Cabelas Dry-Plus GII Breathables

[eelman]

Ok I will say this, I am new to the breathable wader scene but, I love them! The first pair I baught were the hodgeman "wadelite" they were about $80 bucks and they SU%^k ! lEAKED RIGHT AWAY. I have now just baught the Simms G3 Guide gore tex model at $425.00 they are expensive but I have always thought you get what you pay for, these waders have five layers of protection and another layer to protect against abrasion, so far they are awsome! you can see them on me in the picture under the thread "look what I found" Anyway If I were you and can only spend about $100 or so stay away from breathables in that price range they simply will not last in a saltwater enviroment no matter who makes them, I did lots of research on these type of waders before I baught and it seeks to be that simms has all others beat by leaps and bounds in the breathable market ( durability wise anyway) Now I baught the stoking foot so I had to spend another $129 for shoes but its like walking in sneakers fantastic! they also come with a real neat built in gravel guard that seems to work very well. These waders have saved my back and to me worth every penny.

Since I used to buy two pairs a season anyway at 70 bucks a pop I figure if I can get a few seasons out of these they will be money well spent. Now I wont wear them all the time when I am on the rocks not to far from the car I wear hip boots and bibs, this is also a very comfortable setup, I use Gill bibs, they are also breathable and are TOUGH! Since the rocks are jagged I wont chance the simms in that situation but for hot nights on the beach and long walks in they are awsome. Once you go breathable and lightweight you will never ever go back!

[Roseneath]

I started with Hodgeman and they served me well for the $80 price tag... no complaints. This year LL Bean had a sale, so I picked up a pair with built-in gravel guards and a few more layers of protection. My only problem is that I'm in between sizes, so the knees pull really tight when scaling rocks or putting on korkers. I think they cost $130.

If possible, try'em on before you buy them.

[Steve K]

I had two pairs and they both leaked. The first pair after a season and the second pair halfway through the season. They both leaked at the seam where the boots meet the fabric. I sent them back but after two years. The first pair was discontinued and they would only give me the final sale price. They refunded my second pair fully. Not bad for the money but don't expect them to last.

[Slingah]

I have the lace up bootfoot model with 5 layers....somewhere around 2 beans...almost a year...no leaks yet...but I'm waiting....SIMMS are next for me

[basswipe]

I'm just not in a position to spend any serious coin.If they seem to flimsy I'll send them back.I just can't deal with wearing the neos over a long period of time anymore.My back,neck and shoulders just plain ache.I need to lighten the load so to speak.

Thanks for the input.

[Mike P]

I used Orvis when they had their original warranty, and when I lived a few minutes away from an Orvis store. Now that I moved farther east on Long Island, and Orvis changed their warranty from "we'll replace them anytime, for any reason, within 4 years" to, "we'll pro-rate them against a new pair", I'm on my last pair of Orvis. When my Pro-Guides crap the bed, I'm going with Simms, too.

Once I tore a pair of Orvis on a hook. Not only did they replace them no questions asked, they let me "borrow" a cheaper pair while I waited for the size I needed in the other style to come in on order. Not anymore, tho

[eelman]

Surf fishing is so tough on waders, you have to deal with well the surf itself, trying to land a 30lb fish with a mouth full of hooks and during all that try not to get a hook in your waders! But in all honesty these simms are like wearing a caddy! they are really well thought out and built waders, however I would not wear them at watch hill during a bluefish bliz, you would definatly get a hook in them. Also the dorsal fin on a bass can puncture waders as fast as any hook. So use your breathables with common sense and you will love them!

[basswipe]

If I had the money #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& I would go with the best that I could afford and right now that's the GIIs.

I will be careful with them for sure.I also don't tend to fish a lot of "difficult"
places I'm a physical wreck as it is.The worst I do are the rocks in Newport and those are bad enough on the knees and back.

A majority of my time is spent at easier spots that I've had good success at.
So the waders shouldn't take to much of a beating.One trick I learned to help
protect the knees is to take neo gravel guards or knee braces and slide them up over the waders to give extra padding and protection to the knee area.

I'm sure the very first time I put them on I will thank myself a thousand times over.