Archive for February, 2009

Invariably the pursuit of ducks and waterfowl includes going into the water. As any duck hunter long in the tooth can attest, a good pair of waders is worth their weight in gold moreso than even a good duck call. To that end, let's take a stroll through the options out there and whittle the full array of waders available into a few options that make sense to purchase. We want to remember that we want quality workmanship, comfort and warmth all to play major roles.

Neoprene duck hunting waders

Really at the top of the list has to be neoprene for waterfowl hunting. It keeps you warm in the most ducky weather, i.e. driving sleet, and the comfort is really greatly improved from the waders of yesteryear. Neoprene waders come

Neoprene duck hunting waders are a God send on cold days in the duck marsh

in 2 different thicknesses, 3.5 mm and 5 mm. I prefer the 5mm, but that is simply due to the fact that I am wont to be hunting is some COLD weather at times. I absolutely love duck hunting in the snow. If it is snowing, you know it has to be pretty cold! The 3.5 mm variety is good for most applications, it just is a little to light in the extreme cold situations. When I bought my first pair of neoprene waders I was worried that they wouldn't hold up. That fear has been proven to be unfounded as I have been wearing the same pair for 8 years and they are still going strong. A little bit of shoe goop has proven to repair any small marks in the fabric back to a water tight seal.

Breathable Waders

Breathable duck hunting waders can keep you comfortable even on warm days

The one key thing that neoprene waders don't allow if for moisture that comes from inside your waders to escape. For that reason in warm weather they can almost cook you at times. Enter the breathable wader. The beauty of these waders is that they actually allow for water and perspiration to move from the inside of the waders to the outside, all the while keeping the water you are wading in out. Pretty revolutionary. The key take back for these waders is their warmth. If you plan to hunt in weather colder than 40 degrees these are not the waders for you. That said, they are an excellent choice for the duck hunter who mostly hunts in warmer weather. Light and breathable is a great combination in these weather conditions.

Nylon Waders

The nylon wader was long the king of the duck blind. Compared to the old rubber style wader that was bulky, heavy and extremely uncomfortable, these were truly a God send. The problem was really two fold. They didn't hold warmth for beans. If you were in the water you were losing heat like a mad man. This wasn't a big deal if it was 70 degrees outside, but was if it got any colder. However, if it was 70 degrees and you were walking around at all it led to some very warm outing in the duck blind. The comfort was better than the terrible rubber waders, but really falls off in comparison to the modern day neoprene models.

Rubber waders

I won't even get started, just tell you that if you think about buying a pair of these, please take a step back and reconsider. I know they are much less expensive than other wader types, but I can't stress to you enough how truly unbearable these are to wear. Do yourself a favor and save up for a pair of neoprene duck hunting waders or if you hunt mostly warm weather the breathable waders. If you can't afford either of these, I would strongly suggest you at least take the step up to the nylon waders. Trust me here, you will be cursing yourself for buying them the very first time you take them out into the duck blind.