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Spray for neoprene waders to make them easier to put on?

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Does anyone know of a spray or powder to make neoprene waders easier to put on and take off? WD-40? biggrin.png Kidding, of course. Or has someone already tried this?????

 

My old Orvis waders are a b#@*h to put on and take off. I fish the San Juan river in Northern New Mexico and the water is usually in the 40-degree range which makes neoprene a good choice. I know zip about the new Gore-Tex waders, but I fail to see how they will keep you warm.

 

I do have fleece pants I could use with the G-T waders, but I'd hate to spend $800 just to find out that they will not keep me warm.

 

Any thoughts or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!!

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I stopped wearing neoprene waders years ago. Just to sexy in them. I wear nothing but lightweight breathable waders with warm clothing underneath. Far more comfortable to wear and easier to get in and out off. I fish cold water but I don't think I've ever fished in 40 degree water.

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I stopped wearing neoprene waders years ago. Just to sexy in them. I wear nothing but lightweight breathable waders with warm clothing underneath. Far more comfortable to wear and easier to get in and out off. I fish cold water but I don't think I've ever fished in 40 degree water.

 

Yeah, my worry is that I'll get too cold wearing the Gore-Tex waders. I do wear long underpants with the neoprene which makes them a bit more comfortable, but the G-T waders just don't make a lot of sense to me in cold water. They might work, but I'm not buying them until I hear from someone who has worn them in 40-45 degree water.

 

Thanks for your comments.

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Gore tex/breathable waders are fine in cold water as long as you layer properly underneath them. I stopped wearing neoprene probably about 15-20 years ago and have worn nothing but my breathables since then. I'm a big steelhead angler so I have worn my breathables here in Michigan during some of the coldest Jan/Feb weather you will find in the Great Lakes area.

 

Normally what I do is I wear a pair of wicking under wader pant as a base layer, then fleece under wader pants, then my breathable waders. That is usually just fine most the winter when the water temp is 40-45f. On those REALLY cold trips when the water temp gets down to 36-38 then sometimes I'll do another pair of long johns between the wicking layer and the fleece layer. Only thing that ever gets cold is your feet so you have to step out of the water about once or twice an hour for a few mins, but that's just because stocking foot waders don't have that cushion of air around the feet like bootfoot waders.

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Gore tex/breathable waders are fine in cold water as long as you layer properly underneath them. I stopped wearing neoprene probably about 15-20 years ago and have worn nothing but my breathables since then. I'm a big steelhead angler so I have worn my breathables here in Michigan during some of the coldest Jan/Feb weather you will find in the Great Lakes area.

 

Normally what I do is I wear a pair of wicking under wader pant as a base layer, then fleece under wader pants, then my breathable waders. That is usually just fine most the winter when the water temp is 40-45f. On those REALLY cold trips when the water temp gets down to 36-38 then sometimes I'll do another pair of long johns between the wicking layer and the fleece layer. Only thing that ever gets cold is your feet so you have to step out of the water about once or twice an hour for a few mins, but that's just because stocking foot waders don't have that cushion of air around the feet like bootfoot waders.

 

Thank you VERY MUCH for that information. That was precisely what I needed to know. I just ordered a pair of Simms G4 Stockingfoot waders for a good price - $639.

 

I have not fly fished in over ten years - we lived in Chicago for 11 years and moved back to sunny New Mexico about three years ago, so I'm out of touch with the latest technology. But one thing is a constant - I have always hated putting on my neoprene waders, but that hopefully, is now a thing of the past.

 

I have all the fleece undergarments I think I will need to stay warm. Feet, just as you noted, are another thing. I'm hoping that I will be able to wear a pair of heavy socks under the waders. I say this because I had to buy the L(12-13) sized waders which are slightly too large for me. But, I have large feet - size 12, and the correct inseam waders would only accomodate a size 9-11 foot. So, this may be a blessing in disguise if I can slip those heavy socks on and get them into the oversized waders. We'll see how this all plays out.

