USIA Waders

Hey guys,

I've been researching getting a new pair of stockingfoot waders. I have a crappy pair of Hodgeman bootfoot waders that are sized too big and chafe my shins... they started leaking too but probably more due to improper storage in my garage in which temps fluctuate a lot. I got decent use out of them twice at Ocean Beach up north for Dungeness and striper fishing a couple times last year. Before that I had used them a few times in the SoCal surf but they are probably around 4 years old.

Anyway, I was considering Cabelas zip waders which appear to be a newer product but I keep seeing posts here about how the Cabelas waders have the tendency to leak. Especially around the knee areas, which seem to be the major stress point on waders when float tubing.

In researching, I stumbled across USIA waders which many people swear by as being some of the sturdiest and durable waders ever. Has anyone here used them specifically for float tubing? They look and sound like very good quality and at a nice price point too. People say they are stiff and noisy but they do have a softer material option that you can add at an upcharge. A pair of T-zip waders with softer material ends up costing around $390 which seems reasonable considering other higher-end waders are in the same range. And it seems USIA waders may very well outlast waders at the same price point.

Besides the waders though, what do you guys recommend as far as booties? I'm assuming wading shoes would be too much but what about the ultralight ones like Cabelas Bonesneakers or or Caddis Northern Guides. Or am I better off with Adamsbuilt Knott Creeks or Hodgman Neoprene shoes?

Sorry I can't link anything otherwise I would have pasted all the links for the said products.

I don't know about USIA but I use these since they had great reviews and several people on here use them:

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Alakai wrote:I don't know about USIA but I use these since they had great reviews and several people on here use them:

Nice - looks decent. Maybe I'll pickup a pair. What did you do in terms of booties? Hodgmans? Adamsbuilts?

Hey there jplee3 we are now selling Caddis Waders as well just so you know. It is a new product to us here is the link to all our sales items. If you see something from Caddis that I don't have listed let me know, what I have there is limited right now not because we don't have it but because we have not had time to list everything.

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I use neoprene wading shoes over my waders. They are light, slip in my fins easy, and dry out fast. Plenty of people use the boot foot waders with no problems though.

I hope this helps

Jerdon wrote:I use neoprene wading shoes over my waders. They are light, slip in my fins easy, and dry out fast. Plenty of people use the boot foot waders with no problems though.

I hope this helps

Thanks - Yep, I plan to get neoprene wading shoes like the Hodgmans or Adamsbuilts. I'm just not sure on the sizing I should go with. I actually just got a pair of the small Caddis waders off Ebay - found a great deal on them...hopefully they fit LOL!

I normally wear size 8.5-9 shoes depending on the type (9 for athletic and 8.5 for casual or dress, generally but also depending on the brand). I have gone up to 9.5 at times but it generally starts getting a bit large at that point. That said, factoring in stockingfoots, how many sizes up are you *supposed* to get beyond your normal shoe/foot size?

I go up 2 sizes. I normally wear 10 so I wear size 12 for my booties. A little sloppy fit is easier to deal with than tightness.

I believe you mentioned in another post that you have outcast boot foot fins, right?

I'm just tossing this out for you... if you get a pair of $20 snorkeling fins, they will work fine with the stocking feet on your waders as is. That's the setup I use. I wear a pair of crocks when not in the water to protect the wader stocking feet.

I wear neoprene water socks to cushion my feet in the fins when not wearing waders.

You're really going for this tubing deal full bore! It's great!

Ornery Bob wrote:I believe you mentioned in another post that you have outcast boot foot fins, right?

I'm just tossing this out for you... if you get a pair of $20 snorkeling fins, they will work fine with the stocking feet on your waders as is. That's the setup I use. I wear a pair of crocks when not in the water to protect the wader stocking feet.

I wear neoprene water socks to cushion my feet in the fins when not wearing waders.

You're really going for this tubing deal full bore! It's great!

LOL, yea I tend to go overboard. I need an outlet after seeing post after post on my Facebook feed from the Thunderbird and all the bluefin tuna they've been scoring day after day. Wish I could pull off a trip but I just don't know how viable it is this time of year...

Anyway, I do have a pair of snorkeling fins! I just ordered the waders so they have yet to come but I suppose I could try out your suggestion. I don't have any Crocs though so that could be problematic. And I still need to buy a PFD lol!

