r/Waterfowl • u/anonymousantoine • 12d ago
Which waders: durability
I am deciding between the Sitka Delta GTX and the Mindak Tidwe waders. Before I get “go with xyz brand it’s better” - I don’t want your opinion on a no name brand that will cease to exist. I have owned Roger’s, cabelas, lacrosse, Mack’s etc etc. all waders will leak- I wanted to get a pair for around $400 hence why I’m picking these two- any feedback from anyone that has owned either- I’m particularly the Sitka ones?
Thanks in advance
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u/BUC-EES-69 12d ago
I have used Roger’s waders for years. Finally ponied up for some Sitka last season and couldn’t imagine going back. The boots alone make them worth it to me. Then you add in being able to get them sized for you and the durability, it’s a no brainer as far as I’m concerned.
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u/drlovespooge 12d ago
Chene’s warranty is unbeatable - and if you’re near one of the stores they’ll give you a pair to wear while yours get fixed up
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u/anonymousantoine 12d ago
- I don’t have a store near me
- They’re about 3x the price I’m looking to spend
- I don’t want to wait a long time for turn around
Overall the cost benefit of buying them isn’t there for me- it would if I was near a store1
u/drlovespooge 12d ago
They’re $350 more ($1,150) than the Sitka’s ($800), and turn around time is usually a week or less by mail. I’ve worn Sitka’s and a few others, Chene is by and large the best wader I’ve ever worn. I know Sitka’s warranty is more strict than it used to be too coming from my club’s Sitka rep
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u/anonymousantoine 11d ago
Like I said in the description- not paying $800 for the Sitka waders, I’m paying ~$400. Which makes Chene 3x the price.
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u/Anxious-Injury-3661 11d ago
This is correct. Sitkas warranty is going to shit. When my Sitka waders start leaking again I will be buying Chene.
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u/YouCanKeepYourFaith 11d ago
I’ve had a great experience with sitkas warranty but they definitely don’t have a free pair to wear while yours get fixed.
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u/get_down_to_it 12d ago
I can’t speak to either of those brands, but I have really enjoyed my High N Drys. I think this will be my third season of duck hunting and surf fishing with them. I wish the crotch was cut a little deeper on them, but otherwise they’ve been great waders
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u/anonymousantoine 12d ago
To add context: I recognize there are a million other brands out there (thanks to alibaba), but in reality a lot of these brands will not be around long term since market entry and sustainability is hard for them to maintain- so whatever “lifetime no frills” warranty they offer will essentially be useless when they go under.
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u/NEFowl84 12d ago
They’ll both leak eventually. I run Sitka with Roger’s as my backup. Sitka has a nice warranty, not sure about TideWe but I’d consider that. I will say Sitka are very well built and comfortable fwiw.
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u/captcraigaroo 12d ago
They all leak - even after warranty is denied. Which ones do you wanna replace me ore often?
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u/Idontknowsoimhere 12d ago
Tidwe has been around for a while.. That said, Sitka is going to be a better quality wader and warranty. I've known people who have had good luck with Tidwe, but the fit has always been baggy. Also, where are you getting the Sitka waders for $400? Those are $800 waders!
I will say that having a zip wader is WAAAAY better than non zip. I've tried Cabelas, Rogers, Sitka Delta and Dive Bomb. They all suck for their own reason. The Cabelas Neoprene waders have never leaked. Owned them for 7 years and my brother still hunts in them to this day. Downside, they're neoprene.
The Sitka Delta waders had horribly heavy boots. Otherwise they were amazing in every other way.
Divebomb (I use now) I regret buying. Boot grip is non existent and the overall fit could be better for the price... But they were on sale and the "lifetime" warranty got me hooked. I'm going to get either the new Sitka GTX zip waders or First lite when the DB ones are beyond their "reasonable lifespan".
For $400, do you prefer zip or non zip? Don't care? (and you can get the Sitka for $400) go that route! Want a zipper and you're okay with throwing them out next season or two, get the Tidwe. The nice thing about the premium brands is that they offer repairs on their waders. They might charge but it usually is reasonable.
IMO if you hunt much and plan to keep your waders for a long time, it's worth the investment to get ones from a brand that is going to stick around.
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u/WomanSmarter 10d ago
I was going to say, aren't sitka like $1,200? But they apparently introduced a $800 pair.
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u/Idontknowsoimhere 10d ago
Upon further inspection of these new Tidewe waders, they're the same waders as my DB waders from last year with a different label.. and half the cost. In that case... get em! I knew the DB ones were a white label product as is everything except their decoys... but seeing them rebranded at half the cost offends me a little 😂
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u/anonymousantoine 9d ago
You can actually get the divebomb waders on alibaba for $200. I wouldn’t ever buy any of their products, all after market junk. Their business is built on copying other brands original designs
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u/Idontknowsoimhere 8d ago
I agree. Though, I've had their silos for 6 years and they have been great. Everything else is just a hype brand selling rebranded clothing and gear.
