Do you “need” “Sitka delta wading jacket”

[Bowtie747]

Hey guys, first thread here. Got hooked on waterfowl hunting last year and trying to get stuff lined up for this year. But I’m trying to not get crazy with gear and spend a life savings.

I’ll be straight up and admit I’m a Sitka “weeny” or whatever. Really like the looks and idea of the Sitka delta wading pro jacket. It’s 500$. I normally buy stuff used but what’s bugging me is wouldn’t a rain shell do the same thing?

I don’t want to get caught up in the marketing of everything. Anyways, thanks for having me and what are your guys thoughts? Anyone frugal here?

 

[willtim]

Buy once, cry once.

 

[Jake_B]

Never waterfowl hunted but have tried to go frugal, and then up thinking more and more about the piece i really wanted. Sometime down the road just buying it.

As said above, buy once cry once

 

[Wheels]

It's a great waterproof shell, but unless you can find a deal it's not worth $500. Get on some of the facebook sitka pages, there are always a few for sale at decent prices.
It's something that you will not wear very often, but nice to have when you need it.

 

[sf jakey]

I’ve duck hunted for close to 40 years. Had a lot of jackets in that time. Sitka is the best. Great function, very durable, great fit. You won’t buy another.

 

[LongWayAround]

I have hunted ducks for two decades and never owned a "wading jacket."

I would rather spend my money on multi-use pieces.

 

[lintond]

I get cold easily when siting waterfowl hunting. After many years of using a cabelas jacket that worked but wasn’t great. I splurged for the wading jacket (on sale) several years ago. It’s noticeably nicer and I imagine I’ll have it for many years since I don’t hunt as often now with a kid at home.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[yfarm]

As in boots waterproofing in clothing is not forever. Have a Columbia wading jacket where the membrane literally disintegrated into small flakes. Had Grundens weather watch jacket waterproof breathable membrane delaminated from the shell. When the membrane is hidden by the lining your first clue is that 36 degree freezing rain day when you get wet. My preference is to replace every couple of years which is hard when you spend 500/1000 on a piece of clothing. Particularly waterfowl hunting where high exertion breathability is not a primary concern buy Grundens or similar camo commercial raingear.

Grundéns Neptune Jacket Refraction Camo

Full-zippered hooded jacket made from medium-weight polyurethane-coated polyester fabric provides 100% waterproof protection and the comfort and ease of movement active fishermen need. An athletic cut and underarm gussets deliver protection without restricting fishing action.

grundens.com

 

[spur60]

Do you need a DWJ? No. Is it worth $500? No. I'd maybe pick one up if I could find a nice shape used one for $200. I'm most comfortable with a softshell under my waders, and I'll pack a rain shell or my sitka jetstream along if I need to block some wind/rain/snow. I did beat the snot out of the Cabelas Dry Fowl 3-1 wader jacket for 10 years though. And of course when I decided to buy a new one they dropped the tall sizing.

 

[Cutwater]

Hey there, welcome to the forum! I can totally relate to trying to balance quality gear with not breaking the bank. I’ve been waterfowl hunting for a few years now and was in the same position as you not too long ago, and I would 100% recommend the Delta Wading Jacket. Unless it’s crazy mild outside, it’s with me on every duck hunt. It acts as a great shell and locks in all my insulating layers, providing decent warmth in various conditions.

The price can be steep—I was able to get a military discount, which helped with the cost, but it’s still an investment. That said, you can often find them for sale second-hand on Facebook or other resale platforms, which might make it more affordable. I think Sitka has it's own sales from time to time on it, but also check out Mountain Archery and 1 Shot Gear.

One thing to note is that I have the older version with pit zips and different face fabric. I’ve noticed the newer versions, like the one in the timber pattern, seem lighter/brighter. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of that change (they did it with the Duck Oven too), but it might work for you depending on your preference.

Hope this helps, and good luck with gearing up for the season! Random question, but where are you hunting? I'm out of Georgia but head to Arkansas and Tennessee for waterfowl.

 

[CobraChicken]

I am not frugal on one thing and that is decoys and hides. Once you get behind a panel blind or layout the 500$ jacket is useless imo. Depends how and where you are hunting. If you can find a deal I would do it. $500 buys a lot of waterfowl gear starting out though.

I tend to buy earth colors in my big game items and layer during season. At some point my SG M5 goes with me and earth tone synthetics later in season. White bed sheet goes with me all snowy adventures.

I have had good luck with high and dry waders. Solid brown. Just had to repair after 4 years.

 

[UpTop]

I’ve been a pretty serious waterfowler for a long time. Sitka is great gear. But I’d never pay 500 for that jacket. Yes you can absolutely get something for much less that gets the job done more than good enough. Common sense and a little research can save people a lot of money. I save most of my money for gas to kill less pressured birds.

 

[2531usmc]

With the hunting season rapidly approaching, I too ask myself if “I really need a given piece of Sitka gear”.

I think this through critically: cost of the item vs the value provided, look for lower cost similar items, and see if any of my existing Sitka or Kuiu items could serve as a substitute.

Once I’ve gone through this analysis, I just buy it and time the delivery for a day my wife is at work

 

[ScreamingPotato]

OP we don't have the Pro version we have the older version picked up when they went on clearance for around $180. I will say this, we've hunted every year for a very long time with every brand and type of jacket out there and this last year was the most comfortable any of us have been. Yes it's just a fancy rain shell with good pocket placement and waterproof cuffs but we can wear whatever we want under it and it packs down easily and we can all attest you can sit through a monsoon downpour and not get wet, even my wife was comfortable that trip except she was annoyed she couldn't get on her phone lol. It's more waterproof than my other Sitka rain gear, the Dewpoint as well as the other heavier stuff that's discontinued now but can't remember the name. For $180ish I'd buy them for the family a hundred times over, but for $500 man I'm a bit too much of a tightwad to do that as that's $1500 for the three of us (older boys buy their own gear now).

 

[antaresproper]

I got a last years model, discount sale, etc for around $300 a while back. Love it, not sure if I'd pay $500. but it's awesome.

 

[TimberRunner]

Have an old Browning goretex shell that is thin and was my go-to hubting rain shell for over a decade. Last year, found the DWJ pro for $280, with tags and bought it. Big step up. Given what I know now, I'm not sure I'd say $500 is too much. Maybe. Just got a pair of Hudson bibs with a first responder discount, and while I mostly hunt in waders, the bibs seem like they are also worth the cabbage.

 

[tt_johnsclist]

The DWJ is an awesome piece. If you are just getting started you will get more mileage out of a Dakota hoodie or Jetstream jacket and money would be better spent there initially. I wear my jetstream daily when the weather is a little milder, and my Dakota gets more use than any other piece of waterfowl clothing I own. I layer with the DWJ for heavy rains or an extra layer when it’s very cold .