Neoprene Waders
Neoprene is what you want when the water is cold enough to end the morning early. Every wader here uses a 3.5mm neoprene upper that holds heat the way a wetsuit does, with enough stretch left over to climb in and out of a blind. Bootfoot and stockingfoot, in men's, women's and youth sizes.
Related collections
- Bootfoot Waders, boot and wader in one sealed unit
- Stockingfoot Waders, pair with your own wading boots
- Breathable Waders, for milder days and long walks in
- Women's Waders and Youth Waders
- Wader Bags and Wader Accessories
Why neoprene, and when it is the wrong call
Neoprene traps a thin layer of water against the fabric and lets your body heat do the rest. That is why it stays warm in flooded timber in December while a breathable wader leaves you counting the minutes. The tradeoff is honest: neoprene does not breathe. On a mild morning, or on a half-mile walk into a hole, you will sweat inside it and that sweat has nowhere to go. If most of your season is early teal or warm-water fishing, look at breathable waders instead and keep neoprene for the cold end of the calendar.
3.5mm is the number that matters
Wader neoprene is usually sold between 3mm and 5mm. Everything in this collection is 3.5mm, which lands where most waterfowlers want it: warm enough for standing in cold water through legal light, thin enough that you can still lift a knee over a beaver run. Thicker neoprene buys warmth and costs mobility. Thinner is a fishing wader, not a hunting one.
High-back design
The Amphib models use a high-back cut, which raises the back panel so you can wade deeper before water finds the top. It matters more than it sounds when the hole you want is one step past comfortable.
Sole choice
The bootfoot models come in cleated and felt. Cleated grips mud, gravel and the walk in. Felt grips slick rock and algae, which is a fishing problem more than a duck problem. Check your state regulations before buying felt: several states restrict felt soles in trout water because they can carry invasive algae between streams.
Common questions
How warm are 3.5mm neoprene waders?
Warm enough for standing water in cold weather, which is the job. Neoprene insulates on its own, and the bootfoot models add insulated boots on top of that. Layer a fleece pant underneath for the coldest sits rather than buying thicker neoprene.
Should I size up in neoprene waders?
Size for the layers you actually hunt in, not for a bare-leg fitting. Neoprene has stretch but not much give at the shoulders, and a wader that fits perfectly over jeans will fight you over a fleece bib in January.
Bootfoot or stockingfoot in neoprene?
Bootfoot for hunting. There is nothing to lace in the dark, nothing to fill with mud, and the boot is sealed to the wader. Stockingfoot if you want to choose your own boot for fit or traction, which matters more for fishing than for a blind.
How do I store neoprene waders?
Dry them inside out, then hang them. Folding neoprene in a hot truck creases the material and creases eventually leak. A wader bag keeps them from getting crushed under decoys on the ride home.