Simms G3 waders?

[afishinado]

pcray1231 wrote:

Pcray, you and I seem to be on the same page.

Purely a guess. But my gut prediction would say they go somewhere between 3 and 4 years for me, assuming I treat them like the others and wade through briars, crawl on my knees, etc.

Which would make them simultaneously the best waders I've ever owned, and also not worth their price. I'd love to be pleasantly surprised but I'll let you know in a couple of years.

Like you, I'm willing to pay for quality. But not overpay for quality. On a disposable product like breathable waders, quality is defined almost solely in terms of longevity. Greater than twice the price should mean greater than twice the life, not 1.5 times the life.

Hey Pat,

I bought a cheap pair of waders that lasted a long time. The only problem was, they felt very heavy all the time because they always seemed to wet through. I kept having to reapply the DWR but the fabric didn't absorb the DWR well I would guess.

They really weren't very breathable at all and the fabric seemed stiff. Also, the booties tended to bunch up in my wading shoes when I walked a long way and were very uncomfortable.

Finally, the way the buckles and suspenders were set up they pinched my neck and were very uncomfortable.

By the time I wore them a bit to find all this out, I was unable to return them or have them replaced.

But they were cheap and they lasted a long time (much to my dismay)! Were they a great bargain based "almost solely on longevity?"

I talk to people nearly every day that have bought just about every wader you can imagine from low-end to high-end, and there most certainly is a difference between them from their point of view. Besides getting first-hand reviews from anglers that actually wear the waders, I also I read all the charts and graphs and reviews about the different wader brands and models out there. Further, add in the value of a good warranty and the ability to repair or replace them, and there's a world of difference between waders.

I find it interesting that you value research and data and reviews for just about everything, but not for waders. With waders, there's a strict cost/longevity=value formula that doesn't take into account any value for comfort, or features or warranty.

 

[Dale49]

Going on 5 years with my G3s. Fish 150 times a year - sit, slide multiflora and so on.

One small wear spot and one small leak - repaired with Goop, no leaks.

Recently been using a pair of Orvis Silver Sonic convertibles. To me, they fit me much better than G3, I really like them - now a question of how long will they last.

 

[tyeager]

A little off topic as this doesn't include Simms products but if you decide to go the mid prices route check out backcountry.com outlet or Sierra trading post outlet. They both have redington waders available for a deeply discounted price. If you can wait steepandcheap.com usually has a flyfishing sale about once every two weeks or so. I have seen redington waders up to 50 percent off and my sonic seams are going on three abuse filled years now although they are warm in the summer.

Good luck with your choice

 

[BrookieChaser]

Tyeager, I appreciate the tip.

Dale49, thanks for the review.

 

[pcray1231]

Afish,

The most convenient, comfortable pair of waders I've ever owned were Hodgeman WadeLites, followed closely by Frog Toggs.

I've had Orvis Endura's and 2 pairs of Silver Labels, LL Bean Rapid Rivers, now the Simms G3's, etc. So I'm not comparing these to Red Ball or anything.

The Hodgeman's were thin and plenty breathable, and not at all stiff. I loved the built in wader belt, and the gravel guards. They only lasted a year, material just stopped being waterproof. The Frog Toggs are just, well, VERY light, and plenty breathable as well, but the booty wasn't quite as good as the Hodgeman, IMO. They too only lasted a year.

Generally, the differences in comfort are pretty small and amounts to picking nits. All breathable waders I've had are pretty comfortable and plenty breathable. But if there are differences, then comfort is INVERSELY proportional to price and longevity. The better pairs achieve longevity by having more, or thicker, protective layers, resulting in a wader that is heavier and stiffer. The G3's are no exception.

All else (price) being equal, I'd take the thicker, slightly less comfortable waders for the better longevity. And the longevity IS indeed better on better waders. But so far it seems not better enough to justify the price difference. We'll see on the G3's, it's way to early to make a call on them yet.

 

[bigjohn58]

pcray1231 wrote:
Afish,

The most convenient, comfortable pair of waders I've ever owned were Hodgeman WadeLites, followed closely by Frog Toggs.

I totally agree with the Hodgeman WadeLites. I loved those waders. I owned 2 pairs of them until they either changed them or discontinued them. I then upgraded to the Simms G3s. I love them but only was able to afford them after I had saved up $225 on my cabelas card along with one of those coupons for like $75 off $500 or something like that. For as often as I go fishing though and the miles and locations I fish they are well worth the money!

 

[BrookieChaser]

I bit the bullet and bought the new G3's today.

I have to give a tip of my backwards hat (another thread) to TCO. Casey steered me in the right direction on sizes, plus called Simms to check on availability and had them hold the last pair they had in said size.
Otherwise, I would've been pouring water out of my waders again on a planned trip next weekend.

I still can't believe what I just spent on waders.

 

[kbobb]

Congrats - enjoy them in good health!

you pay for them once and hopefully will use them 100 times - amortize the cost - it's only $4 each time you use them - skip the Micky D on your trips (or, heaven forbid, a beer ) and they'll pay for themselves.

