Dive Boots & Socks

Boots and socks are the kit divers think about last and complain about most. This range runs from thin lycra donning socks and neoprene slippers, through zipped wetsuit boots, to hard-soled shore-diving boots and lace-up drysuit boots, plus the thermal undersocks that go inside a drysuit. Brands are Fourth Element, Waterproof, Bare, Beuchat, Aqualung, Apeks, TUSA and Santi. Oyster Diving is a dive centre as well as a shop, so ask someone who has worn them.

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Boots, shoes and socks: what the difference actually is

Almost everything on this page does one of three jobs. A zipped neoprene boot keeps your foot warm and gives you a sole to walk on. A neoprene shoe or slipper does the same with less bulk, for warm water and beach use. A sock adds warmth or cuts friction, either under a boot or inside a drysuit. Most divers end up owning two of the three.

Zipped neoprene boots

This is the bulk of the range. The Beuchat SIROCCO Sport and SIROCCO Elite use a G-Lock zip with a double sleeve behind it. The Waterproof B1 and B2 are semi-dry designs with a long zip and a Glideskin seal, built to cut down how much water moves through. The TUSA SS Dive Boots keep it simple: rubber sole, YKK zip, jersey lining. Bare's S-Flex boots place the zip low with a wide gusset so you can get a cold, stiff foot into them without a fight, and the Aqualung Superzip thickens the panels over the heel, toe and instep for divers who are hard on their kit.

Shoes and slippers

The Fourth Element Rock Hopper is a low-cut neoprene shoe with a natural rubber outsole and a smoothskin ankle seal. It is made for clambering over rock and still works in an open-heel fin thanks to heel reinforcement and a strap retainer. The Beuchat Aquashoes are lighter again, with a heel loop to pull them on, mesh sides that drain and a removable insole, and are aimed at snorkelling and the beach rather than kitted diving. The Beuchat Sirocco Sports Socks sit between the two: neoprene slippers with Supratex reinforcement over the sole.

Socks

Waterproof Donning Socks are thin lycra, and their job is to let your foot slide down a wetsuit leg instead of sticking halfway. They also stop barefoot fins rubbing. Waterproof B2 Neoprene 2mm Socks have a long stem and are meant to be worn under a neoprene boot. The Fourth Element Thermocline Fin Sock is the neoprene-free alternative, sitting under boots and helping with donning at the same time.

Matching boots to your fins

Open-heel fins need a boot, and the boot changes your fin size. A bulky cold-water boot will not go into a foot pocket sized for a thin one. If you already own fins, bring them in or tell us which ones you have before you order.

Several boots here carry a heel ridge or fin tab to stop the strap riding up off the heel: Bare's S-Flex and Ultrawarmth boots, the Waterproof B1, and the Fourth Element Pelagic, Amphibian and Rock Hopper. It is a small detail that matters a great deal if you have ever lost a fin on a giant stride. Full-foot fins are the other case, and there you want a sock rather than a boot, thin enough to stop chafing without changing the fit of the pocket.

Warmth, wet and dry

Diving wet

In a wetsuit your feet go cold because water keeps moving through the boot, not simply because the neoprene is thin. That is the reasoning behind the semi-dry construction on the Waterproof B1 and B2, the double-glued and blindstitched seams on Bare's Ultrawarmth boots, and the thermal transfer layer in the Apeks Thermiq. If your boots are already thick and your feet still go numb, adding a thin sock underneath usually does more than buying thicker boots.

Diving dry

Drysuit divers are choosing an undersock, not a boot. The Fourth Element Xerotherm Socks are a single wicking fleece layer for wearing alone or under something warmer. The Arctic Socks are the two-layer option that matches the Arctic undersuit. The Hotfoot Pro is the heaviest, with fleece under the sole and a water-resistant outer running to mid calf. Santi Primaloft Socks use Primaloft Silver insulation and are shaped to keep bulk down. Bulk is the thing to watch, because a sock that packs out the suit's boot restricts circulation and leaves your feet colder rather than warmer.

If your drysuit takes a separate hard boot, the Aqualung EVO4 is a mid-height lace-up on a Vibram Megagrip sole, originally designed for military and professional use.

Sizing and fit

Boot sizing is not consistent between brands, and it does not reliably track your shoe size either. Buy for a snug fit with no dead space at the toe or over the instep. A loose boot pumps water and rubs; a boot you have to force on cuts off circulation and defeats the point. TUSA note that you should go up two sizes on the SS Dive Boot if you are buying it to wear inside a drysuit, which is a useful reminder that a boot bought for one job may not do the other.

Try boots with the socks you will actually dive in, and with your fins if you can get them to us. Oyster Diving is a dive centre as well as a shop and our staff dive this kit in UK water, so if you are between sizes or unsure whether a boot will clear your fin pockets, ask before you order.

Frequently asked questions

Which dive boot and sock brands does Oyster Diving stock?

Aqualung, Apeks, Bare, Beuchat, Fourth Element, Santi, TUSA and Waterproof. The zipped boots and shoes come from Aqualung, Apeks, Bare, Beuchat, Fourth Element, TUSA and Waterproof. The socks, both neoprene and thermal, come from Beuchat, Fourth Element, Santi and Waterproof. Stock and sizing move around, so if you want a particular model in a particular size, contact the shop and we will check before you order.

Do I need boots, or will socks do?

Your fins decide it. Open-heel fins need a boot: the foot pocket is sized to take one, and the strap needs a heel to sit against. Full-foot fins want a thin sock instead, such as the Waterproof B2 Neoprene 2mm Socks or the Fourth Element Thermocline Fin Sock, which stop chafing without changing the fit of the pocket. If you shore dive at all, you want a boot with a proper sole regardless of what your fins prefer.

Which boots suit shore diving over rock and slipway?

Look for a moulded or vulcanised outsole rather than a thin slipper sole. The Fourth Element Amphibian was built around regular shore diving, with a hardwearing moulded outsole and a stable footbed. The Fourth Element Rock Hopper does the same job in a lower-cut shoe with a natural rubber outsole. Bare's S-Flex boots use non-slip vulcanised soles, and the Aqualung Superzip adds thickened panels over the heel, toe and instep. If you dive dry, the Aqualung EVO4 is a lace-up drysuit boot on a Vibram Megagrip sole.

What should I wear inside a drysuit?

An undersock, not a dive boot. Fourth Element Xerotherm Socks are a single wicking fleece layer you can wear alone or under something warmer. The Fourth Element Arctic Socks are the two-layer option that matches the Arctic undersuit. The Hotfoot Pro is the heaviest in that range, with fleece under the sole and a water-resistant outer running to mid calf. Santi Primaloft Socks use Primaloft Silver insulation and are cut to keep bulk down. Bulk is the thing to watch: a sock that packs out the suit's boot restricts circulation and leaves your feet colder, not warmer.

How should dive boots fit, and will they change my fin size?

Snug, with no dead space at the toe or over the instep. A loose boot pumps water through and rubs; a boot you have to force on will cut off circulation and make your feet cold. And yes, boots change fin sizing. A bulky cold-water boot will not go into a foot pocket sized for a thin one, so buy boots and fins together where you can, or bring your fins into the shop. Sizing is not consistent between brands. TUSA advise going up two sizes on the SS Dive Boot if you are buying it to wear inside a drysuit.

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