How To: Wader Fit
Fishing waders help you keep up your adventures in various conditions and environments, so it’s crucial that you find the perfect fit. Waders that are too large are at risk of tearing as the excess material folds and hangs around you. They can also allow more air to flow around your body and make it harder to keep warm. This is especially the case for breathable waders.
Too large is not the only wader fitting problem to worry about though. If waders are too small, you are limited in the number of layers you can wear underneath and you’re more likely to bust a seam and experience leaking. Keep reading to figure out how to avoid these common fit problems when shopping for any pair of waders.
Finding the Right Fit In-Store
When trying on waders, make sure you have the braces correctly positioned and tightened and that you are wearing any belt that is supplied with the waders. Once you’re sure you have them properly adjusted, it’s time to see how the waders hold up in a number of positions. You wouldn’t spend your whole fishing trip standing straight up, so you shouldn’t settle for a wader fitting that only suits that position.
It can be easy to tell when waders are too big, but a tight fit in the most common tear and leakage points—the knees, crotch, and where the boot or sock meets the rest of waders—often stays hidden until you are moving around and bending. Here are some positions to test out when trying on waders:
- Kneeling
- Sitting
- Stepping up on to a chair (the best way to model stepping out of the water and on to the bank!)
Wader Fitting Online
When shopping for fishing waders online, your measurements are your best friend. Men’s and women’s waders are sized differently, so make sure you are looking at the right size chart when looking to buy waders online. If your measurements correspond to different wader sizes, it is best to choose the size of your largest measurement. Also be sure to take into account the thickness of the materials you’ll be wearing under your waders.
Tip: Measure slightly higher than your natural inseam measurement to leave room for comfortable movement!
Now that you know how your waders should fit, check out this post on Wader Care!
Tight lines!