Has anyone tried those waders now being offered by many manufacturers like Simm, Hodgeman, etc that are full waders that you can round down and convert to waist high wader? Are they comfortable and do they work well as both full waders and waist high waders or are they poor at both?? I was looking at the Simm product. Any comments are appreciated.
Thanks.
Dr Bob
Hi Bob,
I have been rolling down the top half of my waders for years. I always wear a wading belt, and most of the waders on the market now will allow you to hook the suspenders together and make a “belt”.
I always wear mine that way if it’s warm and not raining.
I don’t really see a need for a ready made pair of waist high or the roll downs.
Just my opinion…
Ken
There is a fine line between fly fishing and and just standing in a river looking like and idiot.
Been looking at the same type of waders myself and noticed that the Chota model (Tellico Shoal) like that is being offered at half price on the Chota site:
[url=https://www.chotaoutdoorgear.com/CyberMerchant/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=70:7c008]Chota waders[/url:7c008]
But they only have a few sizes available.
The one’s from Simms look good and the suspenders are removable so you are still using the regular belt rather than converted suspenders.
Joe
[This message has been edited by flyfisherjoe (edited 04 August 2005).]
I have the hodgemans and have no problems rolling them to the waist - but it seems there isnt much difference between the convertibles and the standard breathables
I have the Simms RiverTeks and I love them although I have been wet wading for the last three weeks.
The roll down part is very light and isn’t in the way when rolled down, the removable suspenders are nice too. They also have a built in wader belt that adjusts with Velcro.
One trip this year I opted to roll down the waders but had the foresight to bring along the suspenders. When I reached a hole that was too deep for the waist highs, I went to the bank; rolled up the upper and attached the suspenders; very nice!
Dr Bob,
Have a pair of “convertible” waders and they work very well. Don’t even use my waist highs any more. As one other post mentioned, they are handy to have if and when you need to go from waist to chest high or vice versa in a hurry.
Thanks everyone for the excellent responses. I will take a look at them. I have a new pair of waders coming as a late birthday present and I want to consider all the options.
Dr Bob