I'm really frustrated with Waders, need advice....

[greenghost]

From early July to mid-September I rarely wear waders. I've even fished the Yough -- a tailwater fishery -- wet wading until evening. Simply wet wading has lightened the frequency of use (and leakability) of my waders considerably. I've had a pair of Clearwater Orvis waders for 4 years and they look pretty good, no leaks.

That being said, leaks are inevitable. It's a matter of when, not if. Use them less -- if you are agreeable to wet wading -- hang them up without folding after EVERY use. Do not expose to extreme heat or cold. Check seams after a couple of years. If you see cracking on the outside, it's a matter of time before it reaches inside. Use Goop on the inside of cracked seams and brush leaks. You'll easily get 5 or more years out of your waders, no problem.

 

[wetnet]

Well we are loving the Cloud Veils. Sent them for repair and they upgraded them. They boy crawled under hack in Portugal. They ended up with only a slow leak near the crotch. N....I...C...E!! He had some loose stitching in the wading shoes and they upgraded them as well! Very happy and got them back quickly! Nothing is indestructable but really appreciate the service!

 

[dryflyguy]

I know that they've pretty much gone out of vogue, but I still wear neoprene waders in cold weather. And when fishing small streams that don't really require chest waders, I wear canvas hip boots. They're almost indestructable, and save a lot of wear and tear on my breathables

 

[sandfly]

dryflyguy has it canvas hippers on small streams last for years, i use and swear by Hodgeman now..

 

[akflyfisher]

I normally get about four years out of a pair of simms. This four years includes miles of walking streams, riding 16 miles one way on my ATV (one hour ride) to my favorite river, kneeling on the gravel banks to clean my fish (about an hour day filleting a limit of ten salmon). Most hard core anglers in AK wear simms. anything else and you are buying more than a pair of waders a year. I do occasionally get leaks in my waders but they have always been small and easily repairable. I am surprised how few anglers from PA use simms, especially as popular as they are here in AK.

Get a pair of simms G3 and you will not be disappointed.

 

[dryflyguy]

The problem I had with simms was their customer service.
When my pair started leaking in the heels- they were a little over a year old -I sent them back for repair. They replaced the booties and charged me $75 - said the problem was from extreme wear. This on top of $400 initial cost of the waders.
Now, come on.
With Orvis, Bean, or just about any other brand of wader I guess now - they'll repair or replace them free of charge. So, what's the better deal?

 

[DGC]

One way to stretch out the breathables lifetime is to simply not wear them during those times when you don't really need them for their cooling feature. Wear bootfoot neoprenes instead. Obviously you have to factor in how much hiking you will be doing in that decision, but in general neoprenes are not bad at all the more the weather/water cools. In colder conditions, the more standing around you do trying to change flies to take fish that have been refusing--Marinaro's game of nods--the more the warmth of neoprene is a bonus--at least in that style of fishing.

While it is frustrating during Summer to discover too much leakage from your breathable waders, in Fall and Winter that problem is far more serious in its effect on your trip and perhaps your health. A surprise leak discovery in neoprene is much less common unless you have really been ripping through rugged cover. My bootfoot neoprenes are going on 10 years old and the only thing I have had to do to them is reglue the felt soles here and there. That's about $10.00 per year on those waders, and I fish a fair amount during Spring and Fall. You can fold them down to your waist for hiking in, and I often fish in them that way for medium size creeks.

Neoprene used to be the first choice until the breathables came out. Of course, some people will concern themselves with the fashion statement--or lack thereof--made by neoprenes. I don't understand stuff like that so I can't comment.