Ah, totally hear you about the boots weighing you down. I was really worried about this when my wife tipped on little Allagash stream and I had to rescue her and her kayak. Luckily, my dry pants were cinched pretty tight around the boots that my boots stayed mostly dry even though I was in the water for a bit. I could totally see how this could be an issue if dry pants dont have a tight gasket. Thanks for the tips!