Can You Pee in Waders?

The answer is no! DO NOT pee in your waders. The majority of people out there might be thinking, isn't this common sense? Unfortunately, for some people, this is a real mistake they have had to live through.

For people who have intentionally done this by way of ignorance the confusion likely comes from wet suits. If you are wearing a wet suit, yes you can pee in it when you are out in the water. But waders are not like a wet suit, they are a complete seal trapping any liquid on the inside. Yes, some waders are "breathable" to an extent and can let small amounts of water get out. But none are so effective that you can pour a glass of water in your pants and expect it to dry out.

Additionally, what makes this even an even worse practice is typically you are wearing comfortable pants under a pair of waders. So even if your waders themselves had the ability to dry out, you would still be wearing water-logged pants and underwear.

Will pee ruin waders?

As a follow-up question we have also been asked will pee ruin waders? No, pee will not ruin waders if attended to, you will just need to do some basic cleaning and disinfection. You don't want to go overboard with cleaning because the key to having maintained waders is drying the insides and not letting them remain damp. A little bit of soap (or other mild cleaner) and warm water can clean up any residue. You will also want to follow up with a disinfecting cleaner (sports equipment cleaner, Lysol, alcohol, etc) to prevent anything such as odor-causing bacteria from growing.

Fishing Fundamentals