The RiRi Storm ? waterproof front zipper technology has been used in dry diving suits for a number of years so I suspect that its been pretty throughly tested. The first practical waders using this technology came from Italy under the brand name Sir Francis Evolution. Bill Edrington who owns Royal Gorge Anglers in Canon City Colorado started carrying them a year ago. If you would like to see pictures and read a spec sheet about them, Bill has an eBay store at http://stores.ebay.com/Royal-Gorge-Anglers. I think the Sir Francis are much better constructed than the Hodgeman and they are certainly priced better than the Simms.

To my knowledge, none of the current sponsors on FAOL carry the Sir Francis waders. I have no connection with RGA or any dealer, and have no financial interest in the product.