Dryft SEEKR Wading Pants Review...

What are wading pants?​

As most of us know, waders are waterproof pants that let you stand in the river without getting soaking wet. In recent history, most of them are made of breathable Gore-Tex type material, come up high on your chest, and have integrated suspenders. They look almost exactly like a pair of farmer overalls had a baby with a pair of ski pants. They work well but can be hot and bulky overkill for those who don't plan to wade deep or who have to hike to reach their water. Until recently, the only other option tended to be hip waders. Which, in addition to being a hassle to wear and keep in place, makes one look like a fishy cowboy wearing chaps. This is why, these days, you only see them on models in stock photos for ED medication ads. They're usually holding their fly rod upside down as well.

Wading pants are a modern attempt to give you another option for keeping your legs dry while cutting down on some of the bulk. They are precisely what they sound like, waders that look just like a pair of pants. They have the same neoprene booties, gravel guards, and breathable waterproof fabric as full-bib waders. But wading pants only come up to your waist, just like jeans or slacks.

Why would I want them?​

There are some obvious use cases where wading pants might be more comfortable than standard full-bib waders. For example:

• Summer wading in hot weather but chilly water
• Solo launching a boat or kayak in the colder months
• Fishing primarily from a drift boat
• Having a body that just doesn't fit full bib waders all that well
• Staying a little stealthy on the way to fishing?

The first two are the most useful for me personally. As folks have probably heard me talk about, I love summertime small stream fishing. But my home waters are the Washington Cascade Mountains, and the creeks that run off their slopes are often glacier-fed and always cold. The mercury can be pushing 90F outside my door, but the stream gauge for one of the creeks I like is no warmer than 45F. And wading those creeks virtually always means getting in the water deeper than you'd like because of all the plunge pools, eroding banks, and boulders. Secondly, perhaps I'm an idiot, but I can't launch/load my little lake boat from a trailer or my kayak from its cart without getting my shins wet. In the summer, that is no big deal with sandals on. In March, that lake is damn cold. And before anyone suggests rubber boots, those are fine until you go one inch deeper than you should have and your foot gets an ice bath. I also don't need to try to stuff bibs under my insulating outerwear and PFD. Wading pants solve both issues for me.

For similar reasons, I know people who find wading pants exactly what they need for fishing (or guiding) from a drift boat or sled. Sure, you might get your boots wet as you hop out for lunch or to fish a specific hole. But you probably aren't trying to make any deep river crossings and don't need the hassle/bulk of full waders. Or maybe you've got a unique belly to inseam ratio that makes it a challenge to find bib waders that fit right. Wading pants might be a more comfortable solution if you aren't fishing in water over your waist.

And finally, wading pants don't look much like waders, especially to folks who don't fish. This may sound silly, but that can be helpful if you are on a popular hiking trail or heading out to fish an urban fishery and don't want to advertise that fact (or talk to all the chatty Karens asking you about "Where in the world are you going to fish around HERE?"). I'm all for anything that helps me avoid being annoyed. As I said, that may sound silly, but it can be handy.


(Who is that idiot wearing his jeans in the stream?)

Dryft SEEKR wading pants​

Dryft is a company run by two hardcore fishing dudes, Sam Thompson and Nick Satushek. Based here in the PNW, Dryft makes a full line of rugged, good-looking wading products designed by people who use what they build. While they offer multiple full-bib waders, they also offer two styles of wading pants, the SEEKR ($299 MSRP) and the Session GD ($349). The two are fairly similar, with the Session GD being a heavier-weight 4L DWR-coated waterproof fabric for all four seasons. The SEEKR uses midweight DWR-coated fabric (still 4L) and is pitched as a three-season wader. It also has more of a "street" styling with its denim-look fabric, while the Session GD has a more traditional wader look. Finally, the Session GD comes in men's and women's versions; the SEEKR is only available in a men's version.

Build Quality​

For those of us who have gone through a pile of waders over the years, it's pretty easy to tell, even without wearing them, if you are holding a cheap generic brand or something well-designed. The SEEKR is indeed well designed, just like all of Dryft's products are, in my experience. The material feels solid, not cheap/light. Design features like seams on the outside of the leg to avoid abrasion while hiking, drain grommets for the pocket "cuffs", a full set of belt loops, and genuine YKK water-resistant zippers all point to the thought and care that went into designing these for people who really fish.

