As some of you readers are water hunters I thought you might get something out of this post!
If you have had the good fortune as I have of being able to water hunt wearing waders most of the time, this information is for you.
If you just want to know more about using waders you may learn something new from this info too.
Waders should never be worn where the water is so rough that you have to spend all your time keeping the water out of your waders and not focusing on hunting for treasure.
Where I hunt the water gets too rough for waders from time to time and I find something else to do, such as hunting the wet/dry sand.
During the summer months here in Connecticut the water temp is pretty chilly and makes using 3Mil neoprene waders a comfortable choice and as the weather turns colder 5 or 7 Mil is a better choice.
In warmer parts of the country many hunters dont use waders, but opt for swim suits, wet suits etc.
I like my waders to fit snug up under my arms with high front and back panels and wide shoulder-straps. Over-sized, flexible neoprene waders have plenty of give for digging and moving around.
To prevent a random wave from flooding my waders I wear a hooded rain jacket (when its not too hot out to do so) over the waders and a web belt that keeps the jacket/neoprene snug around my chest. The belt allows me to attach a lanyard for pulling a sifter and to secure my detector and I also slide my finds keeper and wrist watch on the belt.
To finish off the combo I wear extra large shoulder length rubber gauntlets with wool glove liners.
Waders have an annoying habit of leaking after a while no matter how much they cost or how well you care for them. It seems that no matter what I do, after using a new pair a few times I will start getting wet from annoying little leaks (Where the seams along the crotch join are the most common leaks). I have successfully patched the leaks, but once they start there is no end to the problem.
Not long ago I finally resorted to wearing a stocking footed pair of breathable cloth waders inside my boot footed waders! The stockings are 3Mil neoprene and keep my feet warmer, plus the waders do keep me dry! I have always used over-sized waders (for ease of movement) so the fit is no problem and the breathable waders are cheaper than a new pair of neoprene boot footed waders!! They should last well because of being protected by the outer pair.
This should keep me from constantly buying new waders to try and keep dry and readily deals with the annoying little leaks that make wearing waders a pain. There is room in them for layered thermal protection making them very comfortable in the coldest water.
When I arrive at my hunt site I unload my gear and place a 2 (or so) thick foam plastic boogie board (I found at the dump) on the ground to stand on while I put on my waders. This keeps my stocking feet off of any sharp objects that may damage the waders. (It is easier getting into the neoprene waders when you slide the slippery stocking feet in too.)
Unless the leaks get really bad in the neoprene waders I will continue using them (I have had them get pretty wet inside, but never so wet as to allow me to pour water out of them !). I rinse them off outside and inside and then hang and dry them with a wader drier.
I recently purchased a dry suit for when conditions get too much for waders or when I want to hunt deeper water, but I still prefer the ease of getting into waders and the flexibility of different layering to suit various weather conditions for most of my hunting.
GL&HH Fellow Hunters,
CJ
If you have had the good fortune as I have of being able to water hunt wearing waders most of the time, this information is for you.
If you just want to know more about using waders you may learn something new from this info too.
Waders should never be worn where the water is so rough that you have to spend all your time keeping the water out of your waders and not focusing on hunting for treasure.
Where I hunt the water gets too rough for waders from time to time and I find something else to do, such as hunting the wet/dry sand.
During the summer months here in Connecticut the water temp is pretty chilly and makes using 3Mil neoprene waders a comfortable choice and as the weather turns colder 5 or 7 Mil is a better choice.
In warmer parts of the country many hunters dont use waders, but opt for swim suits, wet suits etc.
I like my waders to fit snug up under my arms with high front and back panels and wide shoulder-straps. Over-sized, flexible neoprene waders have plenty of give for digging and moving around.
To prevent a random wave from flooding my waders I wear a hooded rain jacket (when its not too hot out to do so) over the waders and a web belt that keeps the jacket/neoprene snug around my chest. The belt allows me to attach a lanyard for pulling a sifter and to secure my detector and I also slide my finds keeper and wrist watch on the belt.
To finish off the combo I wear extra large shoulder length rubber gauntlets with wool glove liners.
Waders have an annoying habit of leaking after a while no matter how much they cost or how well you care for them. It seems that no matter what I do, after using a new pair a few times I will start getting wet from annoying little leaks (Where the seams along the crotch join are the most common leaks). I have successfully patched the leaks, but once they start there is no end to the problem.
Not long ago I finally resorted to wearing a stocking footed pair of breathable cloth waders inside my boot footed waders! The stockings are 3Mil neoprene and keep my feet warmer, plus the waders do keep me dry! I have always used over-sized waders (for ease of movement) so the fit is no problem and the breathable waders are cheaper than a new pair of neoprene boot footed waders!! They should last well because of being protected by the outer pair.
This should keep me from constantly buying new waders to try and keep dry and readily deals with the annoying little leaks that make wearing waders a pain. There is room in them for layered thermal protection making them very comfortable in the coldest water.
When I arrive at my hunt site I unload my gear and place a 2 (or so) thick foam plastic boogie board (I found at the dump) on the ground to stand on while I put on my waders. This keeps my stocking feet off of any sharp objects that may damage the waders. (It is easier getting into the neoprene waders when you slide the slippery stocking feet in too.)
Unless the leaks get really bad in the neoprene waders I will continue using them (I have had them get pretty wet inside, but never so wet as to allow me to pour water out of them !). I rinse them off outside and inside and then hang and dry them with a wader drier.
I recently purchased a dry suit for when conditions get too much for waders or when I want to hunt deeper water, but I still prefer the ease of getting into waders and the flexibility of different layering to suit various weather conditions for most of my hunting.
GL&HH Fellow Hunters,
CJ