i have been set on getting a pair of simms waders for a bitnow and not looking to spnd more then 300 so i would be getting he headwaters at most. After reading the reviews on them i see a lot of people have had leaks in the crotch and are not that pleased. Does anyone have any advice for a good pair of waders

I heard some of those reviews as well, but then I saw them on sale. I just got the headwaters a few weeks ago at tailwaters in Dallas for $200. I think they are changing the style or something. I used them this weekend and they were great paired with the boa boots. At $200 I dont know how you can do much better for goretex. So far I'm very happy with them. I have a feeling that if you compared sales vs negative reviews of them and other waders they are probably not much different and at least you have a good guarantee.

This

i got me some cheap breathable waders about 50 dollars . used them about 20 times over 4 years and they still look and work like new. i wear sweats underneath in winter.

I've always worn Hodgman and have been very happy with them.

I can vouch for the Academy brand waders. The ones I got are breathable. The brand name is Magellan and the model is MAG-2.

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_14464_-1

These are great waders for only $100. They are light, fit me well, and have plenty of pockets. The construction seems good and I haven't had any leaks in the 2 years that I've used them.

I used to have a pair of felt wading boots from Bass Pro. They were around $50 I think. They worked pretty well on rocks, but they got pretty heavy once the felt got soaked through with water, making hiking any distance a bit difficult. Also, they got almost zero grip on slick mud or wet grass.

My wife bought me a pair of Simms Freestone boots with vibram rubber soles for my birthday. I bought a set of the carbide studs for them as well. I've only worn them once so far, but they are MUCH better than my old Bass Pro felts in both comfort and grip. They are much more comfortable on my foot and they have great ankle support. I felt very stable even when standing on angled rock. I didn't slip one time on last weekend's trip to Blue River. The rubber and carbide studs are awesome for hiking in and out of spots too. Like I said, I didn't slip once, even when climbing over logs or up out of the river. The studs just dig right in to whatever you are walking over.

i caved in and got a pair of simms today hopefully they work out