Chest high waders or wading pants + jacket

So i've  been researching on the forum whether to kayak in my chest high waders or buy some wading pants. I'm afraid of when wearing my chest high waders how uncomfortable it would be to use the restroom. I was told that nothing more comfortable than kayak fishing in waders. I was thinking about buying some wading pants and pairing it with my simms prodry jacket. I wish I could afford a kokatat drysuit but maybe somewhere down the line. Are there any chest high waders with a relief zipper? I'm going to take my kayak out this weekend possibly to lexington for the first time to practice some self rescue and just get used to my kayak. What do you guys think?

It depends on the temperature,for me board shorts and my good old bibs work for me. If it's a cold day wetsuit 2 peace so I can shed as it gets hot. You want to be comfortable and able to fish

Here's my first opinion: the comparison between a drysuit, a semi-drysuit, and either waders or dry pants.  If you end up in the water while wearing a drysuit with latex gaskets, you will stay dry, and if you have enough insulating clothing under the drysuit, you will stay warm. If you end up in the water while wearing a semi-drysuit with neoprene gaskets, you may not stay completely dry, but you'll probably stay pretty dry, and if you have enough insulating clothing under the semi-drysuit, you'll stay pretty warm.  If you end up in the water while wearing waders with a belt or dry pants with a tight waist band, your upper body will get wet, and unless you get back in your kayak pronto, you will probably get some water leaking down inside the waders or dry pants. You can keep your upper body pretty dry by wearing a dry top on top of waders or drypants, but the seal between the drytop and the waders or drypants will not be perfect, and if you end up the water, some water will get in.  So if you are kayak fishing in cold water in a situation where there any chance that you could end up in the water, you will be way safer in a drysuit.  Waders or drypants will keep your feet and legs warm and dry when you turn sideways in a sit-on-top kayak, or if you get splashed by waves, or when water drips off your paddle onto your legs, but they won't protect you against hypothermia if you end up in the water.  I only use waders or drypants when the water and air temperatures are relatively high, and there is only a small chance that I could end up in the water.  And when I use waders or drypants, I recognize that they provide some comfort, but are not as safe as a drysuit.

Here's my second opinion: The comparison between waders and drypants with respect to peeing (by a male): It's a lot more of a hassle for a male kayaker to pee while wearing waders than while wearing drypants, because when wearing waders you will need to take off your PFD, take the wader's suspenders off your shoulders, and either push the waders down far enough that you can pee, or slide a narrow bottle like a juice bottle down inside the leg of your waders, pee into the bottle, extract the bottle from the waders without spilling any of its contents, and dump the pee.  This is do-able, but a hassle.  The advantage of drypants is that they are lower and don't have suspenders, so it's pretty easy for a guy to push them down enough that he can pee, without taking off his PFD. Incidentally, a funnel with a length of plastic hose will let you pee while sitting securely in your kayak seat.  Its the best five bucks you'll ever spend on fishing gear at a hardware store.



Here's my third opinion: The comparison between waders and drypants with respect to keeping your lower body dry if you end up in the water:  Nylon waders with a belt will crumple and fold under the belt, which leaves gaps where water can get in unless you really tighten the belt.  Neoprene waders can fit more smoothly against your torso, but you should still wear a belt.  With both nylon and neoprene waders, the portion of the wader above the belt can scoop up water, which will then slowly drain down under the belt after you get back in your kayak.  Drypants usually have a wide neoprene band which fits snugly and smoothly against your torso, and are generally more waterproof than waders.  I like my Kokatat Hydrus 3L drypants a lot.

Here's my fourth opinion: The comparison between drysuits or drypants with dry socks and with ankle gaskets.  Dry socks are way warmer and more comfortable than ankle gaskets.  When kayak fishing in a sit-on-top kayak, your feet spend a lot of time in the water or wet.  Dry socks will keep your feet dry, and you can layer up warm fuzzy socks underneath them to keep your feet warm.  Ankle gaskets expose your feet to the water, and your feet can get pretty cold, even if you are wearing neoprene booties.  But if you have a drysuit or drypants with ankle gaskets, buy a pair of "Sealskins" waterproof socks and put them on under the ankle gaskets. They'll keep your feet dry, and you can layer up warm socks underneath them.

Those are my opinions.

get a farmer john wetsuit for times in rougher water. I where farmer john and a nice gortex jacket. it allows me a stay safe and much easier to handle peeing. since i tend to bring a couple coors out on the water.