 

Getting out of the water every once in a while is not that big of a deal. So if I have to do that that will be fine.

 

Again, thank you very much for your in-depth response to my query.

 

Pizza's on the way!smile.png

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My own experience with waders is limited. I have a pair of camo neoprene waders Wife bought for me. I love them. I fold the waders down until I can put my feet in the boots. Then just roll the waders up onto me.

 

Works well, for me.

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I just ordered a pair of Simms G4 Stockingfoot waders

 

Since you have not worn anything other than neoprene I will tell you this.....you're gonna LOVE your new breathable waders when they get there. I remember back in my neoprene wader days how much I hated putting them on. Always pulling and adjusting and the way they always felt like something just wasn't "right" till a couple hours later in the day. I also use to hate how they would make your finger tips feel all weird because you'd be pullin the neoprene so much :) Once you slip on your new breathables you're gonna never want to go back to neoprene ever again.

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You're going to love those Simms Gore tex waders, they're so much more comfortable and warmer than neoprene in winter and cooler in summer. I bought my first pair of breathables in the late 90's, and I've never considered going back. I spend a lot of time fishing in the winter in pretty cold water and I am only cold if I stand in deep water and don't move much for long periods of time. I wear a pair of good thick wool socks, capilene long underware, and if it's cold I add fleece pants. Good breathables are well worth the extra coin.

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Do not mess with thermal shock!

 

I used to fish out of a float tube a lot. Small lake stuff.

 

Neopremes were all that worked then and even then the temptation to over stay on the water let me get into trouble one spring when the bass were biting and there was almost no ice in my rod guides. The first thing to go is your judgement/commonsense/awareness. Luckily I was close to the takeout spot and realized I was rambling so made it home OK. Out of the water I had trouble walking to the car but got my circulation going by running -- at first stumbling in fact -- in place for a few minutes. I learned that from an old Yugoslav partisan who spent much of the war, year round, in the mountains w/o shelter. He said that guys in his unit just died where they stood of exposure if they let their core temps drop too low. The deep meat chill in my lower extremities lasted well intro the next AM, despite plied on blankets.

 

Rocco

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I've gone back to neoprenes for winter fishing. Where I fish, the banks are are jungles of multi-flora rose, and even the most expensive breathable wader leak after one or two trips. The warm under layers aren't that much help when they're soaked.

 

Back in the days when I used to surf, a bit of corn starch or talc helped getting the wet suit on. That would probably work for waders as well.

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I just ordered a pair of Simms G4 Stockingfoot waders

 

Since you have not worn anything other than neoprene I will tell you this.....you're gonna LOVE your new breathable waders when they get there. I remember back in my neoprene wader days how much I hated putting them on. Always pulling and adjusting and the way they always felt like something just wasn't "right" till a couple hours later in the day. I also use to hate how they would make your finger tips feel all weird because you'd be pullin the neoprene so much smile.png Once you slip on your new breathables you're gonna never want to go back to neoprene ever again.

 

Thanks for the feedback. The waders have already shipped so they should be in my hands in a few days.

 

I recall how I used to be sweating in the neoprenes about 1000H, but never once did I get cold while in the water. However, I will not miss putting them on. What a PITA that was.

 

Thanks again for your help.

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You're going to love those Simms Gore tex waders, they're so much more comfortable and warmer than neoprene in winter and cooler in summer. I bought my first pair of breathables in the late 90's, and I've never considered going back. I spend a lot of time fishing in the winter in pretty cold water and I am only cold if I stand in deep water and don't move much for long periods of time. I wear a pair of good thick wool socks, capilene long underware, and if it's cold I add fleece pants. Good breathables are well worth the extra coin.

Thanks for the info.

 

I think I have all the cold weather layering that I will be needing. I used to bow hunt in the winter, but most of the time I was moving slowly about, so that may not be a fair comparison.

 

Time will tell how these waders will work out. If I layer up correctly, I'm sure I'll be fine just as you noted.

 

I sincerely appreciate the help.

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