Wader Leak

[streamerguy]

Just found out yesterday that I have a leak in my waders. They are a pair of stockingfoot breathables and the leak is right at the bottom of the neopreme foot. How do you guys usually repair this?

 

[Lonewolve]

mark where the leak is...dry out the waders and booties real good, clean off any dirt...then apply either aqual seal or use the Loon UV wader patch,one word, use spit on yer finger and smear the glue over the hole.let glue set.. then do the opposite side,for neoprene this is SOP.
For Breathable material you need to do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMsc1JsZ5C0
hope this helps.

 

[gfen]

does not compute. link is to simms wader repair. i have been told by a couple of guys that simms are the super wader and that all i do to fix them is send them back to simms and they come back to me in a box with puppy dogs and rainbows and muppets.

this video is lies. its lied to me.

 

[Lonewolve]

Lol Gfen sometimes you have to get off yer butt and do things for yourself.pinholes are usually a buyers or useres fault..not the manufacturer, if its seams and the waders are not 5 + years old id say its the manufacturers responsibilty IMHO.
I don't depend on the warranty if i can fix such things, booties coming off or seams different story

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I sent my waisthigh Headwaters back to Simms to have them install new gravel guards. They replaced the entire bootie and fixed 4 or 5 pinholes I did'nt even know were there. Turn around time about two weeks total. IMO good company.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear streamerguy,

Buy new waders.

Neoprene booties fail becuase of compression leaks and all neoprene booties will eventually fail. The neoprene simply wears out and loses the ability to be watertight after several years of use because the weight of the angler crushes the airspace in the neoprene material over time. Nothing short of replacing the entire foot will stop the leaks from continuing to appear.

Attempting to fix compression leaks is a monumental waste of time, a fix will only be temporary because a new leak will form in another spot on the sole.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[jdaddy]

Tim is right here. You can't fix neoprene with aquaseal or Loo UV wader repair imo.

 

[gfen]

evidently, you can with "goop." or so said the internet. i larned that the other day. me? i just wore a plastic shopping bag over my foot the last two times i went out coz that's how i roll: cheap as dirt.

 

[pcray1231]

Agree with all of the above actually.

Depends on the type of leak. Actual holes can be repaired. Seams can be tough, but I've done it successfully. When the actual fabric just stops being waterproof, well, it's over, time to buy new waders.

^^^ goes for neoprene or breathable parts.

For me, that ultimate failure usually occurs on the inside of the legs. Can be different for others, depends on size, fit, how you walk, etc. It starts off slow, just a bit of dampness, can't really pinpoint it, you think maybe its condensation. Then, after a few more wears, the pant leg is noticably wet. Then, after a few more wears, the socks are noticably wet. Eventually, there's standing water and you can dump it out after fishing.

 

[RLeep2]

>>For Breathable material you need to do this:
(Simms repair video)>>

Unless, I'm misremembering things again, there is a proviso here. In order for this method to work, the waders being repaired need to be Gore Tex and not the regular breathable material that most of our waders are made from.

I haven't had a lot of opportunities to deal with the compression leak/neoprene thing (I've usually ripped my waders to shreds on barbed wire and sharp sticks long before I wear out the neoprene), but what Tim says makes sense to me. The only quibble I'd make is that I've made bootie repairs to what I imagine were compression leaks and got another couple hundred hours out of the waders before another such leak presented itself. So, while I'd probably agree that compression leaks are ultimately fatal, I tend to think that if you Aquaseal the living s--t out of the area with the leak, you can put the patient into remission for quite a while.

Other than that, Aquaseal is the way to go, IMO. I once ripped a hole in a brand new pair of Bean's waist highs on a coil of barbed wire. The rip was in the shape of an "L", about 8 inches long on both arms. I backed the rip with duct tape and aquasealed the outside one side one day and then did the inside the next. They failed five other places over the next year, but never in the repaired "L".

Aquaseal heap powerful medicine..

Finally, just to throw it out. I spent a lot of years looking for an efficient way to find slow seam leaks or tiny pin hole leaks. The only method I've found that I think is worth a hoot is the old tire fix gimmick where you put a couple tablespoons of dish soap in a bowl, add a pint or so of water and then compress the suspected area of the leak around an air source (I use one of those electric pumps for blowing up air beds) and then brush the detergent solution on with an old paint brush. Even the smallest leaks give themselves away and bubble like mad. No more going over the inside of my waders with a flashlight in a dark closet for me... Although this also works for most leaks...

