Shorts vs Pants for flats wading

[Tim Donaldson]

Been dialing in my gear and clothes for a trip to the Bahamas in 3 weeks.  Question for anyone who was done any tropical flats wading:

Shorts or pants?  I plan on being covered up completely up top, but I don't easily burn and would much rather wear shorts.  Also, underneath should I wear my compression type smartwool boxer briefs?  Something different?

I've done tons of surfcasting in surf shorts, but I'm concerned about chafing while covering ground on the flats.  Any advice or insight would be appreciated.      

[Jeffrey Silvan]

Completely personal preference. I wear pants, but the only times I've ever waded have been for part of the day and the rest was on the bow of the boat. I don't burn much either, but pants mean I don't have to worry about sunscreen at all. Plus, if I get hot, I can dip my legs in and even though they're quick dry, they stay damp longer than bare skin, so it keeps me cool longer. I wore regular boxers every time I waded the flats. The only time I went deeper than just above the knee was to get out of the boat at high tide. A good pair of flats boots will be critical though if you're expecting lots of coral.

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[Yambag Nelson]

Either work just fine.  I would wear shorts if I was exclusively wading.  I prefer pants if I am on a boat.  Personal opinion, but I wouldn't focus on trying to cover ground.  

On Wednesday, April 25, 2018 at 3:49:15 PM UTC-4, Jeff Silvan wrote:

Completely personal preference. I wear pants, but the only times I've ever waded have been for part of the day and the rest was on the bow of the boat. I don't burn much either, but pants mean I don't have to worry about sunscreen at all. Plus, if I get hot, I can dip my legs in and even though they're quick dry, they stay damp longer than bare skin, so it keeps me cool longer. I wore regular boxers every time I waded the flats. The only time I went deeper than just above the knee was to get out of the boat at high tide. A good pair of flats boots will be critical though if you're expecting lots of coral.

On Wed, Apr 25, 2018 at 3:25 PM, Tim Donaldson <timdon...@gmail.com> wrote:

Been dialing in my gear and clothes for a trip to the Bahamas in 3 weeks.  Question for anyone who was done any tropical flats wading:

Shorts or pants?  I plan on being covered up completely up top, but I don't easily burn and would much rather wear shorts.  Also, underneath should I wear my compression type smartwool boxer briefs?  Something different?

I've done tons of surfcasting in surf shorts, but I'm concerned about chafing while covering ground on the flats.  Any advice or insight would be appreciated.      

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[jpbarr]

As always it depends.

Most of the flats fishing I've done has been from the deck of a flats boat. You can see so much better from up there it makes a world of difference.

If that's what you'll be doing, then 100% pants. Even if you don't burn easily, the sun out there is so strong you need to be careful. Last time I went (near Cancun), our guide must have had less than 1 square inch of skin showing, and he was very dark skinned.

If you're going to be wading, might be able to get away with shorts, but I'd worry about the space between the surface of the water and the bottom of your shorts (or even higher, depending on the angle of the sun. Yikes). The water can be as shallow as 18 inches, which could leave a fair bit of your legs exposed both to direct sun and reflection off the water.

I have lightweight pants from LLBean with legs that can zip off and on around mid thigh. Something like that might do the trick. They're light weight enough that I was pretty comfortable on a full day flats trip in 90 degree weather.

As for chafing, I don't know about you, but my problem is generally well north of the point where the pant/short distinction no longer matters. Never really been bad, but salt water isn't kind.

Full disclosure: I'm paler than most of the fish you've ever seen, so I'm a bit paranoid about covering up. Last time I managed to get burnt between the end of my long sleeves and the beginning of my sun gloves. 

[peter odell]

I'd go with pants - one more layer between you and the sun, as well as anything you might brush up against or have run into you.  Also, I think my dark green pants are far less conspicuous than my white or tanned legs.    

Remember to not fiddle with fish down at the waterline - hungry barracuda could slash the fish and your fingers and put a real damper in you day.... 

[Lane Thurgood]

Pants! For me this is not a close call.

I am 50 years old and have had precancerous areas removed from my skin several times. Outdoors folks have to be careful.

Reason 2–I was in Puerto Rico fishing with my brothers in March. They chose short sleeves and pants. For a few minutes the first morning the no-see-ums were unbearable. My brothers’ legs were in serious discomfort for days after our return.

[Dan Kozel]

Pants. You won't have to worry about sunburned calves and shins. Get some really light pants that dry quick.

[Brad]

Pants. Used to be a shorts guy, but too many bad burns. I'll wear shorts still if I know it isn't going to be longer than a few hours.

As for chaffing, I've had chaffing nearly ruin a vacation. I also do a ton of mountain biking and hiking. I always carry a stick of Glide anti-chafe and a tube of Boudreaux's Butt Paste in my travel kit. Glide prevents chaffing and Boudreaux's will fix all but the worst chaffing overnight. I use the Glide any time I'm going riding and any time I'll be extensively wet wading. 

[Tim Donaldson]

Appreciate the advice everyone.  Ordering some pants now.  And Brad I hear you, I'll be packing my glide stick.  

[Lane Thurgood]

You probably gathered this from context, but my brothers chose shorts. Ergo the bug bites.

[Rob Snowhite]

I have been wearing Bass Pro quick dry pants for years. Zip off knees if I want to wear Magnum PI style shorts.
What I look for in wading pants is a shorter than normal inseam. When the pants get wet they are heavy and the legs will be pulled down and I end up stepping on my bottoms on the boat and getting tripped up when wading. I look for a 28" inseam to account for the added length the pants get when wet. I normally wear a 32".

On Wednesday, April 25, 2018 at 3:25:43 PM UTC-4, Tim Donaldson wrote:

[Richard Farino]

I used to wear Bass Pro pants (Worldwide Sportsman) zip offs.  It made it easier to stay cool when walking the flats.

 

Then I started fishing in the Carolinas and places with oyster bars would shred the bottom of the pant legs, and also in the Potomac and sliding down rocks or rubbing up against submerged boulders and old dam construction would rip the pants up.

 

I started fishing with Patagonia Guidewater pants, and have settled on Simms Guide pants, usually in tan.  They both dry very quick and do not have zip off pants, which is fine because they’re still light enough to keep me cool.

 

I have to hem my pants.  31” inseam.   Thing to look for is IF you have to have your pants hemmed, make sure you buy pants that don’t have snaps or buttons on the bottom that taper the ankle.

 

Regards,

 

R

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