Hi - I'm looking for opinions of those who switch between wearing and not wearing booties throughout the year. I was recently told that booties do wear out the deck pad and grip, which makes switching to non-booties a slippery affair. I'm looking at using booties around the peel inlet region and have crabaphobia, but won't always be sailing there. Is this the case? once you go bootie you'll never go nudie?
I received some very good advise from a very seasoned windsurfer in his 70s. Choose one way or the other, either wear boots or go nude but do it 100% of the time. This way you don't have to adjust footstraps or sailing style
I only wear boots regularly since sailing off the muddy, stony, shelly, things that pass for a "beach" in Morton bay. If I sail off a real beach I go nude (feet, that is), cos I like the feeling better. I just take the straps in half an inch. Doesn't bother me.
I wear boots almost all the time ..on the rare occasions I'm a nude-foot I haven't found the deck pads slippery, so I don't think it's a big issue.
Same here, I always wear booties. Protects my feet on the board and protects my feet when walking my equipment to and from the water. The key is to find very comfortable, low profile booties, that you don't fumble over, and you will love them.
I wear boots all the time. Grip on the deck is much better. It's warmer. My feet are protected from rocks and shells and stuff, and from chafing from the straps.
My all time favourite boots are the Neil Pryde Low Cut Round.
http://www.npsurf.com/products/protective/boots/origin/origin-lc-round.html
They're high enough that you can tuck your wetsuit legs into the top, but low enough that they dry quickly and don't look too naff with boardies.
The new high end Mission models are not as good because the ankle is too low cut.
The worst thing ever is getting shells inside your boot. It's really painful if they get between your toes and a bugger to get out. The cause is standing flat footed in the shore break allowing the wave to bag your boot and let the sand and stuff get in. You need to do a little hop so your feet are not on the bottom when the waves hits.
Avoid split toe boots. They tear in about a week. Round toe or internal/hidden split toe is fine.
Also avoid very low cut reef shoes if you have to walk across a sandy beach. Sand and crap gets in no matter what you do. They're fine if you walk across a ... reef. 
I have worn booties for the first time ever this winter, just couldnt stand my feet turning into stumps anymore.
Was pleasantly surprised and a convert. As soon as the water warmed up a bit back to nudie. You only have to adjust your straps twice a year, not a hard thing for warm feet and in Sydney its only for about 3 months of the year. I got some NP 3mm internal split toe, super comfy and made a huge difference.
I wear booties all the time in the estuary, (on my speed gear), that bottom just doesn't fell nice.
But in reality they're probably just a psychological crutch. I still got a cobbler sting through the bootie. Does help with the crab nibbles though, you just feel a bit of pressure no pain.
But I go without booties in the ocean on my wave gear, the straps are set up for this.
Thanks for your feedback everyone. I was hoping a few more were regularly switching between bootie and foot nudie but sounds like most are going one way or the other. Snorkel and KA43 sounds like you one of the few doing the switch. As I'm hoping to do a few more trips down to the estuary this year (watch out Mike), I'll probably have to commit to one or the other. I used a bootie many years ago when sailing in really cold conditions, but was happy to see the back of those days. My experience was probably tainted by the thick bootie which is unlike some of the thin booties around today. Not everybody likes a big bootie (sorry, couldn't help myself).
Select to expand quoteHeisenberg said..
>>As I'm hoping to do a few more trips down to the estuary this year >>>
Lets hope the weed grows then, looking pretty sad at the moment.
I've been wearing booties for the last 10 years for protection, before that I had several injuries on metatarsals and toe articulations, since then I haven't had any. I don't think I'll ever go barefoot again.
During this time, I haven't noticed any accelerated deck pad or grip wear on the different boards I've had.
I only wear booties if I have to – because being barefoot gives you the best connection with the board.
That's said, booties give better grip on worn out deck grit, they protect your feet on the beach and for toe damage on the board and, crucially, in cold climates they keep you warm.
To me, there is a sliding scale on many of those issues. In really cold weather, or for walking across sharp rocks, you do need boots, but I then choose the thinnest size that work.
In fact if it's not that cold then reef shoes, say made from 2mill neoprene, might be enough.
If it's snowing, then you might need 6mill neoprene booties, sealed to your wetsuit legs – but check the bootie soles aren't so thick that it's like wearing clogs.
The all-round compromise is to use 3mill boots which are made for windsurfing, without thicker 'lumpy bits' in the design.
I hate having to adjust footstrap size.
I sailed today and realised the straps were still in "winter bootie mode". A couple of minutes of adjustments on the water and all good.
First world problem??? 
