new chest waders

gochs

gochs

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Joined
May 13, 2010
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311
I've had rubber hip waders whole whole fishing life, and now that I'm going to bigger streams and rivers like the Little Juniata, I think it's time to upgrade to chest waders. My hip waders have a hole in them now, and it seems like the perfect time to upgrade.

I scanned the forums and I couldn't find much on this; but I live in Altoona, where could I go to find a pair of moderately priced chest waders? I tried Dick's and Uncle Joe's, but they have a limited selection. And I don't really want stocking foot just because I don't want to buy wading boots along with them. I'm willing to drive a ways. What about TCO's in State College? Any other places worth looking at?

Thanks guys

Also, I'm looking to spend no more than $150 - 200.
 
Check out Spruce Creek Outfitters. They've got some nice wading gear at good prices, and they're closer....
 
Man - reminds of my first few years fly fishing in rubber chest waders - without felt soles. It's a wonder I never drowned in those things.
You'll be in for a real treat with breathables
 
Get yourself some LLBean's. Their chepest pair runs for $59 and has a lifetime guarantee. Get those and a decent pair of boots and you're good to go. If they ever wear out just take them back and get a new pair.
 
ryguyfi wrote:
Get yourself some LLBean's. Their chepest pair runs for $59 and has a lifetime guarantee. Get those and a decent pair of boots and you're good to go. If they ever wear out just take them back and get a new pair.

I love it ryguyfi, but believe me there are those amongst us that would disagree about taking them back even if they have a life time guarantee. I caught all kinds of crap for taking a pair back to Cabela's here just a bit ago on the board. lol. I'm just bust'n on ya.

gochs, buy the best you can afford at this time. Go for the guarantee. It's all part of the purchase price.
 
I caught flack for pushing steelhead a few months ago... and I'll do it again. I'm as cheap as they come and just had a bad experience with waders, so I could care less lol.
 
You should seriously consider stocking foot waders. For the same quality wader, the stocking foots are usually cheaper, allowing you to put that money in boots anyway. Boots give you a lot of leeway for comfort concerns. And they very often last longer than the waders, meaning when the waders wear out you only have to replace the waders and not the waders+boots.

The second question is neoprene or breathable? Breathable's are much, much more comfortable, IMO. And yes, you can layer underneath and they're fine in winter, just be sure to get a big enough size to layer underneath if your gonna do that. But breathables do wear out much quicker. For an avid fisherman like myself, 1-3 years has been pretty typical. If you fish less, of course you can expect them to go longer.

My history is that I got Hodgeman wadelites several times. They were very comfortable, perhaps my favorite wader I've ever had in that category. They retail for $70-$80. You can get them at Cabela's for sure, and possibly Dick's and other sporting goods stores like that. But they all wore out very quickly, about 1 year for each of the 3 pairs I had. I then bought Orvis clearwater/Endura, I think they were about $120, and they lasted me just under 3 years. My current pair is Orvis silver labels, Believe I paid roughly $170 for them, and they'll be 3 years old in July, all is still well currently. Both Orvis pairs were bought at FFP in State College.
 
A couple other things I'll add to the good advice given. Get a pair that fits you comfortably. Some are fortunate and can take waders that are standard sizes, I am not one of them. I need a shorter inseam and fuller cut through the chest area. I have found that by going the route of standard sizes I may have placed premature wear on the seams. Go to a fly shop and try some stuff on. You'll get a better fit this way.

Also, a good warranty is something to consider. I had a pair of LL Bean waders that I'd used for maybe about 4 years. I had to seal the feet twice, the first time was on a trip so I had no choice but to seal them. I fished with them for 2 more years before they finally had to be replaced. I tried to seal them again, but didn't have luck. After 4 years of use I wasn't going to send them back, I thought I had lost my opportunity to return them after the first repair, despite the fact that I know I could return them to Bean today and get credit towards new boots. Just didn't seem right to me.

I was reluctant to buy stocking foots at first as I'd come from neoprene bootfoots for steelhead fishing. They will keep you warmer in the winter but they are much less comfortable to walk around in than stockingfoots. Also, consider this. If you get a seperate pair of boots, if your waders wear out, you can get away with replacing only the waders. I've seen lots of rubber bootfoots leak over the years and with time.

Good luck with your purchase and let us know what you end up with.
 
Ok, you guys talked me into it. I ordered some from LL Bean. Then I just went today and got a pair of wading boots from Dick's for $35.

At first I thought it'd be a lot simpler to get waders without stocking feet, but after wearing my defective rubber waders today, it hit me. I ALWAYS complain when the boots don't fit securely around my feet/ankles, considering I have skinny legs. Hopefully this will ease my complaining hah.
 
enjoy your beans... I have the same pair, and can vouch for their guarantee. I'm a poor college student and sprung a leak after a year on my last pair. Called LL bean and was back in business after a drive to the nearest outfitter. Will support LL Bean for life now, that's for sure. The loss they encountered in giving me a new pair, was nothing compared to what they will make back in the future.
 
I'm glad that you said you were a college student and on a budget. That sums me up exactly. I was looking for something reliable but without breaking the meager bank. I'll be getting them Saturday and I'm off work alllllll Sunday. It'll be one heck of a day.
 
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