Youth Size Drysuits or waders

Looking for a drysuit or waist high waders that have attached booties for someone who is 5’ tall with a shoe size of 7. Prefer to be lightweight and not heavy on the wallet.



Any recommendations?

Waders
Is this for yourself or another person?



Overall you probably want a neoprene stocking foot breathable wader, the material is very light weight, waterproof, and won’t leave you feeling like you are in steam bath. I have seen them for under a $100 at big box store like Dicks. Amazon also has a number of choices as well.



As for sizing waders run on the big and baggy size. Just look for the smallest size that your measurements fit under the max measurements they give, while leaving enough room for layers. My waders sock size is a few sizes bigger then my foot but I don’t even notice once I get my paddling boot on and my feet stay nice and warm.

Be clear about possible dangers of
waders getting filled up in the situation where you expect the 5’ person using them. Drysuits are safer because there’s no way they can get filled with water unless seriously torn.

for me
It’s for me. I’m disabled and it requires me getting into the water up to my knees to get on my SOT. I don’t really want to wait until the water completely warms in order to go kayaking. I kayak mostly in calm lakes.



All suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Reality

– Last Updated: Jan-19-13 12:46 AM EST –

If you wear breathable bib style (not talking PVC crap) waders with a wading belt or two, with a dry jacket and a PDF is going to keep you pretty dry even if you go for a swim on a cold day.

Even with a splash jacket you aren't going to fill up with water and drown. You get enough water into know you got wet but changing your undershirts is usually enough to get back out and paddling again.

I wouldn't wear waders without at least a splash jacket, PFD and belt but the for mellow conditions in the early spring it will keep you pretty dry and warm for a lot less money then a dry suit.

Couple of videos on waders if you take a swim:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtgYP3Xrhdo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYwG52p4yjs

I don’t agree about the case of the
“splash jacket”, but I probably take longer swims than you.

Mellow
I have an NRS Endurance splash jacket I use some times, granted the neck and wrists seals are not meant to be water proof but you can make them fairly tight. Chances are when it is cold you are wearing some type of glove with an additional wrist strap. Once this over the wrist of the splash jacket is does a reasonable job of keeping water out. Sure some water seeps in you go swimming.



The reality of mellow stream and lake paddling is usually isn’t that deep or that far to a shore. If you happen to fall out of your kayak your PDF keeps your head and neck mostly out of water so you don’t get a lot of water in that way and then what you do get is some what constraint by the straps and pressure of your PDF. If you can stand up in the water you just fell in, you really don’t have to deal with long immersion scenarios.



On a mellow lake the risk of going into the water is mostly getting in or out of the kayak. If this is the paddling you are doing low-risk and close to shore plus with the usual precautions – change of clothing, friends, flask of bourbon, then why spend the big bucks on a dry suit outerwear, which need maintenance, when you can get something almost as effective for $150-300.



Sure the dry suit is the ideal and opens up a lot more kayaking options but the cheaper options if used in the right situations have their place.

Kokatat youth supernova
http://www.kokatat.com/gender/youth.html



It retails for $345. One is sized to fit your youth.



Any Kokatat dealer can order for you.

Thanks
Thanks for all your replies. I guess I have much more research to do… They don’t make many products for small people. :slight_smile: