Simms waders worth it??

[madsetter]

I have gone through 3 pair of Hodgman waders in about the past 6 years. The most recent being their Guidelite style which is on the upper end. Well it is time for a new pair and I am looking at the Simms G3. Before I dump $425, can anyone tell me if they would recommend them? They say that the workmanship and materials are guaranteed for life, yet the warranty does not cover a breakdown in materials over time. Will these things last more than 3 years, unlike Hodgman?

 

[bigjohn58]

What all does the Sims Warranty cover? I've often thought about getting a pair of Sims but they are just so expensive and I never really cared for the colors of their wadders for some reason even though I know color doesn't really mean much.

 

[trout17]

They are worth every penny you will spend. I fish a lot, not as much as I wish I could, but a lot. My last pair lasted six seasons or so, maybe more. They are so dependable you will forget as well. When I fish I want dependable products, the last thing I want to worry about while fishing is whether or not my equipment holds up or not. I am a user of equipment not an abuser so your mileage may vary.
Jim Kearney

 

[troutbert]

I've never had a pair of boots, including neoprenes, "regular" waders, lightweight waders, or stocking foot hip boots that went a full season without leaking.

All the other fly fishing gear (rods, reels, lines, hooks, leader material etc. have all improved greatly over the years and are really fine products. With the exception of boots. They are supposed to keep the water out and they don't. They leak. Where's the good old American ingenuity? Can't somebody make waders and hippers that don't leak after a little use?

Maybe Simms are the ones. I've bought their wading shoes and they are good products, but I have never tried their waders. I'm afraid I would spend $400 and they'd leak within the year, and then I'd burst a blood vessel in a fit of rage...

But maybe Simms waders really are much better than the others. I don't know and hope others will fill us in.

 

[Padraic]

Whatever wader you get, make sure you have it properly fitted.

Gortex leaks where it's stretched, and when the seams are pulled out. Water seeps through places where the wrinkles retain it for long periods.

I got a pair of Dan Bailey's at the Feathered Hook. And I think simply because they were the correct size (and DB has tall, XX etc.) they've been the best pair of waders I've owned.

 

[RangerKeen]

In my experience with Simms they have terrible custumer service . Aswell as I feel lately they quality has been drowned out by greed and being cheap .. I still own a pair but only as back up . If you want good customer service and quality and a bette r price Try PATAGONIA , especially the watermasters ....

 

[bobm]

I second Patagonia. Keep an eye on Sierra Trading Post. They specialize in closeout merchandise. You can usually fins stuff for around 60% of original retail. I picked up a pair of $300+ patagonia waders from them for under 200 bucks and they are great. I never would have spent the original price for such an expensive pair of waders before, but they are worth it.

 

[dryflyguy]

I bought a pair of Simms classic guideweights 5-6 years ago.
They were fine the first year, but the heels started leaking the 2nd year. I sent them back to Simms - they put new booties in them and charged me $75 - said they had extreme wear, which I really doubt after a little over a year of use. I don't abuse my waders either. And the new booties started leaking again less than a year later
Needless to say, I'm not happy with their customer service.
As stated on another post, I bought Orvis guide weights last year.
I read in the latest issue of fly fisherman magazine that simms came out with a new model that sells for $700 - supposed to have more heavy duty gore-tex and a zipper. They also redesigned the feet - they eliminated the y-seam at the heel, which is where I had my leak problems. But that's a lot of money to shell out for waders

 

[troutbert]

$700 for a pair of waders? That's shocking.

One thing that can contribute to excessive wader wear is if you're wading shoes don't fit right. If they are too loose there is some "slop" or "play" as you walk, so the wading shoe rubs back and forth against the neoprene with each step and this just grinds down the neoprene bootie at the heel and a leak develops that is just about impossible to patch.

So you want to take plenty of time to try on the wading shoe with the waders you'll be wearing and make sure they really fit. Not too tight of course, but not too loose either. I think its a bad idea to buy wading shoes through a catalog or online because the fit of wading shoes differs quite a bit with different models. It's best to go to a good shop and try them on and walk around and get the right fit.