I am on my second pair of breathable chest waders with a zipper front for duck hunting. They really work! Both have been the breathable type from Cabela's, one a house brand and the other Hodgeman. They work fabulously for hunting, even in chest-deep water, and I can layer clothing under them as needed for temperature control. No more sweating up on a long walk to the hunting site!

That said, if you roll your 'yak in waders, they will fill up, more slowly with a wading belt, but they will. With full waders, self rescue will become MUCH more difficult! Get a wetsuit or a drysuit. I have no experience with a drysuit, but i have been using an inexpensive ($125) wetsuit for years. I don't dive, but I do rockpick abalone, which is hard on the knees and elbows. The old Mendocino wetsuit is still plent good enough. I do wish I had bought a farmer john style, as I get overheated walking down the beach on any but the coldest day.

I hope this helps,

Dan

Here's my first opinion: the comparison between a drysuit, a semi-drysuit, and either waders or dry pants.  If you end up in the water while wearing a drysuit with latex gaskets, you will stay dry, and if you have enough insulating clothing under the drysuit, you will stay warm. If you end up in the water while wearing a semi-drysuit with neoprene gaskets, you may not stay completely dry, but you'll probably stay pretty dry, and if you have enough insulating clothing under the semi-drysuit, you'll stay pretty warm.  If you end up in the water while wearing waders with a belt or dry pants with a tight waist band, your upper body will get wet, and unless you get back in your kayak pronto, you will probably get some water leaking down inside the waders or dry pants. You can keep your upper body pretty dry by wearing a dry top on top of waders or drypants, but the seal between the drytop and the waders or drypants will not be perfect, and if you end up the water, some water will get in.  So if you are kayak fishing in cold water in a situation where there any chance that you could end up in the water, you will be way safer in a drysuit.  Waders or drypants will keep your feet and legs warm and dry when you turn sideways in a sit-on-top kayak, or if you get splashed by waves, or when water drips off your paddle onto your legs, but they won't protect you against hypothermia if you end up in the water.  I only use waders or drypants when the water and air temperatures are relatively high, and there is only a small chance that I could end up in the water.  And when I use waders or drypants, I recognize that they provide some comfort, but are not as safe as a drysuit.

Here's my second opinion: The comparison between waders and drypants with respect to peeing (by a male): It's a lot more of a hassle for a male kayaker to pee while wearing waders than while wearing drypants, because when wearing waders you will need to take off your PFD, take the wader's suspenders off your shoulders, and either push the waders down far enough that you can pee, or slide a narrow bottle like a juice bottle down inside the leg of your waders, pee into the bottle, extract the bottle from the waders without spilling any of its contents, and dump the pee.  This is do-able, but a hassle.  The advantage of drypants is that they are lower and don't have suspenders, so it's pretty easy for a guy to push them down enough that he can pee, without taking off his PFD. Incidentally, a funnel with a length of plastic hose will let you pee while sitting securely in your kayak seat.  Its the best five bucks you'll ever spend on fishing gear at a hardware store.



Here's my third opinion: The comparison between waders and drypants with respect to keeping your lower body dry if you end up in the water:  Nylon waders with a belt will crumple and fold under the belt, which leaves gaps where water can get in unless you really tighten the belt.  Neoprene waders can fit more smoothly against your torso, but you should still wear a belt.  With both nylon and neoprene waders, the portion of the wader above the belt can scoop up water, which will then slowly drain down under the belt after you get back in your kayak.  Drypants usually have a wide neoprene band which fits snugly and smoothly against your torso, and are generally more waterproof than waders.  I like my Kokatat Hydrus 3L drypants a lot.

Here's my fourth opinion: The comparison between drysuits or drypants with dry socks and with ankle gaskets.  Dry socks are way warmer and more comfortable than ankle gaskets.  When kayak fishing in a sit-on-top kayak, your feet spend a lot of time in the water or wet.  Dry socks will keep your feet dry, and you can layer up warm fuzzy socks underneath them to keep your feet warm.  Ankle gaskets expose your feet to the water, and your feet can get pretty cold, even if you are wearing neoprene booties.  But if you have a drysuit or drypants with ankle gaskets, buy a pair of "Sealskins" waterproof socks and put them on under the ankle gaskets. They'll keep your feet dry, and you can layer up warm socks underneath them.

Those are my opinions.

+1

Waders are only appropriate gear when the water and air temperatures are BOTH warm enough that you could safely strip down and go for a swim if you wanted to. Beyond that, you need a drysuit, a wetsuit, or a well fitted combo of dry pants, dry top, and neoprene booties.

