Finding leaks in Waders

[fishbaithohaha]

Best description of leaks in chest waders is: They weap. Minor amount of water is getting into my chest waders, pants are damp below the at the knee and lower. Is there a technique to finding entry points? Best repair?

 

[ponner1us]

I followed this method and it worked great:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RBI70sxYQKU

 

[TYoung]

Put the leg of you waders inside out, and fill it with water from a hose. squeeze above and below where you think the leak is located, and look for any small wet spots forming.

 

[springer1]

Yep turn them inside out, fill w water, have a few kleenexs and a sharpie handy. Dry where the leak is, circle with a sharpie. Apply sealant on both sides.

 

[Biggie]

I turn waders inside out, fill with air and either spray soapy water and look for bubbles or I leave out the air and put a flashlight inside and move along the seams. The leaks will show up bright light through the pin holes. One of the two has never failed to find the leaks not matter how small. Good luck.

 

[fishbaithohaha]

Thank you everyone!

 

[krs]

springer1 wrote:
Yep turn them inside out, fill w water, have a few kleenexs and a sharpie handy. Dry where the leak is, circle with a sharpie. Apply sealant on both sides.

This method has worked well for me.

 

[afishinado]

Filling waders with water works but is a real PITA.

For a long time I've been spraying the inside of waders with alcohol and sealing with Aquaseal like the Simms video shows in the link posted by Ponner.

It is much easier, faster, doesn't cause a mess, as well as does a better job of finding the tiniest pinholes caused by walking through briars ("jaggers" for Yinzers).

 

[dryflyguy]

The alcohol method has worked for me to find pin holes in the goretex fabric. But not in the neoprene booties.
Agree with the others about filling them with water.

After leak is found and marked, dry them out completely.
And aqua seal on both sides

 

[pcray1231]

The alcohol method does work, very well, on Goretex. Not so well on other fabrics. I've tried it on my Simms as well as my backup pairs (i.e. older pair from other brands). Worked on the Simms, not on anything else.

 

[afishinado]

"Gore-Tex" for many has become a generic name for breathable fabric, much like the "Band-Aid" brand is for adhesive bandages.

The spray alcohol method should work for any layered breathable fabric used in your waders or raincoat.

https://www.rockywoods.com/FABRICS/Activewear-Fabrics/Waterproof-Breathable-Fabrics?page=2

Neoprene waders or wader booties made of neoprene as well as canvas will not work by spraying alcohol on the inside.

 

[pcray1231]

The spray alcohol method should work for any layered breathable fabric used in your waders or raincoat.

It does not work on my Bean or Orvis breathable backup pairs. It does work on my Simms G3's.

It's not the waterproof fabric that matters, it's the protective fabric on the inside. That said, different makers use different fabrics for that.

I forget which was which. But both the backup pairs have minor leg leaks. One darkens the entire fabric with alcohol. The other doesn't darken anywhere. And the Simms one only darkens where there are leaks.

 

[RLeep2]

I use the air hose/soap bubble method. Hasn't failed me yet and I don't have to think about whether a band-aid is really a Band-Aid. I just watch for the bubbles...

 

[dryflyguy]

RLeep2 wrote:
I use the air hose/soap bubble method. Hasn't failed me yet and I don't have to think about whether a band-aid is really a Band-Aid. I just watch for the bubbles...

Yeah - I've had some success using this method too.
But found it kinda hard to do by myself.
Pretty tough to hold the shop vac hose with one hand - making a tight seal around the top of the waders - and soap up and mark the leaks with the other hand.
Found it a lot easier to manage the air hose with both hands, and have my wife mark the leaks

 

[RLeep2]

I do it by myself, but that doesn't mean that it sometimes feels like I need a third hand...

I use an air pump sold for inflating air mattresses and the like. I usually have some idea of the general location of the leak. So, I "paint" the suspect area with the soap solution, shove the air hose down that leg and constrict it with the same hand that is holding the hose in place through the material. Once I find the leak, I circle it with a bright crayon, repair it and then when the wader is dry, I take an old kitchen sponge and scrub the colored crayon off. I used to use sharpies to mark leaks, but then I was walking around on the creek with waders covered in little black bulls eyes. The crayon is better. I like mango orange and lime green best...