Waders

[LongWayAround]

Hey all,

I'm looking for a new pair of waders. Ideally, I want neoprene from the waist down and breathability from the waist up. Cabela's used to make some like this called the warrior or warrior 2. Currently, all I have found similarly are some made by Caddis. I'm not really looking for 1200 gram thinsulate in the boots though...

Does anyone have experience with the Caddis or similar options?

I've been using a pair of Frogg Toggs for a few years that I had bought in a pinch. The FTs fit well and are about the only waders I have ever owned that weren't made to fit a keg of a beer belly. They've been of surprisingly good quality overall but the crotch seam has a leak that I am tired of fighting.

 

[Huntindog45]

i have had caddis waders and loved them and hated them. that hybrid type you described was pretty nice except they had terrible buckles. they only had velcro as way to hold the straps in place and velcro gets useless fast. The caddis boots were very comfortable and warm. They do have good customer service too. I spend a good 100 days a year in waders and I swore i would never use neoprene again though. I am sure that would change if i lived north of chico california. The caddis hybrids are decent and pretty inexpensive so they are not a bad route. I did think i saw they fixed the buckle system last year.

 

[WyoWrangler]

I’ve had very little experience with neoprene, only when I fall in and use a spare set. I can say a good pair of breathable with the right layering underneath will perform just as well if not better in colder conditions and are more versatile. I’ve had experience with stocking foot and now my most recent pair are bootfoots, and they are definitely the warmest if you’re going to be more stationary. I try to follow the buy once cry once mentality when it comes to waders, and purchased Simms G4Z bootfoots. The cut in the G4 or even G3 line seems to be the best I’ve experienced. Simms also offers a a better size line to get exactly what you need without being roomy in the wrong areas. The material quality seems to be the top if not the best. I plan on having these last close to 10 years, so that’s where I justified the cost. Depends how much time you spend in the as well. I purchased a pair of Reddingtons in there higher end women’s line for my girlfriend and they seem to have some good features and quality is up there as well.

 

[Tradchef]

I’m with WyoWrangler. But I’m impartial since SIMMS is 10 min from my house. I run the G3 guides and the new G4Z are even better with better features. The fit is great, durable, made in town and customer service is top notch with a great warranty. They aren’t cheap but they are worth every penny. Just a thought.

S

 

[Huntindog45]

forgot to ask....what are you using them for. For duck hunting I will always use a boot foot...for fishing i will always use a stocking foot with appropriate boot. It just works better usually. I fish on so many different types of water it is nice to have different boots with different soles. In the mud you want a good bootfoot wader though.

 

[LongWayAround]

I realized I forgot to describe the use. The waders will be almost exclusively for duck hunting and mostly later season walk-in hunts. I want neoprene mostly for the durability when breaking ice with my knees.

 

[Huntindog45]

I realized I forgot to describe the use. The waders will be almost exclusively for duck hunting and mostly later season walk-in hunts. I want neoprene mostly for the durability when breaking ice with my knees.

I know they are expensive...and it almost seems ridiculous. but you really need to check out the sitka waders. I replace my duck waders every year. every year there is a leak of some kind. Every person I know that forked out the money for sitka waders has said they are the best piece of equipment they have ever purchased. and they will apparently fix them for life. I tried them on and they sure feel comfortable and durable. I have used banded waders and for the first month they are always awesome. they have a ton of reinforcement where needed..knees, butt etc.. but they always leak the worsts.

i just looked up caddis waders site and they still have the hybrids but if they have not fixed the buckle i would not buy them. it was terrible.

 

[Tom_]

Banded makes several styles of insulated waders. A couple guys in my group have them. We hunt pretty hard and they made it through the season with no complaints. We hunt mostly in Maryland and there isn't much ice breaking to do.

Collections

Banded is a leader in top-performing hunting gear. Featuring highly-aesthetic designs with the latest in cutting-edge fabric technologies. BANDED — Just Go!

banded.com

 

[couesbitten]

I want neoprene mostly for the durability when breaking ice with my knees.

For this I would recommend the USiA waders. Construction wise, they're not at all what you described, they're expensive, but they're made in the USA and are indestructible.

Waders

The best Waders you will ever own, customizable, made in USA, built to last.

usia.com

 

[mwebs]

I will be getting into duck hunting out here in Idaho and I am in the market for some good waders for fairly long walk-in hunts. When I go home to Wisco I pretty much am exclusively a neoprene guy, with stationary, cold boat or shore hunts. Those won't work for my purposes out here so I am in a similar boat, good thread!

 

[WyoWrangler]

Take a look into Lacrosse as well, don’t have any experience with there waders but if they’re anything like there rubber boots they will be quality and more inline with the waterfowl hunters.

 

[LongWayAround]

Thanks for the thoughts so far.

I'm really intrigued by the usia option.

 

[Huntindog45]

A lot of the guys up here where i hunt have switched to frogg toggs and i just got an email that they have their grand chesapeakes with the removable liner on sale. I am pretty sure this is going to be the next wader I try.... The guys I know that hunt alot have switched to them. they seam to be the breathable wader that stays waterproof the longest.

Grand Chesapeake® Bootfoot Chest Wader in Realtree MAX-5®

Details• Multi-climate, Breathable, Insulated Chest Wader • Patented removable zippered liner system for complete versatility and adaptive comfort in all weather conditions • Zippered-removable 220-gram insulated liner • Zippered flip-out security pocket • Internal fleece-lined neoprene hand...

www.froggtoggs.com

 

[mwebs]

Well productivity at work decreased now that I have to research waders as thoroughly as I do my elk gear.. Back in the day I started with the canvas Lax footwear/Ganders/ whatever cheap ones we could find as a kid, started to upgrade to neoprene later and have no experience with these "breathable" waders as they came on the scene after I moved out west and only duck hunted one trip a year.

Seems like a lot of brands have sales on last years models right now. Banded looks a little to bulky for my purposes, I think I will be walking to a lot of spots out here.

 

[hutty]

Become a big fan of Gator Waders. He can wear them and not feel like a sausage. Also really like the new waders from Drake. My waders get a solid workout during waterfowl season hunting divers, body booting, and the marsh.

 

[loadsandlattes]

I'll second HuntingDog45's recommendation to check out Sitka's waders. I have been averaging a pair of waders every other year for the past ten years - last season I bit the bullet and purchased Sitka's zip waders and absolutely love them. Like anything else Sitka, they are high quality and made well. I have had zero issues with them. They are simple, easy to get in and out of, and the boots are comfortable. They breathe well - keep in mind that they aren't insulated though. I am a believer in layering so this works out to my advantage. They also will service the waders, which is amazing. I sent them in at the end of this past season and they went over them, lubricated the zippers, air checked them, etc.

To be fair, I am biased. I have a full duck, goose, and white tail system from Sitka and love all of their products. Go check out the waders though!

 

[Thebigbaby]

Become a big fan of Gator Waders. He can wear them and not feel like a sausage. Also really like the new waders from Drake. My waders get a solid workout during waterfowl season hunting divers, body booting, and the marsh.

@hutty what model from Gator Waders do you recommend?

 

[hutty]

depends where you are hunting and average temps. the shield series stands up well

 

[KurtR]

sitka or chene