Opinions on the latest Orvis Silver Sonic Waders

Six-Gun

Six-Gun

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Jul 30, 2013
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427
Bottom line up front: my 3 year old Simms Freestone waders finally developed a leak in the right leg/crotch seam that showed up while fishing the Muskegon in Michigan this past weekend. I am pondering a long term replacement.

The Freestones are off at Simms for repair, but my experience with such things is that it is probably going to be only downhill from here with a set of waders that are now 3 years old and have seen pretty extensive use in the Rocky Mountain states. Ultimately, I figure I may get to finish out this year with them and then will need new ones.

So, I have never owned Orvis waders, let alone the Silver Sonics. I must admit that the thought of a welded seam is appealing. For those who have used them, how do they stack up to other brands' offerings?
 
I upgraded to the silver sonics after going through two pairs of the encounter waders that developed leaks. When I upgraded, I paid the difference in price and received a discount as well. So far, they have held up well. I have had them since the early fall and fishes in them probably about 50 times. I do a good bit of bush wacking and hiking around in them and the seems are all good. They have the gravel guards on the feet and the material is doubles up all the way through the thigh. They have a suspender feature which comes in quite nice for when nature calls or when you don't want to have them chest high, and a waterproof zipper pouch that I have put to the test already. I would recommend them to anyone, and orvis has a good range of sizes. I would recommend trying on bothe silver sonic and the guide version as well. For the price, it beats a Patagonia or Simms.
 
Had my pair of Silver Sonics for past 4 years, probably 120-130 outings. 2 weeks ago and all of a sudden right bootie on the inside developed a leak, socks wet and pants only wet ~ 6 inches above ankle bone. Tried to find it and repair - leaked in same area next trip. Though boot studs protruding - nope.

This past weekend, did an alcohol spray on inside legs up to the crotch and found no holes or wear spots. Orvis charges $40 to repair and I guess you pay for the shipping. Since I feel that these are the most comfortable waders I've ever worn (have a pair of G3s and owned other brands), I'm going to send them back to Orvis for repair.

I agree with pmelle's opinions.
 
pmelle wrote:
I upgraded to the silver sonics after going through two pairs of the encounter waders that developed leaks. When I upgraded, I paid the difference in price and received a discount as well. So far, they have held up well. I have had them since the early fall and fishes in them probably about 50 times. I do a good bit of bush wacking and hiking around in them and the seems are all good. They have the gravel guards on the feet and the material is doubles up all the way through the thigh. They have a suspender feature which comes in quite nice for when nature calls or when you don't want to have them chest high, and a waterproof zipper pouch that I have put to the test already. I would recommend them to anyone, and orvis has a good range of sizes. I would recommend trying on bothe silver sonic and the guide version as well. For the price, it beats a Patagonia or Simms.
Click to expand...

There is no way you can compare anything that comes out of an overseas Orvis factory to any pair of waders made by Simms.
 
I fished on Friday with a guy who had a brand new pair of Patagonia rio waders he's used a handful of times since January, they developed a leak in the boot on Friday. Yes, you can
 
waders made by SIMMS... no you can't.
 
Truthfully, I am still favoring going with a Simms offering and upgrading to a Gore-Tex offering at the same time (most likely the G3 Guide series). That said, I don't like to be blindly brand-loyal and like to at least explore some other options. The sonic-welded seam technology is at least intriguing from a longevity standpoint.

The last few comments got me thinking a bit: I called/talked with a Simms rep moments ago, and asked a few questions about Gore-Tex vs. other breathable fabric options. Specifically, I wondered how repairable Gore-Tex is compared to other materials since I've had a couple of near-miss slips that I was lucky to see a sizeable tear with over the past couple of years. When dealing with $300+ wader options, I would hope they could be saved in the event of a major tear. He assured me that he had to have that exact repair to his G3's after a spill on sharp rocks out West and that his are still going strong with the press-patch fix. That's definitely a big selling point I'm going to have to consider if I take a major leap in price, but I still wonder if the Gore-Tex seam will hold up as well as a sonic welded seam.

 
I sold the stuff for a living for a long time. Do your self a favor and go with the Simms. Get the G3's "buy once, cry once" My one pair of G3's are 7 years old, I wear them about 100 times / year, I have patched a few pinholes,but they are still going strong.
 
