Preserving rubber sea boots

[Joe Myerson]

Here's a sort-of boat-related question:

I took advantage of Hamilton Marine's Veteran's Day special to buy myself a new pair of Gill deck boots to replace an old, cracked, dried-out pair of Sea Gear boots from West Marine. Right out of the box, the new boots look beautiful. How can I keep them that way, and is there anything I can do to stop them from drying out and cracking with age?

Thanks for any tips.
--Joe

[Steve Laume]

You might pick up some 303 Aerospace Protectant. This stuff is good for what ails ya in the way of UV protection. It works on rubber and vinyl. I have been using it on plastic kayaks for years and on the rubber hatches on sea kayaks as well. It is probably about the best you could do for your new boots, Steve.

[Cathy Monaghan]

Oxygen and ozone are rubber's worst enemies. The ageing process of rubber products begins the moment they come in contact with air.

A car kept in a garage and only driven a couple of miles each week by an old lady to church every Sunday will need new tires after about the same amount of time as a car parked outside and driven 50 miles to and from work everyday. Mileage will wear out the tread but oxidation will "rot" the rubber.

I suppose you could try storing them in Space Bags. There are Space Bags for use with or without a vacuum. Either way, you need to get as much air out of the bag as possible.

Cathy Monaghan
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay