Product Review- Dryft S14 waders

[ckewley]

After 6 years & many repairs later I decided to retire my old breathable Wright & McGill’s for something new. I did buy a pair of Rocky neoprene hip waders a few (maybe 3) years ago for the winter months but those rather quickly showed very poor workmanship/design as a few of my fishing buddies all bought the same ones & all have had failures in the same areas after 1 season (to which the company is not helpful at all), I would not recommend their products to anyone based on my experience, Wright & McGill on the other hand absolutely, very good product.

So why would I shop for something else other than W&M, well because I want to try something else out. It’s been a year and counting since I decided to purchase new waders & I have traveled to all the big box stores & tried on just about every wader in their inventory, even the Ma & Pa shops out of town if they offered something different to try. I was trying to keep my budget in the mid-range (below 450 tax in). Really liked some of the Simms & Patagonia products for fit & comfort but the ones I liked were over my budget. I have been doing a ton of internet research & have been hearing great things about this upstart company out of the US that offers a great product & reasonable prices. The only downside is they are a internet dealer with no dealer network anywhere, so a trial fit is impossible without going to Washington State. I decided to take the plunge anyway & although fairly new (as of this review, fished in them <20 times) if they serve me like the W&M’s did, they will be the best I’ve owned. Right out of the box it is quite apparent these are serious waders. They weigh roughly 1/3 that of my W&M, & have a lot of standard features you’d find on the higher end Simms/Patagonia/Redington , I’d dare say they are as light if not lighter than those brands too. Waist up is 3 layers & waist down is 5 layers & their fit is everything I was hoping for. They are slightly more tapered than your average wader, giving a snugger feel while still being roomy enough for winter layers. To me it is all in the movement when hiking & these feel like you’re wearing pants not waders. No knee snag when trying to climb over things & the crotch doesn’t separate the twins at the same time. The chest piece comes up to your pits, which is a lot higher than I was expecting but is a welcomed edition. Their wading belt offers some support, for me though it wasn’t enough so I swapped over the lower back pad you get with the W&M & the world is bliss again (I did have to modify it). Chest piece has a duel side zipable hand warming pocket, a big front pocket on the outside and a compartmentalized flip out pocket on the inside. These waders are very dark, almost black so on a cold day the sun will be nice but any temps over your personal threshold (mine is 10*) they become quite warm to wear. Gravel guards are neoprene & were very tight over my boa boots. Their sizing chart on the website is very easy to understand & Nick will respond promptly on any questions you may have, I would rate their customer service as excellent based on my dealings with them. Their shipping is flat rate of $20.00 USD (by postal service international) & I did not get dinged at customs so I was all in at under 350.00 at that time with the exchange rate, might be more now.

Having practically slept in them for a week & having been on a quite a few other treks now I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone, they do what they are supposed to do, having said that there are a few drawbacks, wading belt (for myself) very dark colour (a + & -) & being an internet based business(for folks not willing to take the chance)

[blaque]

Just perused their website.........looks like quality seam work and attention to detail otherwise. A little goofy on the color scheme for my taste, but if it proves to be good competition for the BIG 2 (simms and patagonia) then who cares. We shall see

 

Didnt see anything about warranty, any info on that?

[BillM]

The flat brimmed crew will like this stuff I'm sure, lol..

[adempsey]

Good stuff. I think there is definitely a gap that needs to be filled in that price range. Will have to check them out!

[ckewley]

Sorry I don't have the warranty info handy at the moment but believe it was 5 years against manufactures defects ( at their discretion) , I'll dig it up at work & post it. Ya the colour scheme is, outside of the black/charcoal grey is not really my thing, most of it gets covered with my vest. They are most definitely targeting the flat brimmed crowd their video's scream that attitude, but if that makes them successful so be it

[misfish]

I like the way they kinda fit just like a pair of pants.

 

Will be looking hard at these.

 

Thanks for the heads up bro.

 

Ok this is new to me ?

 

flat brimmed crowd

[porkpie]

 

Ok this is new to me ?

 

flat brimmed crowd

Flat hats, tats, multicoloured float reels, fishbum sweaters, Instagram and Facebook photobombers, you've seen them bro, you've seen them...... bro.

[Old Ironmaker]

I only wear my hip waders, non insulated chest waders 2 weeks a year but they are 20 years old. Not bad for a CTC special and for what I need them for. When I trailer the boat to a ramp I have never been to I throw them in the boat. They have kept me dry when I have had to get in the cold water more than a few times. I hang them by the toes every year in the shed and that's it. No silicone spray. I can understand you guys spending big bucks for good quality when you use them regularly though. I will pass the info on to my buddy up north that basically lives in waders both fishing and hunting.

[BillM]

Flat hats, tats, multicoloured float reels, fishbum sweaters, Instagram and Facebook photobombers, you've seen them bro, you've seen them...... bro.

 

#nailedit