You may be able to quickly remount your yak if you fall in the drink wearing waders, but you'll be wet and uncomfortable afterward and will probably want to head in soon after to dry off and warm up.

My first choice is a dry suit,
But if its a warm summer day,
Try the NRS Rodeo pants and a dry top.
The pants are waist high and will keep you warm in the event of a splash down. Also, they are about the same or even a little less than a set of quality waders. The only draw back is they don't block wind, but in that case I throw a cheap nylon (Nike/Rebok) sweats over.
I have used waders, and I'm not a big fan unless you are in a calm area. Even then, the rodeo pants or a farmer John would be a better choice.


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Thanks for all the tips and advice! i'm leaning towards the kokatat hydrus tempest pants with socks, should i wear any booties over the socks? Also for a dry top would my Simms goretex prodry jacket be good enough? Or should I just pick up  a dry top as well? Trying to get all my gear ready so i can take the yak out to go fish for rockfish, hopefully i'll be able to pick up all my gear this season. I guess slowly but surely i'll pick up my gear piece by piece. what do you guys wear when your fishing lakes? Thanks again for all the info, its greatly appreciated!!

Thanks for all the tips and advice! i'm leaning towards the kokatat hydrus tempest pants with socks, should i wear any booties over the socks? Also for a dry top would my Simms goretex prodry jacket be good enough? Or should I just pick up  a dry top as well? Trying to get all my gear ready so i can take the yak out to go fish for rockfish, hopefully i'll be able to pick up all my gear this season. I guess slowly but surely i'll pick up my gear piece by piece. what do you guys wear when your fishing lakes? Thanks again for all the info, its greatly appreciated!!

The Tempest pants are great.  I use them almost exclusively when I'm fishing freshwater.  Depending on the launch/landing situation, I'll either slide a pair of neoprene booties over the socks or wear felt-soled wading boots.

But the ocean is a different ballgame.  Your chances of falling in are much greater in the ocean than they are in a lake.  A calm day can flip around into a gnarly one in minutes.  I always dress for immersion when I go onto the ocean, approaching every morning as "I'm gonna fall in today, what should I be wearing?".  This forces me to dress properly and also reduces the amount of "stuff" I bring with me.  I typically go the cheap route of a 5 to 7mm farmer john portion of a wetsuit with a dry top.  If it's a gnarly day, I go full wetsuit.  So unless you have the funds to spend on a dry suit, I highly recommend picking up a cheap 2-piece wetsuit for ocean kayaking.  Doesn't need to be anything fancy.

And like others have mentioned, the PFD stays on the entire time!

No messing around with the ocean.  7mm farmer john with dry top.  If it was so rough that I thought I might need a full top and bottom, a little voice might tell me it might be a good day to do something else.  I have rarely felt too warm, even on warm fall days.
Note, I have only fished in the ocean.

Thanks for all the tips and advice! i'm leaning towards the kokatat hydrus tempest pants with socks, should i wear any booties over the socks? Also for a dry top would my Simms goretex prodry jacket be good enough? Or should I just pick up  a dry top as well? Trying to get all my gear ready so i can take the yak out to go fish for rockfish, hopefully i'll be able to pick up all my gear this season. I guess slowly but surely i'll pick up my gear piece by piece. what do you guys wear when your fishing lakes? Thanks again for all the info, its greatly appreciated!!

After trying different outfits through the years, my go to clothing for the ocean is: 1st Kokatat Angler Drysuit, 2nd is  3 mil Farmer John wetsuit with paddling jacket.  Matched NRS Paddle Wetshoe for all ocean fishing. 
For cool weather in Bay Area freshwater I prefer to use the Kokatat tempest pants with paddling jacket.  For nice conditions, Teva Churn Water Shoes that's fast drying and drains water. If its cold I put on my NRS Wetshoe.  I own all the pieces of clothing I mentioned.   

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=72108.0

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=69422.0

Tempest pants, FW.  Kokatat dry suit SW.  Hobie drivers piss down the "Yak Gina".

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One thing that occurrs to me is there is a need for a clothing manufacturer (I'm looking at you FrogTogg) to make an inexpensive kayak dry suit.   

One thing that occurrs to me is there is a need for a clothing manufacturer (I'm looking at you FrogTogg) to make an inexpensive kayak dry suit.   

BINGO!!!!!!!!

drys suits are just so expensive, so I went ahead and got an nrs 3mm farmer John suit with the nrs paddle shoes. Just need a dry top and I'm ready for the ocean. thanks for all the tips guys!