Wader advice needed

[Buckhead]

I need some advice on getting some breathable light weight waders. I am planning to do a lot more trout fishing this year and have a birthday coming up. Want to give the wife some present buying instructions.

Anyway, I went by Orvis and Fishhawk in Buckhead to get some ideas. It appears that Simms is the dominant brand and price setter. Most of their stuff is Goretex, $300 and up. Other brands are generally cheaper.

In the world of waders, is it .....you get what you pay for? Are you better off paying more for the Simms? I have looked through the Cabelas and Bass Pro catalogs. Are their brands worth having? Any of the cheaper brands worth considering? What is a minimum price point for good quality?

I will probably end up using them once a week, or 10 or 15 times through the Summer. I would like to think that they would last at least 5 seasons, like my hunting waders do.
I already own some boot foot neoprenes, so I am focusing on the light weight variety. Any advice is appreciated. I don't mind paying whatever to get good quality. I normally buy good gear. It isn't worth saving $150, if you have to live with leaking seams or a pair that only last 1 season. Thanks.

 

[yaknfish]

Cabelas has some Hodgman Wadelights in the Bargain Cave right now. I don't know anything about them, but it looks like a good deal.

 

[huntfish]

Do not take your chances on BPS waders. They do not hold up that long. Maybe for a casual wader, yes, but not for what you described.

Here's a post from another board by Jimmy Harris, owner of Unicoi Outfitters. It sums up why Simms is leading the way.

"Good move. You won't be sorry. Simms tests 100% of their waders before shipping them out. Gore demands that of anyone using their fabrics. We write the date inside every pair of guest waders we use in our shop and nothing has ever compared with Simms for longevity. Everyone's waders will leak at some point in time. But we noticed just yesterday that we have a pair of Simms waders that were put into use almost 4 years ago. Now, realize that our guest waders get more use in a year than the average angler will put on a pair in their lifetime. Pretty good testimony."

 

[stev]

Simms all the way .no better as far as im concerned.Its waht i wear witht the boots with felt bottoms

 

[WinMag.300]

I have...

simms l2's and they are great! Great warranty, customer service and they are in my opinion the best quality money can buy. I own some other brands as well that have done well for me. My simms hands down have the most use...probably 5-7 times a month or more all year. I do have a pair od hodgman that have three seasons on them, and a great pair of stearns.

 

[UAflyfisher]

William Joseph Dry-Namic

I just recently picked up a set of the William Joseph Drynamic Waders that are every bit as nice as the Simms and Orvis that I was looking at. They are on closeout because WJ is introduced a new model this year but I called the guys at WJ to make sure that these are still covered under their Lifetime Warranty and they are.

I searched around quite a bit but found the best deals at: $179

William Joseph Waders Closeout Sale

Fishwest William Joseph Closeout

Others have them for $249 and some still have them at $349 even though they are discontinued.

 

[Silver Bullet]

I really like my Cabelas Gold Medal Dry Plus breathables ($179ish) but by all means, if spending $300 is in your budget, get Simms. Just remember, submerged barbwire doesn't know the difference between the two...
I've had my breathables for 3 years now. I have worn them on countless steelhead and salmon trips and they have held up fine.

 

[Dean]

Waders

Simms....if they fit your budget. Kind of a 'pay me now, or pay me later' thing. If you go real cheap odds are you will be replacing them quickly - and 2-3 years from now you will have spent the same money. Simms (as far as my experience goes) offers good customer service if needed.

If I needed a new pair and was only fishing GA waters, I might consider wet wading through the summer so I could save up the extra $$$ to buy the Simms for Fall/Winter/Spring fishing...jusy my .02.

 

[Rich M]

I had a pair of the Bass Pro lightweights - I don't think they were breathable. It was a lighter nylon material with a laminate backing. Weighed about 3# and I wore sneakers over the booties.

They lasted 4 or 5 seasons of duck hunting - 2 to 5 days a week for 6 or 7 weeks - wading through the brush, sticks & snags, briars, climbing in & out of boats, dogs, ice, basically put them thru the ringer. The booties finally went, not the wader material.

I would gladly buy another pair if I was still duck hunting. I fish out of a boat these days but used to trout fish years ago.

IMHO You'd do better buying 3 pairs of $100 waders - in my experience, waders are typically good for 3 to 5 years, depending on use/abuse and care. I'm rough on the goods.