Stearns Waders

[mute]

Im in need for a new pair of waders as i went through 3 pairs of hodgmans last year and am not tryign to do that again. Anyone know of Stearns are any good?

http://www.stearnsflotation.com/dyn_prod.php?p=STRS678&k=77379

 

[afishinado]

Mute,

Wow!!....three pairs in one year. In that price range, I would try Cabelas waders. The waders are decent and Cabelas stands behind them. Also you can go out to the store in Hamburg and try them on. There are a lot of models in the $100 - $200 price range to choose from:

Cabelas Waders

Good luck.

 

[dryflyguy]

I can't help you on the breathables, but I own a pair of stearns neoprenes. Have had them for 3-4 years now with no problems.
However, I only wear them in early spring and late fall.
I got them at FFP, and I'm pretty sure that Steve told me that stearns is a division of hodgman

 

[flyfishermanj]

mute,

I have now owned two pair of Stearns breathables. I wore the 1st pair out rather quickly, but I really didn't take care of them. Would just bunch them back up in the bag without airing them out. I got maybe 50 fishing days out of them in a year and a half.
The second pair is going on three years now and probaly only 60 fishing days, but I been taking a little better care of them. The only problem that I seem to have is wearing out the neoprane stockings, but I think that has more to do with my wading boots than anything. For the money, I like the Stearns, and they are part of the Hodgeman group. I'll will be buying another pair.

Jh

 

[TroutBuster]

There is someone on ebay listing a TON of those Stearns waders you posted the link to.. They've been on there for at least two months now, any size you can think of. And none of them are selling for more than $50!!! Brand new!! Check it out... thats where I'm getting my new pair for this spring.

 

[mute]

Yea i took the risk and i got them. Thats where i got mine TroutBuster

 

[jayL]

Hodgman pretty much sucks. It's a shame, because it's a relatively good "name" on their products.

 

[mute]

So awesome, so while stepping over a guardrail the other day i tore a gash in my waders. If that wasnt cool enough, after reading the instuctions and "repairing" them. I woke up this morning to see the patch didnt really stick at all, *sigh*. Good use of 50 bucks

 

[tomgamber]

At least you didn't slash a pair of 300 dollar waders.

 

[mute]

Im just now wondering if i did the repair right.

The wader repair material has 2 sides, the one side is the color/type of material on the inside of hte waders and the other side matches the outside of the waders. The lighter side is the inside and the darker side is the outside of the waders.

Anyone know which way its supposed to be glued down.

 

[tomgamber]

I guess my question would be, did you try to apply the patch to the inside or outside of the wader?

 

[mute]

To the inside i followed the instructions of finding the leak, turning them inside out, applying glue over the tear, placing the patch on it, waiting 10 minutes then applying heat with an iron

 

[TroutBuster]

Mute,
You tore your new Stearns already?? Great... my new Stearns breathables are in the mail now. Hoping they were a little more durable than that! Did you catch them on the rail pretty good, or do they just rip that easy??

Oh well, I only spent $40 total for mine so they're worth a shot!

 

[tomgamber]

so the two sides that you are gluing together are not the same?

 

[mute]

Tom, i glued the darker side down to the inside of the waders. Meaning if you look inside, the colors match. And troutbuster, i didint even catch it on like a sharp corner or anythign, it was just on the normal edge that runs alltheway down the guard rail, all well.

 

[TroutBuster]

Did the seam tear open or did it rip a hole in them?

 

[mute]

it was a clean gash about the length of a penny on the inner thigh

 

[JackM]

With fine thread, you can sew the waders and apply a generous portion of Aquaseal or Loon UV Repair. Keep the holes from the needle fairly close to the torn fabic. The sewing is just to get the gap closed, so you don't need to be precise. The "goop" you apply will make the waterproof seal, the thread just being a bit of reinforcement so the stress isn't all on the goop once the repair sets up. Bruno showed me this trick and it worked well on a gash I put in the knee of my waders.

 

[tomgamber]

mute wrote:
Tom, i glued the darker side down to the inside of the waders. Meaning if you look inside, the colors match. And troutbuster, i didint even catch it on like a sharp corner or anythign, it was just on the normal edge that runs alltheway down the guard rail, all well.

ok, that's what i was asking...i'd give returning them at least one try...

 

[TroutBuster]

Mute,

Just got mine in the mail yesterday. I've never fished with breathables before (used either neoprene or rubber), but these tseem awfully thin. I've looked at the breathables in stores and seem to remember them being thicker/more durable than this. Nice waders other than that. The feet in them are very neat/comfortable with that special material. I'll give them a shot!