Get your waders ready for spring with these cleaning and prep tips

Here are a few easy tips for prepping your waders for a busy spring and summer fishing season.

The days are getting longer, and seasons are kicking off. Time to get your gear prepped and ready. 

Apply a fresh DWR treatment to your waders and jackets. 

The DWR, or Durable Water Repellent coating, is what makes water bead up and run off your waders and jackets. This coating is what helps keep your technical garments breathable and keep you comfortable. When the coating wears down the outer face of your garment gets saturated with water and you’ll start to get the dreaded ‘wetting out’. This term simply refers to reduced breathability, so the wearer gets clammy and damp from sweat and condensation build-up.  Heading this off is as easy as picking up a bottle of ReviveX DWR spray and treating your waders and jackets. 

Tip: If your waders are really dirty, clean them first before applying the DWR treatment with some ReviveX Pro Cleaner. 

Check your belt 

Check that your belt is still with your waders.

We know, it sounds basic, but it’s better to check now than realize it’s not there when you go to put them on at the fishing spot. If your belt is missing get yourself a new one – it’s a safety item.

Clean and lubricate your zippers

We recommend cleaning and lubricating the zippers on waders and jackets on a regular basis.  Zipper Cleaner and Lubricant and Zipper Lubricant Stick from Gearaid do the job nicely and will help keep your zippers operating smoothly and performing like they should.  If your zipper is dirty, or isn’t running as smoothly as it once did then pick up one or both of the products mentioned here and fix it up. 

Clean out pockets

Are your pockets full of old gear, line trimmings, protein bar wrappers, etc? Go ahead and clean it out now and give yourself a fresh start to the season. 

Replace worn out gear

Is it time for a new jacket, new boots, new waders? As you go through checking your gear be real and fill in any gaps in your gear closet with replacements.

Top selling products

New Session Lite Series

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Recycled Nylon Fabrics in the New Lite Series

We recently introduced the new Session Lite Series, with wading pants, a convertible wader and a jacket. All products in this line are constructed with recycled nylon face fabrics, and utilize a pfas-free DWR coating, in our new Light Stone Grey stealth color.

Why Recycled Fabric?

Choosing recycled materials aligns with our goal of minimizing impact to people and the planet, through reusing materials to reduce waste. By sourcing recycled materials for the face fabric on the entire lineup, it pulls a material back into use and keeps it from the landfill.

The entire line also utilizes a pfas-free DWR coating, which is less harmful to people and the planet.

Read more about each product on the specific pages below –

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New Wader Color: Light Stone Grey

The New Session Lite Series in Light Stone Grey

Breaking with our history of dark colored waders, the new Session Lite is a departure from the norm for us.

Over the years we’ve fielded lots of requests for a lighter and more stealthy option. Here it is! Adding to our lineup of dark waders and jackets, the new Light Stone Grey blends into the banks and provides cover for stealthy approaches.

The new Light Stone Grey combined in a highly breathable package makes these waders and wading pants the perfect choice for those looking for a comfortable and stealthy option.

Read more about each product in the series on the product pages —

Session Lite Series

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Introducing the new Session Lite™ Series

After a long siesta, the Session Lite wading pants are back. And they brought some friends along for the ride. Rounding out the line, the all new Session Lite convertible waders, Session Lite Jacket and women’s Session Lite wading pants are here to play hard.

Available exclusively direct from DRYFT in limited quantities. Shop the Session Lite Series today.

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New Primo jackets are on point.

New fishing jackets are here for the winter steelhead party. Designed for playing hard in the rain, the new all black Primo Rain Jacket and new full length Primo wading Jacket will keep you dry, and look good while doing it.

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A message from DRYFT, regarding PFAS in our products and supply chain

New state regulations regarding PFAS chemicals go into effect in 2025, which are changing what goes into the products that outdoor companies produce, including DRYFT. Currently seven states are banning the sale of products, including outdoor apparel, that contain PFAS. The largest use of PFAS in the fishing industry has been in the DWR coatings on jackets and waders.  

What is PFAS?

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of man-made chemicals that have been widely used in various industrial and consumer products due to their unique properties such as heat resistance, water-repellency, and oil-repellency. They are often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment and can persist for long periods of time.

