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Best waders

P

Paul Clotworthy

Senior Member
Looking for new pair wader any recommendations fir thinking vass my daiwa starting letting in today in the wellies don’t know how but both my feet got soaked today when had them on
 
Hi Paul, this subject has popped up before, have a look at this previous post. :) 👍

Waders

Does anyone have any recommendations for a pair of chest waders? Going to be using them for trotting whilst in the river….very unlikely to be using them in summer so mostly spring/autumn. So not convinced I need to go to the expense of breathable waders, or am I making a mistake? My local tackle...
barbel.co.uk
 
Derek Funcks said:
Hi Paul, this subject has popped up before, have a look at this previous post. :) 👍

Waders

Does anyone have any recommendations for a pair of chest waders? Going to be using them for trotting whilst in the river….very unlikely to be using them in summer so mostly spring/autumn. So not convinced I need to go to the expense of breathable waders, or am I making a mistake? My local tackle...
barbel.co.uk
Click to expand...
Thanks Derek
 
Daiwa neoprene chest waders. I'm not going to lie and say "They're the best!" because I've never had any others. They keep you dry, warmish in winter, and you'll sweat your butt off in warm weather (but so what, eh?!)
 
Well when you ask what are the “best” waders without a specific budget in mind names like sims, guideline or Patagonia could be seen as some of the best (not that I’ve ever tried any) bit rich for my blood.

In the grand scheme of things mine are not expensive at all and I think next year i will be upgrading them to one of the names i mentioned above.

However im currently using the vass nova 740. They were about 100 quid a couple years ago and they are as tough as it gets. I mean really tough. I’ve had hooks get run into them several times which have never penetrated the outer rubber skin. Climb down rocky banks in them with no risk at all.

But they are heavy, you’ll sweat in them and after a while you just need a break and want to drop them down for half hour. If your wading isn’t as harsh as that then maybe something lighter and more breathable would be better. Vass are a fantastic nene in the game and their after sales is excellent. So I’d highly recommend a Vass pair.
 
Alan Rose said:
Daiwa neoprene chest waders. I'm not going to lie and say "They're the best!" because I've never had any others. They keep you dry, warmish in winter, and you'll sweat your butt off in warm weather (but so what, eh?!)
Click to expand...
This is what i have always had and today my wellies filled up with water so t know no holes In them at all booth feet my legs stayed dry tho
 
2 trains of thought on this - and I spend a lot of time in chest waders - probably 80% of my fishing I’ll find an excuse to get to a swim that necessitates waders. Most of my fishing is trotting / roving, so for a couple of decades at least I’d been buying chesties. Used to by cheap(ish) neoprene waders around the £100 mark, but like many find they can be cumbersome if your moving around a lot and sweaty!

For my 50th birthday my wife bought me a set of stocking foot Orvis breathable and waders and some rubber soles boots - and they were brilliant. Yes, you have to be a little carefully around very sharp objects (barbed wire etc) and they came with a repair kit. But you can walk for miles in them - and are comfortable all day on the bank. They lasted about 8 years before micro leaks appeared and eventually I had to bin them. I looked again at neoprene options but finally opted again for another set of Orvis breathable waders. That was about 6 years ago and they are still going strong and heavily used (and zero micro leaks). If it’s cold, I can wear thermals under them - if it’s blazing hot - just a pair of shorts. I wore the first set of boots out after about 10 years; the replacement pair (rubber soles) are still going strong.

If you can afford breathable waders- then that would certainly be my recommendation.
 
I’ve a pair Simms G3 waist waders , had them around 15 years now , expensive at the time but they’ve lasted and don’t leak , like wearing a pair of heavy jeans, I can walk for miles in them and forget I’m wearing them . Also have the Simms guide boot to go with them and there the same .
Dreading the day I have to replace them !
 
I know OP is sorted, but Simms, Guideline, Patagonia and Orvis do 'the best' waders... stocking foot (neoprene) with separate wading boots.

Personally, after fly fishing for 40 years, I wouldn't buy chest waders, for three reasons: 1, they encourage you to wade in deeper water than is safe, especially when there is a strong flow; 2, if you ever get near the limit, depth-wise, and they start to fill with water, they are potential death trap (always carry a wading stick and a sharp folding knife); and 3, they are 'boil-in-the-bag' - can't imagine wearing them in summer.

Which is why I prefer waist waders... crotch deep is plenty, I reckon, for both practicality and safety. But each to his own, of course.
.
 
On the back of recommendations on here I got the Vass700e…. For me they have been excellent even on the hottest days. Quality is superb and they roll down relatively small so I just leave in the car.
 
I can recommend, Patagonia middle fork Packable chest waders 8 by 13 inches pack size 26oz weight and Simms flyweight Access boots with Vibram sole, I wear the boots and carry the waders in My rucksack or roving seat box when I’m using public transport compact and light, as others have said you have to be a little more careful thin goretex type materials don’t like sharp objects, even thistles and the like will put tiny little holes in them. That said I wouldn’t be without mine.
 
Slight thread hijack here.

How do chesties get sized ??

I'm a 13 in shoe size and struggle to get a good choice of shoes/boots. I'm also on the larger size as well. I bought a pair of second hand size 13 Snowbee chest waders a while ago and while they are OK, they are on the snug size.

I'm always a little dubious about buying something that covers so much of our bodies, just based on the size of our feet. I know some chest waders come in larger body sizes, but how do you know that they'll fit ??
 
Simon Archer said:
Slight thread hijack here.

How do chesties get sized ??

I'm a 13 in shoe size and struggle to get a good choice of shoes/boots. I'm also on the larger size as well. I bought a pair of second hand size 13 Snowbee chest waders a while ago and while they are OK, they are on the snug size.

I'm always a little dubious about buying something that covers so much of our bodies, just based on the size of our feet. I know some chest waders come in larger body sizes, but how do you know that they'll fit ??
Click to expand...
If you buy expensive breathables, some manufacturers do a myriad of different shapes eg Simms.

Last resort; contact ‘diverdave’ and he can change the size of the stocking foot or even boot. He also sells reconditioned waders that are a very good buy IF he has something your size. I got a pair of Vision breathables for my other half for £100. They had been seam sealed and pressure tested. He can also fix waders that leak.
 
Most of the time I wear a pair of aigle rubber thigh waders, really good quality and very handy to use/wear, I just fold them over when walking between swims.
Regarding chest waders, I used to have a set of neoprene chesties which I found horrible to wear, I got soaked with sweat if I wore them in summer, and soaked with sweat if I wore them on cold winters days....and I also got cold! My nickname for them was the iron maiden suit 😬.
I got shut of those torture apparstus and got myself a set of greys breathable stocking foot waders with the boots included on a special offer. That was over a decade ago and they are still in great fettle.
A couple of years back I noticed the gorge 5 layer breathable chesties for sale on ebay. I kept looking at them and always had some on my watch list. Anyhow, a few months back the seller sent me an offer...160 ripps for a set, so I got a set. Now, I haven't used them yet because i'm saving them until winter when I think the 5 layers on the legs will help to keep me warmer, although i've never been cold in the greys 3 layer brethables because I wear a set of joggers and long thick socks beneath them.
I tried the gorge waders on when I got them and they felt very robust, so long as they don't leak I think they will be brilliant.
Here's a couple of youtube vids about them incase they are of interest to anyone...




Anyone know what this mon's sayin' 🤣.


I think there's a seller selling them on abay for 169 quid atm.
 
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