"Robert11" wrote in message
...
. . .
b. My No. 1 Question: Which makes more sense for me in a cold water
environment:
boots that are totally waterproof (with I presume wool sock underneath),
or the skin divers wet neoprene approach ?

The answer is that there is no answer.

If I have (rare) certainty that I'm not going to swim or step into a hole
while managing or tracking the boat, I'll wear rubber boots and wool socks.
As a practical matter this usually only happens on day trips in the sun.

I use NRS wet boots (with thickness to match the season and latitude) the
rest of the time and deal with the discomfort. I haven't tried zoomy
products like GoreTex socks, but I don't have high hopes for them. Having
comfortable, insulated rubber camp boots helps a lot.

I've found that when I swim, I like to have as few distractions as possible,
and rubber boots filled with water can be avoided at the outset. Besides,
once they're wet, rubber boots become a consuming days-long task to dry.

Hth,
Fred Klingener