Here is a question we get with surprising frequency from divers renting our wetsuits. It is, “Do the tops of the wetsuit boots go over the legs of the wetsuit or underneath them?” The answer is, “It depends.”
- If diving in colder water, you will most likely want your wetsuit boots tucked under the bottoms of your suit legs. This way, as you swim forward through the water, there will be less of a tendency for cold water to be scooped into the boots. It also helps prevent the wetsuit boot zippers from becoming accidentally unzipped.
- If diving in warmer water — like Blue Grotto — it probably makes little difference. Older divers, in particular, seem to prefer wearing their boots on the outside. This is because, with age, often comes a limited range of motion. Not having to tuck your wetsuit boots inside the suit legs just makes things easier.
Another way to deal with a limited range of motion is to switch to low-cut wetsuit boots. This may leave a bit of ankle exposed, but, again, in 72° F water, this makes little difference.
It’s worth noting that very few divers can be comfortable in the Grotto wearing anything less than a full-length wetsuit that’s at least 5 mm thick. This is what our rental suits are, and very few people say they get cold wearing them.