In use​

First, unless your body is much differently shaped than mine, you're going to use a belt for any wading pants. This is both for the standard reason of keeping water out if you take a swim and also to keep the pants from sagging down your hips. The included adjustable "semi-stretch Comfortflex" wading belt worked fine for me, but Dryft also offers a standard non-stretch nylon webbing version if you prefer to trade comfort for a bit more security. A pair of plastic clip suspenders could also work well for some folks.

While no waders will be as nice as lightweight outdoor gear on the trail, the SEEKR pants were quite comfortable for hiking, far more so than full-bib waders. You stay significantly cooler in warm summer weather, and it just feels like you are wearing "less". I absolutely loved being able to just fish in a light button up and still stay dry. No, it's not as free of a feeling as wet wading, perhaps. But again, Cascade creek water temps will suck that "free" feeling right out of you real quick. I didn't love wearing anything too bulky under the SEEKR pants. But a pair of light shorts, or long johns for colder water/weather, were plenty comfortable. I also found them more comfortable than full waders when fishing from a kayak/boat wearing a PFD. The waistband might sag a little like normal pants when sitting if you don't have the belt cranked down. But that's more of a style situation than a functional one, and bass don't care about plumbers' crack. Any redneck fishing tournament is plenty of proof of that.

Until I wore these, I didn't realize how often I used the chest pocket on my bib waders. It's such a useful place to keep nippers, leaders, etc. That said, the lack of a chest pocket on the SEERK pants is easily made up for by the awesome zippered jeans-style trouser pockets. I was genuinely impressed with how handy I found those to be. While they aren't submersion-rated, the zippers are water-resistant and will keep things dry after a quick splash. The SEEKR does have a little flip-out inside pocket like standard waders often do in the bib. And while I was glad to have the option, I also didn't find it all that easy to access while wearing them. It might be more useful for a car key or ID that you aren't likely to need on the water. Finally, this is as good of a place as any to point out that there are no butt pockets; that's just "pocket-inspired" graphics on the back.


(water resistant zipper fly)

Potty Talk​

Sorry folks, but this topic can't, and shouldn't for many of us, be avoided. The SEEKR pants were absolutely fantastic for taking a wizz. Having a standard zipper fly and no bibs/suspenders made for an extremely easy creekside bathroom break (at least as a male). Even easier than dealing with full zip bib waders, as the SEEKR zipper is much lighter, and you can drop your pants down a bit to get everything "out in the open". Sadly, I do have to report that farts still come back to haunt you, even in wading pants. Maybe not as bad as full bibs, but you still aren't escaping that 4am breakfast burrito you ate on the way to the boat launch.

Pros/Cons​

Pros

• Keeps you cooler in hot weather
• Less bulky in cold weather
• Lighter
• Pants-style pockets are handy
• Can be a better fit option for some body types
• Look less like you're going fishing
• Easier to pee!

Cons

• Can't wade as deeply (duh)
• May want suspenders, definitely want a belt
• No chest pocket for small items, nippers, etc
• You might notice the bulkiness of thick underlayers more

Conclusion​

If you are someone who doesn't wade deep, fishes from a boat most of the time, likes to summer wade in chilly waters (or simply hates wet wading), launches a boat solo in colder months, or maybe has a body shape where finding bib waders that fit is a challenge, you owe it to yourself to check out a pair of wading pants like the Dryft SEEKR or Session GD. Sure, a pair of full-bib waders will do many of the same things. But wading pants will probably do many of them with less bulk and less heat, and the tradeoffs are minimal. The Dryft SEEKR waders have been a great addition to my fishing closet, and I would probably be happy using them for just about everything other than bad weather salmon/steelhead wade fishing. Even if I only use them for summer cascade creeks and early spring boat launching, I'd call them a good deal. But I predict I'll reach for them more often than my full waders for much of my warm-weather fishing. They work and work well. Kudos to Dryft.



(If you didn't know better, you'd think I was one of those cool influencers with my selfie stick.)