PFAS chemicals have been used in a variety of products such as waterproof and stain-resistant treatments for clothing, footwear, and gear, cookware and housewares, as well as in firefighting foams. This has at times led to contamination of soil and water, and has raised significant health concerns for both humans and the environment.

Within the outdoor industry, PFAS chemicals have been widely used in the DWR (Durable water repellent) coatings that help shed water and oils from the outside of jackets and fishing waders.

What is DRYFT doing? 

We are committed to providing products that are made without intentionally added PFAS (Pfas-free), and are well into the process of switching all of our components and materials over to PFAS-free. We intend to do this by producing all of our waders and jackets using PFAS free components and C0 PFAS free DWR coatings from the fall of 2024 onwards. 

Products that we have produced in the past use a C6 DWR, which contains PFAS, and other components (zippers, buckles, etc) could also contain PFAS. Some of these products are still in stock on our website, and we are selling them as close-out or on a limited basis only to states that do not prohibit them. States that currently prohibit the sale of items with PFAS are California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York and Vermont. There is verbiage on each product page that states whether the product contains PFAS or not. 

In the Fall of 2024, and into 2025 we are introducing several waders and jackets with C0 PFAS-free DWR coatings. They are the S14 men’s waders, the Primo Zip GD waders, and the new Primo Jackets. Additionally, in 2025 we will be introducing a new LITE line of convertible waders, wading pants, women’s wading pants, and a rain jacket that all will be made with PFAS-free coatings. 

Moving forward we are shifting completely to PFAS free DWR coatings, and also have worked with our suppliers to ensure that moving forward all components and materials used in production of DRYFT products are made without intentionally added PFAS. We are doing this not only to comply with individual state laws, but also because it matches our sustainability commitment to do less harm to people and the planet throughout the operation of our business. 

Thank you for reading, and if you have any questions please reach out to us directly. 

Thank you,

Nick Satushek

PFAS-free Waders & Jackets

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Why you should be maintaining the DWR coating on your fishing waders and jacket

What is DWR?
The waterproof breathable fabric used on waders and jackets helps to keep you comfortable by allowing warm air to escape outwards and breathe through the membrane, while simultaneously keeping water out.  The DWR coating is what makes water bead up and run off. You may have noticed that over time water will bead up less, and instead the outer layer may begin to soak up or saturate with water. This is often referred to as ‘wetting out’, which doesn’t mean the gear is leaking, but instead means the outer layer is saturated and inhibiting the inner membrane from breathing.  When this happens it can leave damp spots of condensation on the users under layers.

In order for air to pass through the outer layer of fabric there can’t be a saturated layer of water on the outer layer, which is where the DWR coating comes into play. If the outer layer is saturated, it essentially voids the ability of the membrane to do its job, and the warm air won’t be able to escape. This will make the user warmer, sweatier, and more likely to get that damp clammy feeling. 

The trick is to maintain the outer layer of fabric by keeping it clean and using a DWR reviver regularly so that water beads up and sheds off.  

We recommend cleaning and reviving the DWR coating on your waders and jackets regularly, usually 1-2 times per year is adequate (of course depending on use). We recommend Revivex by Gearaid as it uses a simple spray on and let dry method. Start by cleaning your waders or jacket with a simple scrub down or with Pro Cleaner, and then spray with Revivex Durable Water Repellent. Let it dry and you’ll be good to go. 

Then go have some happy and comfortable fishing!

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Planting Trees Along the River

One Tree Planted Logo

This year, we’re proud to continue our partnership with One Tree Planted. For every wader sold, a tree is planted along rivers and streams across the United States. Trees help keep our rivers cool and fish thriving. 

Join us in supporting conservation this year.  Learn more at dryftfishing.com/conservation.

Our Conservation Commitment
Buy new waders. Plant a tree.
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Reintroducing the Fluffapuff™ Insulated Jacket. 

Several years ago the Fluffapuff™ jacket went down for a siesta, that turned into a long hibernation. Now waking from its slumber, the refreshed and updated Fluffapuff™ rises from the ashes like a flaming phoenix to reclaim the throne high above… ok, that’s a little much. Let’s try that again. This popular insulated fishing jacket is back in stock with some choice updates. Read about them on the product page.

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