Re: [Paddlewise] Chotas again

> Would be interesting to know if anyone who now uses these boots has done
any
> wet re-entries or assisted re-entries with Chotas on.  Obviously when you
> swim them, any insulating airspace will fill immediately, and will be
heavy
> when raised above water level.  Am visualizing a wet re-entry for a
roll-up
> and wondering how they'd slide into either of my skiny boats.  An assisted
> re-entry or paddlefloat re-entry might be that much more challenging.
Anyone
> up for the challenge and report back?
>
> Jack Martin


Many of my winter paddling friends here in Boston wear one form or another
of the Chota Mukluks. We've done lots of wet re-entries - solo and assisted,
wearing the boots. In mildly cold water and really cold water (Boston,
Massachusetts in February/March). The boots do take on water - but not what
I would call "immediately". If you tighten the belt around your leg, the
rubber gasket at the top makes a seal that isn't perfect, but keeps the
water from being a flood. So your feet get "squishy" more than "sloshy". As
such, getting the boots out of the water is no big deal because they just
don't really weigh that much extra, nor do they seem to expand in volume
enough to worry about getting back into even a tight cockpit. In March this
year, one guy was in a really small cockpit British boat and spent about ten
minutes in the water before we could help him get back in. He was wearing a
good drysuit and his Chotas. His feet got wet, but getting him back into his
boat was not a problem and the insulation on his feet gradually warmed back
up.

Roger Voeller


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