Duck wear

[Freezer]

  I'm Fairly new to duck hunting but badly addicted to it.  This year I decided to buy a new jacket and waders so I can expand my hunting areas.  I'll be hunting Northern California's centeral Valley in marsh land.  The weather doesn't get too extream so I won't nees extreamly heavy cloths.  I'm also acustom to layering to fit the weather.  I have about $300 dollars to spend on the waders and jacket.  I'm isze medium which from what I see will keep the cost dowm.  The waders can be 3 to 3.5 mil but beed to be abrasion resistand.  One other problem I have is that I have a very wide foot and wothout trying on the boots I have no Idea how they'll feel.
  I've been looking in Cabellas and a couple other magazines and find myself unable to decied what the best value for the buck is.  Every manufacturer will claim theirs is the best.  In addition I don't care for the Max 4 D camo, it's too brown for the areas I hunt. 
   What brand and pattern would you buy. 

[Specklebelly]

Freezer

A little advise that I have is DO NOT GO CHEAP on waders.  Get the best pair you can afford and go cheap on the coat etc. if necessary.

I am a big believer in insulated and tough waders.  The kind I wear, to be honest I don't think they make them anymore.  They are from Cabelas and called "Ice Busters".  I have had two pairs and love them.  I bought my last pair at during an inventory liquidation sale, a few years ago and have not seen them since. 

I have also had good success with "Brush Busters" which are basically the same wader with a smaller boot.  As far as pattern, I just go with brown camo.  I never worry about patterns, just blending in.  Heck I usually hunt in a brown plaid shirt and typical don't scare to many away.

I hate neoprene waders and will never buy a pair, so I recommend staying a way from them.  No specific reason, just personal preference.  With this said, my hunting buddy loves them and is on his second pair.

Good luck.

[dukkillr]

Great advice above.  In the warm parts of the season I often wear a olive green long sleeve t-shirt and a light weight black fleece vest.  When it gets cold and you start putting clothes on try to do as much as you can with long underwear.  The big heavy bulky jackets will hurt your shooting.  Except in the most extreme cold I wear a Cabela's dryplus fleece (the insulated kind) at most.  I'd rather have to walk around every once in a while to warm up than to shoot like crap.

Don't spend even 5 minutes worrying about your camo pattern, just go hunt.

I wear neoprene waders because of their comfort.  They aren't as tough but they are much warmer and far better for long walks.  If you go with neoprene you just need to understand that you'll need new ones much sooner, but I think it's a good trade-off for the comfort.

[dakotashooter2]

One note about neoprene waders, if you plan on doing a lot of moving around in them you might want to stay away from them. If you will be mostly standing or sitting in cold water then they are much more comfortable. I do a lot of jumpshooting which means walking through sloughs jumping birds. If it is over 50 degrees I'm usually soaked to the bone with sweat. The reason I prefer the neoprene waders is fit. I'm a pretty slim guy and most other wader leave more space than I am comfortable with. Though they have gotten better over the years about fitting waders to body size. I remember back in the early 80's I probably could have fit myself my brother and my dog into a pair of the old rubber waders.

One more thing. If you go neoprene durability can be increased by putting an old pair of light weight camo pants over them. It ruduces some of the abraision.

[gooser]

 IMO, neoprene waders are good for comfort,a little extra warmth but you have to be cautious about the terrain. They will tear easy compared to rubber/canvas types. I am still using a pair I've had for 15 years now....I did have to repair them once. As far as a coat goes,I use a lightweight rain coat over a warm jacket to reduce bulk and shooting problems.works for me.
 But like  specklebelly said, don't go cheap on waders.
 Mine are red ball waders and guide series coat.

[Freezer]

    Keep talk in guys, I'm listening.

[lewdogg21]

As far as pattern as low as its close you will be ok.  The big key when duck hunting is keep movement to an absolute minimum and wear a face mask to hide the shiny face god gave you.  Where in the valley will you be?  I live in Fair Oaks (Suburb of Sacramento) and hunt up near Marysville and also am in a club up near Tule Lake (Cal/Ore border).

If at all possible you may want to travel to try on your waders since you have a wide foot. Depending on where you live you may want to make a day trip to a large outdoor store and see what works for you.  Even if you don't buy there you can have an idea of what you want to order from a Catalog.  Sportsmens warehouse in Rocklin, CA is pretty neat but will pale in comparison when the Cabelas in Reno opens.  If you will be standing in the marsh I suggest 3.5mm and some type of abrasion resistance as cat tails and tules seem to punch holes in waders.   You will want to layer as in the early am in that Tule Fog it can be very cold but you will want to keep from getting sweaty when tossing out dekes b/c you won't ever dry out in that weather. 

Hope this helps.