New waders

Breeze717

Breeze717

Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2011
Messages
97
I own a pair of Orvis Silver Labels I've had for about 3 seasons now, and are starting to leak at the seams. I love the packability of these boots as I ride my bike on the rail trail here in York and dump into the creek from there. I've been looking into Simms, Pantagonia, and Loop waders. Price doesn't bother me, but I'm looking for a few key things. Packability, length of life, and warranty. Any suggestions? When I mean price isn't an issue, I don;t want to pay more than 4 or 500 dollars. Thanks in advance.
 
Simms "Headwaters". Chest high retail $300 waisthigh $250. Gore-Tex and Made in the USA.
 
Simms G3. Unlike the headwaters, the seems are in the front and not between the legs-prevents wear at the seems. G3 has some nice features like the flip out chest caddy that has a pocket and two places for tippet spools
Had them for three years. Only problem is the seem tape came loose at the heel, which I quickly cemented back down with aquaseal. They show no other signs of wear! I can get at least 2 more years out of them.
Previously, the cheap waders some on the board will try to recommend, needed to be patched by year two (in the booties) and replaced by year three.

BTW, I fish a goos amount. Long trips 5+ hrs, lots of hiking and about 100+ trips per year. I put a lot of miles on these waders.

I will say, they are not the most packing friendly (I have the XL), but if you want waders to last and multi-layer gore-tex, you have to compromise somewhere. They can fold down to fit in a standard backpack though.
 
I'm seriously considering the Simms. If the waders hold up, I can give on the packability, especially if they can fit in a standard bag. Thanks all
 
I have been very unhappy with my Simms G3s and I take exceptional care of my gear. Booties have leaked from day one. Its not unbearable, but certainly not reflective of $440 waders. The Simms Rivershed boots have been horrible and I would never recommend them.

I don't see how one can't look at the LL Bean waders. Unconditional lifetime warranty. That can't be beat. None of the "you didn't dry them properly, you wore them too much, blah, blah, blah" you hear from some of the other companies. If you are dead set on Simms because you want a cool name (Simms, Patagonia, Loop) then get the G3's at LL Bean. They will stand behind them.
 
And almost on cue............ it's an amazing thing how only cheap gear lasts on this forum. Simms always leak out of the box. The waters out east must be more corrosive than the central part of the state :)

Perhaps you should share with him what you don't like about the riversheds and how they fail compared to others you like.

Ask more people before deciding. I think you'll find simms don't leak from day one and the rivershed are a quality boot with less shrinkage than the leather guide boots and they a bit lighter for hiking.
And yes, I have both the G3s and riversheds.

I will buy both again at my local shop. See, the thing is, local shops (TCO) and simms allows waders to be exchanged within 30 days to the shop. Called " 30 day across the counter wader exchange".
Seems odd someone who experienced them leaking right out of the box didn't just return them to the shop where he bought them.


 
nymphingmaniac wrote:
And almost on cue............ it's an amazing thing how only cheap gear lasts on this forum. Simms always leak out of the box. The waters out east must be so corrosive than the central part of the state :)

Ask more people before deciding. I think you'll find simms don't leak from day one and the rivershed are a quality boot with less shrinkage than the leather guide boots and they a bit lighter for hiking.
And yes, I have both the G3s and riversheds. I will buy both again at my local shop.
Click to expand...

Simply giving my opinion on my personal experience. That butthurts you that much?
 
it's an amazing thing how only cheap gear lasts on this forum.

I concede this much, at least you are commenting on gear you actually own, versus something you read on the internet.
 
Hmm, becoming a heated debate. I am pretty much set on the three brands I named, only because I've heard good things about all three. Oh and I haven't been happy with my Orvis Silver Labels. I just wanted the opinions of people who fish in Pa as much as I do.
 
LL Bean warranty is great. I just bought a pair of the Rapid Rivers. The fact that there is a lifetime warranty with no questions asked was enough for me. Spend $200 and basically never have to buy another pair of waders if you don't want to.
 
