Tempory Wader Repair

[MikelC]

I don't know if anyone has tried this before, but I have been experimenting with what could be a very good temporary repair of torn or worn out waders. My old waders (breathable Chota's) had some spots in the crotch where the waterproof material had worn away from ordinary use. I saw an ad on the tv for "FlexSeal", that spray on/paint on waterproofing material, and it got me thinking'
"If it can seal a screen door in a boat, why wouldn't it seal leaking waders?" It turned out that the 'Flexseal', worked ok for a little while (about 1 hour of wade time), it just didn't hold up under all the moving around, and I once again experienced the 'wet bottom syndrome'. Then I happened to see the ad for "FlexTape", that supposedly worked even under water. I told myself, "What the heck, it can't be any worse then the original experiment", and went and purchased a roll of it (a little pricey, at $12 a roll at Walmart). Surprise, surprise!!! The initial testing showed that it worked!!! Two hours into the fishing and no leaking!!! The jury is still out, however, as I want to test it further. Will post the results as soon as I finalize.

I was wondering if anyone else had hit upon this idea. Replies welcome!!

Mike

[Steve Molcsan]

Sounds good , look forward to your updates
think I will get some for the emergency kit

Thanks for the idea

[Uncle Jesse]

I have a pair of breathable will a little age on them that have started leaking around the booties. I am considering spraying them on the exterior with NeverWet outdoor formulation. A $20 bottle is supposed to cover 60 sq. ft. so even if I determined I needed to spray them every trip it would be a good investment.

[Marco]

UJ,
I have the same situation with my "older" waders so I looked into the NeverWet product. Methinks it is a waterproofing agent and NOT a sealant. It will waterproof your waders but do nothing for the leak.

Mark

[DaleW]

A product I've had a great deal of success with is AquaSeal. Anything for water proof repair .... boots, waders, tarps, tent.

[Silver Creek]

I use three products.

Aquaseal is for a permanent repair. If you thin it with toluene, it will cure in 4-6 hours. Repair on the inside of the waders so the outside remains pristine.

I use my Flex UV cure for temporary/permanent repairs of pinhole leaks, hook holes, etc when I am on a trip. Again on the inside.

I use A DWR (durable water repellant) coating to renew the factory coating and prevent wet out. I know that NikeWax TX Direct works. Here is what Gortex says about restoring DWR

https://www.gore-tex.com/support/res...ter-repellency

Here is a primer on how to care for breathable garments by REI.

Rainwear: Durable Water Repellent (DWR) Care

[PRM]

Thanks for posting this, Mike. Following .....

Paul