Wet cloder weather gear Questions

edit: "Wet - Cold weather gear questions" should have been the title. Man i must be tired

Ok after today's ill-prepared fishing trip i am in bad need of some fall - winter gear.

I have looked over the selection of dry suits but i don't want to invest so much in a 1 purpose 1 piece outfit so I'm thinking a Dry top wader combo. With this i could swap out pieces to be more comfortable in varying weather conditions.

Does anyone have any experience using a dry top wader combo? What kind of waders should i use? I'm guessing chest waders with a good wading belt. Would i need two belts one to cover the seal at the bottom of the dry top?

As for wader material which would you recommend? I think it would need to be loose enough to allow me to add layers underneath for colder weather.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[jet]

i personally use the bomber dry top and bottom dry suit. pain in the a@# bc it has no relief zipper but it has kept me dry. water hasnt gotten in while fishing int he rain, nor while landing or launching. i havent turtled with it yet. for it to be properly dry, you have to roll 2 flaps together which i typically do, but it becomes unraveled when i have to take a leak bc it has no releif zipper which sux. even if it's not perfect, i do feel like it will keep enough water out to keep me alive. i'm currently interested in the immersion research gear.

i tried the wader and dry top deal but just dont like the feel bc the wader just doesnt fit well while sitting for me and i dont feel comfortable in it if i were to have to swim in it.

[DOGFISH]

Foulweather

I have been struggling with that question myself. Last year I fished up till December 5. I used paddle pants and launch boots. This was quite comfortable and warm. For a top I used a foul weather jacket. Everything was goretex. It worked just fine. However, this year I think I am going with goretex convertable waders. There is a pair by Simms that I really like. I am going with stocking foot waders, so that I can just wear a pair of Crocs or some type of reef shoe or boot. Waders with boots are going to be to cumbersome. Again, I am just going with a foul weather jacket for a top. All in all, I need things loose so that some air gets in to prevent overheating. You need to be able to adjust your gear for ventilation. For me, I like goretex as a material.

As for swimming when bundled, should you go over or when you go over, you must have on a life vest. All of any cold weather gear makes swimming difficult. I am not one for always wearing a life jacket, I know, bad, but I always wear the life jacket in cold weather due to the bulk of the clothing and hyperthermia. While summer is a joy, cold water kills quick. I used to do alot of duck and goose hunting in my younger life. The cold is nothing to play with. Take it seriously. I cannot stress that enough, when considering being out in a kayak in cold water, a distance from shore. You should also invest in a floating/waterproof VHF radio, should you go over in cold water. All of the added clothing makes it more difficult to get back into the kayak should you go over. Being retired, I do alot of fishing by myself, due to most others working during weekdays. So, I tend to be very prepared.

The wader/belt question, yes a belt is necessary. You would be surprised, with a belt, not that much water will get into you waders. You don't need a second belt at the bottom of a top. This is again from my younger days as a duck hunter and flyfisher. Of which, I do neither anymore.

Give alot of thought to your cold weather kayak gear. Remember you should allow enough room underneath for possibly some fleece. One caveat, no cotton.

Good luck with your selection and your fishing.

[ictalurus]

I've tried chest waders and a dry top, waist highs and a dry top, and dry suit. The dry suit is definitely the most comfortable, and it has a relief zipper. I fished for several winters using the other two options, and I finally decided that I did enough winter fishing to make the dry suit worth while. Then we had Snowmageddon and Snowpocalypse.

The waist high combo didn't do a very good job keeping water out. If you're tall and thin, you might have trouble finding waders that fit properly. Waist highs that were long enough for my legs had an enormous waist. All the excess material made it difficult to get a good seal between the tops and bottoms, even with 3 wader belts. I did a re-entry drill and had over a quart in each boot despite spending less than a minute in the water. I thought that was a little much, especially if the water had been cold or if it took any longer to get back in. The chest waders were better, but I still wore 3 belts (one around the waders by my chest, one over the inner sleeve of the top by my waist, one over the outside of the top between the other two). I found a pair of Hodgman waders with a front zipper for $100 which made taking a leak a little easier. I'm not sure if they make those anymore, though.

I picked up a Stohlquist B-pod for ~$430, or so, but I haven't tested it yet. I'll test it out this fall. It fits me pretty well, but the feet are tight (my feet measure to be size 11). The neck gasket is very comfortable, and the relief zipper is really handy. The suit is cut pretty trim, though, so that model might not be the best bet for bigger guys.

Regardless of what you use, be sure to squeeze all the air out before you get in your yak. If you hit the water with a lot of air in your suit, the air will inflate the legs of you bottoms, which makes it more difficult to get yourself vertical in the water. You'll float there like a raft, which is nice in one sense, but makes it harder to get back in your boat.

Regarding material, neoprene is buoyant and can help keep water out if it fits well. I jumped into a pool wearing neoprene boot foot waders without a life jacket (I think) in college, and I floated more or less at the top of the waders, which were pretty tall. They didn't start filling with water until I started moving around. Neoprene will make you sweat, though, which is bad. All my stuff is various brands of breathable materials. I can still sweat faster than it breathes, but I don't get a chill if I layer appropriately.

