Orvis wader repair service

[moodyblues]

I may lose a leg from some rare waterborne bacterial infection, acquire a urechis unicinctus or find an unwanted Vietnamese eel where the sun don't shine but BOY am I glad I almost exclusively wet wade...

Regardless, the A-holes at the store SHOULD be aware of the return/repair policy requirements for outsourced service instead of just blindly packing them up and shipping them to the "repair facility."

If I was you I'd email AND call Orvis Corporate Customer Service with the story...

I'm not saying they owe you a new pair of waders, but they should refund you the $60 and possibly give you a discount on a new pair of Orvis waders (if they are smart).

In the meantime, I'd throw a heaping handful of #2 split shot at the front window of Haverford Orvis... 😉

#2 split shot? I would use nothing less than a brick. If you're gonna risk being arrested for vandalism you might as well make it worth your while. Not to mention, down that way recently, they just may tell you, you was bad and let ya walk. Just depends. Go big, or go home.

 

[wildtrout2]

#2 split shot? I would use nothing less than a brick. If you're gonna risk being arrested for vandalism you might as well make it worth your while. Not to mention, down that way recently, they just may tell you, you was bad and let ya walk. Just depends. Go big, or go home.

I'm pretty sure the split shot comment was made in reference to a previous thread I started regarding the Haverford Orvis store. Obviously in jest.

 

[ryansheehan]

I've always had trouble with Orvis waders - but its been years ago now.
Haven't tried them lately.
Personally, I would get Simms or Patagonia
Or try one of the newer brands that have come on the scene lately

I've had horrible luck with orvis waders throught out the years but the latest pros are built different. They are absolutely bulletproof for two years now, which is well beyond any brand I've used in the last fifteen years. That being said, no one would ever mistake them for ultralights.

 

[dryflyguy]

I've had horrible luck with orvis waders throught out the years but the latest pros are built different. They are absolutely bulletproof for two years now, which is well beyond any brand I've used in the last fifteen years. That being said, no one would ever mistake them for ultralights.

Yeah, read some good things about the current pro waders
And guess they’d be worth a try

Your “bullet proof” comment reminds of waders from about 30 years ago that were called exactly that.
Made by either Orvis or Bean, can’t recall exactly who now.
Never tried them
But they must not have been too good
They weren’t around very long

 

[wbranch]

Did you consider filling the legs with water up to the crotch and wait a few minutes. The leak will show as a wet spot on either the seams or the rest of the wader. Draw a circle around the wet spots. Patch the wader inside & out. Pretty easy. I have a pair of those lightweight convertibles. I've gotten at least six years with no leaks.

 

[poopdeck]

In this particular set of circumstances I can’t attribute anything Orvis did as a fault or a reason to be angry or disenfranchised. Ive owned waders my entire life and I have never allowed any of them to get filthy to point somebody would not want to service them, not that I ever sent waders in for service. If they got dirty they were put away clean not left to get filthier. How filthy must they have been and why would anybody send in old waders in a filthy state and expect warranty work for a “material defect.” Its pretty clear to me that the waders leaked because of poor care and treatment not because of a warrentied material or workmen defect. Getting 4 years out of ill cared for waders actually speaks to how good the waders were. This is an example of why wader warranties have to be kept in check. In my humble opinion, Orvis did nothing wrong.

 

[wildtrout2]

In this particular set of circumstances I can’t attribute anything Orvis did as a fault or a reason to be angry or disenfranchised. Ive owned waders my entire life and I have never allowed any of them to get filthy to point somebody would not want to service them, not that I ever sent waders in for service. If they got dirty they were put away clean not left to get filthier. How filthy must they have been and why would anybody send in old waders in a filthy state and expect warranty work for a “material defect.” Its pretty clear to me that the waders leaked because of poor care and treatment not because of a warrentied material or workmen defect. Getting 4 years out of ill cared for waders actually speaks to how good the waders were. This is an example of why wader warranties have to be kept in check. In my humble opinion, Orvis did nothing wrong.

That's funny. I don't know of anyone who washes their waders after each use. The Orvis repair policy, which I wasn't aware of, because like you, I never sent waders in for a repair, says they will not repair waders that are dirty, at all. Mine were dirty, not what would be considered filthy. That's a bit extreme.

