bigbulls pretty much summed it up. I shoot a WB and the feathers hold up quite well. I never worried about them getting wet because I don't hunt alot in the rain. If I did or was elk hunting or something I would waterproof them, no big deal. I still have my recurve arrows in feathers and some for the compound but I don't use them when hunting with the compound primarily because they can be noisy when brushing up against something - tree, clothing, whatever. While I would say the feathers provide excellent flight, I get good flight with the vanes but I would say they are quieter in the field. At least that's my experience. Of course, if you're careful not to brush them up against anything it no more problem than them getting wet.