Waders

[David Fliger]

I have a limited experience with waders. My first pair were rubber waders, no don't do it don't buy the rubber ones!  The second pair of waders I own are hodgeman 3.5mm neoprene boot foot waders.  I have had them for 3 years now and they do weep.  I do not get puddles of water but my pants are wet.  The main reason these leak is from crawling through blackberry bushes on the Union River.  The bootfoot is insulated with thinsulite and I still had problems with my feet freezing when I float tube in Jan and Feb.  I could last about an hour in the lake before I had to get out to thaw.  I now have a pair of Cabelas stockingfoot 3.5 mm waders but haven't used them for real cold water yet.   For my neoprenes the way I found leaks was I would put them on wade out and as soon as I felt moisture inside the waders I would take them off and turn 'em inside out.  The leaky areas are darker in color. I circle these areas with a sharpee pen then hang my waders up to dry. When dry I know the approx area of leak and liberally apply aqua-seal or equivalent.   Flig