Neoprene Waders

[Tom22]

I'm looking to buy some neo. waders, only owned canvas in the past. Will mainly be using them in 40-60 degrees water.Any suggestions?

[EYE SLAYER]

GO FOR A 5MM THICKNESS. I'VE GOT A PAIR FROM DUCKS UNLIMITED BOUGHT AT FLEET FARM ON SALE AT THE TIME FOR $75.USE FOR DUCKHUNTING AND EYE FISHING. HAD CANVAS NEVER WOULD GO BACK TO THEM AFTER OWNING NEOPRENE.LOTS WARMER!!!!!!

[GeoMN]

Cabela's have a great selection, and low prices on their neo waders. The 5mm are very warm, infact too warm if weather & water is in the 50-60's. The 3mm is a nice medium weight which is good in 40-60 degree water, and more flexible/comfortable. I currently own 3mm & 5mm, and I use the 3mm about 90% of the time.

[Fin Addict]

I go through 2 pair of waders per year. Tons of walking in rough terrain. I can't stand the neoprenes and have 2 pair that I rarely wear (5mm and 3mm). I use them only for late season (ice on the lake) duck hunting. Too hot and too tight for fishing if you plan to move around much. My thighs are too large for most so I blow the seams out and they consistantly leak on the seams. They are also very fragile. For the water you describe I would wear the canvas w/ polar fleece pants underneath. If you go w/ neoprene get the 3mm. In cold water the boot foot are warmer than stocking foot. Rubber cement is good for patching. If you move through fields or brush in neoprene you will need an oversized jar of it.

[Bob G.]

Have to agree with FinAddict in that regular neoprene can get sliced up if you are going to do alot of brush busting and/or rock climbing. If you are going to stand in the water for long periods of time, without much moving around, then neoprene is a good way to go. Also agree that 3mm
is a better choice, insomuch as it is plenty warm for the water temp you describe and it is less stiff than 5 mm, thus making it easier to move around. If the water is more toward 40 degrees and you are going to be waist deep in it for the day, you can always wear polar fleece pants and/or
thermax long underwear.

Some manufacturers have been using either spandura or cordura outer skins on their neoprene waders to address durability issues. Spandura, being flexible, is OK. If you look at Cordura, make sure that the entire wader is not covered with Cordura, as it will make it stiff and harder to move around in.

Then you need to decide if you want stocking foot waders or boot foot. Boot foots are decidely warmer. Stocking foots, when matched with a good wading shoe, is more supportive if you are walking around alot. Stocking foots more of a hassle for getting into and getting out of.

Next is whether you want felt or lug soles. Felts are excellent for algae covered, rocky bottoms. They are less than poor in mud, clay, snow and/or ice. Lug soles are better in mud, gravel, clay, etc. They do become tricky in algae-covered rock
bottoms. Also, relative to lug soles, most of them are poor with little grip. Look for the ones with aggresive hunting boot type soles, or, the new rubber nub type soles are good.

Neoprenes are also much more bouyant. This is good if you happen to fall in, also, in this respect, they will still provide some insulation if you do happen to get some water down the waders. However, I find the bouyancy in neoprene to be disconcerting when crossing rivers, making your legs feeling like they want to float away more. Again, the thicker the neoprene, the greater the bouyancy.

I, possibly like you, do not really care for the
canvas traditional wader. I found them stiff and heavy, which made moving around difficult. In a traditional wader, I found the PVC coated cordura
nylon to be a better choice. Specifically, with
my favored Red Ball Brawlers, they are much more flexible than canvas, relatively durable (then old
ones were extremely durable) and very light (less than 6 pounds for boot foot waders). Wearing them with a polar fleece pant and/or thermax long underwear, I found I could stand in 40 degree water without getting too cold for a while (1-1 1/2 hour), and still cover miles of stream.

If you want to be relatively mobile, these are a good choice. If you are going to be standing in waist deep water for hours at a time, then neoprene is a good choice.

Whatever you buy, it's good to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each wader type.

IMHO, the perfect set of waders has yet to be made.

"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half as worthwhile,
As simply sloshing around water in a pair of waders"

You go, Hans! (LOL)