Simms waders failed seemingly overnight

[Andrwhite610]

I purchased a pair of Simms waders roughly 8 months ago. I believe the tributary model. I’ve used and abused them well since purchase with no issues.

This past weekend during a camping/fishing trip I used them roughly 20 hours over the weekend with no leakage. When packing up to leave I tossed them and my wading boots in a plastic tub with lid for ease of transport. They were both completely soaked. This is something I don’t normally do. They were in this tub for maybe 24 hours. I’ve used them 3 times since and they are leaking all over now…

The point of this thread is to ask…Was leaving them soaked in the plastic tub my mistake? I’ve never turned them inside out to dry or really payed much attention to drying them other than hanging them up. Seems odd to me that one day being soaked in a bin would cause them to fail.🤷‍♂️

I can take them to TCO to be shipped to Simms for repair but apparently that is roughly $75. Seems if I need to buy or repair new waders in less than a year I’ll just go back to buying the nearly identical $75 Amazon waders from now on.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I cannot imagine that 24 hours like that had any affect.

Where are they leaking?

 

[Andrwhite610]

I cannot imagine that 24 hours like that had any affect.

Where are they leaking?

Not exactly sure haven’t taken a closer look but at least 3 places. Both legs have large wet spots on my pants in multiple areas. Been going into work in the morning with wet pants this week.😂

 

[coyoterahn]

Leaving them in a plastic container for 24 hours wouldn’t have caused them to suddenly develop multiple leaks. If that was the case, most all waders would leak within a few months.

 

[Andrwhite610]

Leaving them in a plastic container for 24 hours wouldn’t have caused them to suddenly develop multiple leaks. If that was the case, most all waders would leak within a few months.

I will add that they possibly hadn’t gotten a chance to dry for maybe 5 days from constant use, rain and being in the bin.

 

[wildtrout2]

It sounds like you might want to make sure the waders are COMPLETELY dry, then check them again to see if they are indeed leaking?

 

[Andrwhite610]

It sounds like you might want to make sure the waders are COMPLETELY dry, then check them again to see if they are indeed leaking?

I considered that but it seems that is not the case. I thought I gave them some good time hanging up to dry but this morning I got very wet.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

I believe Simms has a 1 year warranty on their waders, where you only have to pay the cost of shipping them back to them. That assumes the leaks weren’t caused by something like barbed wire or such. Leaving them wet in a container for a day isn’t the best practice but shouldn’t cause them to leak, imo.

You can also easily repair small pin hole leaks with Aquaseal. Simms has, or at least had the last I looked, a video on their website explaining how to find and fix leaks. They also have another video explaining how to properly care for their waders.

 

[redietz]

Another thought is that storing waders in a closed container with boots is not necessarily a good idea either, especially if the boots are studded. I did something similar -- packed a dry pair of waders (which didn't leak) in a suitcase with studded waders. When I arrived in Maine, the waders leaked like a sieve in both legs. The only thing that I could ascribe the sudden change to was holes worn by the studs (or maybe the hook for the upper laces.)

 

[lycoflyfisher]

If you have used these waders heavily for 8 moths you are likely at the end of their life. I have experience with simms g3 that have lasted 5 years as primary and are now my back ups, I have a pair of simms toray waders the specific model isnt made anymore but the same material is used on the confluence? I believe. The tributary is in the same class as frog toggs, cabelas, white river etc. Some complain about the quality of new simms products, but in my experience the durability of the goretex wader waders cant be beat. If you watch for end of year sales the guide classic can often be found for half off. Its a huge step up from the more basic waders. Otherwise, if you fish alot (aggressive wading, covering lots of water and long hikes) I think its hard to expect anymore than a year leak free out of the simms tributary and comparable models from other brands.

There are many threads on here about the consumable nature of waders unfortunately.

 

[Andrwhite610]

If you have used these waders heavily for 8 moths you are likely at the end of their life. I have experience with simms g3 that have lasted 5 years as primary and are now my back ups, I have a pair of simms toray waders the specific model isnt made anymore but the same material is used on the confluence? I believe. The tributary is in the same class as frog toggs, cabelas, white river etc. Some complain about the quality of new simms products, but in my experience the durability of the goretex wader waders cant be beat. If you watch for end of year sales the guide classic can often be found for half off. Its a huge step up from the more basic waders. Otherwise, if you fish alot (aggressive wading, covering lots of water and long hikes) I think its hard to expect anymore than a year leak free out of the simms tributary and comparable models from other brands.

