Soggy Seal Skinz

[ericonabike]

Hope this counts as 'technical'...I bought a pair of these thick waterproof socks a couple of years ago to use for a JOGLE, under Shimano sandals. Worked a dream, kept feet dry in the worst weather August could throw at us [constant rain for four days anyone?]. Tried them again last year on another marathon tour and they were letting wet in - I assumed at the time it was because I was wearing longs, and capillary action [or summat] was filling them from above. But tried them yesterday, wearing shorts, and the same thing happened. Took them off and I could pour water out of them. Any similar experience/solutions?

[CREPELLO]

Don't know really. But how did you avoid the raining running off your legs and into the socks on JOGLE? Was the elastic hem nice and tight? In which case, the elastic could deteriorate, so the seal isn't as good.

[squeaker]

the elastic could deteriorate, so the seal isn't as good.

Oink! Oink!


sorry....

[Tandem Man]

I find that the elastic round the top doesn't last very long.

I have had two pairs and the elastic has become virtually useless in a very short time compared to the rest of the sock which seems to wear quite well.

Ian

[[XAP]Bob]

Gaffer tape?
Or leccy tape

[CREPELLO]

The cut off wrist section of marigold glooves. V

[ericonabike]

So - the Nora Batty syndrome then! Looks like new knicker elastic might do it. Hadn't noticed the seal getting loose [as it were] but having looked at them again that may well be it. Ta for the suggestions

[Mick F]

I sent mine back.
I received a refund.

I chucked them out.

Useless and awful.

I almost went to Advertising Standards about them, as their advert for these socks shows a chap on an MTB with bare legs. It also shows a chap in the socks with bare legs in a stream.

I can assure everybody, that in the rain with bare legs, they fill up with water. There is nowhere for the water to go, so you end up wetter than you would have been even with no socks on! They are as "waterproof" as wellies.

Please see my thread:
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=28777

[Gearoidmuar]

I wrote a letter about this kind of sock to the CTC mag some years ago and it was published.
As someone above said (maybe inspired by the same letter).

If you get medium sized Marigold kitchen gloves and cut off finger section you can use this as a dry seal over the top of the sock and almost nothing will get into them. I've used this a few times during extremely wet days on tour and it works. But, like everything that's a hodgepodge, you get fed up of it!
As supplied, such socks are, as Mick F.says, useless, or was it worse than useless?

[Mick F]

Yes.
WORSE than useless.

I must add, that they are waterproof, it's just that as the rain gets in the top, it has nowhere to go. At least normal socks would drain out!

[niggle]

In order to have dry feet in heavy rain you need to have the whole body above covered in effective waterproofs. Once when motorcycling into North Wales I was hit by a very heavy downpour and after an hour of this I noticed my expensive Goretex waterproof boots were filling with water. However after a while I realised that it was not that the boots were leaking, nor the waterproof trousers, nor the jacket, but that the driving rain had been forcing its way in through the collar which I had accidentally left open and had worked its way down my front inside my jacket, down my legs inside the overtrousers and thence into the boots.

This was great fun as I was camping and had to put up the tent before I could change, and when I put the first peg in the 'ground' it went "Splosh!" and sank all the way in with light finger pressure, meanwhile the wind was getting up...... motorcycles are more useful for tethering tents to than bicycles fortunately. The boots remained damp inside for the whole wet, miserable weekend and only dried out on the warm and sunny ride home to Cornwall.

I have a pair of medium weight merino wool sealskin socks. It only took a couple of years for them to lose their waterproofness but I often did not realise they had leaked until the end of a bicycle ride as the warmth of the wool fooled me. This fact led to me trying non waterproof merino wool hiking socks, which work as well and are more comfortable due to better shaping.

[Mick F]

Hi Niggle,
yes, water will get in somewhere! The SealSkins socks can only have a chance of working if you use waterproof overtrousers.

The advert shows bare legs.

[ericonabike]

Blimey - a more complex issue than I'd realised. I'm tempted to do the Marigold thing as I ride in sandals and the Sealskinz are/should be a useful option when it gets both cold and wet. Thanks Mick F for your experience - useful to know that a refund is an option if I get really fed up.