[surfdog]

i have neoprene boot foot waders that i use for the surf very warm on cold winter days on the beach. bought a light weight breathable stocking foot chest wader with cheap low top tennis shoes for the yak, layered up with UA and fleece and its comfortable on the water in the fall/ early winter, when the air/ water temp really drops ill be next to the fireplace watching WFN

[Redfish12]

I've got chest waders and pant waders with stocking feet. I usually just wear crocks over them. I was previously using a thin drytop with fleece under and then underarmor. Same with the legs, underarmor, fleece, waders. I won a new dry top this year at j-bay with the nice neoprene gaskets that I am looking forward to trying out when the water gets cold. I use the wader belt on my waders, then another one over the drytop/waders. I haven't dumped but I did test it by jumping in the water this spring, seemed to hold up ok. With the underarmor and fleece underneath, I'll still be warm though and should dry fast.

[kayakkevin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YPTqrwXgkM

[Grilled]

ive tried using waders and a dry top but it was uncomfortable. It works but my waders are kinda thick so it it made moving around kinda hard. Now i use dry pants and a dry top. i bought them relatively cheap at siera trading post. i think i spent $250 for the combo.

[kayakkevin]

i use to use neoprene but they get uncomfertable and wet inside after a while. ive been using breathables and if the wind has a little chill i put on rain paints over the waders
if you can afford it i think a dry suite is the best and safest option, i just dont like the tight gaskets around my neck and wrist.

[mmanolis2001]

Thank you all for the info. I think I'm going to try the breathable chest waders and A dry - Semi Dry top combo. I hope to shrink in size over the next year so i don't want to spend Big $ on a dry suit that wont fit properly later.

A couple of questions.
Any good sources for waders and tops? Sierra trading post has some great deals but nothing in my size

This might be a self explanatory question but I'm gonna fire away.
What is the difference between Dry and Semi Dry? I guessing the Neck and waist gaskets. Would breathable chest waders and a Semi Dry top with two wading belts offer enough protection (1 under the top , 1 at the waist over the top)? I always wear my PDF so if i took a spill would the amount of water entering the semi Dry top be of concern?

Kevin,
What kind of top do you use with your waders, Dry - Semi Dry - Splash?


Thanks again for all the replies

[DOGFISH]

Waders

Breathable is like goretex and other similar fabrics. They will let humidity out but will not let water molecules in. Thus keeping you dryer. Thats how I understand the process. I believe the semi dry would be with out the neck type seals. I am like Kevin, I don't like that feel. I try not to flip over. However, if I get alittle wet if it should happen, I'll go change. I always took extra dry clothes when I was duck hunting, S#&! happens. There is the option of a pull over type dry top. I like zipper up type jackets. That way if the weather should improve, the rain gear is easy to take off. Both types have hoods and/or zip up collars.

Bass Pro Shop has a good selection of waders. The higher priced waders are back in the fly fishing area. However, there are other waders in the foot wear area. They are back towards the far end of foot wear. Some are very thin and flexible. Try to stick with the stocking foot waders. I used to use the boot type waders, back when I was a hunter, and they are alittle large for kayaks. You can wear sandals, crocs or even reef shoes with the stocking foot type. Bass Pro has an inexpensive reef boot. I use them even in the summer when walking on bottoms that I am not familiar or rocky bottoms.

As I said before, a goretex or other rain jacket will over lap the chest waders. Any rain except for the most horrible conditions should be ok. In the worst of conditions you probably won't be out there. As one said, its better to be home by the fire in those worst of conditions. I have been out in conditions when all the other boats are comming in from the Bay. These are some of the best days in the fall for stripers. When all the engine noise diappears the fish seem to come to the surface, knowing its safe. My rain jacket has been just fine. Again, try Bass Pro or West Marine. I prefer bright colors for the Bay, where the boats are worse than the Bull Sharks. I like to be seen. Remember, overcast days tend to be gray. If you feel more comfortable with an additional belt around the jacket, just pick up an additional wader belt for that purpose. There are all different combinations. To each their own.

Good Luck.

[ictalurus]

Technically, my top is a "semi-dry" top. It's a Kokatat Super Nova top, which has a light neoprene neck band with a velcro patch to adjust the tightness. It was pretty comfortable and water didn't come in too fast if I tightened it as much as I could. Wearing several top layers also slowed the water entry. I liked it, and it did a good job for the price. The waist band would probably work much better with dry pants since the inner liner and the waist bands of the the top and bottoms would probably work better together than they did with the waist-high waders.

[Redfish12]

This might be a self explanatory question but I'm gonna fire away.
What is the difference between Dry and Semi Dry?

I have both and I can show you the difference when you check out that reel if you want. The gaskets are the main thing, as well as the zippers/seams.

[DOGFISH]

Kokatat

Kokatat makes nice gear. I have a pair of their launch boots. They make quality items and comfortable.

[surfdog]

i tried to find what they call launch socks but no one was carring them, where did you get the launch boots?