Breathable vs. Neoprene waders..

[JackM]

Maurice, I have read that dirt reduces water repellancy and breathability. I have also heard that hand-washing with Ivory Snow (true soap, not detergent is best). I couldn't find Ivory Snow, but bought a bar of Ivory soap and hand-washed them once, but I didn't notice any difference.

 

[afishinado]

It is recommended that you wash waders with POWDERED soap NOT LIQUID. Before I knew this I messed up a pair of Orvis waders by using liquid soap. After washing they lost their water repellency.

The only reason I did attempt to wash my waders because I waded the Schuylkill without knowing about a sewage treatment plant failure just upstream of me. My waders smelled like a port-a-potty during a July heat wave. :-o

I’m in Mo’s camp, try to avoid washing waders. But, when you can’t stand your own smell, and your buddies avoid getting downwind from you, use powdered soap and ReviveX topical spray, not the wash-in kind:

WATER REPELLENT TREATMENT
Gore recommends applying a topical water repellency restorative (DWR treatment) for outdoor fabrics, available at your local outdoor retailer. We do not recommend wash-in treatments as they can affect the product's breathability.


http://mcnett.baron-co.com/page.cfm?pageID=568

 

[flyfishermanj]

Here's an article in Midcurrent about breathable waders, may help you understand how they work and how to take better care of them.

Breathing Underwater

JH

 

[JackM]

Two questions I didn't see answered in that article: does "scotch-guard" type treatment effect breathability? and if you wash your waders, how do you do it? It mentions the "laundromat," but I don't feel comfortable putting my waders in the washing machine. Can you do this on the delicate cycle, for instance?

 

[Maurice]

Jack,

Orvis says you can.

Fly Fishing Wader Care
Wader care and cleaning – Hang, do not bundle, damp fishing waders after fishing or cleaning to prevent any damaging mildew. Remove suspenders and repair kit from inside front pouch prior to washing the waders. Store fishing waders in a cool, dry place. (1) Do not dry clean,
(2) do not use chlorine bleach,
(3) hand or machine wash warm. Bootfoots, hand wash only. Use a powdered detergent with no additives, such as Ivory®.
(4) Air-dry (turn inside out).

Also, in their wader care section it describes water repelency as a, important feqature . As I said when talking to the Orvis CSR when mine were saturating, he recommended treating the outter layer with a water repellent spray. I said like Camp Dry, he said that would work.

The outer shell, or “face” wader fabric. This is the outer most layer exposed to the environment. It needs to be durable and able to withstand puncture and abrasion. It should be supple, lightweight, and comfortable to wear,as well as flexible and lightweight enough to be easily packed and transported. This outer layer also must have a durable, water-repellent treatment on its exterior surface that causes water to bead up and roll off. The five-layer system incorporates a second layer of this face fabric for absolute puncture resistance.
The face wader fabric is then very thinly coated on its interior surface with a microporous, breathable layer of polyurethane. This layer does two things. It helps cover any unexpected pinholes that might develop in the main membrane while adding overall strength to the entire system.
The main membrane is next, laminated to the now-coated face fabric. This special membrane is also made of polyurethane, but it is monolithic, rather than microporous. This means that it breathes through intermolecular spaces in the membrane, rather than through microscopic holes. This provides a complete barrier to water entry, even under significant pressure, while allowing perspiration in the form of water vapor molecules to pass through to the outside. This function occurs even under water. Although held in place by the face wader fabric, the membrane itself is flexible and stretches enough to prevent any breakdown in stress areas, such as the seat and knees. The dry comfort that this membrane technology provides to fly fishermen, under any conditions, but especially in warm or hot weather, is revolutionary compared to the older standards of rubberized canvas or neoprene.
Lastly, an innermost layer of very thin nylon tricot is pressed on the membrane with a special, breathable adhesive. This last layer protects the membrane from the inside and provides a critical surface to carry the seam-sealing tape. All seams in an Orvis breathable wader are factory-sealed with the most currently available machine technology in order to prevent any possibility of leakage. All Orvis fly fishing waders are thoroughly tested at the factory for any leakage prior to shipment to our warehouse

Orvis Wader Care

 

[JackM]

Well, I have used camp-dry on a wading jacket after washing it and it worked wonders. I am going to wash and treat my present Clearwater breathables and see if I can get 18 months out of them anyhow. Thanks for the information.

