Breathable Waders - What to look for?

[speechless33759]

Alright, this is my second time returning my breathable waders...it's a BPS brand. This is the second time in about a 7 month span that I've had to do this... the seams just seem to leak...mostly at the knees and this time around it is at both knees and the crotch area.

Now what should I look for when I go to get another pair. Probably upgrade...but I know about stocking foot and boot foot.etc. etc.

But my questions are....
1. When I bend down, should i feel resistance from the "stretch" of the waders or should i get a size where when i bend down, the waders will allow for ease in bending, but won't that make the waders bunch up around the knees and legs and cause leaks?

2. Should I go with name brand such as Orvis, Simms, etc. because they are in the wader market.

3. Should i get waders with the least amount of seams as possible? Was looking at some of the Simms and it almost looks like a solid piece of material whereas mine have it in portions...the foot, then connected at the knees, then the rest up to the chest.

4. When looking at seams, what should i be looking for....to make sure that the seams will be strong enough.

I take fairly good care of my waders and try not to over-exert them, and usually will not fold them when storing them but either laying them flat or hang them up. Your help will be of importance in my next investment.

[Bamboozle]

I am not trying to hijack your thread but I am in the same boat as of yesterday with some Cabela?s Dry Plus waders except mine are leaking somewhere in the bootie area. After Aqua Sealing the crap out of them beforehand I also am getting ready to move on to another pair.

The fit question is of particular interest since too tight a fit may be part of the problem with seam stress. I am interested in the responses you get from breathable experts out there.

I am looking at the Simms RiverTek; any pros/cons?

Thanks for letting me borrow your thread.

[ducksterman]

Certainly no expert.....

but re: the fit question....IMO the fit should be such that you can comfortably bend down in a knee squat position, raise your leg to get over a log or other obstacles, climb in a boat, etc.

As a point of interest, I fish with a person who religiously wears a pair of light weight cotton pants over his neoprenes which I suspect are now at least 20 years old. He also still folds them up and puts them in the original box after each fishing trip...has had zero trouble with them....frankly it's weird....on a relative basis he doesn't log a lot of hours wearing them in a year....several trips....

I'd stay away from Orvis unless you like going back to an orvis shop and returning them for a new pair every few of months. I'm now on my 7th pair of Orvis waders in 4 years. The last pair leaked when I put them on the first time.

Poor quality control.

At least they will replace them.

The next pair I buy will be Simms.

Ken

[splatte boy]

Agreed with Duck on fit, with your winter garb on I want to be able to get into a catcher's squat without putting any stress on the waders. They may look and feel baggy or lose when standing up but after the material gets broken in after a few trips you won't even notice it. In fact, at my local shop that's the first thing the owner has you do when you try on a pair to check for fit. Not having them big enough to move around in will stress the seams more than anything else you could do.

I know everyone has their preferences and somewhere there is always someone who has had good experiences with every wader out there, but I say just go for the Simms. For $199 the lightweights are a great fitting, plenty rugged enough wader and goretex to boot. The small amount of extra money over the bargain waders are well worth it for the piece of mind and not having the hassles of repeated returns usually associated with lesser quality. just my .02, SPB

[SilverMallard]

In my experience, all the laminate breathable waders spring leaks sooner rather than later. The multi-layer membrane type breathables seem to last much longer. However, they are also way more expensive. Gore-Tex waders get good reviews. Simms upper end (Freestones are laminate) and Patagonia SST's get good reviews and seem to last a long time. Orvis's upper end waders get good reviews also, but I hear a lot of negatives about the Clearwaters and Clearwater Enduras.

As to fit, breathables should be baggy enough to allow full range of motion without stretching the material and the layering of clothing underneath. It is a common mistake for folks to buy them too small.

Seems to me that the choices are this:

1. Pay a king's ransom for top quality breathable waders. ($300-400 range)
2. Buy the cheaper laminate type breathables from a mfg/store that offers a good warranty and exchange policy and keep trading them in when they spring a leak.

------------------
Fishing the Ozarks

[WV browntrout]

stay clear of all cabelas waders....
as they are junk! I can't tell you all the horror stories of my own (like a pair leaking in two different spots after 5 minutes in the water on their first trip) and the horror stories of my friends from those things.
hodgman and dan baileys have good waders
at fair prices.... and of course, if your pocketbook (and/or significant other) doesn't mind... just got for the gusto... get a pair of Simms.
browntrout

[PhysEd]

My first breathables were Cabelas Dry-Plus Premiums. Went through about 4 prs. before deciding to try something else. Cabelas was very good about replacing them--it just got to be a hassle having to send them back all the time. My next pr. were the Orvis Pro Guides--very nice features, but they leaked the first time out. Have gotten the replacements, but have not tried them out again. A friend of mine who is in the business told me that Orvis was having quality control problems on their waders--hopefully that has been rectified.

[Bob Widmaier]

Here is my 2 cents for comparison.

As far as fit, I agree with others here. Waders should NOT have to stretch when you squat to deal with fish or snags or whatever. Baggy is better and besides, it allows you to wear warm clothes under your waders. I wear my wader more in spring and fall when it is cool and I need the extra clothes.

As far as seam numbers, sealing, etc, all of that is related to the brand and design you buy. I am not qualified to comment on wader design, but it stands to reason, the less seams, the less chance of leaks.

My brand experience has been good. I have a pair of Hodgeman WadeLites I have had for about 8 years. I use them about 10 - 15 times per year or so and they just started to leak this spring. I coated them with a sealer to buy a few more months, but I got my money from them. My wife has a pair about 3 years old and no problems. I bought 2 pair of the Cabelas breathable waders, about $140, for 2 of my sons about 2 years ago. One of my son's uses his frequently and he has not had any problems. My second son has only used his 2 or 3 times and no problems. Maybe I bought the only 2 pair that did not leak.

For me, I plan on replacing my Hodgemans with a pair of Simms this summer some time. I just want to upgrade and I like their quality. Plus, I go to Bozeman, MT a few times a year and I like to support the local economy.

Dr Bob

[SilverMallard]

Just FYI...my experience with the Cabela's Dry Plus waders has been good, also. My experience with Hodgman WadeLites has been terrible. I also have a cheap pair of Bass Pro White River breathables that leak a bit at the crotch now, but that's because I got into a fight with a thorn bush and I can't find all the holes.

In my opinion, it's the middle-of-the-road price range that's a rip off. I can deal with a new pair of cheap ones every couple years and I could justify buying a pair of $400 waders if I'd never have to do it again.

------------------
Fishing the Ozarks