Waders:  I almost put the discussion about waders first because waders are the single most important piece of equipment that you’ll be buying.  I would not hesitate to spend more on waders than you spend on the boat.  There are two classes of waders; neoprene and breathable.  Within those categories there are other options like boot foot and stocking foot which I will discuss in more detail in the footwear section.

Neoprene: Neoprene waders come in various thicknesses, the most common being 3mm and 5mm.  This refers to the actual thickness of the material.  3mm is your all purpose thickness.  You won’t roast if the water is warm and you won’t freeze if the water is cold but you might be uncomfortable if it’s extremely hot or cold.  5mm is for cold weather only.  If you wear 5mm’s and it’s hot out, you will wish you had not. 

The good thing about neoprene waders is that neoprene material is naturally insulating.  Other than that, neoprene waders are almost all bad.  If you get sweaty in neoprene, that sweat has no where to go.  I’ve had occasions where I thought my waders were leaking but in reality it was just a bath of sweat.  Yum.  Neoprene waders are also very heavy.  If you are walking a long way in neoprene, especially wet neoprene, it can be uncomfortable and tiring. 

But the real Achilles heel of neoprene is the leaks.  I owned 5 pairs of neoprene waders over the years and none lasted more than 2 years without leaking.  You can buy the more expensive models but even the most expensive neoprene just has a habit of developing leaks.  Trust me on this, my friends have dropped the coin on the $200 neoprene waders and complained to me about it later.  Patching leaks is a nightmare unto itself and seldom works.  So when you see a pair of neoprene waders on the clearance rack for $40, restrain yourself. 

Breathables: After that glowing testimonial for neoprene you are probably ready to hear about breathables and I’ll make it simple - breathables are absolutely the way to go.  You will want to wear warm pants and socks under your breathables if it’s cold out, but with the right garments you will be just as comfortable in your breathables as you would be in 3mm neoprene waders.  Breathables are light weight and quite comfortable to hike in, almost like wearing a pair of pants.  Also, as the name breathable implies, sweat does escape slowly from breathables which will keep you much cooler on a hot day of paddling about.  I’ve had great luck with Orvis Silver Label breathables and have heard equally good things about the Simm’s brand.  Like anything, there are price gradations and the more you pay the better quality you are going to get.  Consider also that the more you spend, the longer your waders will last.  3-5 years wouldn’t be an unreasonable expectation for $200 breathables.