 

[franklin]

My sister in law used to be a Gore Tex product manager with Gore. She advised me to use Woolite on the delicate setting. It's worked well for me for about twenty years. I have a pair of Cabela's Dry Plus waders that has gone through the washer at least 25 times with no negative impact.

Don't expect your breathables to come out squeaky clean. That takes a stronger soap and more aggitation than should be applied to a breathable.

I use Scotch Guard to water proof my tent. I'm sure it clogs pores in breathable materials.

 

[Blackfly]

Troutbuster, I started out with Neoprene, but quickly made the switch and never looked back. I do fish alot. I fish 12 months out of the year. I float stock 3 different streams and do a stream cleanup once a year. Do my breathables take a beating, yes. I used to buy cheaper pairs and end up getting a new pair about once a year. I finally decided to try a high end pair (Simms). Yes it cost me, but worth it. They are a durable, good product. I had the money so I spent it. Mine last about 3-4 yrs. before I sent them back to Simms for a repair. They patched up the pinholes and checked them out for a reasonable price.

As for washing them, I just hose them down from time to time. I hang them up and let them dry out.

Using them in the winter time, yes it can be cold out, but layer up inside. There are so many types of products for pants to wear underneath that using breathables in the winter is not that bad. I fish Erie steelhead in Dec., Jan. and Feb. with my breathables.

Using them in the summer, spring or fall is very nice. They are very light weight (since I like to travel and hike around alot) and you can roll them down. You can also buy a pair of waders that are designed to be converted from chest highs to waist highs. Sometimes if it is warm enough, I just wet-wade. I bought two pair of wet-wading pants and use them with just my wading boots.

If you have the cash, go for it, you won't be sorry.

 

[franklin]

While I wear breathable most of the year I do have a cheap pair of neoprene I got at ****'s for saltwater. On the coldest days of freshwater fishing I do wear the neoprenes. It's hard to keep the under layers all tucked in around the ankles when using breathables in the coldest weather. (BTW it's not so much the cold water but the colder air when it's below 25 degrees.)

 

[Blackfly]

Franklin, they make straps that you wrap around your ankle (they have velcro on them) to hold your pants and stuff down. I bought some at my local flyshop; I am sure they have them online somewhere. If you can't find them and want a pair, let me know and I will give you the name of my local flyshop.

 

[tomgamber]

I have a pair of tall socks I keep in my wader bag. I just roll and tuck everything into the outer sock before pulling my waders on.

 

[gzacckey]

Another option for keeping your pants from riding up is to use leg bands sold by cycling shops like nashbar. They're about $4 a set. Basically, they're just elastic with velcro. Don't get the ones with the reflector.

I have the ones from hodgeman but they were made from neoprene and I felt thery were too thick.

 

[hendeylathe]

Troutbuster,
Just another bit of advise. If and when you get a set of breathables, be sure to get a set of wading underwear. Wearing blue jeans under waders just defeats the purpose of the breathable material. The underwear will wick the moisture off you and tranfer it through the membrane of the wader material. A bought the base layer set from The Fly Shop. Com in Ca. for $20.00. It took me a month to get my brother to dress with the wading fleece, but he too came from wearing neoprene. He felt more comfortable just because it was cooler, but when he wore the fleece underneth he couldn't believe how comfortable you can really be. Thanks for starting this topic. It's been alot of fun and I've learned some things from some of the other posters that I'm going to try. Thanks again.