit of shopping for new deck shoes - not finding much these days at all (compared to when New Balance and Sperry combined to come up with a pretty good shoe for less than $100... ). This thread, though, is a very old one that specifically concerned shoes for wading -not for working or fishing on a skiff... two different propositions entirely...

 

Remember that the choices displayed in the article are most probably only those that advertise in the publication that listed them...

 

Good luck and post up what you choose and whether they met your needs...

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