looking for a wader/boot recommendation

[tycomps]

time to upgrade my OLD waders. a lot has changed (felt/cleats/welded seams), looking for recommendations. any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!

[MrGerbik]

Originally Posted by tycomps

time to upgrade my OLD waders. a lot has changed (felt/cleats/welded seams), looking for recommendations. any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!

I second this. Once i get working again i would like to pick up a pair too. I caught a nice cold from our little adventure

[kcritch]

Only had one pair of waders my whole life so can't offer much there...but as a far as boots i'd go with sticky rubber bottom that can have cleats added...those cleats make all the difference when you are in the slippery stuff. Even if you just use sheet metal screws and not the hardened steel ones. Although those need to be changed more often they are cheap. Good luck with it.

[Humanzee]

There's choices a plenty!

Boot foot will keep you warmer in the winter, but the boots lack ankle support if you move around a lot.

Neporene is great if you are stationary. But if you move, breathable is the way to go.

If you fish winter time, and choose a sock foot versus a boot foot, go at least a size larger than what you normally wear, maybe even two sizes.

Got wide feet? I'd highly suggest Chota wading boots. I have wide feet, and these boots have been fantastic for me. And I beat the hell out of them too.

Felt generally sticks better, but if you walk in the snow, good luck with felt! I'd go rubber soles. And whether you go felt or rubber, spikes are mandatory to me. Night and day as far as grip on a slippery rock.

For reasonably priced items, I'd go with Cabelas. They still have a pretty decent warranty.

Patagonia makes some great waders, but they are pricey.

Most people love their Simms, but for me, the "fit" just isn't right. I spoke to Simms and they would tailer make them for me, but at $700, that was a bit steep.

I went with Orvis for my last pair, but that's because I wanted a zip up wader. I have a bad back, and its easier to get in and out of, not to mention taking a leak. And I usually don't fish tits deep, so I'm not worried about the zipper leaking (But I can tell you I've been up to my chest, and they don't leak).

Orvis and Patagonia also use 5mm thick sock feet. Most other manufacturers are 3mm. So again, if you are fishing in colder water/weather, its nice to have a little more insulation on the toes.

Might want to check out a company called Dryft. They are relatively new, so the jury is still out. But I know a few people using them already, and they seem really happy.

Hope this helps some!

[Adrenalinerush]

Neoprene sucks, unless you like heavy waders and sweating which actually makes you colder in the winter. Buy oversized breathables and oversized boots, that way you can layer clothing and stay warm in the winter. In the summer it's no gig deal if they are baggy or if it's real hot just wet wade with the boots. I have steelhead fished in the middle of the winter with breathables in single digit temps for years and been fine. As Long as you layer and have room in your boots you can stay fairly warm. And for the money chota boots are the ticket, I have had mine for years and they really hold up well.

[tycomps]

Originally Posted by Humanzee

There's choices a plenty!

Boot foot will keep you warmer in the winter, but the boots lack ankle support if you move around a lot.

Neporene is great if you are stationary. But if you move, breathable is the way to go.

If you fish winter time, and choose a sock foot versus a boot foot, go at least a size larger than what you normally wear, maybe even two sizes.

Got wide feet? I'd highly suggest Chota wading boots. I have wide feet, and these boots have been fantastic for me. And I beat the hell out of them too.

Felt generally sticks better, but if you walk in the snow, good luck with felt! I'd go rubber soles. And whether you go felt or rubber, spikes are mandatory to me. Night and day as far as grip on a slippery rock.

For reasonably priced items, I'd go with Cabelas. They still have a pretty decent warranty.

Patagonia makes some great waders, but they are pricey.

Most people love their Simms, but for me, the "fit" just isn't right. I spoke to Simms and they would tailer make them for me, but at $700, that was a bit steep.

I went with Orvis for my last pair, but that's because I wanted a zip up wader. I have a bad back, and its easier to get in and out of, not to mention taking a leak. And I usually don't fish tits deep, so I'm not worried about the zipper leaking (But I can tell you I've been up to my chest, and they don't leak).

Orvis and Patagonia also use 5mm thick sock feet. Most other manufacturers are 3mm. So again, if you are fishing in colder water/weather, its nice to have a little more insulation on the toes.

Might want to check out a company called Dryft. They are relatively new, so the jury is still out. But I know a few people using them already, and they seem really happy.

Hope this helps some!

great info, thanks!

[acabtp]

Originally Posted by Humanzee

For reasonably priced items, I'd go with Cabelas. They still have a pretty decent warranty.

actually, i would say just the opposite... cabela's warranty on waders SUCKS now. and the waders themselves are just alright.

i bought a pair of their guide series breathable stocking foot waders a few years back. at the time i bought them, the warranty that they offered on waders was the same as the rest of their CLOTHING: that is a lifetime warranty. this lifetime warranty was a big factor in my purchase decision. after 2 seasons, the seams on the inner calf areas began to leak from rubbing against each other while hiking (I like to get away from the crowds). no big deal i thought, I'll just contact cabelas and they can handle this under the warranty.

that's when I found that unfortunately, sometime during the past couple years they have changed their warranty policy so that their waders now carry the same warranty as the rest of their FOOTWEAR, that is one year only. they refused to do anything to replace my waders even though they had been covered by a lifetime warranty when I purchased them. i ended up just patching them with aquaseal and will replace them with something else when that fails.

so, honestly, it seems to me that cabela's "lifetime" warranty on anything they sell is pretty much worthless now, since you can never know when they will decide that they won't honor it anymore.

[acabtp]

also breathable stocking foot waders and wading boots is the only way to go if you intend to cover any real distance while wearing the waders

[Capt. Lou]

Since I have always trout fished all winter , I required a warm wader & I preferred a bootfoot . Many years I simply bought neoprene waders but if u walk a lot & stand in cold water below 40 degrees , you could get tired do to the weight & most bootfoots did not have quality or good insulation unless u purchased hunting model,which was heavier yet.
I bought a pair of Aquaz breathable waders3 years ago , they R the Dry Zip model with Boggs bootfoots . Worked out perfectly even though they are breathable they offer 4 or 5 layer material which is very hi quality . The Boggs if ur standing in cold water are extremely warm best I've had with only one good sock.
Throw on a fleece pant & u can walk / stand in cold water whatever no issue
The Boggs can be bought in felt or standard boots . So far by far best wader I've ever owned .
Check out website Aquaz.com . One of site sponsors carries them Reel Seat .

[tradingfrank27]

One thing I can share is not buy the ones from Dick's Sporting goods. The $40 and $50 dollar ones with vulcanized rubber. I only use them to launch my boat during early spring and late fall and they don't last more than a year. I contacted the company and the lady told me to use a conditioner like Armor All. Yet, if you do some research, some mentioned stuff like Armor all will actually eat away your rubber.

My newest pair (yes, I bought another one because I had a gift card and it was on sale this year), it's been going pretty good. I lay them flat during storage now and keep them indoors vs leaving them in the garage as temp change and sun will kill your boots. Nothing is worse than launching in 40 degree water and your socks and part of your calves are soaked in 10 secs.

Put your money into a good one and keep them inside during non-use.