Stocking-foot waders

[troutbumm]

Okay, I've long looked at neoprene waders, but have not bought any. I was out fishing on Dec. 31st (great day) and wore my stocking-foot waders. The left foot got wet - small leak in the neoprene bootie section of the stockingfoot!! Seems to happen about every other time I'm out. I seal them with Auqua-seal and another pops up in another place. Always in the neoprene.

QUESTION - My original stockingfoot waders were cheap RedBall waders and they had no neoprene. I had neoprene socks that I wore over the stockingfoot waders. Does anyone still make a wader that is all made from the breathable material and no neoprene?

It doesn't seem to matter if I by cheap or expensive - all the same. I've not bought neoprene waders because this is the material that keeps getting leaks in my stockingfoot waders. Friends tell me that they hold up better.

Thoughts / advice / comments????

 

[jayL]

I have had no problems with that in a few years. My wading boots were always too tight. Try a different boot sizing maybe?

 

[skiltonian]

LL bean was making stocking foot waders with breathable feet, something like QSR. they do not have them on the website anymore. Your next thing to try of boot foot breathables, or the newer boot foots with lace up boots build in. I'd say that your not taking care of your waders very well - not cleaning them, keeping in the car and exposing to high or low temperature (keeping waders wet and letting them freeze in the car is the worst for them) or like JayL said have boots too tight or too loose. also consider a gravel guards to keep debris out of your boots. I've only had seem issues in the neoprene - are your leaks occurring in the seems? If so, its your boots or just normal wear.
I'd say get yourself some LL bean waders and have the warranty if the item becomes defective.
I had no issues with waders since i got patagonias.

 

[sandfly]

I'll have to check with frogg toggs, since I started selling them.

 

[bam]

Cabelas has a pretty cool new offering in their FF catalog. They have a stocking foot style wader that's welded to a shoe. Would make for an easy on-off and might eliminate wear on the stocking foot section. Retail is $250

 

[dryflyguy]

When stocking foot waders first came out, the bootie was the same materiel as the rest of the wader. But it wasn't a very good idea IMO.
The materiel would slide around on my feet, and constantly bunch up. And would get pretty uncomfotable. I would have to frequently take off my boots and pull them back up.
Never had a problem with the neoprene booties

 

[jdaddy]

I agree that it might be a binding/stretching issue due to putting on the boots. I find that if I don't loosen up my boot strings well and just shove my foot into the boot, I believe it stretches the neoprene and stresses the welded seams, thus allowing leaks. That's my theory anyway.

 

[joereese]

I had the same problems before- the booties wearing out in about a year, may be a year and a half. I fished about 75 times a year, I like to hike away from the crowds and usually take 4-6 hour trips.

That stopped once I bought simms G3s (now on year three and the booties do not show significant signs of wear)
Next time you are at cabellas, just feel the difference in the thickness, and more important, the density of the booties between the 150.00 a pair wader and the G3s.

If you fish more than 30 times a year, you should consider higher quality, which unfortunately means higher price waders

I know, I know, someone is going to direct me to that video on the discussion on fly rods on the forum... But I used to think they weren't worth the price either, but I'm a convert.

I only gave them a try b/c I found a new unused pair on ebay for 249.00! It's going to be tough to lay out the 400.00 when these wear out, but I will.

 

[joereese]

oh, and if I have to buy them for the full price, i will buy them at the local shop- the service you get is worth the sales tax.
The 249.00 price was too good to pass up.

 

[jdaddy]

FWIW, my one year old G3's are the ones I have a problem with.

 

[TimMurphy]

dryflyguy wrote:
When stocking foot waders first came out, the bootie was the same materiel as the rest of the wader. But it wasn't a very good idea IMO.
The materiel would slide around on my feet, and constantly bunch up. And would get pretty uncomfotable. I would have to frequently take off my boots and pull them back up.
Never had a problem with the neoprene booties

Dear dryfly,

Someone else remembers the Hodgeman PVC lightweights?

I used to wrap duct tape above my ankle before I put my on wading shoes to solve that problem. It cut my circulation off and made my feet cold but at least I didn't suffer the fate of my brother.

He bent over to net a fish in the cold water of early Spring and the seat of his waders opened up like a June bride.

Cold feet beat cold balls anyday!

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[dryflyguy]

I remember the PVC waders quite well.
A buddy of mine also had some that were made of thin latex rubber, He weighs close to 300 lbs, and sure looked pretty funny in those things

 

[TimMurphy]

dryflyguy wrote:
I remember the PVC waders quite well.
A buddy of mine also had some that were made of thin latex rubber, He weighs close to 300 lbs, and sure looked pretty funny in those things

Dear dryfly,

He must have had Seal-Dri waders? I looked at those but never could quite pull the trigger.

Getting back to the original thread you can prolong the life of a pair of waders with weepy feet by buying either Gore-Tex socks or thin neoprene socks. You can get either for about $ 25.00 - 30.00 bucks which isn't exactly cheap but much cheaper than a new pair of waders.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[troutbumm]

Thanks everyone. I usually buy on the large side, so I don't think I'm stretching them and the leaks aren't on the seams, but seem more like pinholes. I do cover a lot of ground, typically over 5 miles Every time I go out. May just be a combination of lower end waders and too much walking.

 

[skiltonian]

the ll Bean waders are actually the GQS and theres a pair on ebay size XXL - note - you will need differnt size boots because they are sized to accomodate the neo booties.