East Coast Surf Gear

At a Glance

• Thickness: 5 mm
• Entry: Pull/slip on
• Seams: Technobutter 3X taped (inside), fluid welded (outside)
• Water temperature range: around 45°-60° F
• Price: $75-$115

Fit and Comfort

The O’Neill Psycho Tech 5mm is by far the best pair of boots I’ve owned. One of my favorite things about these boots is they are super comfortable and fit my foot really well.

The first pair or two I bought of these boots I got a size 9M, my regular shoe size, but recently I have been sizing down one size (so I now get a 8M). At first the 9M fit well, but as time went on, they stretched a bit, as all neoprene does, so they didn’t feel as secure.

If you are considering purchasing a pair of these, or really any boots, I would try on your true size and then also try on one size down (or half size, although half sizes aren’t super common). Obviously if you can’t get them on or your foot is feeling crushed, just stick with your size, but if the size down is just a bit snug, I’d go for those.

Warmth

These boots keep your feet toasty without a doubt. The red lining you see in the image above is O’Neill’s Technobutter 4, which uses recycled yarns infused with graphene. All that means is these boots retain heat really well and are as durable as boots get.

You can also see in the image above (and the main picture) the bluish purple tape, which is Technobutter 4X. This tape is used to reinforce the seams, ultimately helping to retain heat.

Durability

These are the longest lasting boots I have owned. Yes, they are on the higher end in terms of price, but you get what you pay for. Each pair of these boots easily gets me through a season, if not multiple. That means hundreds of surfs per pair.

If you get a pair of these for say $100, that’s $1/surf to keep your feet warm, which means more fun, longer sessions, and better board feel (you can’t feel your board if your feet are frozen).

In the pictures above you can see the delamination occurring, but this is going to happen with all boots eventually. I have certainly had other boots that cost me at least $100 and they gave out on me in less than a season. The picture below you can see the delamination on the soles/outside view, again pretty standard for boots.

Board feel

These boots have pretty solid board feel, especially if you are able to size down a little. As mentioned above, I now own a size 8M vs the size 9M (pictured in this review) and the size 8M are actually 7mm boots (same exact model), but I’d say I have better board feel in them.

Another thing to consider is these boots are round toe, not split toe. I don’t think they had a split toe version of these at my local surf shop, but I do believe they’re out there. The split toe will definitely give you better stability and board feel, so if they have a split toe pair at your shop give them a try.

Dry Time + Extra Features

These boots dry super quick, you can definitely get them fairly dry in a few hours (if you ventilate them well).

In terms of additional features, these boots have a durable pull tab to help you slip them on, and they also have durable Velcro straps that allow you to tighten them to your liking for extra support.

In all the pictures you can also see the rubber reinforcements wrapped around the whole boot, which definitely help give the boots a longer life and awesome grip.

Final Thoughts

I would definitely check these boots out at your local surf shop if you’re in the market for a warm, durable, comfortable, and fast drying new pair of boots.

Until next review, thanks for checking out East Coast Surf Gear!