Orvis Waders

Fredrick

Fredrick

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I am looking to purchuse a set of Orvis Tailwater Waders Bootfoot ,does anyone know if these waders are a good buy or if you heard of anybody having problems with these waders ?
 
I have only two thoughts...first is that my opinion is that low end orvis is kind of a waste of money...If you'e gonna spend money on orvis...you might as well buy the best they make. My othe ris that I hate bootfoot waders.
 
With the tailwaters it is like wearing a stockingfoot the boots have laces on them wich gives them alot more support than a regular bootfoot
 
Fredrick,

I have a pair of Orvis Pro Guide waders. This is my third season using them and they have served me well. I looked at the Tailwaters when I was buying them, but got the Pro Guides at half price during an Orvis sale. The Pro Guides also fit me better.

My experience has been that the wading boots nearly always out-last the stocking foot waders. Since the boots are attached, you must buy a complete new pair of waders, at close to $400, when they wear out. With stockingfoot waders, they can be replaced, and your still have the wading boots.

Also, I use my wading boots for wet wading in the summer. Bootfoots would eliminate that option.

I have not heard of an probelm with Tailwater waders. Orvis' top of the line waders are quality products, and Orvis has great customer service. If you like the boots attached for convenience, and they fit well and are comfortable, then go for it.
 
AFISHINADO,



You brought up a good point with the the bootfoot waders I bought a pair of wading boots last year and they are already getting pretty torn up so i'm going to get the tailwaters in stocking foot THANKS FOR THE INFO>
 
If you are going to buy a pair of waders with the boot attached whether it laces up or not I think is a dumb idea. As often as I go I will go through 2 or 3 pairs of boots before I get a hole in my waders. Boots just don't hold up and I'd much rather replace the boot then the whole waders if they are attached. I do like orvis boots though...I've had one pair for about 7 months the soles ripped off and the studs got lost and I was able to get brand new boots for free...so far this pair is holding up well. I don't like their waders though I like Hodgman for neoprines and Cabelas or Hodgeman for breathables. Between my brother and myself we've probably gone through 6 pairs of boots 2 pairs of waders in the last 3 years.
 
I don't know of anyone that has gotten more than a couple of seasons out of Orvis waders, including myself, at least on the lower price range stuff. They just don't hold up. Having said that I've now gotten 4 years out of a pair of Orvis hippers, but they were the bullet proof equivalent.
 
Bigjohn,
Wow, can't imagine what kind of fishing you do that would tear up boots at the rate you say, but I'll bet it's fun. My own experience is similar to afishinado's that even if the boot begins to wear a bit, it's the waders that go first.
Coughlin
 
Thanks for the comments Coughlin...that put a smile on my face and a little chuckle. I do do an awful lot of walking when I do my fishing. I hate staying in one spot for a long time. And over the last 2 or 3 years I've been trying my best to find some areas that are way off the beaten path on some streams that are very well known and a few that aren't. Its really paid off for me as I've gotten more big fish and some real beautiful fish and rarely a person in site. Gota love that! Oh and going roughly 150 times at least a year also takes a toll on the boots. My brother kept track 2 years ago that from the opening day of trout he fished 65 straight days needless to say the boots never dried out in that stretch. We go as often as we can and the boots rarely dry out completely between trips once early spring hits until about early fall then its off and on fishing between hunting.

I made the mistake kind of of purchasing the felts with the metal cleats. I love the added traction especially on certain streams such as Little Pine that I find very hard to stand in because of the rock slime but I was told by the guys at Fly Fishermen's Paradice that the studs cause the boot bottoms to fall off faster because the felts wear down around the studs it causes the stud to move around underneith the felt and then eventually the whole felt comes loose. They need to find a way to keep the studs perminately in place on the sole. My old Hodgman boots would have held up find if it wouldn't have been for the snow (snow and felts don't mix) but the Orvis boots I got with the studs and everytime the bottoms come off I loose the studs and thats what they give me back in return every time. I even asked for the ones without the studs but they said they can only return them for the same product. At least I know I can return them in another 9 to 12 months.
 
