Pro Guide 3 woes

[Maurice]

Here we go again...Last year about this time I sprung for the proguide 2 waders and they wore out at the inside knee seam in about ten outtings. I sent them back and they replaced them with the PG3's, new knee designs. Great right? Well, I'm not so sure. I have been fishing them since April and on many occassionshave been "in" up to my crotch fishing, crossing, etc. Never leaked except for a couple small wet spots here and there. I didn't think too much of it. Well, last week I fished the breeches in the slow water and was in up to the t-bags for over an hour. The water was COLD. and after a while I began to feel a chill. I attributed it to wearing jeans a little late in the season.

When I got back to the car and pulled them down my jeans were SOAKED from the knee down to my ankles, my feet were dry. I thought, WOW, they leak. So since they were wet on the inside, thinking I am sending them back I immediately turned them inside out.

The next day I fished with the same fellow and when I went to turn them right side in there was about 12oz of water in each bootie. We were amazed. I fished deep and crossed all day and not even a wet spot.

I think the problem is that the seams dont leak because that would have shown the next day. The problem is likely that the material soaked up the water and it permeated the breathable material.

I am calling Orvis tomorrow.

anyone else see this with their PG3's

Maurice

 

[jaybo41]

I can only hope this is not a sign of things to come as I've just recently picked these up. So far, I love them but I am a little nervous. I guess I just trusted my LL Bean boots that had finally seen better days.

One thing I've been doing with these is turning them inside out after I fish with them. Let the insides dry for a day, then repeat process after fliping them outside in.

Man I hope these last me a few years.

 

[Sylvaneous]

Sounds like you have condensation. I get that a lot, too. The natural water vapor released from your body can condense on the cold surfaces of your outer thermals or the inside of your waders. You need movement and some warmth to drive off the moisture. My Simms have always been pretty damp from my knee down, especially behind my knee. Well, that's the area that is pretty tight to my leg, is the furthest from fresh, dry air, and is a part of my body that sweats a lot, and being low on your leg, is quite often under water most of the time. Plus, it's close to the neoprene foot, so all the moisture from there can build up your lower leg.

No excuses, but those are the reasons that I've found.

 

[dryflyguy]

I returned my Pro guide II waders - for the second time - in late summer, and Orvis replaced them with the Proguide III.
I kept wearing my backup pair this fall however, and haven't tried them out yet, planning on saving the new ones for next year.
Sounds like more problems await me though

 

[Maurice]

Sylvie....condensation? I don't think so.

Hey Fred, did it look like condensation to you? It felt like someone threw a bucket of water on my legs.

 

[fritz]

Maurice, If that was condensation you'd have dropped from dehydration.

 

[jerseygeorge]

"I am calling Orvis tomorrow.

anyone else see this with their PG3's

Maurice"

If you look in the gear section you can see that I am selling an Orvis gift card. That was from returning my Pro Guide 3's.

I bought the 2's from a fly shop in Bozeman MT. The booties leaked in a year. Sent them back and got 3's. Very good service.

After a year they leaked in the crotch. I had to rent waders for a trip.

I wrote a lengthy honest review on their website. It kept kicking back the word "crotch", as a bad word to say. But I finally submitted the review saying I liked them but they leaked. Professionally written, no emotion. THEY NEVER POSTED IT. All of the Orvis reviews are edited and if they are not favorable with held.

Also, they would give me a new pair, but because I bought them from a fly shop they would not refund my money. They would only refund my money if I purchased directly from them. They gave me a gift card refund instead.

Go with the Baileys. I like the quality, and I can take them to any dealer anywhere and get an instant exchange if they leak. From past experiences I thought Orvis had the best wader guarantee, but Dan Bailey has the best guarantee.

One last plug for my Orvis gift card listed in the swap section.

