Anyone use waist waders?

[skeeter bite]

Looking at some of the small streams here in North/Central PA it seems to my novice eye that waist waders might be handier and more practical than chest waders. Anyone here using them?

 

[dudemanspecial]

Looking at some of the small streams here in North/Central PA it seems to my novice eye that waist waders might be handier and more practical than chest waders. Anyone here using them?

I have an old cabela's pair I use when I fish the streams at camp (Elk / Clearfield County). I will say there were several times I thought I was good to go and ended up with a wet *** because I misjudged something. I don't think I will get excited about replacing them when they finally die.

 

[Kyle]

i have in the past. now i keep a pair tucked away in my truck in case my waders spring a leak. that way i dont have to go home.

 

[redietz]

I have a pair of Simms that I bought when I was recovering from shoulder surgery and having trouble getting into chest waders. I've been using them since for small streams that might have that one spot that's too deep for hippers.

 

[joebamboo]

I have a pair of Reddington waist highs that I use whenever fishing in low water or small streams. 3 years and they are holding up well.

 

[a23fish]

I've used waist waders for many years, but I also have chest waders. My first several years I only had the waist waders, Hodgmans, and they performed pretty well, but eventually gave out & developed leaks. Not a lot of money, so no real complaints. I replaced those with a pair from LL Bean, and those are still working well. My waist waders all had fabric feet, since I did all my wading during warmer weather & water temps. Once I started fishing in colder weather, I bought Simms chest waders with neoprene feet. Much better for that environment.

I still use the LL Bean waist waders since it hasn't gotten cold yet, and I limit using them to streams I know fairly well at normal water levels, i.e., I use them when I know the water isn't likely to get above my waist even in the "deeper" sections.

You should have no problem using waist waders on shallower streams. They are slightly easier to get on & off, and take up slightly less space when packed, but not really a big difference. And they're usually cheaper too. Just buy a good pair to begin with.

 

[JimNovo]

So I have a very nice pair of wading pants (waist waders?) that I bought from a forum member and that I use in NJ and PA streams. I know the waters and depths.

I also have chest waders that I use on bigger or new waters.

Having both will give you all of the flexibility you may need!

 

[skeeter bite]

I like all the replies, some good food for thought. I have the idea in my head that at my age (75) using waist waders when possible might be a prudent idea. Perhaps discourage me from getting in over my head so to speak. I've already ordered a pair of Simms G3 chest waders but may go for their waist waders as well. I've owned several pair of chest waders in my life used for smallmouth bass fishing and duck hunting so I'm aware of the risks.

 

[Canoetripper]

I have a pair of Dryft waist waders that I like a lot. I am no youngster at age 64. I think that waist high waders are much easier on the lower back than chest waders.

 

[coyoterahn]

I have a pair of Dryft waist waders that I like a lot. I am no youngster at age 64. I think that waist high waders are much easier on the lower back than chest waders.

I have the Dryft waist waders also. I no longer use chest waders . I'm in Canoetrippers age bracket!

 

[foxfire]

As others have said, I now use waist waders exclusively to prevent from getting in-over-my-head.

 

[JGR]

I've used wading pants for fishing small streams for about 12 years and love them. Easy to get on & off and cool in the summer. Prior to switching to them, I used stocking foot hip boots and was forever getting a wet butt while crouching low to cast under rhododendron canopies.

 

[JimNovo]

As others have said, I now use waist waders exclusively to prevent from getting in-over-my-head.

Unfortunately waist waders won’t prevent me from chasing a riser….chest waders either…

 

[Rainier42]

My Draft waist waders are my go-tos. Force me to stay out of deeper water + makes it easier to pee.

 

[PaScoGi]

Im a waist wader and recommend the cheap cabelas ones . Never understood the concept of chest waders, no fish is worth wading above the waist. But to each their own.

 

[redietz]

Never understood the concept of chest waders, no fish is worth wading above the waist.

That may be true, but they do keep you warmer and drier in the cold rain. And they have pockets, which my waist waders don't.

 

[Skook]

I have a pair of Frogg Togg wader pants that I picked up several years ago on Sierra for less than $80. They normally reside in the bottom of my wader bag to serve as a spare. I took a dunk in the Salmon River, NY last December. Luckily, I had spare clothes and the wader pants back in the vehicle, so I was back on the water in less than an hour. Everything wet on my outerwear and waders was icy by the time I made the 10 minute walk of shame to the rig.

On another note, I visit a hunting forum that has some serious outdoorsmen as members, many of whom hunt and/or live in Alaska. The Alaskan crowd there mostly has nothing good to say about Gore-Tex rainwear, and many prefer to use non-breathable rainwear such as Helly Hansen Impertech. I've seen a lot of folks there recommend wearing the bibs instead of the pants to prevent overheating. The theory is that the bibs act like a chimney, allowing the heat and moisture to ventilate up and out the top. On the other hand, the pants cinched tight around the waist trap the heat and run hotter than the bibs. I don't know if this is true, but it seems to make some sense. If that's the case, I wonder whether wading pants might be warmer and feel less breathable than chest waders.

 

[Kyle]

That may be true, but they do keep you warmer and drier in the cold rain. And they have pockets, which my waist waders don't.

i agree. i use my chest wader pockets for everything. plus, with chest waders i dont have to worry about the water depth im crossing. many times i am crossing a river to fish a run that requires me to use the other side.

of course i know when a river to deep to cross, but you get what im saying.

also they keep me warmer. and my chest waders have fleece lined pockets so i can keep one hand in while im roll casting.

 

[redietz]

I wonder whether wading pants might be warmer and feel less breathable than chest waders.

If being too warm is a concern, I'm probably wet wading rather than wearing either waist highs or chest highs. I only wear waders of either sort to stay warm.

 

[afishinado]

Convertible waders work as waist high for small streams and/or warm temps as well as chest high for bigger streams or rivers and/or colder temps.