Light weight wadders

[Fishing freak]

Can anyone out there give me a recommendation
for light weight breathable wadders. I am thinking of buying my son some for X-mas and would like some opinions. Thanks in advance.

[Trout,myster]

FF- I recently (okay, late last year) switched to some Cabela's waist high neoprenes. Will never go back to chest waders! They are a little lighter, a LOT cooler, and when nature calls you don't have to strip on the river bank! Check out cabelas.com or root through the catalogue. Sizes aren't plentiful, so see what's there!

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[Predator Dawg]

I have the Cabelas Dry Plus breathables and they have been great for two years now. When they wear out, I'll switch to a slightly heavier duty one like the Simms Guide Weights, but for an entry level breathable, I would highly recommend them.

[Stz ll]

I bought a pair of Hodgeman lightweight breathable waist high waders last summer to take to Alaska. If you don't have a need for chest waders you might give these a try. My buddies wore their jeans inside their chest waders. I wore a pair of shorts with long johns so my skin was not against the material and to offer protection from the coolness of the water. When we got done fishing and removed our waders their jeans were completely wet from sweat. I was totaly dry. I recommend these waders highly. Of course this is only my opinion and experience.

Pete

[garyk]

About 4 seasons ago, I won a pair of the Cabellas Lt-Wt breathables at an auction. At the time they were supposed to have leakage problems. These, however have been flawless. No leaks, and I've done everything in them from coastal river wading, drift boat trips, and busting brush and scree fields on the Donner-und-Blitzen.

Initially, I was super skeptical of 'breathable' waders (I'd sold high-end waders for 5 years in the fishing industry and knew that preventing waders from inadvertantly breathing was a problem every manufactured struggled with) -- but these really do work. I'm sold.

They don't leave you wet and chilled at day's end the way neoprenes do. Pack easier on trips and are fairly cheap.

You do give up some insulating value so for cold weather deep wading or float tubing 4 or 5mm neoprene is probabaly a better bet -- it just depends on how they will be primarily used.

One last thing, dirt & oil blocks the breathability, so I would try to keep the roe juice off 'em.