I've worn so many different waders and the best bang-for-the-buck are my Simm's waders
and they come with a great warranty as well. I won't buy anything other than Simm's ever again.
I've learned.
By the time I'd gone thru 5-8 sets of waders I could have bought the Simm's.
They also sell the zipper model as well. At least check them out.

My 2-cents.

SP Dan <"))><

Ugh, the Ebay transaction fell through for the Caddis waders. I found them for pretty cheap on a make an offer deal that the seller accepted. This morning I got a cancellation notice supposedly that I, the buyer, requested. When I messaged the seller he said that someone called in and requested cancellation but also said in another message that the person who called didn't speak English well. The "explanation" was so full of holes and didn't make sense to me that now I'm just assuming he realized he listed them for too low or accepted too low of an offer and is trying to get out of having to sell them. He said that he will supposedly relist them but I'm guessing it will be at either a higher price or not at all. What a pain... and it's not cool that he put the onus on me for the reason why it was canceled - that's worth a complaint to Ebay if it turns out he canceled out of shadiness.

Has anyone tried these Compass 360 Waders?
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I believe GT has those and pretty sure he likes them. PM him if you don't here from him here soon. I like the look of those and I think Caddis Waders has something like those as well.

SP Dan wrote:I've worn so many different waders and the best bang-for-the-buck are my Simm's waders
and they come with a great warranty as well. I won't buy anything other than Simm's ever again.
I've learned.
By the time I'd gone thru 5-8 sets of waders I could have bought the Simm's.
They also sell the zipper model as well. At least check them out.

My 2-cents.

SP Dan     <"))><

Which Simms did you get? The G4Zs look great but $800!!! Whew...

Compass Deadfall 360 waders for the last 2 1/2 seasons, used in salt and fresh with no problems. Water proof outside pocket, reinforced knees and fitted bootee. Under $100. I'm 6 ft tall, wear a size 11 shoe and weigh 225, ouch Purchased xlg, plenty of room when I sit in tube. That was the problem I had with first pair, did not allow for sitting, brain fart.

First pair I purchased from BP, their brand. Wore them for four years. Too much bootee in the toes. Under $100, good.

Thanks GT. Very helpful info.

Right now I'm basically jumping around in deciding between Caddis (though I'm not a fan of the styling/design LOL), Compass 360, Adamsbuilt and even Redington. The Adamsbuilt Guide Welds seem pretty nice but are the most expensive out of all of them. I'd like to be able to use these waders for anything else, like surf fishing and (if I ever actually make it) for trout fishing the sierras, etc. I figure at some point I'll probably own multiple pairs but I don't want to do that right now. That's sort of the dilemma... I know I'm overthinking it but that's what I do with things like this haha.

If this is your first pair, buy something you think you like but cheaper than the high end stuff. Wear them for a few years, find your comfort zone then buy the high end waders....I don't wear waders enough to support $300, then again I'm cheap and retired...........GT

I ended up 'splurging' on a pair of these:
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They seem like very solid waders that *should* last me a while. The major deciding factor was the reinforced bottom (from the butt down) which I noticed many other waders at similar price points don't have. I'm inclined to be cheap about this stuff but after experiencing a leak in my super cheapo Hodgmans, I'm also inclined to spend more $$$ for something that's higher quality. I also got a pair of Hodgman Neoprene Wading Shoes to wear over these... hoping everything will fit as expected! Spending nearly $300 (more than the float tube itself!) hurts a bit but another factor here is that I intend to use the waders outside of the float tube for cold weather surf fishing and even getting into fishing streams/rivers/hiking.

At some point I want to get a pair of Korkers too - probably the Greenbacks. Those look nice and I like the fact that you can switch out the bottom sole for different situations.

Just curious but when it gets colder what do you guys usually wear under your waders? I wore sweats under my old pair but it gets pretty stuffy and the wicking is awful too. Wondering if something like UnderArmor heatgear compression tights or similar (like [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] would work well for this purpose. Just wear those with a decent pair of socks, and maybe a pair of workout shorts over and that should theoretically keep you pretty warm even in the NorCal surf I'm guessing?

I wear compression tights under the waders till the water gets in the 60's. Once the water is cooler than that I wear fleece sweats. Also, I never wear cotton as it hangs on to the cold. Fleece, nylon, polypro, anything that is quick dry or water proof for my shirts or jackets.