Ok, so I’m in the market for new waders. I’m only 5’8", but weigh around 230. I’m considering the Simms G3, but after looking at a few others, I’m not sure if the price difference is made up for in the quality. For the Same price, I can get a pair of the Cabela’s Guide tech breathables, and a ton of other cool stuff, like a new Vest, or pack. And even a nice new pair of wading boots with aquastealth soles to go with my new waders, or I could get just the Simms waders. I know usually you get what you pay for, but are there any real drawbacks to the Cabela’s Guide techs’ that I’m not aware of? And also, has anyone tried any of the newer chest highs with the waterproof zipper. I’m not too flexable, and getting out of my waders quickly when nature calls is sometimes an issue for me being a diabetic. So many choices… what does everyone think about this?
bwagner - Being of the vertically challenged cut (5’9", 30" inseam), I share your pain. Bought a pair of the Cabela’s GII waders in the stoudt size 5 years ago - they’re “chub friendly” and don’t leave a big bunch of material around your knees. I’d feel guilty crawling around in a $400 pair of waders, but if the GII’s come apart, I can replace them three times and still break even! Cabela’s would probably replace them, but I’d feel too guilty to do it given what I put them through. Five years later, and still not a single leak. They’re not my only pair, and I rinse them off and hang up to dry after every use. I fish often enough that I rotate days of wearing my waders to allow them to dry completely. As far as the bathroom breaks go, I like to wear elastic waist pants under my waders (fleece in winter, shorts in summer). Makes it easy to get relief, but you still have to find a place to hang your vest up. The zipper idea may be the ticket for that problem! YMMV…Ed
[This message has been edited by Heritage Angler (edited 22 January 2006).]
You might find some answers in the Mike E thread below.
Mr. Wagner,
With all do respect, To Simms and anyone who reads this…
Simms is a big name…And alot of that price rides solely on that…The name…Don’t get me wrong or take this the wrong way…their stuff is in the upper crust.
But I for one will not lay out that kind of cash , For ANY wader…By ANY Name…I’ll draw my line at $250.00 give or take a few penny’s either way…But there is alot more I want that JUST waders…
“I’ve often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before” A.K.Best
Everyone wants to excel in this sport but at the same time we let traditionalists place restrictions on our tactics, methods, and ideas. I always assumed that fly fishing was a sport that allowed imagination, creation, adaptation, investigation, dedication, education, revelation? : Fox Statler, On Spinners (Not the dainty Dry Fly kind) “Spinner’d Minner Fly”
“Wish ya great fishing”
Bill
I’m sorta’ on the “portly” side myself and just bought a pair of Cabela’s Dry Plus Premium in XXL stout and they fit loose enough to be able to shed them but don’t look like a small family moved out either.
check out this thread about waders for bigger felows. Hope this helps. [url=http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=435538:e67fc]http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=435538[/url:e67fc]
well after looking all over the place, and reading opinions of a ton of fly fisherman, I’ve decided to go with a pair of “Dan Baileys” Yellowstone guide waders. They’re available in a size that should fit me perfectly, and they get great reviews from everyone. They also have a nice host of features that make them very attractive, including enough pockets that I might be able to leave my vest in the car. The warranty is tough to beat too. If the customer is not satisfied, they’ll replace the product, for the lifetime of the owner. I think I’m sold, plus they look great
I’m 5’10" close to 280# and have no problem getting into or out of my Cabela’s Dry Plus Premium in XXL Stout.
Bill
mr wagner…you and i are the same size from your description, but i have to add that along with being short and wide, i have a great deal of problem with shoe size. size 8 to 81/2, but eee width.
up till now, i’ve used the old fashioned garbage bag kind of stocking foot waders and just bunched up the extra in my converted hightop tennis shoes with glued on felt soles.
i have a brand new pair of breathable orvis waderes my wife bought me from a shop that was going out of business. the waders fit okay, but i can’t get a pair of wading boots over the neoprene footies that are built in. the footie portion of the stocking foot is about 2 or 3 sizes too large in length.
has you research found any waders that are short, wide, AND have smaller wide shoe sizes?
i knew that there jad to be other people of normal size out there fishing among all of the taller folks. i share your pain! (lol)
one more cast and i’ll leave…well maybe one just one more
I’m a big person too. I’m 6’0" and 280 lbs. I’ve had my pair of Simms Guide Waders for the past 5 years and they are still going strong. If you are planning on hiking alot and going through brush then they are hard to beat. They are about as bulletproof as a pair of waders can get. Gore-Tex is the best breathable material on the market today. They come with a lifetime warranty too. I’d very highly recommend them.
I’ve heard that the Simms G-3 are even better.
I believe there is a pair of waders for sale by Riverdancer. You might want to check that out in the for sale forum.
jed
miamission…Dan Bailey pffer custom options, and I’m sure he’d make them with a shorter, stouter bootie. My mind is pretty much made up on this one. The top of the line are expensive, around 375 with shipping, but I’m gonna use my tax return money to splurge for a set. Check out the site, and his custom order wader page, hopefully you’ll be satisfied that they can help you out.
[https://www.dan-bailey.com/](https://www.dan-bailey.com/)
KD wasn’t exactly petite and he wore his Bare brand chest waders for years. (I think that there was some sort of sponsorship deal going on there.)
My waders of choice for my August trip to the Skeena - good ole K-mart but here they only come in S, M & L. And, yeah, ya’ only get what you pay for (up to a point) but that’s about all I can afford (and they do have K-mart here in Australia, too!)
Here’s a link to Outdoorreviews.com for fishing waders: [url=http://www.outdoorreview.com/cat/flyfishing-equipment/flyfishing-apparel/waders/PLS_1395crx.aspx:9b47c]http://www.outdoorreview.com/cat/flyfishing-equipment/flyfishing-apparel/waders/PLS_1395crx.aspx[/url:9b47c]
Hope it helps!
Regards,
Susan
You can never fail if you never quit - KD
I broke down and bought a pair of Simms G2s and like them very much. I too am a big guy but have small feet. All stockingfoot waders I purchase have feet that are much too large. I purchased the waders through a Simms dealer and had a special order to put a pair of size 9 booties on the waders(which is still a little too big for my feet but is significantly better than before). I took a while to get the order in but I’m pleased with the result.
Max Mayeaux
The Mr. is a 52 Portly Regular 
with 9EEE duck feet.
The only waders that come close to fitting are the Cabela’s XL Stout with SHAPED feet. Cabela’s has several styles of breathables with shaped feet.
His last pair of Cabela’s lasted 5 years with heavy use. For slightly more than $100 you just can’t beat them.
I’m 235 and 5’7"
Cabelas Gold Dry Plus
Stout size- Breathables
Money back if you don’t like them or if defective.
How can you go wrong?
Cheers
DuFf
Some days it’s just not worth chewing through the restraints…