Waders: Chest, Waist & Thigh

[Sinsemilla]

Thought I'd start a thread that's actually about waders that isn't in the show your purchase thread..

I'm in the market for some new chest waders.. maybe some thigh waders also for those warmer days and when I know I'm not going to be wading through deep water.

Just after some opinions on different brands everyone is using, Pros and cons, How comfortable they are or aren't and how durable they have been.

I've been through a few pairs of wader. Chest height and thigh height.

First pair were Snowbee PVC chest height waders. Were okay for the price. The boots weren't very comfy and they got pretty hot and didn't breath at all. Shoulder straps are uncomfortable. Not very durable. They don't like black berry bushes..

Second pair were Snowbee Rip stop chest height waders. A bit more comfy than the PVC waders. Were good through all the black berry bushes around the Vic rivers. I never got a hole in them. They breath a bit more than the PVC waders. Shoulder straps are a bit uncomfortable.

Third pair are Snowbee Neoprene chest height waders (Granite series). These are very comfortable and I can walk around all day in these. They breath well but can get a bit hot. I did tear the crotch at the seam climbing over fences and have had them repaired ($90). Even if you do get a bit of water inside them you still stay warm because they are neoprene. Very durable.

My thigh height waders are Hornes thigh waders. Pretty uncomfortable. Not very durable. Cheap price wise. They do the job. They don't like black berry bushes..

Hope to hear about your wader experience and opinions.

Cheers, Anth

Also here are a couple good videos on wader safety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKwObngww3g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWauno8pV9s

[pwalnuts]

Like you I've gone through a few pairs of cheap waders but decided to bite the bullet last year and get a decent breathable pair with separate boots.Decided on these:
http://www.redington.com/fly-fishing-wa ... king-foot/
with these wading boots:
https://www.simmsfishing.com/shop/footw ... -boot.html

Cost me about $800 all up, probably could have done better on the price but I had a fishing trip coming up and my waders at the time were leaking like a sieve. Just a word of caution on the waders, mine developed a couple of minor leaks around the join at the stocking foot after a couple of trips. I took them back to The Flyfisher in the city and they swapped them for new ones, no questions asked (didn't even want to see the receipt) and they've been perfect since. I noticed that the first pair were made in Cambodia and the second were made in China. Apparently there was a bad manufacturing run of the Cambodian produced waders so I'd check the tag if you are considering a pair.

That aside, they are great waders, really comfortable in all weather with plenty of storage. I often walk distances in them to get to fishing spots and they are much more comfortable than previous waders. Have had them about a year so far and they're holding up to bush bashing and fence climbing really well, no tears or leaks. The boots are fantastic, comfortable,supportive and have great grip. I can see the boots lasting many years, they are extremely sturdy.

It might seem a lot to spend but by the time you go through 2-3 pairs of cheaper waders (which always develop leaks in my opinion) it starts to seem more reasonable.

[walk the streams]

I own a pair of gortex wading pants with neoprene sock built in, these are far and away the most comfortable, lightweight, product I have used, As the name suggest I have been "walking the streams " of nth east vic, nsw, nz for over 25 years. With these pants you can walk all day long in total comfort. I currently get around 5 years use out of a pair, they can be patched quite effectively and blackberry bushes do tend to be a little harsh on them. Make certain you buy a pair slightly oversized as this allows you to wear track pants or even jeans underneath them in the really cold weather. The only other thing I do is put a pair of explorer socks over the neoprene boot as added protection against the little stones and gravel that always seem to find a way inside the wading boot and slowly wear out the neoprene

[drewb]

I've got Simms freestone chest waders from Armadale Angler for $300 on special and they've been great. I wear them with Korkers Redside boots that I also got for around $180 I think. I was initially skeptical of the cost involved, but they really are so much more comfortable when you spend 4-5 hours in them. They've done well bush bashing, dealing with blackberries and climbing over fallen trees etc so far. I wear skins type tights underneath them for warmth and to stop chafing, much less cumbersome than trackies.

The benefit of separate wading boots is I also have simms neoprene gravel guards that I wear with the boots and shorts in summer (so wet wading) which is a great option in warmer weather, especially when the water levels aren't that high and heaps more comfortable than thigh waders. I also wear the skins underneath shorts when bush bashing which protects the legs a bit. Not a great fashion statement, but it works.

[GONE FISHING]

I have a related question.

I have a cheap pair of Shakespeare Pvc waders I currently use. Got them really for the price. Almost always use them when beach fishing surf or otherwise.

Their downfall is also their biggest quality: breathabilty. They are not very breathable obviously due to their material but I also like wearing these during winter as I find it really keeps out the cold.

How do the Neoprene ones go with keeping out the cold also? Are they as good, better or worse than pvc ones?

[Lightningx]

That's part of the reason why I wear mine in winter as well. Keeps me very warm especially when fishing at night. Track pants with a pair of thermals underneath

[walk the streams]

Neoprene I find are far to warm to wear at anytime of year other than winter, pvc thigh boots are also very hot and restrict the bending of your knee when trying to climb up steep banks or over fallen trees etc. Breathable gortex is certainly the way to go, but I guess the cost is totally relative to the amount of fishing you do

[Sinsemilla]

Good info there fellas!

I wear my neo waders with some cotton long johns underneath and that's it.. Even in the coldest of winter in freezing water up to my chest i still stay warm. I like the neo also because it's snug around the body so i can roll them down to my waist and they stay there as waist height waders.

The snowbee granite series cost me a bit over 200 if i remember correctly.. i could be lying.. and I've had them for about 3 years.

[meppstas]

I used to wear the waist high Hornes wader with the Blundstone rubber boot, had them for years & they did a great job.. But they were heavy, hot and the rubber boot had no grip on the slippery rocky river bottoms. Did this for around six years before i was put onto breathable waders. So i went for the Redington Sonic stocking foot & Korkers wading boots with the interchangeable soles.. Best thing I ever did.. since then I have been able to fish further in the rocky fast water runs that I struggled in with the Hornes waders, I have the spiked felt soles on the boots and the grip in unreal. A pair of boots last me three trout seasons as does the soles, which is good when i average around 90-100 trips a season. The waders I have had for three seasons now and are showing a few signs of wear.. They're light weight waders and so are the boots.. makes a lot of difference when your in a river for three to five hours that's for sure, then you have the 2-3km or more walk back to the car. Always order one size bigger than your normal foot size with wading boots too..
I have a spare pair of both set ups too for when either one wears out.. :thumbsup:

cheers
Adrian

Redington sonic waders

Korkers wading boots

Studded felt soles, perfect for slippery rocky rivers.

korkers_studded_felt_sole_.jpg (41.77 KiB) Viewed 2523 times

[troutandbream.com]

I did wear neoprene but now I just wear breathable with simms wading boots. When its cold I wear thermals underneath.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/fishing/ ... _103926780