There are many threads on here about the consumable nature of waders unfortunately.

If it was slow start, a leak here and there over a couple weeks or so I wouldn’t be surprised. It was the instant failure in multiple spots at once that surprised me. Perhaps the hard fishing and walking I did over last weekend just pushed them over the edge.

 

[Mashbill]

you might already know this ... but if it were me, before i do anything ....
...go to Dollar General or lowes, buy a spray bottle and a big bottle of isopropyl alchohol.
- turn the waders inside out, preferrably still while damp.
- lay one side flat on a towel ... on a bench or table
- spray the waders LIBERALLY with the alcohol ... all over, get them wet with the alcohol

the dark pin points and / or dark areas... are where they are leaking. ( water cant penetrate the goretex ... but the alcohol molecules are small enough to get through ... thats the dark spots )

you then can determine if you have alot of small holes, are maybe a large seam failure. if its small holes - dab with Aquaseal each hole .... or use the UV aquaseal. repeat for the other side. im doubting its a seam failure

this is same / basically good advise that MT-FLYFISHER also recommended. at least this will take the mystery out of the equation.

good luck! dont give up on those waders just yet!!

 

[Skook]

you might already know this ... but if it were me, before i do anything ....
...go to Dollar General or lowes, buy a spray bottle and a big bottle of isopropyl alchohol.
- turn the waders inside out, preferrably still while damp.
- lay one side flat on a towel ... on a bench or table
- spray the waders LIBERALLY with the alcohol ... all over, get them wet with the alcohol

the dark pin points and / or dark areas... are where they are leaking. ( water cant penetrate the goretex ... but the alcohol molecules are small enough to get through ... thats the dark spots )

you then can determine if you have alot of small holes, are maybe a large seam failure. if its small holes - dab with Aquaseal each hole .... or use the UV aquaseal. repeat for the other side. im doubting its a seam failure

this is same / basically good advise that MT-FLYFISHER also recommended. at least this will take the mystery out of the equation.

good luck! dont give up on those waders just yet!!

I was under the impression that this technique for finding leaks works only with Gore-Tex material, but I could be wrong.

I believe Simms' Tributary waders are made from Toray fabric.

 

[TCWNY]

I have a pair of these on the way, hoping I get 2.5 years or so as I did my last pair. I'm pretty tough on waders

 

[Andrwhite610]

With all the information online I’m sure I can find many good techniques to test for leaks and repair. One I’m aware of is blowing air in them with a shop vac and an air tight seal. Then spray soapy water all over them and look for bubbles.

I just wasn’t sure if I made a big mistake by storing them in a wet tub for some time with no chance to dry. Again it just seems odd that they went from completely dry to leaking in multiple spots. I looked them over dry and see no punctures or tears or seams coming apart.

If I send them out to Simms I will report back on how that went.

 

[Bamboozle]

...I just wasn’t sure if I made a big mistake by storing them in a wet tub for some time with no chance to dry. Again it just seems odd that they went from completely dry to leaking in multiple spots. I looked them over dry and see no punctures or tears or seams coming apart.

If I send them out to Simms I will report back on how that went.

I never wear waders but I sometimes wear stocking-foot hippers (not Simms) and have stored them soaking wet in a dry bag for DAYS before I got home and never had an issue so I wouldn't blame your problem on how you stored them...

However, I wouldn't volunteer that thought to Simms.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

When I responded to your post earlier I hadn’t considered that your Trubutary waders were made of that polyester toray fabric. I still don’t believe that storing them when wet in a plastic container overnight by itself should cause them to leak, but without looking at your waders it’s possible that they could simply be wearing out from use.

I’ve got Simms G3’s (I’ve been buying Simms waders as long as they’ve been making them) and I almost always turn them inside out and put them in a plastic storage box, with a lid on it, and keep them there until I’m able to hang them up to dry. That could be a matter of an hour, or maybe overnight, depending on where I’ve been fishing. I put my wading shoes in a separate plastic container. My waders have developed pinhole leaks from use over time, but never from storing them the way I do as far as I’m aware. I also follow Simms recommendations for cleaning, handing, etc.

