Water shoes

I know, maybe a stupid question, but do we need water shoes on the excursions? Or will flip flops be okay? We are looking to do something on a beach in Cozumel.

Flipflops will be fine.

You might want to read this thread that is just a little way done the front page of this board:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2177912

depends on where you go and what your plans are. Water shoes may be needed, especially for children.

There are a few ports where beaches can have a lot of broken coral or sharp stones - usually in a line along the waterline. That's when water shoes come into their own, especially for snorkelling.

Also excellent for scrambling over rocks, were flip-flops can be very slippery & dangerous.

Inexpensive (about $10 to $15 in the Caribbean), no big deal to carry with the rest of your beach gear, & a good investment even if rarely needed. But most are unsuitable to wear throughout an excursion.

JB :)

Flip flops are fine on the sand...they are DANGEROUS in water! If you're planning to wear the shoes IN the water, then get real water shoes. You can hurt yourself in flip flops when they get wet and start sliding around on your feet....broken toe would be the least of the injuries....

You can get a decent pair of (e.g. Nike) aqua shoes online for around $20.

I know, maybe a stupid question, but do we need water shoes on the excursions? Or will flip flops be okay? We are looking to do something on a beach in Cozumel.

The beaches in Cozumel are pretty rocky, and I'm not sure flip flops will stay on in the water.

If you are going in the water for more than a minute get water shoes. Flip flops are fine if you're only planning to walk around town or in the sand

Flip flops are fine on the sand...they are DANGEROUS in water! If you're planning to wear the shoes IN the water, then get real water shoes. You can hurt yourself in flip flops when they get wet and start sliding around on your feet....broken toe would be the least of the injuries....

This is so true- flip flops are the worst thing you can wear in water or on a wet surface. Get a decent pair of supportive water shoes like TEVAs. Don't buy the cheap Walmart kind. The TEVAs will last for years and the expense will be worth it for the surefootedness.

Water shoes? - - - - - ALWAYS.

If you're thinking of simply walking to a chair in the sand and dipping yourself in the water a couple times, you'll be fine with flip-flops.

If you're going to be more active, water shoes are a nice luxury. They are more protective and are more kind to your foot's health in the long run.

I personally have Lands' End water shoes. Good quality, and although they're not cheap, you can get them on clearance at the end of the summer.

I am going to go off on a totally different way and say instead of water shoes or flip flops, you might be more interested in getting a good pair of sports sandals.

I have had the same Teva pair for 4 years now and they are still in amazing condition. I basically only don't wear them when there is snow out or it is less than 20 out :D My youngest DS can't fit into water shoes since he wears a 4E width so I started with having to find him something good to wear in the water is where I decided sports sandals were a much better investment than water shoes. No changing them when you get some where, no worry about packing them. The best thing about sports sandals over water shoes? You don't have to try and squeeze into them if they are aren't perfectly dry!

Many years ago no one warned us that we would need water shoes for Curacao.

Now we have them for even walking along on the beach.

I think this is a matter of personal preference, comfort, and perhaps age is a factor. It also depends on where you're going and what you're doing. If you're unsure, pick up a cheap pair of water shoes and bring them - they don't take up much space, squish easily, and you'll have them if you need them.

If you've traveled previously, try to gage your comfort level. If the sand isn't powdery soft, does it hurt your feet? Do you spend a lot of time swimming in the ocean or laying on the beach? If you are wading into the water and encounter some rocks, does it bother you?

Personally, I only use them for river tubing or wading through streams. But I don't like wearing shoes of any kind in the water, so I fall on the "water shoes only when absolutely necessary" end of the spectrum. Moderately sharp sand and rocks don't hurt my feet and I'd rather deal with the minor discomfort of tromping around rocks than the minor discomfort of wearing shoes while swimming. But that's me.

As for whether flip flops would be fine, I would not recommend wearing them in the water, as others have pointed out. For walking around, it depends on the excursion and your comfort level. If you wear flip flops all summer and you're comfortable walking up hills in them, wearing them when they're wet, and taking them off and walking barefoot if you need to, you'll probably be fine. I wear flip flops for most excursions (pretty much unless it's a fishing boat or serious hiking). I usually go barefoot on the beach, once I've gotten past the "seriously hot sand" section.

Always have water shoes with us in our beach bag when we are going to a beach! :)

LuLu

Tevas or watershoes. DO NOT step on the coral if you can find any left. You will kill the coral.

I know, maybe a stupid question, but do we need water shoes on the excursions? Or will flip flops be okay? We are looking to do something on a beach in Cozumel.

my daughter wore flip flops, and at the dolphin encounter, you cant wear any shows at all. ( in cozumel ) we both brought water shoes and never wore them, anywhere

Another reason for water shoes or sport sandals is sea urchins. I'm not sure about the beaches in Cozumel because we didn't go, but we went to Blue Kay near Costa Maya and saw several sea urchins out where people were wading.

We live on the Gulf coast of Thailand and are at the beach every day, in and out of the water. Our keens are wet and full of sand, I rinse the sand out and put them right back on to go into town. They make children sizes too. They hold up like a dream!