I am about to take the plunge and get me some stockingfoot waders.
The Neoprene 3mm are the same price as the regular non-breathable waders.
My question is, keeping price in mind, would I be able to survive the next month or so and spring with just the regular waders and bundle up with thermals and other layers? Or would it be worth the extra $50 to get the neoprenes then get the $50 waders when it starts to warm up next year?
I basically want to know if I will survive several hours in the water if I just layer up using just the normal waders? Money is tight right now and I don't want to make an investment in neoprenes which I didn't have to.
Thanks
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[cool][#0000ff]From now until April, any tubing you do will be in COLD water here in Utah. You can buy larger lightweights and add an extra layer or two, but neoprenes are much better.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of us use both breathables and neoprenes. My personal schedule is to fish "wet" during the summer, whenever water temps exceed 65 degrees. Once they drop back down past that range in the fall, I put on the breathables and one layer. I add a layer when the temps drop below 60 and bring out the 'prenes below 55. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temps are just above 50 on most low elevation waters now, and in the 40's on the higher lakes. You can "get by" with breathables but you will have to bulk up a lot more than with neoprenes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I also have a thought. From past experience, any waders you can get for $50 are probably not very good waders. Budget is a big thing, but it is cheaper to wait until you can afford good waders than to have to replace poor ones more often.[/#0000ff]
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I on the other hand, guide and fish all year long and stand in the rivers for hours. I have not wore neoprene for years. I am not sure I would even if I had them. I just prefer the comfort of the breathables. Even on very cold winter days, a sweatshirt and long johns is all that is required. If it gets warmer you can strip layers off, something you cannot do in neoprene.
This is just me but I feel like a sausage in neoprene[laugh]
I fish in much colder temps than I will ever tube in meaning the water is rock hard. So cold that my guides ice up on every cast. BUT, I do it in breathables.
LAYERING with the right cloths. NO COTTON! no levis, or cottom sweats.
Nylon thin skins or body armour as a base coat, then top with either fleece pants/bibs or a pair of scrubs, wool is good also.
NOW if money is an issue and you do not fish all year or not much in the cold, the Neoprene is the right answer.
It will be really tuff to find a pair of breathables that will last several years for under $200. not to mention the underclothes.
If you do still want to think breathables, put them on with bulky clothes and squat to ensure a good fit.
I love mine, but they do make my butt look big...LOL
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I was planning on getting the 3mm of these. I probably will only be fishing this winter, mostly on Utah Lake, Deer Creek and Silver Lake Flat until they freeze.
http://www.cabelas.com/hprod-1/0005506.shtml
I saw that everyone still had their breathables on at Jordanelle in your most recent post, I guess the temps are still probably fairly warm compared to my recent excursion up to Ferron where my guides were freezing over and causing problems.
As of now I probably will only get fishing in until the freeze then early next year I should be off and yonder with work for the most of year and probably won't get much fishing in or none at all depending on which job I take.
So do you think the neoprenes will be fine from now until the freeze over for Utah, Deer and Silver? I'd rather be warm than cold any day of the week.
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The neoprenes were nice to have this morning at Jordanelle. Water temp around 50 and the air started out at 17. Get your waders large and you can always add layers underneath if you need to. I know a lot of people add extra socks and layers as needed as it cools off.
I'm crazy and fish without my coat or gloves on the ice most days so I don't layer much in my waders. A long sleeve shirt and a sweatshirt was plenty for me today.
Neoprenes and some layers should get you by fine until ice up.
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[cool][#0000ff]I have been wearing neoprenes for the past two weeks...including yesterday at Jordanelle. And, I put them on before even setting up my tube. That cold early morning breeze made me appreciate the 'prenes. And, I had two layers underneath. Never felt the 50 degree water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In the "olden days", before we had a good selection of neoprene waders for tubing, I used lightweight waders all year...just adding layers as the water got colder. And, I have used the lightweights for even the coldest water winter fishing even though I had neoprenes as an option. Again, it is simply a matter of how much insulation you put between you and the water...and whether you can still move after stuffing yourself and your clothes into the waders.[/#0000ff]
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Guys, the original poster provided a choice between neoprenes and non-breathable waders.
Having used every concievable wader material in my checkered career as a fisherman (anybody else remember rubberized canvas?), I would never consider non-breathables. The only thing they bring to the table is pricepoint.
Lightweights? Hmmmmph. If you can make lightweights work with nothing underneath, then you may as well be wading/tubing wet. If you need layers under them, we're back to the breathables.
So, given the choices provided, I would opt for the neoprenes. Just remember, with neoprene waders in particular the rule is: Pee before you put them on!
But, frankly, if I were in the market now for one set of waders it would be stocking-foot breathables and a good set of wading brogues. That's the best all-around choice.