 

[streamerguy]

Thanks for the replies. Its not really a hole, just that wear on the heel like others said. I'd hate to get a new pair since I only had them for about 2 years.

 

[pcray1231]

2 years is about the standard life expectancy of my waders. Well, till first leak, anyway. With repairs and just tolerating some wetness, I usually go close to 3 before actually replacing them. The first wintertime outing after leak usually gets me off my rump about it.

And I used to buy cheapo hodgemans, it was more like a year for those.

 

[dryflyguy]

I've successfully patched neoprene bootie leaks before, although the heels can be tough. Lots of pressure right there.
Just make sure they're competely dry first, and use aquaseal on both sides.
Certainly worth trying before throwing them out

 

[streamerguy]

A few years ago I tried using that aquaseal stuff on a cheap pair of hip boots. It worked for a few times fishin but then it leaked again. Have yet to try it on breathables. The pair I have now are Orvis, and I don't really want to buy a new pair every 2 years or so since they're a little pricey. If I can't fix them, what other waders do you suggest? Breathables not neopremes.

Oh to be clear the leak isn't in the breathable material, but on the neopreme foot on breathable waders.

 

[pcray1231]

Neoprene waders clearly last longer, and are cheaper up front. So if cost is the only issue, that's the obvious answer. However, they're ridiculously hot! Not good for summertime fishing for this fat guy. I'll pay the money for the breathables.

There are other types of rubber in the same ballpark as neoprene. And there are the real cheap light but non-breathable materials, they look and feel just like breathables. I have to give them a try but reports are that longevity isn't any better (though they are cheaper).

Some go the neoprene/wet wade route, just wet wade in the summertime. You can buy neoprene socks for 10-15 bucks, which are good with normal wading boots. I have them, but rarely use em, waterborne diseases scare me too much and I want some protection from brush and poison ivy and such.

Some get all 3, hippers, breathable chesties, and neoprene chesties. Less use extends the life of each pair, and you then do have more options to match different conditions. But, money wise, its more expensive up front, and at best, a wash in the long run.

Me, I think I'll just keep trying to get 2-3 years out of a comfortable pair of breathables.

There is no good answer. Wading comfort costs money, plain and simple. As soon as someone shows me a pair of breathables under $150 that are gonna last 3+ years, I'll be the first to sign up.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear streamerguy,

I sent you a link with information on the Orvis wader guarantee and repair service via PM. They are pretty committed to keeping their customers happy so I suggest you check it out.

I'd like to take a minute to remind you and everyone else to be sure to always wear gravel guards and always make sure you clean the accumulated debris out of your wading shoes before you put them on. I'm not saying you neglected to do that, I'm just saying that it doesn't take a lot of grit or gravel to cause accelerated wear to the booties.

If you want to check your waders for a more precise source of the leak it's pretty easy to do. One way is fluff the waders full of air and grab the the leg that leaks in the mid-shin region and twist the wader so the air is trapped in the foot. If you apply pressure to trapped portion of the wader leg it's pretty easy to tell that the neoprene is compressed beyond repair if you can hear air escaping from the sole of the foot.

The other less comfortable way to check is wait until the waders are dry and try wearing them again. A compression failure will result in your feet getting wet immediately once you wade about ankle deep. If you put your supposedly good waders away in the winter and wind up with a foot of cold wet water the next time you wear them you'll know you have a compression leak. That's how I always find 'em! ;-)

Either way get ahold of Orvis. They treated me more than fairly when I contacted them about a 7 year old pair of waders with shot booties.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[stevehalupka]

Lonewolve wrote:
Lol Gfen sometimes you have to get off yer butt and do things for yourself.pinholes are usually a buyers or useres fault..not the manufacturer, if its seams and the waders are not 5 + years old id say its the manufacturers responsibilty IMHO.
I don't depend on the warranty if i can fix such things, booties coming off or seams different story

ahh come on dude

even my spare pair of 70 dollar ll beans that are still going strong would never get a self fix... you take them back with glue or patches and the chances they get replaced go down drastically..

send the f'in things back and pay for priority shipping if you need them in a hurry. majority of the time, self-fixes only last a few trips.

i have a pair of g3 simms coming back from alaska for half the normal price. Will not wear on trips that I walk through brush and such. Even at half the price, it's not worth it; unless you buy from ll bean of course