Keen Gorgeous Boots

I loved Keen's Gorge Boots and was hugely disappointed when they discontinued them.  Mine lasted for over 3 years (probably over 400 days on the water).  Fortunately I managed to buy another pair before they were discontinued.

Keen Gorge Boots showing some wear but still holding up after 3 years of heavy use.

When the 2015 Gorgeous Boots were released, I had to get a pair.  At first glance, one realizes that these are 2 very different boots.  The Gorge Boot is more of a hiking water boot, and the Gorgeous Boot is more of a neoprene booty.

Keen Gorgeous Boots

Review of Keen Gorgeous Boots
The Keen Gorgeous Boots have thick soles for watersport booties and a toe guard that protects the front of the toes. This are important features for those of us who have tender feet and are often climbing around on rocks in the water environment.  The Gorgeous Boots are highly adjustable with a cinching strap system and they appear to be well made (no loose threads or splitting seams).  Traction on the soles seems adequate for walking on wet surfaces - walking on kelp is slick no matter what shoes one is wearing.

Fit:
Keen makes the Gorgeous Boots in sizes 8-14.  The size 8 is definitely a size too big for me.  I make it work by wearing wool socks and neoprene socks in them.  The adjustable straps accommodate different thicknesses of neoprene socks and when I only wear wool socks in them.

On the Water:
The slimmer profile of the Gorgeous Boots fits in most of my kayaks.  I wish that the heel was slimmer, but I wish this about most boots that I wear in kayaking (except for the Astral Hiyak).  The snug ankle fit keeps sand and gravel out.  They are surprisingly warm for only a 2mm neoprene (couple that with wool socks and neoprene socks and they are down right toasty).  My favorite use for the Gorgeous Boots has become Coasteering and abalone diving.  I like the thick soles for protection from rocks when we are traversing along rocky reefs.  I don't find that they have enough support for teaching days when I am schlepping kayaks or for trips that involve a bit of portaging or hiking.  (perhaps my opinion on this might be different if I had a smaller size).

Coasteering on the Mendocino Coast in the Keen Goregous Boots

Durability:
We will see.  After 8 months, they have faded a little but otherwise don't show much sign of wear.  I expect these boots to hold up for several seasons like my old Gorge Boots.

Conclusions/Recommendations:
I think that these are worthy booties for paddlers who are not doing a lot of hiking and for those with a size 8 foot or larger.  For the price, I am not sure that I would purchase them again especially since they are not available in a size 7.

Astral Hiyak

Our whitewater kayaking friends have been raving about the Astral Brewer.  In particular they have been raving about the sticky/grippy rubber soles and comfortable fit both in the kayak and on land.  Since I launch and land on sandy and gravelly beaches most of the time, low tops like the Brewer don't work out well for me because they are always getting gravel and sand in them.  I was excited when Astral started making  The Hiyak - a hightop kayaking shoe.

Review of Astral Hiyak:

First Impressions:
Geeez these things are lightweight.

Fit:
Astral makes the Hiyak in men's sizes 7-13.  For me as a women's 8, the size 7's are a bit on the big side.  Fortunately the laces make them extremely adjustable and I can snug them up enough to wear them with socks.  The best fit that I get with them is when I wear a pair of wool socks, a pair of thick neoprene socks and SuperFeet insoles or when I am wearing a drysuit with several pairs of wool socks and SuperFeet.  The soles on the Hiyak are very flexible and intended to be responsive.  My tender feet found them to give a little too much feedback so I added the SuperFeet.

On the Water:
These are the most comfortable shoes that I have ever worn in a kayak!!!  The key I believe is the extremely low profile heel.  Lightweight and quick drying are other features that likely contribute to the Hiyak's comfort.  I love that they actually dry over night - even on the coast.

The low profile Hiyaks are comfortable in the kayak (even little kayaks)

The Hiyaks are not the warmest shoes nor would one expect them to be given their lightweight material.  In our 54 degree water, I find that I need to wear wool socks and thick neoprene socks with them to keep my feet warm.

On the rocks, the soles are definitely sticky.  I have been impressed with their grip in both the river and ocean environments.  The flexibility of the sole also contributes to that grippiness and feeling like one has a good connection to the rocks.

The sticky soles are great for scrambling on slick rocks.

