Wading out on rocks

I always wear booties because of the rocks at my local surf spots (Topanga, Malibu, Leo, Ventura) but I see people out there barefoot. Ive tried to go out barefoot but always cut my feet. Any suggestions or tips on out to get out there without cutting up the feet?

I always wear booties because of the rocks at my local surf spots (Topanga, Malibu, Leo, Ventura) but I see people out there barefoot. Ive tried to go out barefoot but always cut my feet. Any suggestions or tips on out to get out there without cutting up the feet?

As someone who surfs in the area, I could not tell you as I cut my foot yesterday. I would probably enter at a different spot where it is less rocky. Also, the plant growth on some of the rocks makes it easier to walk over them.

I just walk "lightly" if that makes any sense. Once you're in a little deeper, I put my board on the water and use that as leverage walking on the rocks.

Watch out with that plant growth though - I wouldn't exactly go looking for rocks with the green stuff to tread on. That's algae and it is slippery as all hell. I actually avoid them lol. That's how I scraped off a good part of my shin in Maui I wasn't looking where I was going trying to balance a 9'0 epoxy on my head on the rocks.

But yeah man I learned to surf at Topanga ... I didn't exactly have the benefit of a surf school back then lol. I remember walking out and looking back to see this trail of blood ... coming from me!! I was so numb from the cold I didn't realize I had cut a chunk of my heal off on the rocks. Literally like a V chunk of foot was missing from my heal lol. That took foorreevveer to heal.

Yea Rob I surfed Leo and sliced my feet on the rocks and slid off the algae on the rocks when I aimed to stand on the rocks and ended up with a nice blood trail down my leg. None of this I noticed until I got out because I was also numb. Guess cold water has a plus.

Yeah, I don't know either. The only time I've gone out in a rocky spot, I nearly broke my ankle. It seems like you need to either get really ninja-like with the rock dance, or take the long paddle from the inside. Depends on how long that paddle is.

im gonna venture a guess that they have gorilla calloused feet and just dont get cut.

I tried to brave it at my local rocky break, but at low tide with the little creatures that attach themselves to the rock with razor sharp calcium carbonate skeletons, there is NO avoiding being cut. Wearing booties is a pain in the ass, but its better then your feet getting chewed up.

Yeah, rocks hurt. Booties are the way to go unless you're blessed with hobbit feet. I used to have really sensitive feet, but now I go barefoot outdoors as often as I can. On surf days, you'll rarely see me in shoes unless I have to go in a store. I step on seed pods, thorns and the occasional chunk of glass, but my feet are getting tougher.
One time when I was out with Bill (Solsurf. We have lots of Bill's here XD) we were at a really rocky break. It was high tide, so there was literally no sand exposed, just water, rocks and cliff. I didn't have booties at the time, so I tried to barefoot it. It was one of the most painful experiences I've ever had, and it was a loooong walk. Partway through I pulled my Chucks out of my backpack and wore those. Took a couple days to dry out, and they're still sandy months later, but it was just horrible.

Ghost you surfed in Chucks?? Thats amazing!!! Woulda payed to see that.

When I was a kid I drove out from NJ and Surfed the Calf coast. Man was in for a shock at Rincon. 2ft waves and solid rocks underneath. My ankles were all sliced up and so was my board. I went in and put on my sneakers but that still didn't help my ankles.

I GOT EVEN with the rocks this year tho . I was surfing Seaside cove and took out over some large rocks. I dropped my epoxy board. The board was unscathed but the rock cracked !!

Ghost you surfed in Chucks?? Thats amazing!!! Woulda payed to see that.

I was honestly thinking about it, but I hung them to dry on a shrub on the cliff once we got to the spot and surfed barefoot. Got on my board as soon as I could float, the rocks sucked XD
But hell, I'd do it! Just for the novelty factor, haha. But I bet they'd stick to the deck pretty well XD.
I've surfed in jeans before, that was an uncomfortable session XD Forgot my boardies, and it looked too good to drive all the way back home to get them. (Turns out it wasn't as good as it looked from the sand...)