First Set Of Waders

[10pointer]

glad to have you here!

like the others have said, stockingfoot, and id suggest felt or felt/studded as far as the boots go. Rubber bottoms will only cause you to break your neck! but watch the studs though, tile floors etc will cause a wipeout too!!!

As far as a brand goes, eveything i own is Simms...waders, boots, vests, outerwear. Its going to be pricey but im really tough on equiptment and i have never had a problem with any simms products. The waders are layered alot more that the cheaper waders and they will take a beating and last a long time. There warranty service is superb and most products are made in bozeman montana which means the money stays in the states

If you are just going to be using these once in awhile or are on a tight budget then the cheaper cabelas waders are fine. Id never buy a pair of white river waders from BPS again. Unless they have drastically changed the quality isnt very good. When i worked for bps about 5 or 6 years ago i had a pair of white rivers and i think i went through 5 pairs in 2 years. The seams were absolute junk....and with their warranty only being 1 year the waders almost become disposable. The white rivers may have changed but id be very weary!

A simple cheaper pair will work, but if you see yourself fishing for years to come if you can afford it like the others said go with the simms because after replacing several pairs of cheaper waders you could have yourself a pair of nice ones that will last. And you wont have that good ole wonderful freezing water running down your leg feeling early in the monring!

[vanven]

I am probably late to jump into this but here is my thoughts.

My first pair of waders was a pair of Hodgeman's stockingfoot breathables from Dick's Sporting Goods for about $60 with a pair of wading boots for about $50 from Cabela's. They lasted about two years until I decided that I really loved the sport and decided to upgrade. I have no complaints aobut these waders and still use them from time to time with my float tube. They are much lighter than my current waders so they are a bit more comfortable in warm water.

I am a big proponent to good quality name brand gear like Simms (not Orvis). I think you definitely get what you paid for. The one exception to this is someone who is just getting started and not sure. That person should consider the bare minimum because this can be a very expensive sport. Dont fall into the habit of continuously buying the cheapo stuff that you have to replace every year. Buy the minimum and when you decide that you really love the sport, then jump in head (and wallet) first.

-Jerod

[wanabeflyer]

I am looking at the Cabela's Guidewear® Dry-Plus® Breathable Chest Waders.

Any thoughts.

thanks

[OKFlyFisher44]

Cabelas brand gear seems to be really quality stuff. I think its higher quality gear than most of the Bass Pro brand stuff myself. I have a pair of Cabelas neoprene bootfoot waders that I use for duck hunting and I absolutely love them. Very comfortable and very warm. I bought a pair of the Cabelas Three Forks 420-denier bootfoot waders for my 13 y/o nephew over the summer to fish Taneycomo and they've held up really good to his abuse too.

Read the reviews on Cabelas website though too, they're really helpful in most cases with making a decision. I will say that I've researched some of the Guidewear waders when I was looking at buying a pair off EBay to have as a backup pair...some of the reviews weren't that great in comparision to others. So just do your research and spend some time reading those reviews...

Just my thoughts...

[Njardar]

I recently went through this exact same dilemma… what brand of waders should I buy as my first pair. I had already decided on stocking foot so the real decision was brand. I found myself in the Chicago suburbs for a week on business, so I spent the evenings visiting stores. My first stop was Orvis, I was impressed with what they had to offer, but could not justify the price. Next stops were Cabella’s and Bass Pro Shops. While these stores did not carry the full line of waders, I was not impressed with what I saw. After doing the mental math I decided that I would be better off buying a quality wader on sale then buy entry level waders and upgrade. I ended up with Orvis Pro-guide 3 waders, and what I like about them is a stocking foot that matches my shoe size with heavy socks, and a wader that fits my body style. If you have the opportunity shop for waders in persons and not in a catalog do so. There is a lot to be said for touching the merchandise.

[OKFlyFisher44]

If you have the opportunity shop for waders in persons and not in a catalog do so. There is a lot to be said for touching the merchandise.

I couldn't agree more...

[Wayne SW/MO]

After going through more waders then I can count I have to say that stocking foot makes the most sense. They give you better support, and high quality boots will last a long, long time. I would buy felt soles without studs, you can always wear chains if needed, and as high ankle as I could find. As for waders, any decent reasonable brand, I've not seen as much difference in waders as one would expect considering the cost differences. I've gotten the best life out of Hodgmans.