I put quite a few days of wear on waders per year.
I have a pair of Orvis Proguides that have 150-200 days on them with. I have patched them 3 times so far, and currently they leak in the left leg if you get above knee deep. 25% of the days on my waders are hunting. These waders are getting close to 5 years old, and have 50 days, 2 repairs, and 2 years left in them as a pair of backup waders.
I also have an 8 month old pair of Dan Bailey's lightweights that have around 40 days on them, with 10 days of those being hunting. They l recently started leaking, but made it over 30 days without developing one. The main issue is that the inside seems rub together, creating excess wear. This is common and easily repaired, the Orvis Proguides had the same issue. These waders were less expensive than the proguides, however i see no reason why i am not going to get another 100 fishing days out of them with proper care.
I have a third pair as well; Hodgeman breathables from walmart. These waders are 3 years old and only have 20 days on them, first leak at 10 days. They are the perfect wader for the fisherman who wears waders less than 10 times per year, they are easy to repair. I would never recommend these waders to a waterfowl hunter.
I expect a good pair of waders to last 20-50 days between repairs, and a cheap pair from 5-20 days.
The most important factor for me in future waders is going to be the fit of the booties, the least important factor is going to be the manufacturer.
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