Water shoes

[collegemom912]

This is our first trip to the Carribean. Should we get water shoes to have with us for swimming and snorkeling. We will be visiting Roatan, Belize city, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

 

Thanks

[mrsfuzzmo]

If your snorkeling, you'll be wearing fins. If you'll be just beach walking, I'd suggest wearing sport sandals. Much better than the old "water shoes" or "Aqua Socks". http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/15336248/c/53313.html

 

Something like this:http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/12953336/c/585.html

 

This type of thing works better in my opinion. the sand doesn't accumulate in the bottom and they are great for walking off the beach and into town as well.

[caribbean dreams]

I never wear fins when snorkeling and have never needed to wear my water shoes while snorkeling at any of those ports.

[scubaduba]

Henderson makes a neoprene upper rubber nonskid soled bootie called the octopus. It has an octopus design on the bottom of the sole. I own two pair of these. I use rear entry fins so I dive with booties. I like this set up because it allows me to get in and out of my fins quickly and they are certainly easier to get them on. I also wear them when I go white water rafting. Plus you can wear the booties in between dives/snorkeling/beaching ect. I like wearing them anywhere there is alot of exposed feet contact. (locker rooms, boat decks, ect.):cool:

[booth22]

If you want some shoes to wear in port and have for wet conditions, check out Adidas Mamba or Adidas Hellbender, they're comfy dry or wet.

[booth22]

oops... it should have read Adidas Mali not Mamba?!?

[collegemom912]

Thanks for all the info. I wish I'd thought of this during the summer months

[jandn]

You can find lots of information on water shoes on these threads:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=422935

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=399100

[jandn]

Here's another thread with lots of information about water shoes:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=399092

[Jacqueline]

As long as you are on sandy beaches, you can keep it simple with bare feet or flip flops.

The only cruise destinations that I found it important to have foot protection on the beach was Tahiti.

[Lsimon]

I have sensitive feet and have problems walking on rocky beaches, let alone getting into and out of the water on reefy beaches. You should also be aware that some beaches have sea urchins and other animals in the water you might want water shoes to avoid.

 

If I'm swimming on anything less than clean sand beaches I wear water shoes. If we're snorkeling from shore in an area where it may be rocky I use open heel fins that fit over the water shoes so we can wear just the water shoes into the water and then put the fins on over them.

 

If we are snorkeling from an excursion boat, I usually don't take fins, and use the ones they provide. I have some thin neoprene socks (sold at many dive stores and online sites) to help protect my feet and ankles from chaffing against the fins. I think the full foot fins are much more comfortable with these and they are very small and easy to carry. I've also heard that plain old socks work OK too.

 

I prefer the smaller rental/or excursion full fit fins to the open heel fins, as I find them easier to use. But I still take the open heel fins and water shoes where entry into the water is rocky. I'm thinking of leaving these behind on our next cruise as they are bulky to pack and everyplace we're snorkeling rents or provides them. Even at the rocky beaches we should be able to rent open heel fins - as they rent dive equipment too where we're going.