It's clear to you that they leaked because of poor care and treatment? Read my post #32 again. I took very good care of them. Explain how being dirty from fishing would cause them to leak.
Also, I never said they were defective in any way, or that Orvis did anything wrong, they just leaked. You make a lot of ASSumptions.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

Did you consider filling the legs with water up to the crotch and wait a few minutes. The leak will show as a wet spot on either the seams or the rest of the wader. Draw a circle around the wet spots. Patch the wader inside & out. Pretty easy. I have a pair of those lightweight convertibles. I've gotten at least six years with no leaks.

If you fill waders more than shin high, you'll blow out the seams.

 

[dryflyguy]

If you fill waders more than shin high, you'll blow out the seams.

It can be done - if you do it carefully.

I have a steep bank in my lawn that's sloped at around 45 degree angle.
I've laid waders down on the soft grass there, and filled them up to crotch, and even a little higher at times, to find leaks.
Doing it that way, takes a lot of the strain off the seams that you would get by hanging them.
And haven't blown any seams out.

That is the last resort method though
And I only do it if the flash light and alcohol methods both fail to find the leak

 

[Nocktavius]

In this particular set of circumstances I can’t attribute anything Orvis did as a fault or a reason to be angry or disenfranchised. Ive owned waders my entire life and I have never allowed any of them to get filthy to point somebody would not want to service them, not that I ever sent waders in for service. If they got dirty they were put away clean not left to get filthier. How filthy must they have been and why would anybody send in old waders in a filthy state and expect warranty work for a “material defect.” Its pretty clear to me that the waders leaked because of poor care and treatment not because of a warrentied material or workmen defect. Getting 4 years out of ill cared for waders actually speaks to how good the waders were. This is an example of why wader warranties have to be kept in check. In my humble opinion, Orvis did nothing wrong.

Seems like the waders being “filthy” could easily have been a convenient excuse for Orvis reneging on their end of the “lifetime” warranty. I think we give these big companies entirely too much credit without holding them accountable for selling what often amounts to defective junk. I spend a lot of money on gear (probably enough that any normal individual would question my sanity) and I’ve noticed that companies seem to rush to release new “sexy” products without doing any sort of medium term stress testing. I’ve had trash fishpond net zingers that got brittle from UV and fell apart after 3 uses, a very high end Orvis rod that the tip top literally just came unglued on almost ruining a trip, 400+$ Sage reels that just fell apart in the middle of the river making me chase the spool down through the water I was hoping to fish. On top of which, nearly every review you read online is comprised of idiots that give an item 5 stars after “being so excited to have just received the product and unboxing it, can’t wait to try it on the water”


As I stated, after dropping nearly 400$ on a pair of ultralights, my experience was pretty similar to that of wildtrout2 (albeit with even less time between purchase and failure- and being told the item was beyond its useful lifespan- frankly bull$hit for a “lifetime” warranty). The material felt very cheap, the suspender system was infuriatingly poorly designed, and the flexibility was nonexistent while still being cut like a sack of potatoes (to the point where current would push on looser sections and actually knock me over from time to time). Stop shilling for Orvis bro

 

[poopdeck]

That's funny. I don't know of anyone who washes their waders after each use. The Orvis repair policy, which I wasn't aware of, because like you, I never sent waders in for a repair, says they will not repair waders that are dirty, at all. Mine were dirty, not what would be considered filthy. That's a bit extreme.

It's clear to you that they leaked because of poor care and treatment? Read my post #32 again. I took very good care of them. Explain how being dirty from fishing would cause them to leak.
Also, I never said they were defective in any way, or that Orvis did anything wrong, they just leaked. You make a lot of ASSumptions.

no assumptions were made. You said they were dirty. Orvis said they were dirty. Filthy is just another word for dirty things. I’m sorry if my opinion differs but that’s how I think. Not saying Orvis does the right thing every time, I’m just saying they probably did the right thing this one time. At least we are in perfect agreement that Orvis did nothing wrong.

Seems like the waders being “filthy” could easily have been a convenient excuse for Orvis reneging on their end of the “lifetime” warranty.

Again, according to wild trout and me, Orvis did nothing wrong. No warranty violation reported. By the way, if you read the warranty, the warranty was not reneged on.

I’ve noticed that companies seem to rush to release new “sexy” products without doing any sort of medium term stress testing.