Durability:
I wore these almost daily for several months this summer.   My summer working environment involves a fair amount of walking on gravel.  The heels of my left foot wore through but I think this is due to some issues that I have with pronation and alignment with my left foot and the particular version of superfeet that I was wearing.  Jeff aquasealed it, and it has been fine since.

Conclusions/Recommendations:
I think that Astral Hiyak is the most comfortable kayaking shoe on the market.  At times, I wish that it was a little bit warmer and had a little bit thicker sole; however, the comfort in the boat, lightweight and quick drying material, and sticky soles have made this my favorite everyday kayaking and guiding boot on both the sea and the river.

Sea Kayaking on the Mendocino Coast of California

Fall on the Mendocino Coast

Fall is my favorite time of the year - especially at home on the Mendocino Coast.  Summer is super busy and our early fall seems to have become a bit of a whirlwind too; however, when November hits, things slow down.  The longer days are a welcome break for those of us who like an excuse to got to bed early with a book or snuggle under the covers a little bit longer in the morning.  The day to day operations of Liquid Fusion Kayaking shifts from a constantly ringing phone, continuous email correspondence, and teaching and guiding to gear maintenance and repair, book keeping, website work, and planning.  It is a nice change of pace.

November Sunset on the Mendocino Coast

Getting out in the surf regularly is a nice change of pace as well.  This summer, I managed to get out on my mountain bike regularly but didn't not manage my weekly goal of at least once a week in the surf.  My hp surf boat and I are rekindling our flame and stay tuned for reports on a new surf toy in our quiver.

My new hp surf kayak

Pace is a bit of an issue these days on mountain bike rides.  We are working on finding the balance between riding for exercise and riding as a means of transportation to our mushroom spots.  California is still dry so mushroom season has been off to a painfully slow start.  We have been longingly checking our spots and settling for buttons and seeking out less common (yet delicious) species.

Beefsteak!  One of our favorite mushrooms on the Mendocino Coast.

Speaking of delicious . . . fall is a time of harvest on both sea and land.  Dungeness crab season has been delayed, but we still have the month of November to get abalone.  A kayak is a great way to get abalone; however, so is coasteering.  Sometimes it is nice to travel light and not deal with the effort of loading and unloading kayaks and the associated gear.  With the proper equipment (where we live a warm wetsuit and hood), swimming in the ocean is a blast.

Coasteering and Abalone Diving

This year, I got a new wetsuit.  It is warm and comfortable and has gotten me into the water more.  As fall progresses, I plan to catch up on some gear reviews and definitely will be raving about my new wetsuit.  I have a notion that I am going to do a series of gear reviews and am thinking up a theme for them.  I am thinking of The 12 Days of Gear Reviews and posting a new review each day.  Let me know if you have any ideas.  Boots are definitely a hot topic on my list this year.

Having time to explore ideas is one of my favorite parts about fall.  Those that know me well, know that the wheels are always turning in my head and often have a creative spin.  I am hoping to get some of those creative ideas onto my blog this fall and winter and into Liquid Fusion Kayaking's adventures for 2016 and beyond.

Coasteering!

My least favorite activity of being a kayak instructor and guide is schlepping kayaks.  This time of the year, I am schlepping boats most days.  When I have time to play, the last thing that I want to do is shlepp around a heavy kayak.  Sometimes it is fun to simplify and step away from the boat and just go have fun in the ocean - Coasteering!

Wetsuit, boots, gloves and off we go to play in the ocean.  We hike to a spot on the headlands and jump in.  We swim to off shore rocks or to the next headland, seal land ourselves, and repeat.  It is sh!ts n giggles fun!

Sometimes our route has us swimming through arches and into caves.  

Our last 2 adventures have actually been missions.  One mission was planting a Geochache for the Bay Area Sea Kayaker's 30th Anniversary Challenge.  Yes, Jeff and I coasteered into the location and would challenge other BASK'ers to do it too. 

Our other mission was a trash collection mission.  We are so thankful to be able to fish and gather food from the ocean.  We strive to tread lightly and have minimum impact on the environment but unfortunately have those moments where we snag and lose our line and tackle.  We have added lightweight packs to our coasteering missions for packing out trash - specifically fishing line that is snagged on the rocks that we are traversing.  Bringing a small pack allows me to pack my abalone gear and bring home dinner too.  

Swimming and playing in the ocean's rock gardens feels quite natural to me.I have to admit that jumping is a bit challenging for me.  I am working on my courage and technique.  Yes, I still hold my nose when I jump.