Rather than looking on the internet for suggestions why don’t you just call Simms customer services and ask them what to do? Whenever I’ve called them, or stopped by their place in person, I’ve always found them to be helpful in answering my questions or repairing their products.

P.S. Here’s a little side story about my use of Simms waders one time.

Several years ago I spent a month in West Yellowstone fishing for the large lake run trout that move into the rivers there in the fall. I fished every day, sometimes from daylight to dark, and some days my waders never completely dried over night. By about the third week I starting noticing a purplish mark that had begun to appear on my right upper thigh.

Over the years I’ve had a variety of skin cancers (mostly from spending too many days fishing in the sun) so I was concerned that that purplish mark could be something potentially serious.🧐. I didn’t let it interfere with my fishing, but I continued to look at it over my last week of fishing there, and it seemed to be getting larger. So as soon as I got back home in PA I called my dermatologist to see if I could get an appointment.

Normally it takes 6 months to get an appointment with the dermatologist since they are so busy, but my wonderful doctor agreed to stay over her normal workday to see me that same evening. It only took her a minute to diagnose the seriousness of the purple mark on my leg.

“It looks to me like there was some dye in the fabric of what you were wearing that “bled” onto your leg.” “That’s nothing to worry about.”

😅 As soon as I got home from seeing her I turned my waders inside out, and sure enough, there was a black mark from a magic marker right where that purple mark appeared on my leg. Somebody at Simms probably made that mark there when they were cutting or assembling the waders. I scrubbed my leg extra hard that night and most of that purple mark came off! 😊

 

[poopdeck]

All waders leak, even Simms. I would not think storing wet for a day would cause anything more than a slight stink at most. I believe pulling waders off puts more leaks in waders than foliage.

 

[Andrwhite610]

When I responded to your post earlier I hadn’t considered that your Trubutary waders were made of that polyester toray fabric. I still don’t believe that storing them when wet in a plastic container overnight by itself should cause them to leak, but without looking at your waders it’s possible that they could simply be wearing out from use.

I’ve got Simms G3’s (I’ve been buying Simms waders as long as they’ve been making them) and I almost always turn them inside out and put them in a plastic storage box, with a lid on it, and keep them there until I’m able to hang them up to dry. That could be a matter of an hour, or maybe overnight, depending on where I’ve been fishing. I put my wading shoes in a separate plastic container. My waders have developed pinhole leaks from use over time, but never from storing them the way I do as far as I’m aware. I also follow Simms recommendations for cleaning, handing, etc.

Rather than looking on the internet for suggestions why don’t you just call Simms customer services and ask them what to do? Whenever I’ve called them, or stopped by their place in person, I’ve always found them to be helpful in answering my questions or repairing their products.

P.S. Here’s a little side story about my use of Simms waders one time.

Several years ago I spent a month in West Yellowstone fishing for the large lake run trout that move into the rivers there in the fall. I fished every day, sometimes from daylight to dark, and some days my waders never completely dried over night. By about the third week I starting noticing a purplish mark that had begun to appear on my right upper thigh.

Over the years I’ve had a variety of skin cancers (mostly from spending too many days fishing in the sun) so I was concerned that that purplish mark could be something potentially serious.🧐. I didn’t let it interfere with my fishing, but I continued to look at it over my last week of fishing there, and it seemed to be getting larger. So as soon as I got back home in PA I called my dermatologist to see if I could get an appointment.

Normally it takes 6 months to get an appointment with the dermatologist since they are so busy, but my wonderful doctor agreed to stay over her normal workday to see me that same evening. It only took her a minute to diagnose the seriousness of the purple mark on my leg.

“It looks to me like there was some dye in the fabric of what you were wearing that “bled” onto your leg.” “That’s nothing to worry about.”

😅 As soon as I got home from seeing her I turned my waders inside out, and sure enough, there was a black mark from a magic marker right where that purple mark appeared on my leg. Somebody at Simms probably made that mark there when they were cutting or assembling the waders. I scrubbed my leg extra hard that night and most of that purple mark came off! 😊

I will likely send them off to simms…glad to hear it was just a sharpie infection.

 

[Andrwhite610]

All waders leak, even Simms. I would not think storing wet for a day would cause anything more than a slight stink at most. I believe pulling waders off puts more leaks in waders than foliage.

They certainly stank. Especially the shoulder straps. I won’t be doing it again.