California Diving News - Product Review: Henderson Hyperstretch Pull-on Dive Boot

Henderson Hyperstretch Pull-on Boot

I often make the mistake of showing my “diving age” (how long I have been diving) by the antiquated terms I use. You know, those neoprene things you wear over your feet when you are diving (not your fins but what you wear underneath)? For years I have been calling them “booties.” I suppose I should have figured out with the disco-era that a bootie was not the same as dive gear, even if I did shake them a bit underwater to get around.

Dive footwear has come a long way. Most commonly they are now referred to as “boots.” Even so, I don’t like that term. “Boots” conjures up an image of heavy-duty, butt-kicking, marching, or steer-roping footwear.

The Hyperstretch Pull-on Boot from Henderson has brought diving footwear to a new level. Boots is a misnomer. More appropriate would be Dive Athlete Shoes. (Admittedly, that sounds awful.) Henderson has married perfectly an athletic sole to a unique neoprene upper that makes for a dive shoe that you could not only comfortably swim in, but probably run in as well. Henderson is not the first to put an athletic sole on dive footwear—but what they have done is to put a sturdy but lightweight sole on this boot, making the shoe 20 percent lighter overall. The cushioning on the sole is excellent, with good arch support and heel padding. On the bottom is good no-slip tread as well. These dive boots are perfect for beach diving and scurrying around a slippery boat deck.

But what really makes these boots unique is its no-zipper design. Again, no-zipper dive boots have been around awhile but they have always been a bear to put on. Henderson uses its very special Hyperstretch neoprene material for the construction of its uppers. Hyperstretch neoprene has 4-way stretch capability that can stretch up to 250 percent of its original size. So with this dive boot it was easy to eliminate the zipper because they slip on and off so easily. Not only do they slip on easily, they also slip easily over wetsuit ankles. This assists sealing in of warm water in the wetsuit and ultimately preventing you from getting cold.

The main benefit of eliminating the zipper is that you eliminate another area of cold water intrusion. Also, boot zippers are notorious for getting clogged with sand and seizing up. No zipper—no moving parts to fail.

And finally, vulcanized heel and toe caps prevent excessive wear in these critical areas that rub with fin foot pockets and straps.

The Henderson Hyperstretch Pull-on Boot is available in 5 and 7mm thickness neoprene and sizes 5—13. Henderson also makes wetsuits, vests and hoods in the same soft and very pliable Hyperstretch material. For a dealer near you and more information, visit www.hendersonusa.com on the web or call.