Fishing Waders

If you like to go out for a fishing day out on the river, or out on the beach, or in the bay, you will definitely want to invest in a good quality pair of waders to keep your dry, and stay warm from the cold water hitting your body. There are many different styles of waders, and it’s important to spend some time to look around at all the types and styles that are available, to make sure you buy the ones that will work for the fishing that you like to do.

Fishing Waders - Types of Waders

There are four unique styles of fishing waders on the market today. The four styles of waders are the Boot Foot Waders, the Stocking Foot Waders, Hip Waders, and Wading Pants style fishing waders. Styles of Waders: • Boot Foot Waders • Stocking Foot Waders • Hip Waders • Pant Waders Boot Foot Waders are fishing waders that extend from your foot all the way up to your chest. The boot is attached to the waders, so it’s more of a fully enclosed system, and makes it so you don’t also have to buy wading boots. The boot foot waders are heavier and bulkier, which makes it a little more difficult to get into. However, if you are wading on a sandy bottom, like on a beach, having the one piece setup makes it so you boots don’t fill up with sand. Stocking Foot Waders have a neoprene sock on the foot of the wader, and they do not have the boot found on the boot foot waders. You would then buy wading boots and put them on over the neoprene sock. Just like the boot foot waders, stocking foot waders go from your feet up to your chest, although some varieties are shorter and only extend up to your waist. Because there is not a boot permanently attached to the stocking foot waders, they fold up smaller and are much lighter. Stocking foot waders are also easier to put on and take off. A great benefit of buying stocking foot waders instead of the boot foot waders is that you can wade with just your wading boots when the conditions are right to do so, since you buy them as separate pieces and they are not attached. Another advantage to the stocking foot wader and having boots separately is that you can replace one or the other if they develop problems, instead of having to replace both as one piece. Hip Waders are designed for wading in shallower and slower moving water. These fishing waders extend from your foot to your upper leg, so they are much shorter. They are much more comfortable and restrict your movement less. They are also very easy to get in and out of. They have styles that have the boot attached, or the boot as a separate piece. Wading Pants are just like hip waders, but they fit more like a pant. They look exactly like a pant, and have the look and feel of a pant. They are meant for wading in shallower water below the waist. Wading pants are the most comfortable and are very light. Wader Features Recommendations It’s important for a good wader to be breathable. I recommend that you buy a wader that is made out of gore-tex, dri-plus or other synthetic material that allows your sweat to escape from the wader while still preventing water from entering the wader from the outside. If you fish in really cold weather, you may want to get an insulated wader to help keep you warmer on freezing fishing days. Fishing Wader Materials & Construction It’s important to make sure that you get a good wader that is made out of the type of material that will fit your needs. The material is what will tell you whether you will be able to remain dry, which is the whole purpose of having a wader. Good quality waders are made out of two different materials typically. Neoprene or specialized breathable fabrics like gore-tex or dri-plus. Neoprene Waders Neoprene waders are primarily in colder weather and colder water. Neoprene waders are great in colder fishing conditions because they have different thickness levels of neoprene available. The thicker the neoprene, the better they are for the colder environments. Neoprene Waders, like nylon waders, are not breathable. During warmer weather, the neoprene fishing waders can get too warm for you. Also, since these waders are not breathable, you can get left with condensation in the wader. If you plan on fishing very cold water or in very cold weather, neoprene waders are an excellent choice. If you are not fishing in very cold water, I would stick with the newer, breathable type of waders. Breathable Waders Breathable waders are made out of various materials like Gore-Tex, or dri-plus, that are designed to keep the water out while still allowing your body heat and sweat to escape, so that you can stay warm and dry for a full day of fishing. If you will be spending a lot of time in waders or will be fishing in a wide range of environmental conditions, a good quality pair of breathable waders is a must. When you wear a good pair of breathable waders, especially if they fit good, you are likely to not even notice you are wearing them after a little while because they are so much more comfortable than neoprene waders or the old style rubber or nylon waders. Gore-Tex Stocking Foot Fishing Waders • Simms G3 Guide Gore-Tex Stocking Foot Waders • Simms Headwaters Pro Gore-Tex Stocking Foot Waders • Simms Headwaters Gore Tex Convertible Stocking Foot Waders Stocking Foot Waders • Hodgman Aesis Sonic Zip Stocking Foot Waders • Simms Freestone Z Stocking Foot Waders for Ladies • Hodgman Aesis Sonic Stocking Foot Waders for Men • Simms Freestone Toray Stocking Foot Waders Wading Pants • Simms Freestone Wading Pants • RedHead Wading Pants • RedHead Wader Pants for Men • Cabela’s Wader Pants Boot Foot Waders • White River Fly Shop Rubber Boot Foot Waders • RedHead Classic Series II Brown Neoprene Boot Foot Waders Felt Bottom • LaCrosse Super Brush Tuff Insulated Boot Foot Waders • RedHead Canvasback Boot Foot Waders Wading Boots • Simms Freestone Wading Boots • White River Fly Shop Felt Wading Boots • Korkers Devils Canyon Wading Boots • Simms Freestone Wading Boots for Men Click the “Shop Now” Button to browse the full line of fishing waders, wading pants, wading boots, and more. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Mendenhall Outdoors team. We highlight products and services that you might find interesting. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. If you click a link on this page, then go on to make a purchase, we might receive a commission – at no extra cost to you, and does not impact the purchase price of any products that you may purchase.