Staying safe when going in mud

[Sinkman61]

Injecting water is a great idea. Thick mud flows very slowly. So any vacuum you form will still have to be filled before you can remove your foot. I once had the soles ripped clean off a pair of older combat boots I was wearing. Obviously they were old, but I certainly wasn’t expecting that. I don’t care how strong you think you are, you’re just not going to escape from the vacuum. Your best bet is to move your feet around slowly as you pull them up so mud will be pulled into the vacuum space, allowing you to go free. Often times, in really thick mud, you’re going to have to dig yourself out. I’ve had to do that on numerous sinks. This last Sunday’s quicksand adventure was no exception. I was shoulder deep and had to completely dig myself free. If not for that, I’d probably still be stuck there.

[mud_dreamer]

Here’s a picture of the boots I wear when I go mudding. They contain no metal parts so they won’t corrode like nearly every other boot will start doing. These were specifically made for professionals that work in mud and water all day long.

Sinkman61, what size NRS Workboot Neoprene Wetshoe Kayak Shoes would you recommend to me for Florida Estuary sinking?

I wear a size 9 1/2 - 10 tennis shoe. My feet are a little on the wide side. People claim that these boots run 1 size small.

Do you think that I should order a 10 or an 11?

I used to waterski and tight boots were part of the sport. My foot would go numb and cramp after 10 minutes in the boot. That would not be fun while sinking.

If an 11 was a little on the lose side what would be the downsides to that in the Florida mud?

[Sinkman61]

I wear a size 7.5 and ordered an 8. I got a perfect fit. These boots are hard to put on. That’s because the neoprene bootie on the inside has no zipper like most dive booties have. But that’s a good thing, as that’s usually the point of failure with dive booties. And they fail much faster when subjected to the riggers of mud. So, to put these booties on, first put water inside them. Then use a small amount of dish soap and soap up the heel area as well as where the tongue would be in regular boots. Do the same with your feet. Now they’ll pop right on, no having to fight them to get your feet inside. Then just lace them up. Once on good, there’s no amount of mud that’s going to pull these off your feet. And they’re really tough boots. Mine are on their third season. They’re the BEST mudding boots I’ve ever used, BY FAR! These boots were damn near made specifically for our use.

Order a half size up from your regular size and you’ll be perfect. I wouldn’t say they run small, but you certainly don’t want a pair of neoprene booties that are too tight in the foot because they’ll give you foot cramps. Also, you don’t wear socks with these. You put them on bare foot. Neoprene doesn’t leave any blisters so that’s not ever going to be an issue.

[Sinkman61]

One more note...these are neoprene booties with a work boot built onto them. That’s what makes them so damned rugged. They’re great for getting over any oyster shells that might get in your way. They’re really tough. Being a little loose isn’t going to be an issue because they lace up. Just make sure to tie a double knot on the laces so the mud doesn’t unlace them on you. There’s a Velcro strap that you then run over the top of the laces.

They’ll increase the amount of suction you’ll have to deal with, but certainly not to the point that they’ll actually trap you. The soles are appropriately sized for use with scuba diving fins, so they’re not oversized like hip boots and waders are. I won’t take anyone with me that shows up with those, as they create far too much suction. Considering that we have tides to contend with, you never want to get that stuck. When I go, I always take the tide into consideration in the planning phase so nobody, including myself, is ever put in any danger.

[mud_dreamer]

Thanks for the excellent information Sinkman61.

[mudxdresser]

Sorry to be so late to the party on this thread but thought it might be important to mention something worth considering when selecting footwear. Basically, there is no one size fits all. By that I mean that some sort of sturdy neoprene is an absolute must when dealing with any sort of tidal mud that might have shells in it. Same applies to some lakes like Lake Mead where Zebra Mussels have become prevalent or a playa that has salt crystals.

The problem is that in many of the mudpits I've been to, any sort of footware thicker than a sock can be extremely dangerous as it greatly increases your chances of getting stuck if there is either sandy or glutinous thick mud involved. I had to learn this the hard way and got stuck badly several times and once had to spend several hours digging another mudman's legs out of mud that he was, fortunately, only sunk a foot deep into! Nowdays, I only wear socks at mudpits and even then, I was wearing only socks when I had the most serious stuck incident I ever had where I would not have escaped had someone not been with me.

Just saying, if you're going to wear any sort of footwear, make sure you maintain awareness of the situation with every step you take as it can be quite impossible to remove footwear in a deep suction due to the lip of the shoe/bootie acting as an anchor when trying to pull your foot out.