Big John,

The LL Bean Aquastealth and Simm's aquastealth have held up well for me. I have gotten several years out of both, but I don't think I fish anywhere near as much as you.
 
bigjohn58 wrote:
... I made the mistake kind of of purchasing the felts with the metal cleats. I love the added traction especially on certain streams such as Little Pine that I find very hard to stand in because of the rock slime but I was told by the guys at Fly Fishermen's Paradice that the studs cause the boot bottoms to fall off faster because the felts wear down around the studs it causes the stud to move around underneith the felt and then eventually the whole felt comes loose. They need to find a way to keep the studs perminately in place on the sole. My old Hodgman boots would have held up find if it wouldn't have been for the snow (snow and felts don't mix) but the Orvis boots I got with the studs and everytime the bottoms come off I loose the studs and thats what they give me back in return every time. I even asked for the ones without the studs but they said they can only return them for the same product. At least I know I can return them in another 9 to 12 months.

BigJohn,

Chota makes a studded cleat (machine screws screwed into a raised sole)that do not interfere with the felt wear. And I have a pair of Weinbrenner with built in cleats like the orvis that have not interfered with the felt. Both felts are a more durable (grey) hybrid felt (which may or may not mean they can reproduce) :lol: Anyway, I think getting two years out of felt fishing like I do aint a bad deal.

You are getting 150 days of fishing from approximately $150 invested. and every time you send them back you double your money. Thats 50 cents each time you go fishing for a secure and confident footing. That ain't a bad deal.

I don't think you realize how much you rely on the studs...without them you would be very disappointed.

Maurice
 
Maurice...I saw the Chota ones but their clets are huge and just something about them I didn't like although they look like they would grip onto anything. I don't mind really at all that the Orvis ones are not holding up as long as I keep on getting a free pair everytime. They are the Orvis Clearwater boots and they were roughly $80 I believe so right now I'm up to $240 in 2 years if I would have had to pay for all of them. Oh and I probably won't ever buy a pair of boots without the studs anymore just because I do feel they aid me somewhat and last thing I like to do is take a dunk in the water. The studs help some but not a ton but I guess a little is better then no help at all.

Padraic...I want to get a pair of the LL Bean Aquastealths with the studs for fishing in the winter. I was told by others though they are no way near as good as felts but I know from experience snow + felts = ruined boots so I'm willing to give them a try...now I just have to round up some money quick before the snow comes!
 
I want to get a pair of the LL Bean Aquastealths with the studs for fishing in the winter. I was told by others though they are no way near as good as felts but I know from experience snow + felts = ruined boots so I'm willing to give them a try...

I have not tried them without the studs. With the studs they are as secure on mossy rocks as anything I have worn.

The LL Beans are good for ankle suppport and more ski boot like. The Simms are lighter in weight and more hunting boot like. For the amount of walking you do, you may want to look for the Simms.
 
The simms guide boot with the studded aquastealth is an amazing boot. They hold up for ever and are really comfortable being a litter wider than most boots.
 
This past spring I made two mistakes in buying my first pair of breathable waders. The first mistake was buying the Cabelas brand and the second was buying boot foot. Never again for either one. I must have Aquaseal on every seam of the wader and the felt is coming off of the bottom of the boot. Plus, these boots weren't worn that hard as most of the summer I don't wear them. I'm now to the point where I need to wear my Duck Hunting 1200 gram boots, just to stay dry. I'm in the market for new ones this spring so this has helped a lot. Sure seems like a lot of money and a good amount of gamble to find waders that will last. Oh well it is either that or the old standby of plastic bags. :) I have found one thing that is great, though. UnderArmor Cold Gear! I NEVER get cold with this stuff on under my boots. I even found UnderArmor Cold gear socks! Wonderful under my waders and comfortable to wear.
 
Fredrick,

I would recommend trying them on first. I was interested in those also but I found that the XL was to big and the L was too small. I ended up getting something else.

beeber
 
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