looking to buy breathable waders, need advice

[chefboi17]

hello all, here is my current situation. i am in the market for a pair of stocking foot breathable waders, but seeing how there are so many different brands and models to choose from, i am at a loss as to what i should get.

my budget is around 150$ to no more than 200$ for the waders and a pair of wading boots, and i would like to be able to find them locally, bps, lebaron, tightlines etc.

so basically i'm looking for a pair with a decent price, durability, performance, warranty, and all the good attributes you can only know after you buy a pair and try them.

thanks

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

cabelas bluestream are the ones i use at work. they are inexpensive and are more durable than the bps brand (of which i personally own a pair)...

it just so happens they are on sale for 59.99 american. very good deal!

 

http://www.cabelas.com/p-0017636830334a.shtml

Edited March 28, 2010 by Dr. Salvelinus

[irishfield]

Check the classifieds.. JR was selling some..

[bare foot wader]

your budget might be a bit restricting but still options for you...start with looking in classifieds, good deals come up often enough...and if not just walk in to your local store, try some on and go from tehre....hodgmans are entry level priced and i've heard good stuff about them...also a good time buy from south of the border right now too

[chefboi17]

i've been browsing the orvis site, and the l.l. bean site. i will look into the hodgman, and the cabela offerings though.

and i sent jr a pm looking for more information about the orvis ones he has

thanks

[MJL]

i've been browsing the orvis site, and the l.l. bean site. i will look into the hodgman, and the cabela offerings though.

and i sent jr a pm looking for more information about the orvis ones he has

thanks

 

Orvis offers nice waders. I've been using my ProGuide II waders since 2004. They really took a beating over the years and came out laughing. Last fall they finally imploded and started leaking after each trip. I think I paid $200-$250 for them (Can't remember) - They were on sale though.

 

I'm still currently using them...From the knees down is mostly aquaseal

[JohnF]

your budget might be a bit restricting but still options for you...start with looking in classifieds, good deals come up often enough...and if not just walk in to your local store, try some on and go from tehre....hodgmans are entry level priced and i've heard good stuff about them...also a good time buy from south of the border right now too

 

I second the vote for Hodgman. I bought a pair in the States 3 years ago and they've stood up like champions getting wet once or twice a week for bass season. They were $39.95 on sale.

 

JF

[chefboi17]

so i'm looking at these right now LL bean emergers

and these cabelas bluestreams

 

i am drawn to the ll beans for the price, number of great reviews, and the lifetime warranty that ll bean provides.

[solopaddler]

so i'm looking at these right now LL bean emergers

and these cabelas bluestreams

 

i am drawn to the ll beans for the price, number of great reviews, and the lifetime warranty that ll bean provides.

 

 

Between the 2 LL Bean for sure. Cabelas waders are notorious for leaks.

 

Depending on your size I may have something for you.

I've got a basically brand new pair (worn once in a boat last week) of Dan Bailey EZ Zip Guide Waders in a large king that you can have for $250

 

http://www.montanaflyfishers.com/sitepages/pid108.php

[bare foot wader]

cabelas has hodgemans on sale....

 

My link

Edited March 30, 2010 by bare foot wader

[bare foot wader]

another thing to keep in mind is that you can most likely get by ordering online waders by using the sizing chart...but for boots I'd strongly recommend bringing your waders into a store, wearing two pairs of socks (if you plan to do winter wading) and make sure you get properly fitting boots.

 

for example, my feet are size 11...my simms boots are sz 12 for summer boots and my winter boots are 13

[chefboi17]

i was looking at these hodgmans

how is the warranty on hodgmans products though? i know every single breathable is going to leak eventually, but with ll bean they have a lifetime no nonsense return policy, so if they ever get to the point of no repair, i can send them in and get a new pair

oh and i completely agree on the boots part.

Edited March 30, 2010 by chefboi17

[bare foot wader]

didn't realize hodgman was bought by coleman's...not sure how that would affect their warranty...but i've heard good stuff about it in the past....my first waders were hodgman's neoprenes and they lasted great under hard use for about 4 years...then i got a bit chunky and they got tight and started to leak at the seams...i think marine goop is best for repairs, better than aquaseal IMO which tends to get brittle with age

 

lifetime warranty's are sometimes not so great..ie how much they charge you for shipping and how long it takes to replace....a lot of lifetime warranty products the cost of that is reflected in initial purchase price...i'd rather have a cheaper purchase price in some cases and just buy new ones when they wear out...

 

those waders look decent and for that price iw ouldn't even care about what the warranty is...pretty good price there

[chefboi17]

the price on the camo ones is great, it looks like they are the same model as the ones you linked me to aswell. hell at the price i might get 2 pairs one for backup. just need to find out what the shipping to canada will be. and if i will get nailed with border/brokerage fees

i hate lifetime warranty's that don't live up to what they should be. i have a g loomis frontier that i'm really cautious to use now that the company went under. that rod was steel but i figured g loomis canada and the us company would work together.

[bare foot wader]

no worries about gloomis, everybody says great stuff about their warranty

 

if you ship across the border make sure it's USPS and not UPS....ups will hit you with their own brokerage charges which are redonk expensive.....usps will take a bit longer but no hidden costs usually, at least in all of my experiences

 

i have a loomis frontier float road as well and love the action on it...which model do you have?

[chefboi17]

i have the 7ft spinning rod, its a great all purpose rod, the action is fantastic, and it's the perfect size to use while fishing on a boat with other fishermen lol. the handle is a bit short for my liking, but i've had it for a pretty long time (at least 4 years). i landed a 20+ salmon on it last season to lol.

personally i just got into steelhead fishing last fall so i'm still getting everything i need. picked up a 12.6 shimano convergence as a cheap rod, and an islander steelheader centerpin to go with it. now i just need waders to get off the shore.

 

as for the size of the waders i need to get, my measurements are right on the border of the medium and large pair, should i go a little bigger or a little smaller?

normal shoe size is 10.5-11 depending on the shoe

waist 32

inseam 32

Edited March 30, 2010 by chefboi17

[bare foot wader]

go bigger, no questions at all about that, go bigger......if they're a bit small every movement will pull at the seams which will lead to quicker failure...and keep in mind you gotta add a few inches to your measurements for layering in the winter

 

the flipside is if you go TOO big you get "chubb rub"...or thats what i call it...when the extra material rubs between your knees and leads to a hole eventually....happened to me on wright and mcgills and warrantied and walked out of the store with a new pair....i'm usually in between L and XL...XL fits in the length and height but large fits on the width...kinda sucks, dno't see XL slim fit waders

[chefboi17]

thanks for all the help man, gonna put in the order tonight

[Jet]

LL Beans lifetime warranty is probably as good as it gets. You never pay for duty or shipping on the replacement pair and lucky for us Canadian's Bean has a returns depot in Etobicoke. No warranty inspections either. You will have to pay to ship it back there. I returned a pair of waders that didn't fit right (after a few trips) and it cost me about $8 with full insurance to ship it there. The new pair arrived in just over a week and cost me nothing.

 

What they do is ship you a new pair and charge your credit card. When your return item arrives at their shop you are credited that amount back to you.