Waders

[Troutmeister]

Last fall before a trip up to Pulaski for salmon I bought a pr. of Orvis Encounter waders. I fished 4 days up there and then maybe a half dozen times over the winter and early spring before they started to leak. As time went on they got worse and worse.

I called TCO where I bought them and asked about any kind of guarantee. I was told that since they were lower priced waders, I could bring them in and they would send them back to Orvis and they may repair them and it might cost up to $50, or I could try and seal them myself.

Well I didn't want to be without them at the beginning of the season so decided to try and seal em. Long story short, It only slowed down the leaks which eventually got worse and worse.

My question, is this typical for a guarantee, or lack of one on waders?
I won't be buying these again. Can anybody recommend a pr. of waders that won't break the bank?

Cabela's has their Osprey II waders on sale starting May 28th for $100
Anybody have them, and how have they held up?

 

[troutwilleatflies]

I have Simms waders,no leaks ever,but did tear them when I fell on rocks on Salmon River,sent them back to Simms for repair and they fixed them.no leaks at tear or any where else.They are pricey but in this case you get what you pay for.Look for sale on internet.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Check out the warranties on LL Bean and Cabela's. Under a year, with the receipt, you will get an even exchange or a new pair.

They all leak, but I think they should last a year, at least. I have 500+ dollar Simms, and they have been sent back for repair once and been Aqualsealed by me once already in under 3 years. It all depends on how much you fish (I average 75 to 100 on a good year).

 

[outsider]

I bought Cabela's waist high waders 8 years ago. 2 years ago there was a small leak at a seam in one of the neoprene booties. Repaired it with aqua seal. Still going strong.

About 1 1/2 years ago I bought a pair for my son. They don't have a lot of mileage on them. Recently sprung a small leak where the bootie meets wader, and some of the tape at the seams is lifting. Called Cabela's and this is what they told me: not covered under warranty and the new waders have a 60 day warranty, having to do with Bass Pro Shop buying Cabela's. I won't be buying waders there again.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

outsider wrote:
I bought Cabela's waist high waders 8 years ago. 2 years ago there was a small leak at a seam in one of the neoprene booties. Repaired it with aqua seal. Still going strong.

About 1 1/2 years ago I bought a pair for my son. They don't have a lot of mileage on them. Recently sprung a small leak where the bootie meets wader, and some of the tape at the seams is lifting. Called Cabela's and this is what they told me: not covered under warranty and the new waders have a 60 day warranty, having to do with Bass Pro Shop buying Cabela's. I won't be buying waders there again.

That is sad to hear! LL Bean with a receipt is still no questions asked, at least for the year (used to be for life).

Simms are great, but you are talking 6 to 8 weeks for a repair, so a back up is needed if you use the warranty. No personal experience with Patagonia, but I suggest a pair of cheap backups too if they leak during the season.

 

[Troutmeister]

Outsider, Wow 60 day warranty is really lame.

Nymph-wristed, Was that 1 yr. replacement policy before Cabela's was bought out by Bass Pro?

Maybe have to look into Simms if you guys think they're worth it. Just hate to spend that much money on waders being an old retired guy.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Troutmeister wrote:
Outsider, Wow 60 day warranty is really lame.

Nymph-wristed, Was that 1 yr. replacement policy before Cabela's was bought out by Bass Pro?

Maybe have to look into Simms if you guys think they're worth it. Just hate to spend that much money on waders being an old retired guy.

Cabelas AND LL Bean used to have lifetime, 100% guarantee. No more. LL Bean will take anything back with receipt for a year though.

I have not owned them yet, but Simms Freestones are priced competitively because they are not made here... Same warranty, though, but not Gore-tex, so not as easy to find holes and fix yourself, maybe? Since I have not owned them, I don't know for sure. Maybe others know.

 

[laurelrun]

I have about two dozen trips plus two trips to the salmon river on a set of Frogg Toggs Hellbenders which are around $100. No leaks yet. And at that price, you can go with a new pair if you can’t aquaseal a leak. Just bought a pair of Cabela’s zipfronts to try out zipped waders. So they are now my backups.

 

[jifigz]

I saw 0 correlation between money spent and life that waders lasted. Super cheap waders that I know people have and use are the Caddis breathable. I think they are $80. All waders leak. I tend to buy cheaper Bean waders. One pair of older Bean waders I have were cheap and have been aquasealed like crazy and they keep me drier than any pair I currently own, out of 5 pairs. My most expensive waders have a good leak in them. I'm waiting on warm weather/water to figure out where it is And fix it. Cabela's Bluestream are cheap dependable waders too.

 

[Letort]

I have two pairs of Simms Freestone waist high and they both leaked. Second pair is only 2 yrs old and leaks like a sieve with the neoprene booty. Will send back at end of season.

Don’t think thAt Simms, due to cost, will be leak free. The are not.

