Simms sold again

[dudemanspecial]

Like PennKev said, it seems since the first Simms sale, Grundens has been on a push to cut into Simms' wader market. At least in the circles I run in.

Skwala too

 

[PennKev]

This is mostly true. Fact is Simms was peddling junk at inflated prices for a number of years. They cut costs and quality where they could to squeeze as much profit out of the company as they could before selling. Simms knew exactly what they were doing. So what’s actually best for employees is that PE bought the company and will now resurrect it better off than it was left to them. Surely not the best case scenario for employees or quality but it’s better than Simms running itself completely out of existence. It’s now up to Simms employees to see the writing on the wall and make a career change.

So which alternative brand do you suggest for rugged, good fitting waders that don't fall apart after one season?

 

[poopdeck]

So which alternative brand do you suggest for rugged, good fitting waders that don't fall apart after one season?

I would recommend adding a few PE’s to your portfolio. I know of no waders that fit within your parameters.

 

[PennKev]

I see.

 

[Swattie87]

The wader market is at a weird place right now. Bit of a changing of the guard. Your old school “higher end” wader companies…Simms/Bean/Orvis/Patagonia/etc are all suffering from varying degrees of reduced quality (both perceived and real), simultaneously coupled with increased prices.

These larger companies have priced themselves up to where the more "boutique" companies now are worth consideration. The ones mentioned in this thread already, Dryft, etc. But there's a lot less out there on how their products hold up.

FWIW, I was a hardcore Bean Kennebec guy, for probably close to a decade. Three pairs I think. (I paid for all three, didn’t warranty them once. I used them hard and got my money out of them.) After version 2.0 (which was the best pair of waders I’ve ever owned) I started to notice a decrease in quality with each slight redesign, and became increasingly frustrated with what the price was becoming. Which got me to start shopping. I’m running three pairs at the moment, jury still out on two of them.

Orvis Clearwater - Got these as my intended Kennebec replacements as my flagship pair. They’re into their third year of use, and are holding up well, though I typically only wear them on larger streams where I’m not hiking all day, which I don’t do a lot of. They’re comfy and breathe relatively well, which were two of the hallmarks for the Kennebecs. I haven’t really been rough enough on them to accurately opine on their durability. It seems decent though.

Patagonia - Swiftcurrent (I think?) pants. My brother gets a nice discount from his employer from them, and I caught these on a decent enough sale to where the “to me” price was $200 or so. One Summer of Brookie fishing on them. They’re built well and have potential. Appear tougher than the Clearwaters. Too early to tell though.

Tidewe (who knows?) - El Cheapo pair I got as a backup for a trip when I only had one pair going at the time, and turned into a brush buster pair. Got about 9 months leak free, then dealt with the leaks for maybe an additional 3 months. They leaked like a sieve last time I wore them, and probably would be “Summer only” at this point. They’re probably ready for the junker, but for $65, there’s an argument that’s a fair deal for a year of use. I have a Redington (Crosswater?) STP pickup for $80 ready for their replacement.

In this time of flux in the market, I’m more inclined than ever to take the cheap, disposable route until things settle out and it’s a little clearer who’s actually making good stuff for the price. Waders are a consumable. If I see a deal on a pair I know I like, I buy them. Even if I don’t need them at the moment.

 

[bringthepain]

I would recommend adding a few PE’s to your portfolio. I know of no waders that fit within your parameters.

Now it all makes sense!!

 

[bringthepain]

If I were you guys i'd buy Redington zip up waders for 250, the customer service was great (i made a thread about it) i would never pay an arm and a leg for waders

 

[ryansheehan]

Skwala too

I've got a skwala jacket that is fantastic.

 

[ryansheehan]

So which alternative brand do you suggest for rugged, good fitting waders that don't fall apart after one season?

I hadn't found any waders that last very long but the orvis pro waders have lasted me two seasons now. They are not the most comfortable waders I've ever owned but they appear to be bulletproof.

 

[tjsingle]

I found out recently Orvis does do repairs for a flat fee. Similar to there rods. Really have enjoyed my ultralights the last season or so. I fish pretty hard so waders don't last me long and I just have accepted it.

Usually if I can repair it on my own, I will.

Like others mentioned, its probably best to let the market settle down. Previously I had the Simms Headwaters pro, those were pre-sale Simms and were awesome especially for the price. I had those repaired by Simms twice. The newer Simms models are really expensive IMO.

 

[tomgamber]

I bought a pair of these for less than 100 bucks on Amazon day a couple years ago and like em just fine. I wore the same pair of Proline Neoprenes for about 15 years before discovering breathables back in the early 2000's after that I haven't found anything that I'm willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for so it can fall apart on me. Probably works out the same over time. You can also get these at ****'s for a little under $200.

 

[tomgamber]

I bought a pair of these for less than 100 bucks on Amazon day a couple years ago and like em just fine. I wore the same pair of Proline Neoprenes for about 15 years before discovering breathables back in the early 2000's after that I haven't found anything that I'm willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for so it can fall apart on me. Probably works out the same over time. You can also get these at ****'s for a little under $200.View attachment 1641238129

apparently you can't say name of a phalic-like sporting goods store on here. 🤣

 

[bringthepain]

I bought a pair of these for less than 100 bucks on Amazon day a couple years ago and like em just fine. I wore the same pair of Proline Neoprenes for about 15 years before discovering breathables back in the early 2000's after that I haven't found anything that I'm willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for so it can fall apart on me. Probably works out the same over time. You can also get these at ****'s for a little under $200.View attachment 1641238129

Pro line makes some decent stuff, i'm on my second pro line wading staff the first one lasted quite a few years. Not bad for 35 bucks

 

[Bamboozle]

I found out recently Orvis does do repairs for a flat fee. Similar to there rods. Really have enjoyed my ultralights the last season or so. I fish pretty hard so waders don't last me long and I just have accepted it.

Usually if I can repair it on my own, I will...

If you haven't already, you should read wildtrout2's posts on the thread below so you know what to expect in regards to Orvis wader service:

Thread 'Orvis wader repair service'

Jul 21, 2024

Curious if anyone has ever used Orvis's wader repair service, and how it worked out? They say the service cost is $60, which sounds very reasonable. I always put a thick towel down to stand on when I'm getting into and out of my waders, so I believe the booties are OK. I can't find anything resembling a possible leak location anywhere on my Ultralight Convertible waders. I'd rather not drive myself nuts trying to find where a leak might be, so this sounded like a reasonable option. Thanks for any insight.

• wildtrout2
• Replies: 85
• Forum: Gear Talk

 

[baileyoconnell]

Reddington reportedly is exiting the wader business. Will others follow?

 

[bringthepain]

Reddington reportedly is exiting the wader business. Will others follow?

Do you have a source for this? I just had a great experience with them on a wader issue and would hate to hear they are getting out