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…
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?
Should I go with name brand such as Orvis, Simms, etc. because they are in the wader market.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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
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:
Pay a king’s ransom for top quality breathable waders. ($300-400 range)
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
i got a pair of patagonia sst’s at a silent auction for a good price, and i have to say, while i don’t like some of the features (the built in suspenders and the gravel guards), they have not leaked in over two years of hard use. a little pricey, though…
Ahhh…comes back to “What you pay is what you get…” I may have to suck it up and go ahead and get a higher price wader…but then I have to decide whether i should get that or should I upgrade my beginner flyrod for a better one…decisions…decisions… I’ll just have to be content huh…
Well I’ll be exchanging my waders, and will get a bigger size. Hopefully that will help things out because i noticed i would put some stress on the seams when i bent down…tried not to do it, but i had to sometimes.
Hey I was just in the same boat as you the beginning of the year. I sprung for the Simms Classic Guide waders and I love them. There is a big difference between my waders now and the ones I used to have. They were Cabelas Dry Plus waders and they served the purpose for about 2 1/2 years. I returned them and they gave me a full refund. I saved and bought my recent pair. Just go and try a pair of Simms and you will see the difference in fit and comfort. Just to let you know that Im not the type to always spill out that much cash for waders. It was X-Mas money and the refund money. Although when Im in the market for waders again I will save for the Simms.
you are going to have a hard time getting riverteks unless you know of a shop that has them in stock. from what i heard from simms that that they changed the g3 (which only has one seem in the rear,) and they will not be making riverteks til august or so. the lightweights are, as other people have said a great value.
I have owned the Orvis Pro Guides for the past couple of years w/o any problem (knocking on wood). Well the other day I had a small leak, looks like a thorn poked a small hole in the waders but I fixed it with the iron-on seem tape include w/the waders. If I did not already own boots, I would have seriously considered the new Orvis Tailwaters XT waders. The SIMMS waders look very nice but they are just as expensive if not more.
One thing that may help in finding a correct fitting wader is to remember, at least in IMHO, that waders should NOT fit and look like pants. That said they also should not be too baggy. For example, Orvis makes a short and regular length wader in my size. I buy the regular.
In the store put the waders on and push the extra toward your knees. Then tighten the wading belt. You do wear a wading belt, right? You should be able to squat (you may need to let the extra air out) and place one foot on a chair and tie your shoe. The waders should not “stretch” and “stress” the seams. While fishing we tie our shoes, squat to pick up fish, check under rocks, climb up and down the steam banks, over dead trees, etc. If the waders seams are constantly being “stretch” and “stress” during this “normal” fishing active there is no way we can expect ANY manufacture?s waders to last. Additionally, if the waders are too tight you will have to fight against the pull of the tight wader while trying to climb out of the stream or over an obstacle, which is dangerous.
In the winter, I wear layers, polypropylene sock liners, Smartwool socks, and a pair of bicycle tights under the breathable waders. Using this combination, I have not found the need for a second pair of neoprene waders.
[This message has been edited by classicflytyer (edited 06 May 2005).]
For what it is worth Most of the folks that use Dan Bailys waders seem to be happy with them in the under 200.00 price wader. ( I don’t use them as I rep’ed for Bare and they still work well but not imported any more.) I think Simms makes the best wader and if you have the cash they are worth it.
I’ll just say that I will never pay over $100 for a rod that doesn’t have a lifetime warranty, and never pay over $150 for waders that don’t say “Simms” on them.
I’m all for competition, and I would love it if Simms had a serious competitor that was pushing them to innovate even more and lower their prices, but I don’t think there’s any close competition for the folks in Bozeman. I have a very high opinion of Patagonia’s products and ways of doing business, but Simms just outdoes them opn waders in my opinion.
I think Simms wader market position is most similar to Gillette’s in men’s razors. Gillette is able to charge 40% more for their products than the next competitor because the product just works that much better.