 

[jacob]

I had a pair of encounters a couple of years ago - mine started leaking after 8-9 months at the boot. I took them to Orvis (Plymouth meeting, shoutout to them cuz they are awesome) where I got them, and they refunded me 100%. I ended up trading up to the silver sonics and have had those now for about 2 years. They did the same for my encounter boots at the time, as the sole literally fell off. Traded up to their boa boot and have had those for 2 years now as well.

Only a very slow leak near the knees these days, and the boots are still in their prime. I also beat the crap out of them.

I wouldn’t suggest getting the cheapest ones- try and find a middle of the road pair. With waders and wading boots you really get what you pay for. It’s better to buy once and cry once.

Also there are only two types of waders - waders that leak and wader that are going to leak.

 

[rrt]

Worst luck: I have bad luck with nearly all waders. I once had a pair of Simms waders that leaked quickly. I tried to fix them but then sent them to Simms. They told me that instead of fixing or replacing them that they'd send me a Simms hat or T-shirt. Why would I want a hat or T to help advertise an inferior product? No more Simms for me. I had bought them b/c they were American-made.

Have had a little better luck with Cabela's lightweights, though the felt pulls off quickly. I have a friend who used to install carpets, and he has fixed the past two pairs. When I found the pinhole leaks in one pair, they are almost as good as new. These are relatively affordable.

Best luck: LL Bean lightweight stockingfoots. As long as I avoid the multiflora rose plants along streams, they are wonderful, and they are large enough to tuck my vest inside the waders. Why buy waders where you can't do that? In addition, these Bean waders are in the affordable range, especially since Bean has no shipping fees. I rarely go more than a year without finding a leak in a pair of waders, but the pair of Beans that I now have are in their third year without a leak.

Note about Aquaseal: Once I open the tube and use it, the Aquaseal seals the opening. In subsequent uses, I have to poke holes in the tube and get the stuff out the sides. Probably just my ineptitude.

 

[Troutmeister]

I know they are all going to leak eventually, but having a pr. leak after about 10 days of fishing is totally unacceptable. Mine leaked at several different spots almost simultaniously.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

 

[wildtrout24]

With regard to Aqua Seal..once opened you can put the tube in the freezer and reuse without it drying out...I know it doesn't help on stream but works for storing to use at a later date....just run under hot water when ready to use an open tube again.

 

[afishinado]

Troutmeister wrote:
Last fall before a trip up to Pulaski for salmon I bought a pr. of Orvis Encounter waders. I fished 4 days up there and then maybe a half dozen times over the winter and early spring before they started to leak. As time went on they got worse and worse.

I called TCO where I bought them and asked about any kind of guarantee. I was told that since they were lower priced waders, I could bring them in and they would send them back to Orvis and they may repair them and it might cost up to $50, or I could try and seal them myself.

Well I didn't want to be without them at the beginning of the season so decided to try and seal em. Long story short, It only slowed down the leaks which eventually got worse and worse.

My question, is this typical for a guarantee, or lack of one on waders?
I won't be buying these again. Can anybody recommend a pr. of waders that won't break the bank?

Cabela's has their Osprey II waders on sale starting May 28th for $100
Anybody have them, and how have they held up?

Orvis stands behind their products. Plus, since they haven't been worn that much, I would bring them back to TCO or an Orvis owned shop for replacement before going out to buy another pair.

 

[outsider]

I'm experiminting with a different seal for wader repairs. I bought it at a scuba shop. They used to carry Aquaseal, but don't anymore. It is Seal Cement neoprene cement made by McNett, and it is a lot thinner than Aquaseal. So far I like it for repairing leaky seams. And it is a big tube. I'll give a report when it is field tested by me.

 

[ryansheehan]

wildtrout24 wrote:
With regard to Aqua Seal..once opened you can put the tube in the freezer and reuse without it drying out...I know it doesn't help on stream but works for storing to use at a later date....just run under hot water when ready to use an open tube again.

Do you store it in the freezer?

 

[dryflyguy]

Only waders I've had last at least a few years, are Simms gore tex.
Have a pair of G4Z's that are 7 years old, and still going strong.
And two pair of headwaters.
Yeah, neither are cheap. But well worth the money IMO.
I cherish my time on the water. And don't want it to be spoiled by leaky waders.

That said, I do agree that Simms warranty isn't the greatest.
Last I knew, you get one free repair within the first year of use.
After that, you will be charged for any fixes.

I've never tried Patagonia waders.
But have two pair of their wading boots and a raincoat. And have been very happy with the performance of all.
And, though I haven't had to use it, I understand that their warranty is top notch.
So, I would have no problem trying their waders down the road

 

[wbranch]

All waders will leak whether you spend $100 or $600. Sometimes even the $600 wader will leak sooner than you might expect for such an expensive wader. I used to buy Cabela waders and get one full season out of them with no leaks. Typically I would start getting leaks the 2nd season and if I was willing to do the leak repairs myself could get a 2nd season out of them.

You just never know about wader quality. Back in 2011 I bought a pair of Cabela's zipper waders on sale for $125. Those were pretty much the best wader I ever had. They just never leaked. I had them for four full seasons fishing 80 - 100 days a year. At the beginning of the 2015 season the zipper jumped the track and I couldn't get it back on track and I had to discard them.

