I Need Some Waders. The S*&T Is Getting Deep Around Here

First off invest in a good set of breathables, I did at the begining of the year and it's a world of difference from low budget hodgemans. Neoprenes suck unless you have no other choice or like to sweat, plus they start to get heavy as you go especially fall steelhead on the tribs.
 
I perfer the stockingfoot as opposed to the built in boots. Ones with the boots always seem to leak after a few years at the seams, and wading shoes always to me were a better fit and beat the rubber gummy boot on the built ins for traction. Sizing, I wear a 9 in mens and wear a 9 in wading shoes , just wear a thick pair of wool socks to act as the "foot part" when you shop and try them on.
 
 

Awesome. Thanks guys. Seems like I'm going to have to look for breathables. I have a bit of a gut. I'm just afraid that if I buy breathables, they won't fit up over my belly. Yeah, I know I'm opening myself up for a lot of fat jokes here, but with 6 years of college and then working 1.5hr away from home, my shape is the direct result of no time for exercise and being forced to eat quick and easy meals on the go. Not making excuses, just sayin'.

I first had a pair of bootfoot waders and loved them till they started to leak somewhere in the boot part.  I patched and I patched but I never could really tell where the leak was coming from.  This was in the boot foot type that used cordura or whatever for the boot material.  I got mad and through them away and went with the stocking foot type. 
 
The boot foot models were easier and faster for me to put on but I will never again own a pair of bootfoot.  I really didn't notice either one being warmer than the other but would assume that depends on the insulation in the bootfoot model.
 
One thing I can tell is that they all leak, some more than others.  When you get whatever type you get also buy a tube of aquaseal and any time you find a leak use it.  It isn't a bad idea to cover every seam on the inside even before you take them out to fish.  To find a actual leak I fill my sink with water and use a small shop vac to blow air into the leg of the waders after tying the nozzle tightly in the leg.  You can also just fill up the waders with water but tie them up first to something.  If the leak is high up the waders filled with water get heavy and awkward to try and old real quick.

hendey lathe

Remember also, you've got to learn how to dress with breathables. If you wear jeans under you breathables, your just wasting your time. Find a pair of wicking underwear (got mine from The Fly Shop : Redding Ca. $20.00) as your base layer. You'll be amazed how comfortable you'll be.

 
If your on the cheap side like I am go to your local Salvation Army store and look for the thickest sweat pants you can find that are made with polyester.  I've fished in Erie all winter using breathables with a real heavy pair of sweats and never felt to cold.  You could also look for lighter pairs for warmer weather.  As someone else said forgot the blue jeans inside.  Unless you get cold easy a light pair under a heavy pair should get you through any weather in Erie that you would want to go out in.  They also dry out remarkably fast after your done fishing.

Thanks for all of the help guys. I love this site.

Jah, I didn't even know there was such a thing! Cool. Thank you for the info and the link. It's definately something to think about.

Ive tried a lot of different kinds of waders in my time. Neoprene's stocking foot and boot foot. Only good for the cold winter months and didn't last but 2 yrs for me. Went to low to middle of the road cost breathables in both boot foot and stocking foot. Again for me , a 2 year period and then they started to leak in the seams. I used the breathables year around in the cricks and in PI bay. In the spring summer fall and winter. Just wear the appropriate clothing underneath for that time of year.
 
I since then decided to upgrade to a more pricey breathable wader to see if I was actually paying for a brand name or not. I am still figuring out if they are going to last me more than 2 yrs. This will be my second fall and winter season with them. I went through fall , winter , spring , and summer this year and not one single leak yet and I have used them a lot this year. I went and got a pair of the Simms guide series breathable stocking foot waders. NOT the top end but they ran me $279.00 instead of buying another pair of $129.00 that lasted just under 2 yrs. So if these Simms last me 4,5 or more years They were well worth the investment. I also splurged on myself some good wading boots to go with them as every $50 - $75 pair Ive bought before wore out or fell apart in that 2 year span and had to buy new waders and boots every 2 yrs. So I bought the Korker Chrome series wading boots with interchangeable soles. Ummm I love these boots but like I said I splurged and spent $225.00 on them.  So is this investment worth it ? , well I have yet to find out how long they will last me but for now Im very happy with the results for how much use Ive put into them.
 
Im a big duud so I found a XL stout size wader works for me well and I bought my boots 2 sizes bigger. So a size 11 stocking foot wader and size 13 boot works for me. I like to walk the cricks for steelhead and have put many miles on these waders and boots. So far I can give nothing less than an A grade to this gear. There is nothing worse than discovering you have a leak right before the fishing gets good. I dont ever want to scramble buying a pair of waders again so I hope my pricier investment works out. Good luck and feel free to PM me with any questions.

I've looked online and found Hodman Wadelite Breathables, Stout. They look like they would fit me just fine with room to spare. Anyone on here ever own these? I may not be able to buy them now, but perhaps later. They are $42.