There was a time when waders were simply elongated wellington boots. Offering no kind of protection against the cold, those wearing them would emerge from the water, shivering yet still somehow wet from sweat on the inside. Technology has moved on an awful lot in recent years, however, so when you visit a fishing website or two, you can find some truly amazing garments on offer.
The problem is that if you’re a beginner, it’s easy to buy the wrong gear, and if you do so with waders, they’re often not going to do what you bought them for.
What Should I Look For When Buying Waders?
So, when browsing a website or three, what should you be looking for? What are the features you just can’t do with our when in the water all day? Here’s some advice to help you along the way.
- Breathability is vital – when you’re spending multiple hours in cold water up to your waist, comfort is imperative. If you go for a non-breathable material like nylon, it won’t allow your perspiration to disperse, meaning you’re going to get wet anyway – which kind of defeats the purpose of wearing them.
As such, you should look for something made from either dri-plus or gore-tex fabric that lets your skin breathe while also keeping the water out.
- Go for a stockingfoot wader – something else you need to look out for is what kind of waders you want. You’ll see both bootfoot and stockingfoot waders for sale, but you should go for the latter – primarily because they are a lot lighter than their counterparts.
You might not notice too much, to begin with, when wearing bootfoot waders, but if you’re out there all day, you’re much more likely to get tired with the extra weight.
- Only get insulated waders for freezing rivers – when researching possible waders, you’re also going to find the insulated variety. They sound great but should only be used when going out into freezing cold waters – as it’s what they’re meant for.
It won’t kill you to wear insulated waders, but it can easily make your time in the water much more uncomfortable.
So, in summary, be sure that any waders you buy from a website are both breathable and lightweight. What’s more, you should also pay some attention to the fact that you might not even need to wear waders – depending on the type of fishing you’re going to do.
Sure, the majority of anglers will them at some point, but if the water where you are is warm, there might not even be a need to wear them standing in the river. You have to be mindful of anything that might bite or sting you in the water, but otherwise, there’s no real need for them.
Another instance that might mean you don’t need waders is the odd occasion when fishing in shallow waters. If you’ve got some good wellington boots and the water doesn’t come above them, then they’ll suffice – but only to a point.
The last thing I’ll say about website waders is that I’d have a good pair available just in case. Of course, it’s not mandatory, but you don’t want to find yourself unable to fish on a day when you could – that is the path to frustration!