Brook
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I paid $375.00 for my Simms Guide Breathable waders. Seem like a lot but they are now nine years old. There are a few patches and some stains but they still work great. I fish in 39 to 84 degree water in them. With the proper under garments, ie polar fleece, they are as warm as can be. on the other hand I like what was said about trunking it.Great for warm Summer days. For a long trip in warm water, I still wear my waders, splashing water on them from time to time to stay cool. My fishing friends are still buying cheap waders every year spending much more than I ever did. Those Neoprenes smell so awful sometimes I make my buddies wrap them in trash bags and tie them to the bumper to keep the smell out of my truck. The lightweights rip very easily and seem to be about worthless. My advice is to save up and buy a good pair and buy some good wading boots to protect them. By the way my waders have now cost me around $40.00 a year and they are nowhere close to wearing out.
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SIMMS GUIDES ROCK. Thinner legs and LONG big plus for me.
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The fact is, there are some pretty affordible breathables on the market.
Check out the offerings at Sportsman's Warehouse, for instance. Some of them are less than a hundred bucks.
I've looked at those, and, frankly, I don't see why, with a little care, they shouldn't last at least five years.
Something to keep in mind, too, when making a decision, is how hard they'll be used. Those of us out on the water often obviously are harder on waders than somebody would be who only makes a few trips a year.
I have friends, for instance, who don't put their waders on as often in three years as I'm likely to do in six months. Obviously, for them to spend hundreds of dollars on waders doesn't make a lot of sense.
Brook
http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com
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hey ya'll Ive seen this insane bendo guy in action out on the water in his simms and on top of his hobie float cat 60.. its not that he abuses them.. he uses them.. lol.. he is all over that lake.. like a ghost at times.. and he is the one that caught that 10.7 lb trout out of coronado lake..
btw bendo.. want to thank you again for giving MacLarry and I that fish.. we cooked it that night .. and man it was awesome...
:-) ...
MacFly [cool]
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Sure there are breathable waders out there for under $100. Last five years? I don't think so. Maybe with allot of patches.
I bought some Hodgmen Liteweights, a few years back. I only wore them in my tube. They were leaking bad after 6 months.
Even my Brother in Law bought the Orvis middle of the line, they lasted him two years and then the patches came on heavy.
He bought the G3's and has had them for the same two years. He also wears them to install sprinklers. Those things look as good as new.
The material is what it is about and good material costs.
To me if you can only afford $100 for waders....go neoprene. I know they will outlast equal priced breathables.
True enough if you only use them once in a blue moon, it is VERY hard to justify the price. But, leaks do happen at the most unexpected times and no reason at times. It's nice to know you have a great pair that can take the abuse, even if you don't put them through the paces.
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I went and got the Neoprenes and some boots at Cabela's.
My original plan was to take em up to Silver Lake and earn my wings then take em down to Utah Lake tomorrow. But was hesistant and didn't get them til that plan was scratched.
Think I should break them in at Utah Lake or is that too stupid since that lake has claimed its fair share of lives over the years?
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Did I miss something? Why would you be afraid to wear neoprene at Utah Lake? You are in a float tube right?
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Nah nothing to do with waders, Just I know some big waves can stir up occasionally there and every year a few people end up dying for one reason or another.
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[cool][#0000ff]There are a lot of us tubers who fish Utah Lake many times a year...without mishap. Never heard of a tuber drowning on UL. But, there are a lot of boaters who go out in dinky boats and do not pay attention to the weather. They can and do pay a price. The lake is shallow and big waves can jump up fast.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of our tubing is within easy reach of shore. If the wind starts kicking up we can kick back to safety fast enough to avoid danger. Of course, it pays to check the weather forecast and if high winds are forecast, stay home or go elsewhere.[/#0000ff]
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I'm not familiar with Utah Lake, in particular. But I'll say this. Anybody new to belly boating should practice on small water before attempting any large lake.
Tube control isn't all that difficult, once you've got a little time in grade. But it pays to learn those techniques on small water, where you're in complete control, before venturing further afield.
Just my 2 cents.
Brook
http://the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com
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[cool][#0000ff]It is evident that you are not familiar with Utah Lake. While it is a large lake, nobody tries to fish the whole thing from a tube. There are many small defined areas...like harbors or bays...where tubing is simply fishing a "small lake" within a big lake. Some of these are protected from the weather that would be a danger to small boats on the open water. And, these small protected areas are often where the best tube fishing is.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good advice though. I always suggest that somebody's first tubing trip be without tackle...just to get the feel of their gear and how to maneuver.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]"Belly boating"? I have hated that term since it was coined over 50 years ago. [/#0000ff]
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I know I feel safer in a tube or toon than I do in a small aluminum boat.
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