Here comes a rant - leave now if you don't want to listen to a cranky old guy.

I bought my first pair of Simms waders. The Freestone model. I was unaware, at the time, that the Freestone was the only Simms wader not manufactured at the Bozeman facility. It was being made off shore. While they didn't leak I had a heck of a time getting them off. At the time (maybe it has changed) the Freestone booties were sized 9 - 11. I'm a street shoe size 11/12 depending on the shoe manufacturer.

I called Simms in Bozeman and they gave me credit for the $250 I spent on the Freestones and sold me a pair of the Headwaters in size 10 - 12 for $300. The list price was $400. So it was no real deal, but better than no deal.

I bought them on June 15, 2015. Admittedly I fish more than most guys and log 80 - 100 days a year in waders. No bush whacking but still almost 3 1/2 months in waders. The Headwaters started to leak in October on a steelhead trip. I just didn't wade that deep anymore so as not to get a wet butt. I got through the spring steelhead season and early 2019 trout season with a pair of LL Bean waist waders.

I spent $35 to ship the Headwaters to Simms in Bozeman. They had them for three weeks. They never called me, nor did they send me any emails until about the end of the 3rd week. Then I got a very short email saying my waders were being shipped back. I assumed they were repaired.

Nope, they didn't repair them at all. It appears they didn't do a damn thing but put them back in a box with a letter that said basically " We hope you have enjoyed your Simms waders and had many pleasant fishing days because we believe they have reached the end of their serviceable life and we can't repair them to our high standards".

I was able to locate the leak in five minutes and after turning them inside out and drying the wader foot I was able to repair them to my high standards within one hour. I have fished with them twice since repairing them and my foot and calf is as dry as the first day I ever wore them. I will never buy another Simms product. As soon as I repaired them (I plan on using them as my steelhead waders as I rarely wade deeper than mid thigh) I went out and ordered a pair of the Orvis convertible waders for $298. They fit fantastic and the anatomically correct left and right booties slip on, and off, better than any wader I have ever put on.

 

[jifigz]

wbranch wrote:
All waders will leak whether you spend $100 or $600. Sometimes even the $600 wader will leak sooner than you might expect for such an expensive wader. I used to buy Cabela waders and get one full season out of them with no leaks. Typically I would start getting leaks the 2nd season and if I was willing to do the leak repairs myself could get a 2nd season out of them.

You just never know about wader quality. Back in 2011 I bought a pair of Cabela's zipper waders on sale for $125. Those were pretty much the best wader I ever had. They just never leaked. I had them for four full seasons fishing 80 - 100 days a year. At the beginning of the 2015 season the zipper jumped the track and I couldn't get it back on track and I had to discard them.

Here comes a rant - leave now if you don't want to listen to a cranky old guy.

I bought my first pair of Simms waders. The Freestone model. I was unaware, at the time, that the Freestone was the only Simms wader not manufactured at the Bozeman facility. It was being made off shore. While they didn't leak I had a heck of a time getting them off. At the time (maybe it has changed) the Freestone booties were sized 9 - 11. I'm a street shoe size 11/12 depending on the shoe manufacturer.

I called Simms in Bozeman and they gave me credit for the $250 I spent on the Freestones and sold me a pair of the Headwaters in size 10 - 12 for $300. The list price was $400. So it was no real deal, but better than no deal.

I bought them on June 15, 2015. Admittedly I fish more than most guys and log 80 - 100 days a year in waders. No bush whacking but still almost 3 1/2 months in waders. The Headwaters started to leak in October on a steelhead trip. I just didn't wade that deep anymore so as not to get a wet butt. I got through the spring steelhead season and early 2019 trout season with a pair of LL Bean waist waders.

I spent $35 to ship the Headwaters to Simms in Bozeman. They had them for three weeks. They never called me, nor did they send me any emails until about the end of the 3rd week. Then I got a very short email saying my waders were being shipped back. I assumed they were repaired.

Nope, they didn't repair them at all. It appears they didn't do a damn thing but put them back in a box with a letter that said basically " We hope you have enjoyed your Simms waders and had many pleasant fishing days because we believe they have reached the end of their serviceable life and we can't repair them to our high standards".

I was able to locate the leak in five minutes and after turning them inside out and drying the wader foot I was able to repair them to my high standards within one hour. I have fished with them twice since repairing them and my foot and calf is as dry as the first day I ever wore them. I will never buy another Simms product. As soon as I repaired them (I plan on using them as my steelhead waders as I rarely wade deeper than mid thigh) I went out and ordered a pair of the Orvis convertible waders for $298. They fit fantastic and the anatomically correct left and right booties slip on, and off, better than any wader I have ever put on.

Thanks for reinforcing my ideals of not wasting money on Simms..I'll stick to Bean, Cabela's, etc. But I've definitely owned more Bean waders than any other brand.