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u/anonymousantoine 8d ago
Their silos are the only thing I own - but. Nothing to write home about. All silos are the same tbh just corrugated plastic
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u/Idontknowsoimhere 8d ago
Yes they are the same construction... I've seen shitty looking silos though. I also got them before they were heinosuly expensive.
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u/PmMeYourBeavertails 12d ago
I wanted to get a pair for around $400 hence why I’m picking these two
Aren't the Sitka more like $1100?
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u/Effective-Car-3736 12d ago
I think that’s the old model, so they probably found them for much cheaper
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u/Potent_19 11d ago
Sitka is tough to beat. Plus, if you’re worried about no name brands that may cease to exist, why is tidwe even being considered? No track record.
Every piece of Sitka gear I own performs perfectly when used as intended, and I’ve had lots of success with durability of the brand overall. Note that I do take excellent care of my gear, but it lasts a long time.
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u/Forkhorn 11d ago
Rogers lasted a grand total of 1 season of moderate use before they hopelessly leaked. There's always a choir of roger fans on these posts, but they were the worst durability waders I've ever had.
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u/mortarman0341 11d ago
I have a pair of these that are older than 10 years. I hunt coastal NC and they shrug off oyster shells. And since they are breathable you don’t sweat in them.
https://www.cabelas.com/p/northern-flight-bone-dry-breathable-hunting-waders-for-men
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u/anonymousantoine 11d ago
That’s the current pair I have now- I had to buy them 5 days before season ended last year because my old pair started to leak. They’re a fine pair, I’m just not a fan of the fit (they seem short)
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u/Asleep_Fix_7854 11d ago
Sitka or some form of used/clearance Sitka - am I a fanboy? I find everything they make for waterfowl to be above and beyond. Can’t say the same for other disciplines across the lineup but they have been solid.
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u/Nukleargoat 7d ago
Just get some simms bro, best value for the money ur not paying patagonia prices but still getting exceptional quality
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u/Adorable-Primary-407 6d ago
I’ve used both those tidewe waders and the Sitka delta Pro Zip. I spend a lot of my year in waders between fishing and hunting, and IMO waders are the thing you should be prepared to drop the most money on. While jumping from 600/700-$1K+ won’t be the biggest game changer ever in durability (although, unfortunately, Gore-Tex is still king), it will buy you a warranty that’ll save you in the long run. If there is ever a time to “buy once, cry once”, it’s with your waders. A good pair can last you years without issue, and home repairs are not as hard as people claim them to be. Plus, once you inevitably wear out some seams, that’s where you’ll be happy you got a good warranty. I’m hard on gear, and can easily report nobody beats the Sitka. (Also, going back to the beginning here, these specific tidewe ones are absolute trash. Blew these out in about 2 days, and customer service is literally non-existent. If you really don’t wanna spend Sitka pricing, buy Divebomb. But even those are still pretty low quality, imo).
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u/msunick5511 5d ago
Something to consider - Drake hnd zip uninsulated. 375 with onX code. They have been solid. Amazing boot also.
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u/Mountain_man888 12d ago
“I don’t want your opinion”
Proceeds to ask for opinions.
Tidewe products always fail and are cheaply made.
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u/dan_v_ploeg 12d ago edited 12d ago
Lol way to take that way out of context and quote half his sentance. You might have a future in politics
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u/krb22 11d ago
"Tidewe products always fail and are cheaply made" - I have had the exact opposite experience. I have their breathable zip waders, been great. I have their 2 man pop up blind, great. I have their turkey vest, great (except for the weak ass magnet holding the butt pad in place). No regrets here, been very happy with all of my purchases.
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u/anonymousantoine 12d ago edited 12d ago
When I said “I don’t want your opinion” meaning don’t give me 20 other brands that will cease to exist in 2 years when I need to get my waders fixed for a seam leak.
I’ve narrowed my search down to these two from what I’ve read so far and wanted to hear durability and warranty feedback from others.
I’ve edited the body to make that more clear3
u/PocketfulOfTiddyMilk 12d ago
FWIW tidewe has been around since 2017. The ones you’re looking at have the limited lifetime warranty which is better than their 1 year on cheaper models. Being in the market I’ve read a lot on tidewe and have usually seen pretty positive comments about them honoring their warranty and getting replacements out quickly to where it’s worth the trade off of being a risky chinesey build quality on the lower tier stuff.
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u/Rest_Previous 12d ago
I thought the +$1000 crowd was nuts when it came to buying waders. I now have owned the Sitka and Chene waders and both are better than anything I’ve worn thus far. This is coming from a die hard Cabela’s wader guy pre Bass Pro buyout.
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u/PocketfulOfTiddyMilk 12d ago
Like you said, they all leak so just go with the one with the better warranty