Breathable Waders
Which waders are best for reservoir fishing in the uk?
My husband is now on his 4th pair of waders in less than a year! He's had Ron Thompson neoprene's which split at the seams. He's had Shakespeare rubber type waders that split at the crotch seam. I'm fed up of taking these things back to the shop and would love to know the following...
Which waders are best in the cold neoprene or breathable?
Which waders are toughest (for big waisted men)?
Are breathable waders more flexible than neoprene for knealing or sitting etc.
Thank you for your advice in advance.
In my opinion, breathable waders are best. They are flexible but tough, lightweight but strong, and they are very comfortable. Neoprene do just fine for some people, and they are good in the cold weather, but breathable waders are an advancement in waders. In other words, they were intended to improve upon neoprene, and in my opinion, they are a big improvement. I'm not even going to talk about straight rubber waders -- they were good in their day, but if you fish a lot, you can forget about rubber waders.
Breathable waders are comfy and easily accommodate sitting, crouching, bending, and kneeling. If you get the right size, and adjust them properly, you hardly know you are wearing them, which cannot be said of any neoprene or rubber waders. When you wear neoprene or rubber, you KNOW you are wearing them at all times. Neoprene is flexible, but it can pinch and bind, and I think this would be a major consideration for a gentleman of generous proportions.
Breathable waders will also keep you warm, especially if they are sized right and if you wear some good layers beneath them (like a thin pair of longjohns under your trousers). I live in the Rocky Mountains and I fish all through the winter on my home river -- the air temperature is often below 20 degrees F (-6 C), and the water temperature hovers just above freezing December through February. I wear my breathable waders, cotton pants, and some thermal underwear. Of course I get cold eventually, but only after wading (sometimes) for hours.
I'm going to have to say that Simms waders are among the toughest waders out there, and you can get them in versions that are VERY beefy -- with reinforced seams and extra fabric at the crotch, butt, and knees. Simms makes a lot of waders for professional anglers and those who use waders for work purposes, so they are built for very tough conditions and heavy use. Unfortunately, they can also be very expensive. Do an online search and you'll see what I mean. If you spend $200 or more on a set of waders, they'll probably save you money over the long term -- you won't be buying multiple sets of inexpensive waders any more. Most of them also come with some fairly good guarantees.
Neoprene waders are most likely to fail at the seams. Everyone knows this, and it's not hard to understand what's happening to your hubby -- big man + tight waders = blown crotch. Breathable waders are NOT bullet proof -- I'm sure your man can blow a seam on some breathable waders if he tries. The way to avoid this is to make SURE they fit. Have him put them on and do some calisthenics. If he has to go to the XXL, so be it. He can't be proud -- this is fishing; some things are more important than dignity. Have him crouch and kneel and touch his toes to make sure they're not pulling too much. They should fit like a good pair of pants and, as such, they should allow him a full range of motion. Also, if you puncture breathable waders, they'll leak. However, they are usually very easy to repair and there are many products on the market (adhesives and patching fabrics), some of which will allow you to patch in the field.
I'm not going to even try to pick out a set for you -- I don't know what's available where you are and I don't know what your budget is. All I'll say is, go for a high-quality set of breathable waders and, if possible, buy a set from a store so that your guy can try them on in person. If you need to, come back and ask about what you find out there and we can give you opinions on makes and models.
My bet is that even if you get this guy a less-expensive pair of breathable waders, and if they fit well and have any amount of quality construction, you won't replace them four times in the coming year, and he will NOT want to go back to neoprene.
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