BountyHunter -

I have been very impressed with the Simms stuff that I have owned thus far (I also have a set of their last-gen Guide Boots). Even the Toray fabric on the Freestones held up mighty well considering that it's one of their lower-end import options. It's definitely not lost on me that that they stood up to three years+ and many trips spent kneeling on nasty, Rocky Mountain creek beds/banks and paddling in a float tube in sub-freezing temps where a leak could mean the end of an expensive trip.

The Simms rep's repair story sounds a lot like your. Aside from his one really bad spill that necessitated a major repair, he's only had to dab Aquaseal on a few pinholes and go on about his business over something like 5 years of ownership. When it comes to upgrading, I won't complain one bit about spending a bit more for a superior product. As long as they are inherently durable and repairable of the worst happens and they take a nasty tear, it's worth it. I agree with you: buy once, cry once. Nothing is worse than wasting money trying to save money up front, only to buy the right thing the next time around anyway.
 
I have the orvis sonic zippers-haven't had a problem with them yet. I have only had them for a little less then a year tho. Never owned simms so can't compare. I had orvis lower priced waders and leaked took them back paid the difference for the silver sonic. They ended up overnighting them to me for free since I needed them. The zipper makes it perfect when matching them with stream side beers all the time ;-)
 
Had 2 pairs of Orvis waders in the past ten years, one I wasn't sized correctly for so the inside seems blew out at my knees, but the other had a bad leak in one of the feet. They did ok otherwise. However, seeing that other people had a similar problem isn't great.

I do have a pair of Simms G3s, and they've held up remarkably for three seasons of 50-100 days on the water. In fact, considering the hell I've put them through I can't believe they haven't leaked yet.
 
Give this a read. I had the same questions a while back

http://www.paflyfish.com/forums/Open-Forums/Gear-Talk/Orvis-Silver-Sonic-waders-vs-the-competition-/3,40055,flat.html
 
Well, that was fast and amazing...simms is going to replace my old Freestone waders under warranty *3 years* after I bought them!

"Thank you for using the Simms Online Repair Center. Our Repair Technicians have determined that the product that you returned for evaluation is not repairable. This item will be replaced under warranty"

They said I should have a brand new set in 7-10 days. Wow, that's pretty impressive customer service!

That said, I may still upgrade, but Simms is probably going to get the nod again after doing me a huge right-on like this.
 
steveo27 wrote:
Give this a read. I had the same questions a while back

http://www.paflyfish.com/forums/Open-Forums/Gear-Talk/Orvis-Silver-Sonic-waders-vs-the-competition-/3,40055,flat.html
Click to expand...

The link isn't working for some reason. I tried copy/paste and it's still not coming up (just taking me to the main forum menu)

EDIT: nevermind - I just searched the key terms from the shortcut and it worked...reading the thread now. Thanks for passing it.
 
I have G4s and G3s, 4s are on year 5, 3s are on year 3. I've sent both back for repairs. I've used the 4s much longer and harder than the 3s. I am extremely rough on my waders but I hang them to dry religiously between uses. I have never had a problem on the seams. Both boots have been replaced though. Nothing negative to say about them except the price. My next pair of waders will be g4s.

I have had bad luck with Orvis waders in the past but we are talking 10+ years ago (clearwater bootfoots and tailwater xt bootfoots). I also 2 pairs of had William Joseph drynamic waders prior to the Simms and got about a year out of each pair.
 
Yeah, 5-layer Gore-Tex sounds pretty tough (though the G3s only have 5-layer in the legs). I'd imagine that stand up to a lot of abuse. Anything I buy has to be able to stand up to bushwacking as I typically like to fish small streams that are choked off by vegetation.
 
The welded seems are a joke. I split 4 pairs of the sonic guides so far, within a couple days on the water. Orvis is going to give me my money back rather than giving me new waders monthly. Customer service is great, waders are garbage.
 
ryan -

What seem to be causing the splits? Are you doing anything in particular when they go out? (rowing, brush busting, etc?)
 
They split at the crotch section from just wading, nothing strenuous. Orvis is aware of the problem. They added a patch to the inside of the crotch on the waders but that only holds the split off a little longer. The first two pairs didn't have the patch and were leaking in 3 fishing days. I have spoken with numerous people at orvis and they have been very helpful but it is a very flawed product. I am definitely not the only one with the issue.
 
I am pretty sure they have made a recall or redesign it doesn't look like most of their waders are available until the end of June.
 
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