I need to do a compatibility test with waist highs and my SuperCat…At a local panfish pond where I won’t care about getting wet before I rely on them for real. If they work, they are lighter to carry, and quicker on/off than full chest high waders. Also cooler on a hot day.
I have used waist highs in my boats for years. They are great on cold and/or wet days and sketchy launches.
There's a new budget brand out there too, Paramount Outdoors. Has some zip up models that don't require a short term loan or a kidney. Don't personally know of anyone who's tried them out though.
I just purchased a pair. I'm 6'2", 225, sz12 shoe. Got the large, great fit with room for cold weather layer. So far my only complaint is that the gravel guards are very snug.
Waist high waders are very useful for some specific situations. But no, they aren't a do it all solution for every use case. Good old bibs are still the winner there. If you can only have one pair, gotta be full bibs.
I wear my waist high waders 90% of the time including in my WaterMaster. Exceptions include when in a float tube (WLBP, SFC too) because sometimes I am not very graceful on ingress and egress), and in colder weather. In winter I will often wear the green 3.5mm Hodgman "Lakestream" neoprene chest waders. And I can think of a reach in each of two streams that if I am not wet wading I will wear chesties because I have to skirt the edges of deep pools where it is commonly up to my hips and the brush is too thick to exit and walk on the bank.