The material felt very cheap, the suspender system was infuriatingly poorly designed, and the flexibility was nonexistent while still being cut like a sack of potatoes (to the point where current would push on looser sections and actually knock me over from time to time). Stop shilling for Orvis bro

I agree new products are sometimes rushed to market. We see this a lot with cars.

Why did you buy I’ll fitting waders if they felt cheap to you? We hold these big companies accountable by not buying their ”junk.” don't buy cheap looking products from Orvis. Simple.

Not shilling for Orvis at all and I have zero product loyalty to anything. I generally don’t buy Orvis stuff except for Battenkill reels which I really like. I would no sooner buy Orvis waders then I would Simms or Patagonia’s. To expect a no questions asked lifetime warranty (not you Wildtrout) on waders is a pipe dream and in no way a sound wader business practice.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I expect that even a small amount of grit (on "dirty" waders) inside your boots would work a hole through the neoprene, so the manufacturer may consider dirt to be the cause of the damage. I have been able to successfully repair any holes in the breathable cloth on the legs - even small tears, with very limited success on repairing neoprene. Others have said on other wader-related discussions that walking, compresses the neoprene at the heels and balls of the feet to the point where the fabric is thinned to the point of un-repairable failure. Most of my neoprene failures involved separated seams or wear-through at internal ridges in the boots.
I've always been in the camp of "pay enough to last a couple seasons and replace" so I don't have any experience with warranties on plastic pants that cost $300-700.
Still, if a manufacturer was able to use a warranty to encourage a consumer to pony up the big $$$, the manufacturer needs to honor the warranty as written.

 

[wbranch]

If you fill waders more than shin high, you'll blow out the seams.

That is absolutely incorrect. I have never heard anything so crazy. I've been filling leaky waders for 50 years.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

This has nothing to do with the OP's experience with Orvis, perhaps, but I love the comment about rushed to market above. I tend to wait for the longitudinal data instead of rushing out to get the next shiny new innovation myself.

There is always the new thing everyone wants, but the best part about sites like this is that there is always info about the best buys out there, stuff that is time-tested by fishermen who spend many days on the water.

For example, I trust the Grundens brand but am also suspicious of the push into new markets, so I would wait and see for 5 years on a pair Grundens waders.

My last point that I make all the time with waders: take someone's claim that their (fill in the blank) waders last them 5 years. It is all about trips per year not years. A lot of jamokes out there consider 25 trips a year a lot of fishing 😉

Also, if 25 trips is a lot, you may not need 700 dollar Simms 😛

 

[sandflyx]

When I worked at mainstream outfitters I did all the repairs on orvis waders. Maybe see if they do it yet.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

That is absolutely incorrect. I have never heard anything so crazy. I've been filling leaky waders for 50 years.

The assertion about filling waders with water came directly from a vendor video about how they repair waders. If you fill the waders too much, the warranty is automatically voided.

 

[bringthepain]

When I worked at mainstream outfitters I did all the repairs on orvis waders. Maybe see if they do it yet.

Not to mention they are an excellent fly shop run by quality local people who have been around the area for generations. Anything i buy from a fly shop comes from there

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

Not to mention they are an excellent fly shop run by quality local people who have been around the area for generations. Anything i buy from a fly shop comes from there

sandflyx said: When I worked at mainstream outfitters I did all the repairs on orvis waders. Maybe see if they do it yet.

^^^
These may turn out to be the most beneficial posts on this whole discussion.

 

[Bamboozle]

If you fill waders more than shin high, you'll blow out the seams.

I don't know about seams but I have heard it on good authority (I forget where 🙄 )...

If you decide to hang your waders from a shower curtain rod in a cheap motel in the Skuke and fill them with water to find a leak...

The entire shower curtain, rod and mouthing screws will come crashing to the floor...

I'll let you decide if hanging them from the shower head is a better option. 😉

 

[dryflyguy]

The assertion about filling waders with water came directly from a vendor video about how they repair waders. If you fill the waders too much, the warranty is automatically voided.

I've seen the statements about not filling waders above the knee.
And it seems very logical if you're hanging them up during the test.

2 points about that IMO -

#1 - If you have a valid warranty on waders, you're not likely gonna try to find the leak yourself anyway, right?

#2 - And if you did decide to use that method to try to find the leak yourself, and return them afterward anyway, how would they know how far you filled them?

If I'm down to going that route to try find the leak, I'm not dealing with a warranty anyway.