Wakeboarding - May 01, 2018

16 | BOATINGMAG.COM | MAY 2018

MAKING WAVES ///FOR COMPARISON’S SAKE

PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) COURTESY HELLY HANSEN, COURTESY SOFTSCIENCE INC., COURTESY CROCS RETAIL LLC; SOURCE FOR STATISTIC: BOATU.S.

HELLY HANSEN

HYDROPOWER

SHORELINE F-

THE GRIP: The most

stylish of the three choices,

Helly Hansen shoes sport a

decoupled flexible rubber

tread with a grippy nonslip

pattern and siping to fun-

nel away water. The tread

is also nonmarking. The

lightweight, breathable

mesh body dries quickly

and provides support while

transiting a deck underway.

The insole is anti-

microbial to prevent odor.

THE SLIP: The most expen-

sive of the trio offers only

two color choices.

PRICE: $110;

hellyhansen.com

SOFTSCIENCE

FIN 3.

THE GRIP: Designed for

anglers, these shoes are

reinforced in the toe, ankle

and forefoot areas to help

provide stability. They are

still incredibly light, with a

grooved tread that funnels

away water while providing

traction on-deck. The

bulky, nonmarking tread

also features three slots in

the forefoot to flow water

away from the shoe. The

removable Trileon insole

acts like a shock absorber.

THE SLIP: The tread is

bulkier than the others.

PRICE: $99.95;

softscience.com

CROCS

LITERIDE PACER

THE GRIP: These are a

long way from the original

Crocs, adding style to the

brand’s renowned comfort.

The soles and treads are

made from cushiony

closed-cell foam that is also

extremely lightweight. The

breathable plastic body of

the shoe is also lightweight

and made for wet condi-

tions, like all Crocs, and

is so soft that there is no

break-in period. Put them

on and go.

THE SLIP: While extremely

lightweight, they’re not as

supportive as the others.

PRICE: $59.99; crocs.com

BOATING SNEAKERS

Topsiders and shrimper’s boots aren’t the only options for keeping your feet

connected to a slippery deck. Check out these three pairs of sneakers designed

for marine use. —Pete McDonald

CAPTAIN’S TEST

(Answers from page 14)

1. F. Though they can usually

handle it and are used for this

task often, trailer hitches are not

designed to pull other vehicles

out of ditches. GTW and TW are

terms every trailering enthusiast

should know.

2. E. All statements are true. Gen-

erally, bunk trailers are better for

a boat’s hull because they provide

more support, especially in critical

areas like the transom.

3. E. Tie-downs secure your boat
   to its trailer and can keep it from
   bouncing off in sudden urgent
   maneuvers.


4. D. Too little tongue weight,
   be it from poor trailer setup or
   improper load distribution, can
   result in trailer sway at speed and
   possibly a catastrophic accident.


5. F. Checking trailer tires is
   something that cannot be done
   too often.

Bonus: F. Just like a pilot’s

preflight check, these trailer

checks should become habit at

every stop.

CAPTAIN’S TESTS ONLINE

Test your knowledge of boating with

more Captain’s Tests at boatingmag

.com/captains-test.

FIN 3.

Shock-absorbing tread

is slip-resistant

PACER

Light, airy and super

comfortable

F-

Siped rubber soles

funnel away water

ONLINE THIS MONTH

May is Boating Safety Month, so there’s

no better time to brush up on the U.S.

Coast Guard’s Rules of the Road.

Go to boatingsafetymag

.com/boatingsafety or

scan this tag!

Number of life jackets

loaned out every year by

the BoatU.S. life-jacket

loaner program. Go to

boatus.org to find a

loaner site near you.

140,