Breathables vs neoprene

Dwight Harley

Dwight Harley

Well-known member
I am pretty sure this topic has been beat to death but I am going to bring it up again....time to buy new waders....AGAIN. I have been through 3 sets of neoprene waders in 5 years and now I have more leaks in the newest pair that I can't find. The waders are covered up with Aquaseal anyway. I sweat like a pig in them while getting to my spot and setting up and then when I stop the sweat chills and I am cold. They are a pain in the ass to put on. I layer with polypro, fleece pants and wool. I hunt in Montana. It can be 60 degrees one day and -20 two days later. I am going to Cabelas this evening and l may buy my first pair of breathables unless you guys talk me out it. thanks
 
Iam NOT going to talk you out of it. After many, many pairs of waders I finally bought my first pair of breathables a few years ago. I love'em. I don't ever use my PEET boot drier anymore because they aren't wet when I take them off - just a bit damp. My wool pants aren't wet either. Try'em
 
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[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Does anyone make a breathable wader with a 1200+ gram boot? [/font]
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Sign me up if anyone does!

I switched to breathables two seasons ago and love them. I just wear long underwear and fleece wader pants under them when it gets cold. Now if you are sitting out in the sedge or in standing water in January would they be warm enough? I'm not so sure, but for sitting in a sneakbox in the ice, absolutely.
 
I have both, and if I had to choose only one, I'd go with breathables. Easier on and off, and you can layer to account for changes in temperature. My 2 cents worth.
 
I'm kind of with Craig on this one. I have both, but I wear the stocking foot variety with cheap wading shoes. Even with the neoprene's, I don't want to be standing in water this time of year, but for being in the boat most of the time, I am fine. With breathable's you just need to decide what you need to wear under them when it is cold. I like the neoprene's, but I don't like fleece pants, and I am at this point using a garbage bag on my right foot with my neoprene's because they have started to seep after a year. You can't beat the flexibility you get when wearing breathable's.
 
I went back to breathables this season after years in the hot sweaty neoprene. We froze up really early this year and I was standing in water that was making ice on multiple occasions this season including the day we locked up tight. I had jeans and bibs on and was perfectly fine and feet were never an issue with two pairs of wading socks....and I think my boots are 600.
 
Greg & Craig~

I have thought of breathables for all the walk-in hunts I do up here, but the floatation and warmth provided by neoprenes when I'm in a boat over deep water gives me added peace of mind.

All the best,

SJS
 
I'm in the blind (50) fifty days a season, not including the wade fishing we do in Feb & March.

My last pair of Cabelas breathables lasted (6) six season with a crouch seam failure (my fault & repaired) & a tear from an oyster bar (patched & fixed).

The seams where the waders attached to the boats finally failed.

When hunting in Canada or Ohio, I would just layer up in Under Armor & insulated jeans.

Order the stouts so you can tuck your jacket inside when wading.
 
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That is a very good point Steve, you definitely don't get the flotation factor with breathables, but I am a lot more limber moving around in the boat, setting decoys, etc. in the breathables.

I also neglected to mention I wear fleece type boot liners as well.
 
For years I've wished Muck Boot would start making waders. If they could extend their quality up to your armpits it would be the best wader on the market. Their seams never leak.
 
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I think you are right Steve as far as the flotation goes, and another thing about neoprene's is if you do take a dunk, you are probably not going to get nearly as much water inside them, as mine are fairly form fitting. The big advantage of breathable's, to me, is the range of motion.
 
I definitely prefer the comfort and range of motion of breathables and wear them whenever I can. I still have a pair of neoprene waders that I use when the temps get down into the teens though I doubt I will replace them when they give out. They are especially nice when (as someone above mentioned) I expect to be standing in the water for a while.

I tried stocking foot waders several years back and was never able to keep my feet nearly as warm as they are when I wear boot foot waders.
 
Breathables with a good (and tight) wading belt. I've taken pretty good dunks during fishing season, including one where I ended up swimming a pretty good rapid when a dam release happened when it wasn't schedule, and only ended up with a couple cups of water below the belt.

As for floatation, when I'm worried about a cold water swim, my life jacket is on in the boat and any time I'm wading.

I don't get cold feet, so can't comment on the need for insulated booties. My new breathables are have wool-lined neoprene stocking feet. With a couple of pairs of socks they keep me toasty as long as the rest of my body is well insulated.
 
Since sweat is the enemy and neoprene its accomplice, I too long ago went to the breathables for nearly all of my trouting and ducking. The boot is for sure the limiting factor during the coldest air and water temps but adding layers to keep the legs warm is no problem. Consequently, I still hang on to a pair of old 7mm neoprenes with heavily insulated boots for December to March outings. As others have suggested, a good belt that provides a good seal and a little back support is a bonus.
 
Does anyone make a breathable wader with a 1200+ gram boot?
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the last breathables I bought were from LL bean
they have 1200 gram insulated boots, called the helix
comfortable , warm, and you don't sweat

would highly recommend them, mine are 5 yrs old now and still going strong
 
Dwight

Sorry to diverge from your topic but your avatar cracks me up. Last Christmas I bought my son Andrew a "COLLEGE" sweatshirt just like Belushi wore in Animal House. It's his favorite shirt. First time he wore it he got funny comments from his teachers. His fellow students were clueless. Andrew is a bit of a movie buff and enjoys the "classics" so any chance I have to get him something related I do. He also has a plain white t-shirt that says "cutters", taken from Breaking Away.

Eric
 
Dwight,
I am on my 3rd pair of Cabala's breathable waders. I love them. Since any "slow leaks" after years of use are usually in the crotch area from the many miles I walk in the marsh, and since I am on the short side of height, the last 2 pairs have been the stout model, which minimizes the
wear in the crotch for me. I have repaired small leaks in my daughters' which she now uses one week per season on her trips home to duck hunt with me from Virginia. (Goop) I always use a wader belt, for that unexpected "trip or slip" and to help hold them up to minimize the bunch up in the crotch. I layer as noted in the above posts depending on the weather. (poly for warm weather, and layers with a heavy fleece outer when it's cold. After a full day hunting, the wader on the inside may feel very moist, but I and my clothes are dry. I turn them inside out at night to hang over a Lakeside floor fan that swivels up and directly blows into the wader, completely drying them for the next mornings hunt. The fan's white noise also helps with Ligman's snoring in the next room. The breathables probably aren't the best for breaking through brush or ice for a season, but in my hunting locations and situations, and being lightweight for an occasional jump shoot, work very well.
Louie
 
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