I picked up the Patagonia waist highs about 2 months ago and so far have been very happy. Make sure to try them on before buying a pair if you are considering them. They fit very snugly until they are over your waist but are quite comfortable once on. I tried the Simms G3's and they were huge everywhere. I felt like MC Hammer. The Patagonia's fit much more like pants, which I really like.
 
With Cloudveil now out of the wader market, Simms and Patagonia are probably the front runners for best waders.

Simms high end waders are made in the US and are DEET resistant. However, like nymph said, 30 day exchange warranty. After that I believe Simms will look at the waders and judge. Cost to owner for fix/replacement or manufacturer mistake.

Patagonia waders are not made in the US and are not DEET resistant. Their customer service is one of the best in the industry and will fix any problems you have. Their suspension system is great. No hand warmer pockets though.

I have had no issues with my watermasters after several years of hard use. They are now just starting to develop pinhole leaks in the knees. Their new ones look uber tough.

You can't go wrong with either.
 
LOL at Funny fly-flinger's MC hammer comment. he/she is right and I feel the same way- they are a little baggy.
I will tell you when it comes in handy- fishing late fall and winter. I pull the waders right over my jackets and even winter coat, which keeps them dry.

 
I have an old pair of Simms lightweight / aquaseal models. 6 years befoe they leaked. I got most of the leaks fixed but I still get a wet butt every now and then. Hey, they're 8 yrs old! Love them and still wear them when it's hot out. I also have a pair of G3's. I'm shorter and should have gotten the "short" version of the G3's but I'm still quite happy with them. The waders are paired up with the guide boot from Simms and makes for a pretty stout wader set up.

breeze,
You don't have to spend a million bucks on your gear but remember that if you go with the "cheapy" stuff, you'll get what you paid for.

stop....... hammer time
 
nymphingmaniac wrote:
it's an amazing thing how only cheap gear lasts on this forum.

I concede this much, at least you are commenting on gear you actually own, versus something you read on the internet.
Click to expand...

I disagree with jdaddy on this one, as I love my g3s, but you're making your point as if you're the only person with a valid opinion on this. Take it from someone that knows how to do that. :)
 
I don't understand why you would pay $400 dollars for waders when you could get 5 pair of these for that price I have had a pair for 3 years no leaks and I regularly fish small mountain streams thrashing through brush.
 
csoult wrote:
I don't understand why you would pay $400 dollars for waders when you could get 5 pair of these for that price I have had a pair for 3 years no leaks and I regularly fish small mountain streams thrashing through brush.
Click to expand...

For me, it's an issue of comfort and convenience.

I've been burned by leaky waders in the middle of a trip, miles from the car. It sucks. I don't want to deal with these things when I fish. I put fires out at work all week for a living. I don't want to do it with my gear on my precious fishing trips.

My two pair of g3 have also been exceedingly comfortable when compared to cheaper waders that I've owned. The waist high convertibles are more comfy than some of my jeans.

I'd never pay full price for them, but I never pay full price for anything.
 
"but you're making your point as if you're the only person with a valid opinion on this. "

Good point JayL, I should chill.
I guess I was just having a bad night
 
csoult,

I am not a fan of the Hodgeman's. I've had 3 pairs of Hodgeman's. They were comfortable enough, moreso than my current Orvis pair probably. But every single one leaked in under a year on me. I wanted to like them so much but they just kept letting me down.

That said, I've so far been happy with the Orvis waders I have, and I think I paid $140 or something. I'm not so confident that quality and price are real well correlated. For instance, one of the best pairs of chest waders I've ever had were Red Balls that go for around $60. There's a lot of good stuff out there, even in the "non fly fishing" brands, but its hit or miss in every price range.
 
pcray1231 wrote:
csoult,
For instance, one of the best pairs of chest waders I've ever had were Red Balls that go for around $60.
Click to expand...

Just stay away from the Blue Balls! They are particularly bothersome on the D.

I agree with your correlation theory. I tend to have alot of high end gear but usually get a pretty good deal on it, thus closing that gap. Maybe that's my beef with my waders and boots. Paid full retail ($600) and bootie and seam leaks, along with boot failures right off the bat. Probably would feel a lot better about them if I had gotten them for $300.
 
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