From the abalone divers of the North Coast to the fish watchers scurrying down the cliffs at Goldfish Point, La Jolla, San Diego, we California divers do more beach diving than anybody else in the world. We have fantastic coastal waters and we love to explore them, even if it is a bit of effort.

Beach diving in general does not require any special dive gear. For maximum comfort you will want to streamline and use a BC that allows you to carry your tank with more comfort over greater distance above water, but you can, for the most part, use the same gear you use for boat diving, with one possible exception&emdash;footwear.

If you've been beach diving over sharp rocks, you know what I mean. Ouch! While there are a lot of good, tough dive boots on the market today, only one recent introduction offers true arch support, the Seasoft TiPRO dive boot.

The TiPRO boot is the first dive boot to offer a true, full athletic cushioned sole, much as you would find in a high-quality cross-trainer athletic shoe. Think about it, walking with full scuba gear, even for a short distance, is very hard on your feet. You have an added 40 to 80 pounds of weight added! Add to this the a diver is destabilized both by the weight of the gear and a rocking boat or unsteady slippery rocks and you know you need better dive footwear. The Seasoft TiPRO boot was built with this in mind. The sole forms a sturdy but cushioned pocket for the foot. And the bottom of the sole is ultra non-skid.

Additional add-ons make this a great dive boot. There is abrasion resistant material on both the heels and top of the feet to the toes, the areas where a fin is most likely to rub. On the heel is a fin strap retainer. A zipper makes the boot easy to get on and off. This zipper is well designed. First, it is built on the outside of the boot so as to force the two sides closer together. This also rubs on the leg much less. The zipper is backed by a full gusset of neoprene, attached on both sides, which prevents cold water seepage. Finishing off the zipper assembly is a velcro retainer so the zipper does not creep down during the dive. This is the most well designed zipper I've ever seen on a dive boot.

Neoprene material used for the boots construction is an advanced titanium. This affords better heat retention. Nylon lining is inside and out and all seams are sewn inside and out. Nylon seam tape finishes off the top of the boot. This makes for a better seal and keeps the raw neoprene from pinching at the leg hairs.

The boot is a little heavier than your average dive bootie, but not as much as you'd expect. After all, think about how lightweight they are making athletic shoes these days. In the water they are slightly more buoyant than the average boot. As for flexibility in the water, they are a bit stiffer, but I felt it was well worth the trade off for the stability on land. If you are considering these boots, bring your fins when you try them on. The athletic sole does take up extra room in the foot pocket and having your fins there will give you an idea if this is an issue.

The Seasoft TiPRO boots are made by Watermark Scuba, Inc. and are available at many dive stores in California. For a Watermark dealer near you, visit the Watermark website at www.watermark1.com. or call (800) 939-5510.