My turn to ask for help guys,my old 5 mil chest waders have had their last day time for new ones.The question is do i want stocking foot or boot models advantages and disadvantages any input would be a great help .....thanks guys

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Tight Lines
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Do you walk or ride?

I spend 99% of my fishing time in a drift boat, therefore I really like the bootfoot waders. Warm! and easy to get into, and very comfortable. I bought a pair of Cabelas 5mm bootfoot waders last year and love them. They are very warm, maybe too warm at times, but I also have a pair of neoprene 5mm hip boots that I wear on nice dry days. (very nice boots, very comfortable to fish out of.)

If you hike and walk a lot you may want to go with a pair of 3mm stocking foot waders. They seem to fit a lot tighter and are much nicer to walk in. My feet always got cold in mine though? Even though I am big... I don't like to be cold.

My $.02

TH

I spend most of my time on my cataraft,my problem is fit I'm 6' 195 lbs,with a 30 inseam i've pulled my ham sring getting the bastards off and their a boot on model from cabelas, cold is no problem I'm warm blooded so maybe 3 mm will work I don't mind walking the river..

Waders are a personal thing, but when I worked for ODFW waders were my work clothes. The 5mm Cabelas Stocking foot waders rock. I made the mistake of buying 3.5mm xtream waders on my last set, and am kicking myself for it. My Cabelas lasted 6 years before the seams and neoprene on the heels wore out. Basically I went through 3 pairs of wading shoes before the waders were done. And boy they were comfortable. But I have to admit, I have never bought a pair of bootfoot waders. Like I said this is my personal opinion.

I've owned both and no question stocking foot is more comfortable if you're a walker but I've also found stocking foots to be a total pain in the *** for leaks. I went through 2 pairs quickly and they were not abused. I'm always careful around sticks, sticker bushes, underwater hazards, etc.... and the damn things still leaked horribly. They weren't cheap ones either.

I have finally resorted to middle-of-the road boot foot waders and have no complaints.
I've done hikes up to 10 miles in one day and was no more tired than I was with the stocking foots.

If you go boot foot though, a good fit is paramount not only in the boot but the fit around your inseam/waist. If they are too tight or too loose you will fight them when wading and quickly feel spawned out yourself.

If you want the comforts of a stocking foot waders and the warmth of boots there is a good soloution. Take you'r boot foot or stocking foot waders to a dive shop and have them put on a pair of DUI extreme or Nd divers boots for thier dry suits. It is heavy duty and has excellent traction for the slippery rocks and the comfort is wonderful. it's like wearing your favorite pair of shoes, they will cut the existing boots and mend put the new ones on, it works with stocking boots too. These boots will be warm enough so you can wear just a pair of white socks in the freezing waters. Also these boots will out last any other wader shoes or boots including the waders too. You may pay upto a $150 pair for the boots including the all work for the anew attachment

Lots of good advice so far.

To sum it up. Go for lightweight comfort if you do a lot of hiking. You can always layer underneath if warmth is a concern. And if you are doing a lot of hiking you should be able to stay warm.

Heavy 5MM boot foots are great if you are in a boat or doing limited walking. They do get cumbersome if you are hiking a canyon. I like boot foots for a quick slip on and off.

Bottomline: Watch SWAIN's in Port Angeles for their spring clearances on waders. Usually around March/April. I have bought $250.00 bootfoot waders for $90.00. So awesome that I had to buy 2 at a time.

The stockingfoot featherlights out of Cabela's are great if you ever have to hop a plane with limited space for gear. My boot foot waders are close to one carry-on in size.

Being everyone is going with the neoprenes I guess I'll go against the current. I used to wear neo's until I tried breathables, Ronny Drymax to be exact with the kevlar knees. I thought I'd use the neo's in the winter and then the breathables in the summer cause I'm cold blooded. But the breathables surprised me! I just layer up with long underwear and sweat pants and haven't been cold yet. I never wear my neo's anymore. And yes they will take some punishment......Pond

im with pond. I used to wear neo's until I got my simm's breathables. I think the trick is definately layering. Before I layered properly I got cold. I wear a good thick pair of fleece pants, and two pairs of wool socks. The key is wool not cotton or polyester mix. If wool scratches you to much, get a pair of polypro sock liners. Im pretty much a bankie, but these wadres can be used in the summer and winter. This summer I wont be dying of heat exhaustion

OK, now that we've moved to breathables I want to know how much punishment you guys really put them through. With sales and general flooding of the market, the prices on breathables seems to have come down a lot. But how do they hold up bushwacking through the woods or getting caught on exposed roots on the bank?

