WADERS: BUY OR DONT BUY

HI,
IM DOING A BIT OF RIVER FISHING, SEA FISHING AND LAKE FISHING THIS YEAR. IS IT WORTH BUYING WADERS. IF SO WHAT PRECAUTIONS SHOULD I TAKE TO KEEPING THEM IN A GOOD CONDITION AND KEEPING HOLES AWAY. WILL LURES BREAK THE MATERIAL ALONG WITH FLIES. GENERALLY WHAT SHOULD I DO TO KEEP THEM IN GOOD ORDER AFTER A FISHING TRIP IF I DO BUY THEM,
CHEERS,
FABREGAS9200

Waders are a vital piece of my angling gear and i have the Ocean pvc ones and they are brilliant. I had neoprene before and i didnt like them at all.When I come in from fishing I hang the waders on the washing line and give them a good hosing down before hanging them in the shed to dry. I fish quite a bit and they havnt let me down, Eric practicaly lives in his and they are fine too and others I know that have them are happy.

waders are a must its catch 22 insulated or not insulated are great if you are wading in a river on cool nights but a killer if spinning and on the move but which ever an essential and the cheep ones are the dearest cos they wont last flies wont harm them

I find them extreamly handy, got a pair of daiwas recently and love em.

IS €60 ENOUGH TO SPEND ON THEM

Essential kit as far as I'm concerned. Cant imagine doing any shore fishing without them except rock fishing.

I have two sets, neoprenes for cold conditions like now, and breathables for the rest of the year.

Neoprenes are fairly rugged and most gashes are usually surface damage, I've had mine 7 years now and still OK. Minor damage is easily repairable. Too heavy for mild weather and even in winter they trap internal moisture but they're so warm I dont notice it till I take them off at the end of the session.

Breathables were a revelation when i first tried them, so light and cool, but much less robust. Both need to be kept with care out of the water but breathables more so, proper folding and storage even more essential and i wouldnt like to try a repair.

As with any gear, nothing lasts forever (even us!) but TLC will extend the life. Price? Like for anything, you get as good as you pay for, buy the best you can afford. A comfortable fisherman will always stay out longer and catch more.

From reading endless articles online, I came to the decision to buy a mid range pair that I can afford to throw away and replace when they develop a hole. WHEN they develop a hole, as it seems a lot of them do.

I am on a fly fishing forum where guys spend £500 on expensive Simms waders, yet even they seem to develop faults.

I decided on a cheapish pair of breathable waders, with bootfoot bottoms, for pure handiness. Made by Scierra, cost me about £70. I've had one season out of them so far and hopefully I'll get a second this year, if they go in the bin at the end of this year I won't be too bothered.

At the end of the day you could spent very little and replace them often, or you could spend a lot and end up with a problem anyway or even worse end up catching them on something sharp and putting a hole in them yourself.

Just my opinion, works for me..

Good points there Scrob. I wasnt advocating paying mad money, just steering clear of total cheapos.

i've had a set of Behr PVC ones now for about 8months. cost me €35. cant go wrong with that. if they pack up on me their cheap to replace. was out last night tho and my toes were freezing(literaly) i had 2 pairs of socks on and by time i was packing up my toes hurt.

Like the other lads I always wear mine. I was advised to buy a cheap PVC pair and chuck them when they leak. Touch wood they are still going grand. Granted you sweat a bit in them but they are much more robust then other options.

I always wear my chest waders when I am fishing for mullet as most of the places I go to tends to be quite muddy and dirty so they save my clothes underneath from getting dirty.
I wear them when I go bass fishing too. They keep me dry when I need to go into the water to cast out or when I have to get out into deeper waters to either access where the fish are or when I need to get that bit deeper to release a fish back in safely.
They are great for stopping you getting wet when it rains too. There's nothing worse than standing out fishing somwhere, it rains and you end up soaked through and cold.
I wouldn't use them if climbing over rocks for safety reasons as your movement isn't as free in them as it would be on a beach or pier.
I would recommend or suggest to you that you rinse your waders down in the shower or bath each time after using them, espicially if salt water has got onto them.
Watch out for hooks, espicially trebles, they can be deadly to get out if you get them stuck in your waders and they will put a nice hole in them too which you don't want to happen.
Look after them and they'll look after you.
I have a pair of the Nylon Ron Thompson chest waders and they are great. They where good value too at £39.99 meaning that if I need too I can replace them for a new pair every other season if they have been well used without them costing me too much each time to do so. I also think they are great because they are the only ones that I found that best fitted me, not many shops stock waders to suit someone with size 5 feet and who are quite small in height like me which is what I discovered when I first went looking for a pair.
Hope this helps.

Got a pair of Bison breathables at Christmas, tested them on a speculative session last weekend and pleased how robust and comfortable they felt (warm base layers required this time of year however....), when both rock-hopping, and in the sea. They were about £59 off Ebay if I recall and delivered to Ireland in 3 days.

Hi fabergas, I'd advise a pair of chesties for your fishing they really are an essensial piece of kit. I use neoprene it allows me to fish for bass all through the winter, even now the sea is still cold if your standing in it for a couple of hours. Don't make the mistake off spending a lot of money, sooner or later they will become unrepairable, aquasure is a good product for mending tears.
My own are ready for replacement, over 3 years old now and haave had more holes than a secondhand dartboard, but they have a small leak in the sole that can't be repaired.
I think I'm right in saying that your one of our younger members,if so make sure that an adult is with you the first time you try them,
Neos have what is known as positive boyancy and it can make you lift your leg higher than you want and can put you off balance.
tight lines and safe fishing
pete.

hi fab when i replied to you before i didnt no your age my eldest is a bit older than you and the second is your age the eldest has a pair but i would be only happy with him using them on the beach and safe stuff like that not around rocks or in a river they are very very dangerous i wouldn get em yet for the second lad if you make one mistake with them ya wont get a second chance sorry for been so mammyish but it is so important which ever ya decide on be very carefull tight lines lad and keep the reports comin cheers

i love my chesteys would fish without them the keep you warm and dry i have my ins 4 years now and there still going strong