 

[riz]

i have the orive pro guide 3 waders that i've worn since april, bought them after dan bailey would not replace the leaky waders i sent to them. i like the orivs waders a lot. i do not have the problem you speak of. i do get a little condensation but no wetness. the baileys leaked every where, i sent them to abiley's and they but some patches on them and sent them back. i used them 2 times and they leaks again but this time the water came right threw the bootie neoprene material. fished the waders with water and the water went right through like a seive. bailey's told me they would not exchnge my waders because they were more than 5 yrs old. they started to leak in year 3. not exactly what i would call great service not exeptionally bad either.

 

[jerseygeorge]

Riz- Sounds like I should have talked to you before you bought the Orvis and you should have talked to me before I bought the Baileys! The Orvis service was very good, but I only wrote the short story, the 2's replaced a previous pair, so my leaky 3's were my third Orvis pair in 5 years. So far I am happy with the Bailey, I purchased the top of the line Yellowstone Guide Waders.

..... another plug for my $310 gift card that I am selling for $260.

JG

 

[wetnet]

Send them back! I have Pro guide III's and they have done fine by me but I am a timid wader and haven't stood in waist high water in freezing streams. Doesn't sound like condensation. Send them back now. It isn't until companies get feedback that they realize they have a problem with a product they actually should get some real people to do the tests. We as a family sent back 4 rods. One our fault but believe it or not some of the most expensive rods failed and not due to neglect. Orvis will replace them, just call them explain the problem and send them back.

 

[PaulG]

Riz

Im sorry to hear your troubles with Bailey's, i have a pair that are the best waders I've ever had. I had a leak in the foot once and took them back to Jonas at coburn, where I got them, and he took care of tenm for me.
PaulG

PS, I will say he tried to fix them for me twice, but it didn't wotk!

 

[sandfly]

HODGMAN, I went from Orvis (working for them) and owning their waders. there all leak, I now have went back to Hodgman, can't be beat.. orvis is getting them made in china and the glues don't hold up and there has been a problem with the wader material..

 

[Maurice]

Well I called them just now and expect to receive a new pair in 7 days. I need them for T-giving so I didn't push the delivery. Charged to my credit card and all i have to do is send mine back and the charge is nullified. Because I only had them 6 mos I am eligible for the "Exchange program"

Now I only have to deal with the felt that came off my Korker shoe insert.....DOUHL!

 

[dryflyguy]

riz wrote:
i have the orive pro guide 3 waders that i've worn since april, bought them after dan bailey would not replace the leaky waders i sent to them. i like the orivs waders a lot. i do not have the problem you speak of. i do get a little condensation but no wetness. the baileys leaked every where, i sent them to abiley's and they but some patches on them and sent them back. i used them 2 times and they leaks again but this time the water came right threw the bootie neoprene material. fished the waders with water and the water went right through like a seive. bailey's told me they would not exchnge my waders because they were more than 5 yrs old. they started to leak in year 3. not exactly what i would call great service not exeptionally bad either.

I would be happy to get 3 full years out of a pair of breathable waders with no problems, which I don't think I ever have. (I've had neoprenes last for 5 years, though)
I should add that I do fish a lot, and in tough places

 

[afishinado]

I too have an Orvis wader story. I bought a pair of ProGuide2’s a few years ago. They lasted nearly 3 seasons, and began to leak at the seam in the crotch. They appeared to still be in good shape, so I brought them back to the Orvis store, and they shipped them back to Orvis for repair. I called Orvis in a couple of weeks to find out where my waders were, and apparently they lost them! They express shipped me a new pair within a few days. I wore them for a few months and began to leak at the seam. I brought them back to the store and they were sent back for repair. They leaked again in about a month, and I was refunded my money. I went out and bought a pair of Simms with the refund.

To me Orvis gets an “A” for customer service and a “D” in wader quality. For what you get, I believe their waders are overpriced. First, they are not Gortex, they are made overseas, and they are not tested before shipped. I would rather buy a pair of Simms for nearly the same price before Orvis any day. Most of the cost of the Orvis waders is spent on frequent replacement by the Company, IMO.