I've never been able to make myself drop the cash for a kevlar canoe although as old as I am I really should - but the guy at the shop said - you pay for it once but lift it 1000 times!

 

[boychick]

Just picked up my new G3s. The new model is nice. The new tippet tender pocket is bigger and will fit a standard fly box and has zippers on both side of the pocket so it can also be accessed if the pocket is flipped inside the waders. I think this is a great upgrade, I was always annoyed that the pocket on my old pair of G3s was just a tad too small and would not fit a full size fly box. The loop side Velcro that lined the top of the tippet pockets is gone. I will miss that, I used it as a fly patch, I think this is the one thing that they should not have changed. The built in retractor is gone from the tippet tender pocket and they replaced it with a spot to attach a zinger and a sleeve that can hold a hemostat. There are also new tabs to attach zingers or pin on fly patch. The Gore-Tex is lighter, which seems like it will add comfort and mobility. The new material is supposed to be 25% more breathable and more durable than the old, but time will tell. Simms also used a tougher grade of neoprene for the built in gravel guards which should make them more durable. Those are the major changes I've noticed. The fit is the same great fit. Over all, I would say the new model is a nice improvement over the old. My only criticism is the loss of the Velcro on the tippet tender pocket, but its a change I can get used to and there are plenty of new places to attach a foam fly patch. That assessment goes way up if the new Gore-Tex pro shell fabric is really 25% more breathable and more durable than the old material, as its billed to be.

 

[NickN]

The G3's are awesome waders. Mine are 4 years old and get a ton of use.

 

[BrookieChaser]

Kbobb, thanks for the well wishes. I like that approach, and never actually thought of breaking it down as cost per trip. I can do without the McDonalds (I don't think I've eaten there in years) but the beer... I may just have to splurge.

Boychick, I appreciate the review. I'm still up in the air about losing my chest box, now that I've found a way to reorganize it to make it more useful. If I use it I hope I can work around all the useful features built in the waders. I'm ready to get my hands on my waders... I'm impatient.

NickN, thanks for the input.

 

[krayfish]

I'm pretty sure you can get away with sticking 3 elk hair caddis on your hat brim. No need for a chest box. It's not like natives are selective or you'll be hitting overlapping hatches. Thrres also the option of carrying some snelled hooks in your pocket and threading a cigarette butt or small stick onto it. Natives are difficult to catch / ultra selective.... they can frequently be seen rising to miscellaneous debris floating in the film. Just don't pinch down the barb and you won't lose your Marlboro stimulator.

You don't even need to carry tippet unless you're in the trees a lot.

 

[pcray1231]

Everyone is in the trees a lot. If you aren't, you ain't really pushing yourself. As you get better, you don't spend less time in the trees, you merely screw up doing harder things!

And regarding difficulty, it has it's share of challenges, they're just different than the challenges on big water.

 

[BrookieChaser]

I've never caught a brookie on an Elk Hair caddis, honestly.

On the cigarette butt, I had a foam ant pattern (it was given to me by a buddy, it was just a brown cylinder of foam with a red end (looked like cigarette ashes)). I was teaching another buddy to nymph on Spring a couple weeks ago. I figured an indicator would shorten the curve (I never used them so naturally I didn't have any), so I used the foam ant. Wouldn't you know the second cast about a 2' fish hammered that ant.

 

[boychick]

Brokiechaser,

You don't need to get rid of the chest box if that's your thing. In fact the tippet tender pocket zips off if you don't want to use it. I would not let that issues sway your decision.

 

[BrookieChaser]

Thanks boychick. I'll make the ultimate decision once my waders get here and I can see how things will work on the stream.

 

[echuck66]

Here is a review of several types of waders I looked at when deciding which type of waders to purchase. Maybe it will be of some help:

Wader shootout (2013)

 

[BrookieChaser]

Thanks for the link echuck.

I came across that in some of my searches, it was helpful. Now that it's linked here, it may help some other people in my situation.

 

[pcray1231]

On the cigarette butt, I had a foam ant pattern (it was given to me by a buddy, it was just a brown cylinder of foam with a red end (looked like cigarette ashes)).

Yeah, if you think a cigarette butt is bad, check out the Chernobyl Ant!!!!

 

[BrookieChaser]

Pcray, I'll check out the Chernobyl Ant. I've never heard of it.

My waders arrived today. It was like Christmas day to me.

My first impression was how Simms goes out of their way to assure you know there are real people handling your order. The left and right feet are surprisingly comfortable. Casey was right-on with the sizing recommendation. Due to a large chest measurement they're a bit baggy but I knew that going in. I think (maybe I'm telling myself) that I can feel a difference in the material vs my old cheap waders.
I don't believe I'm utilizing the tippet pocket, I'll just keep with the chest box. Maybe I'm not utilizing it correctly, so that could be an experiment for another time.

I guess the real test for the waders is Saturday. Thanks again for the input y'all.