Breathable waders

[k olson]

There has been lots of discussion on boots, so now I have some decent wading boots but appearantly I need some breathable waders due to fact of almost passing out in my insulated one's while fishing last week. Plus there was some valid points made on whats in the water. I found some made by white river (osprey edition), good reviews, reasonable priced. What are some of the waders guys have liked or disliked ?

[Kev-mo]

First off they will all leak at some point. Second you need to size them properly. I wear a size 13 shoe. I need XL waders to get that 13 foot size. I do not fill out XL waders... however it works out as I can layer in the fall/early winter/early spring and not feel like the Michelin man. You also want to have a long enough inseam for stepping in and out of kayak, up and down a bank etc.

 

I was given a pair of L waders and I knew they would leak in the foot and the crotch since they were not the right size for the reasons listed above. Sure enough I got maybe a season out of them.

 

My first pair of waders were Cabelas GII the green ones. They lasted a couple of seasons and I was pretty impressed. Cabelas also has a great warranty on Cabelas products.

 

I'm sure Eric will chime in with a Bean recommendation and others will have their favorites and reasons why. I'm probably going to get either a spare pair of Beans or Cabelas as my boys are old enough and big enough to truly wade with me. You have to get what is comfortable for you in fit and price.

 

I do have to add that the only truly breathable waders I've owned are a pair of Simms Gore-Tex waders I got on close out. I've had several brands and they are the only waders that when I move from waist deep water to ankle deep water that I can actually feel the wind going through them. Not saying you should buy Simms... just saying in my limited experience they have been the most breathable.

[Ben K.]

My 2 cents, your best bet is saving some cash and getting an entry level pair that had a rock solid warranty behind them, I've had Cabelas bluestreams which are now discontinued last me 5 years without a leak and they cost less than a hundo at the time. I just probably jinxed them.

 

Kevin's spot on about size, make sure you give yourself a little room to move and layer, that way you won't be stressing out the seams.

[Norm M]

I usually get a year out of a pair of waders due to brush busting, year round use in all climatic conditions and the fact that are rarely out of the trunk of my car because I wear them at least 250 days a year. It makes no difference the brand or the price they all leak within a year. Patching the leaks extends the life but it is the rare pair that lasts two seasons. I don't worry about warranties as I figure most places will claim excessive wear. I just get another pair to replace as needed.

 

If you plan on that kind of use, buy cheap ones .

[tgoodmanii]

Holy crap Norm....companies need to have you test their products!

[k olson]

Kip, good call on the breathables. You can get some pretty unpleasant bacterial and fungal infections from sweating and trekking in neoprenes out of season. The right gear for the right conditions is important if you're going to be out there a lot.

 

As good practice I always rinse everything and hang-dry them between uses.

And the one's you recommend ?

[Forrest Miller]

I received a pair of Simms G3 waders and boots for Christmas (My inlaws are awesome!). I've only worn them out a couple times but like them much better than the Cabelas pair I had prior.

 

-Forrest

[WILLIAM C.]

I have probably tried 5 or 6 different brands over the years and they all will eventually leak. The most important thing is the warranty or store policy on returns and exchanges. So far Cabela's has exchanged leaky waders twice at no cost to me. My latest pair of Cabelas and favorite has held up for over two years and going strong. If I get three years I consider myself lucky considering the amount of time in the river.