bg

Six months ago I would not have believed that I would be saying this. I got a pair of insulated bootfoot Hodgman Wadelite breathables to try out and have fallen in love with them. I used to swear that the only way to stay warm steelheading was with 5-mil neoprenes with an insulated bootfoot. I'll stick with the bootfoot part; there's no way to keep your tootsies warm in stocking foots, but I put in a few days last month in 35-degree water and, with a pair of thermal tights and polarfleece pants underneath, was warm and comfortable all day long and even while breaking ice through a backwater to get to the river. I tried my old 5-mil neoprenes the other day while beach fishing and quickly found myself looking forward to getting back to the car to get out of the damned things. How durable are they? I can't say yet, but so far I've experienced no leaks of any sort, even after whacking myself with a misdirected spey cast that I was sure had punched a hole in them.

Thanks for all the replies guys I'm seriously considering the breathable ones keep it coming I'm still looking Thanks again..

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Tight Lines
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Good breathables are tough! I've put 2 summer/winter seasons on my Simms bootfoots and haven't had a leak. Up and down thorny paths, poked by a few sharp branches, and slid over a lot of rocks and logs too.

I was skeptical when I first bought them - couldn't believe I was spending that much for waders. Now I'm really glad I did - layering with good polypro takes care of the warmth and walking is 100% easier than with neoprene. Still have my 5m bootfoots, but it's really hard to do the Michelin Man thing once you've tried the breathables.

BTW, I'm 6' with a 31" inseam, 185lb with a size 11 shoe and the standard large Simms Bootfoots fit me perfectly.

There are also better bargains on breathables from what I hear - lots of good feedback on the Hodgemans and Cabelas breathables, both of which are about 1/2 the price of Simms.

Spend the extra hundred or hundred and fifty dollars and get a pair of Simms breathables. They are by far the best on the market. With the Simms you are getting a one year over the counter warranty and then a lifetime warranty after that with Simms. So they could be very well be the last pair of waders you ever buy.
If you are worried about durabilty, the Simms come with a five layer in the chest and a seven heavy duty layer in the legs. They are nearly bullet proof and if something happens to them, you get a new pair free!!
And if you worried about the cold, dont because with proper layering you can withstand the coldest temps. Buy em!!
Tight Lines
Ryan

[This message has been edited by RPetzold (edited 02-01-2000).]

Look at the Dan Baily breathables. $199
I have put mine through the ringer and still dry. I have sold alot of pairs with no returns. The guarentee is awsome. Stay away from Ronny. They have terrible coustomer support and screwed me royal.
I am going to buy a pair of 5 mill bootfoots for the boat in the winter. Seems like no matter what I do my feet are still cold.

Breathables are awesome but the people who fish in my boat that wear them seem to shiver more than the people who have Neoprene! Layering would be the key, Polar fleece pants and long undies...Cabelas Neos and there Jim teeny Breathables are all exellent. I love the 5mil Neo bootfoots.

The best waders I have found so far are BARE Supras. They are 3.5 mill Hgh dnsity neoprene with a special coating on the inside that reflects your body heat back to you, Very warm!!!! They make them in bootfoot and stocking foot models.
Personally I think stocking foot are the way to go. Just wear a sock liner and one pair of heavy wool socks. Make sure you you have plenty of room to move your tose and you will be warm all day. Most people wear there wading boots too tight and thats why there feet get cold.
I have had these waders for 4 years, no leaks or holes yet.......

I don't own breathable waders but afer reading the posts it sounds like I ought to ditch the Cabela's 5mm bootfoots for all but the cold weather drift boat steelheading.

I fish in Alaska and would like to re-iterate the good advice in respect of layering. For Alaska I start out with polyproplyene long handles (THESE ARE A MUST. DO NOT WEAR ANYTHING ELSE.) Over them I wear 1-2 pairs of wick-away ski pants, THEN put on the 5mm waders. (I've walked up to 5 miles in this get-up, I can tell you that I was HOT when I finally reached the river!)

More frequently, though, a very long day in a boat or a 38 degree river can get put a chill in you if there's even 1 non-synthetic item under your waders. I learned the hard way: no cotton sweats, no jeans, no traditional long handles.

This goes doubly for SOCKS. I recommend trying either 'Sealskins' or Cabela's Gortex socks. Both are spendy at $30-35/ pair. However, if you want warm feet you need something to wick away the sweat and neither cotton nor wool does the job like these.

I've used the Gortex socks longer and they've held up well but you have to take care when putting them on as there's no elastic in them and they can be torn. The Sealskins worked a charm the one week I wore them last fall, and have the added advantage of being stretchy.

wow thanks for the replies, so many choices, better start shopping thanks again Tight lines

Stocking for sure if your in a boat,,

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