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Full Version: Breathable Waders Vetty Instresting
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I always was under the impression that breathable waders were not breathable under water. but after reading a pretty convincing article I guess I was wrong. One blurb states:

"That’s what any breathable fabric does: it acts as a one-way door for water vapor. Even better, it continues to work under water, so long as the exterior liquid is substantially cooler than the body temperature of the wearer. (When the water is 90 degrees, the “high pressure system” created by the angler can’t push the vapor hard enough to counteract the resistance of the “low pressure system” outside.)"

Why am I damp after floating all day on a lake you ask [crazy]

Remember the last time you got in the water with a set of breathable waders on and saw that your fabric had turned dark? It probably felt like you were getting soaked, right? That’s wet out. In reality, you are still dry inside your waders, but because the exterior fabric is saturated and the microporous membrane sandwiched inside the wader cloth doesn’t provide any insulation, you can get condensation on the inside.

The article continues more on wet out and DWR treatments of you like to read the full article follow the link:

[url "http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/gear/matthews_waders.aspx"]http://www.midcurrent.com/...matthews_waders.aspx[/url]
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neat!
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Thanks for sharing this, it's very interesting and for those of us looking to replace aging waders it helps a lot to understand the pros and cons behind the technologies.
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Actually thats how I came across the article I have a pair of 4 year old Cabelas waders was looking to replace My legs kept getting wet, stuck a air and water hose in them and couldnt find any leaks. So gonna try a dwr treatment see if that dosent work ... I mean 15 bucks for dwr or $$$ for a new pair of waders.
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Very COOL.
Just remember the under clothes still play a HUGE part.....NO COTTON, it doesn't wick!
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Easily worth the money just to find out if DWR's make the grade! Especially with no obvoius leaks. If you don't mind, post a follow up on that to let us know how it works.
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Ya I'll keep ya updated so far I narrowed it down to Nikwax, 303 & ReviveX. I've used Nikwax in past on some Ice fishing gear but not sure if they hav a product for gortex.

As soon as I get more info I'll post it
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303? I use that on my boats but waders? I mean I do use it on the BOOT FOOT part of my hippers.
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I've used there High tech fabric guard on my ice tent worked well kept me nice & dry on a used Iced tent I bought last year. [cool]

They also have a product called Aerospace Protectant I've never used it before but they claim:

"resistance of 303-treated surfaces to dust, soiling, and staining, its water repellency and unparalleled protective characteristics, manufacturers worldwide recommend 303 Aerospace Protectant."

Use on Rubber: Tires, neoprene, latex, door and trunk seals, weather-stripping, EPDM rubber roofs, CV boots, waders, wet suits.

For 5 bucks they offer a "Sample Kit" they offer 2 oz bottle of the Aerospace Protectant and some more stuff

Im thinking I may do one leg with 303 and another with ReviveX and see which holds up better... [Wink][Wink][Wink]
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I buy 303 buy the gallon. Like I said, I use it on my boats (tubes and pontoons)
Keeps them soft and they don't fade.
Great stuff.
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