chest waders. boots on or off??

right lads i'm looking a bit of info on chest waders. i filled my ron thompson £34.99 ones the other day to repair a leak and discovered they were full of more holes than a turkish brothel . the most leaks appeared to be coming from where the boots were attached to the waders and any where the material appeared to be rubbing . after speaking to a couple of anglers the common consensus was that waders that have the boot attached to them always seem to leak there after time so would i be better buying the neoprene waders that you put the boot on on the outside of them. i'm not gonna be stuck to the cheaper ones as i have £100 sterling to spend on them . i've had a look at the ones in the glasgow angling centre and they all look pretty decent with a minimum of 4mm neoprene material. problem is, i'm stuck to think of anyone who actually owns a pair as it's pointless to spend that sort of cash without a few reviews from anglers who have used and abused them. so could anyone tell me what ones to avoid or if anyone who has been using a pair for some time and would recommend them to me. i've read a few reviews from known anglers in the mags and on web sites, but they never say anything bad about whatever it is they're reviewing. not surprising thow as they are being paid to say positive things about them by the manufactures
any help would be greately appreciated guys as i've already had a look in the tackle review section and there were only a few posts in relation to the boot attached versus seperate boots.
many thanks,
Al.

hi al,as i was a salmon angler in my past life,i have had both neoprene and ordinary waders,and have seen many a pair in action,the biggest problem with neoprene is that it tears easily if caught on barbed wire or brambles or the like,and its nearly impossible to repair when torn.most ordinary waders are fine if there looked after,the biggest mistake being leaving them folded up after a session in the boot of the car.(the material will crack over time)i have a pair of ordinary snowbee waders that i have had for the last eight years which are perfect,but i always hang them up after i use them,only one small repair after i stuck a knife thru them a few years back.personally i would always go for the ordinary wader,but a quality pair not a budget pair.they last for years if looked after,and are easy to repair if they do get damaged.

would agree with that you always have to hang them rather than fold them as they tend to perish at the fold iv had a pair of dunlops for about ten years have never leaked . its like all tackle if you look after them they last

hi Al

I switched from Neoprene (all in ones) to breathable(seperate wader/Boot) and I will never go back. I do a lot of rock hoping for bass and I found that I floated like a cork when I entered the water in the Neoprenes. I never flet happy wading out to a rocky ledge etc.,

Check out ebay and do a search on bison, good deal on breathables(seperate wader/Boot) that fit your budget - there's a post somewhere from a lad that got a pair so you could PM him for an opinion(sea horse)

I got a great deal (wader/jacket/boots) from Andrew Ryan Clonanav Fly Fishing Ballymacarbry
Clonmel Co Waterford T 052 6136765 E andrew@flyfishingireland.com www.flyfishingireland.com

goodluck.

A lot of the lads on the match fishing scene use the ocean chest waders, and i have a pair for the last 6 years and they have never leaked and i have been using them for digging bait and fishing.
The neoprene's are hell in the summer if you have to move around a lot and if you are like me have a generous covering they can be very restricting, the ocean waders are very generous with room as a well known angler from this site will tell you.
The ocean are a good all round hard wearing workhorse waders and recommend them highly.

A lot of the lads on the match fishing scene use the ocean chest waders, and i have a pair for the last 6 years and they have never leaked and i have been using them for digging bait and fishing.
The neoprene's are hell in the summer if you have to move around a lot and if you are like me have a generous covering they can be very restricting, the ocean waders are very generous with room as a well known angler from this site will tell you.
The ocean are a good all round hard wearing workhorse waders and recommend them highly.

thanks paul great wader though, its the longest lasting wader ive ever owned and not madly priced, think i payed 70 euro for mine including postage. make sure you get the appropriate sized ones

hi Al

I switched from Neoprene (all in ones) to breathable(seperate wader/Boot) and I will never go back. I do a lot of rock hoping for Bass and I found that I floated like a cork when I entered the water in the Neoprenes. I never flet happy wading out to a rocky ledge etc.,

Check out ebay and do a search on bison, good deal on breathables(seperate wader/Boot) that fit your budget - there's a post somewhere from a lad that got a pair so you could PM him for an opinion(sea horse)

I got a great deal (wader/jacket/boots) from Andrew Ryan Clonanav Fly Fishing Ballymacarbry
Clonmel Co Waterford T 052 6136765 E andrew@flyfishingireland.com http://www.flyfishingireland.com



goodluck.

Al,
I got a pair of these Bison breathables and boots.Cant fault them mate.Only been using them a few months but more than happy with them.Comfy as.Will never go back to neoprenes now.

HI Al

Up to last year i always used the waders with the boot attached switched over to the waders with the boot seperate, will never go back, as Dubred said, if you are on the move you have a hell of a lot more comfort and support in the seperates..

Still keep the neoprenes for the baltic winter nights

Regards

cheers lads for the speedy replies. i've done a bit of reading up on the ocean chest pvc waders and the best price i've found them at so far is on here http://www.advancednetting.co.uk/shop/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=76_32_61_63&zenid=l70n886j5n7gvrimghgerc6sv2. i have yet to read a bad report about them after reading up on the neoprene, i'm inclined to avoid them due to the apparent ease in which they tear and i've also been informed that in the summer you'll sweat worse than a cat trapped in a chinese restraunt. the seperate boot waders seem to be a wee bit pricey for my allowance and i've been warned to stay away from the lower price bracket makes of them. i'll get online today and order my pvc ocean chest waders. but from what i have read about them am i best to forget the old "order one size up from what you actually are" as from what i've read they are naturally slightly larger than most other makes??? thanks again lads

The boot size is good and I'd stick to the normal size unless you are going to wear heavy socks or neoprene booties which a lot of the lads do for winter, it's the upper half that's roomy. Also they don't need special attention i just dump them in the shed and they're non the worst for it.

cheers paul. i'll get my order placed now and thanks again for all the help lads, it's greatly appreciated