New Wader Update

Dave Church

Dave Church

Well-known member
I bought some Columbia waders online and was very surprised how tight they were. They did not allow me to stuff my wader jacket inside so I sent them back. I was in Virginia a few weeks back to drop off an order of goose decoys and found a neat little sporting goods store. I was able to try on a pair of Drake Equader neoprene waders and loved them. They were roomy and had tons of bells and whistles. They have straps to sinch up your boots around the ankles to prevent them from pulling away when in mud. They had magnetic flap closures, hand warmer pockets, extra protective material in the right places and most of all they were roomy in the top for my jacket. With all the bells and whistles, I found my right size and purchased them. Saturday was the start of the 2nd split and I wore them for the first time. I was very happy with the mobility and warmth that they provided. The tide had come in by the time I was rounding up the decoys and the farthest decoy was a little deeper than I thought. I was using the line from another decoy to toss out and snag the last decoy and I just was a few inches short. I realized that I was just barely up to my waist and decided to go out just a step or two more. Thats when I felt the cold rush of water poring into my waders. I snagged the decoy and quickly backed into shallower water I could not understand how the water could have gotten in until my hunting partner pointed out how LOW the sides of the waders dip down. I had never noticed this when purchasing them. The front bib area still had 6-8 inches left to submerge and it really gave me a false sense of security. I realize I would normally not be out that deep, but I felt as if I had purchased really expensive hip boots. I am still very satisfied with the waders, just wanted to bring it everyones attention as something to consider. I was always used to my canvas waders that were the same height all the way around. These are not my exact pair, but you can see what I am talking about.

dc
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Hey Dave,

Thanks for sharing that experience. It is time for me to purchase some new waders and I wouldn't have thought to look at the height of the side of the waders.
 
Thanks Chris. I guess I'm kind of old school and it takes me awhile to get into something different. I have ALWAYS worn canvas waders and just assumed that they were tougher and better for my style of hunting. When buying my first neoprene, I never even thought to look at the side areas. Hope this helps.

dc
 
ayep, saw that on a friends pair, that is why I bought the Cabelas Ultra Mag's with 1600, sides tuck way up into damn near your armpit, Then given my 6'4" frame that is pretty deep water I can wade in, amazing how that last decoy or that cripple just floats far enough and the boat is SO far away.... I think I can....I think.....damn!!
 
Also, if you've ever noticed, waders often are a little higher up your back, than the front. This way, if you're gauging the water level by looking down at your chest, you don't have to worry about it going down your back. But, yes....the sides should be at least even height as the front.
Now, if I can only remember to wear my wader belt.
 
Wow, that's not something I would have even thought of. They look like they might as well be waist highs with that big dip on the side. Thanks for sharing Dave.
 
When I am wading deep I habitually place my thumb on the side of the waders under my armpit to make sure I am not at the limit. Looking at the dip in the side is a great tip when purchasing. For those of use who want a little extra room some brands are available in King or Stout sizes.
 
The ultimate solution for getting that last cripple :)


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Dave,

I bought a Drake 4 in 1 jacket/parka (not sure of the correct model) and was quite disappointed. Drake seems to have good ideas but the execution is poor in my opinion. Magnetic pockets seem a good idea until you have a cripple in the decoys and need another shell FAST - I don't know about anyone else but I can't get that damned pocket open with one hand in a hurry. Also, the parka hood had snaps and magnets to hold it on - real TINY magnets and real TINY snaps that didn't work - a good idea but very poor execution. I think Drake started out with great ideas and great execution but when they started mfg. in China or at least "cost saving" manufacturing they lost a lot of credibility in my estimation. Everything they make seems to be a half a bubble off plumb.

Your waders are another prime example - great ideas but it seems they were never field tested by people who actually use them.
 
I think a lot of the big waterfowling products get tested in places like Arkansas where guys are hunting flooded timber in water that us up to their knees. Those side dips wouldn't be an issue in that kind of area, but they wouldn't work for a lot of the hunting population. With all that being said I really love my drake equwader pullover. I've had it for 3 or 4 seasons now and it works great for my style of hunting, but everyone has a different style and different needs.
 
Pete, it was my first time wearing them so I really can't tell you if the magnetic pockets are an issue yet. I did notice that I needed two hands (maybe 3 hands) to get the shells out of the shell loops. My last dog knew the difference between decoys and ducks and I was able to command him to retrieve decoys at the end of the hunt. Maybe I need to train my new lab to do the same so I don't need to wade so deep.......or I can just move south and hunt in knee deep water. The velcro shoulder straps are ok, kind of a pain to adjust but should be fine. I have heard people say that the velcro wears out after a while so I will keep an eye on that. My old waders had buckles and they never seemed to get in the way but I see many wader manufacturers are pointing out that they make the velcro straps to prevent shooting obstructions. I don't think my buckles were the problem when I missed, I think my shooting just sucked, but it was nice to have the buckles to blame.

dc
 
Dave,

I had a pair of Cabela's waders a few years ago that had velcro shoulder straps. After the first year or two I sewed additional buckles on them as the velcro would get full of crud and not work so great. I usually unfasten the strap on my shooting shoulder and trying to keep the left one up when the velcro wasn't working was a real pain.

Good Luck
 
Don't kid yourself walking in flooded timber down here. It ain't all the movies make it out to be. Most public woods hunting is waist deep like the Cache or Black River, Bayou Meto, and Big Lake. An awful lot of the time we are up to out pits going through the sloughs, finding a stump hole in the woods, borrow ditches to rice fields, etc. If you do happen to just be in knee deep water, you are also in risk of hitting that trip log and going to your knees (or worse) fast! Floating your hat isn't fun!!!!! Also, because how hard woods hunting can be on your gear, your waders better be warm (due to standing in 35-40deg water for extended periods) and tough as nails. Trip.
 
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