Simms wader leak frustration… any help / insight appreciated

[Mashbill]

Simms G3 custom made, about 4-5 years old, light use - maybe one 30 day road trip fishing hard daily per year.

Issue - I can’t find where the seep leaks are coming from on the upper / belt high- waist area front. Starts as a small damp spot on pants in thigh area … damp spot on pants grows as day goes on. Damp areas are NOT near any seams —- seems to be coming from middle of wader material.

I’ve turned them inside out - sprayed whole area with 70% isopropyl alcohol—- I get NOTHING. No pinholes, no dark spots - nothing. I did fix one area —- but it was pure luck as I saw on the OUTSIDE of the wader a strange spot / imperfection when wet —- and I aquasealed & patched whole area inside & it’s now fixed.

I just seem to be spraying the alcohol, looking for anything that looks suspicious & aquasealing it … only to have the same seep leak. I’m just wasting my time ‘fixing leaks’ …. that are not leaks or seeps.

I have a 25 year old pair of original Simms Guide’s that I’ve patched hundreds of times/— spray inside with alcohol — and the pinholes spot right up, turn dark & spread out —- no question at all where the leaks are ….. NOT these new(er) Simms.

— am I using the right alcohol? Is the 70% isopropyl the right one?

— could this just be a “wader material failure” - or something with this area’s wader material…. that can’t be fixed ?

— do I need a #%^# spectrometer or centrifuge now to do what was always a very simple ( and frankly satisfying ) repair??

I’ve already sent these back to Simms once in year 2 …. They charged me $60, kept them for a while, said ‘ now repaired ‘ —— only to have the exact same leaks the 1st time I used them. I’m not sending them back again or going through that nonsense again.

**** any help, suggestions or insights are very much appreciated.

These waders are the last thing I’ll ever buy from Simms —- again.

Thanks again.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Have you tried the method of shining a flashlight through the area in a dark room?

 

[Mashbill]

I have —- does not show anything … or any pin holes, etc …. I’m really stumped

 

[Bamboozle]

They repaired them for $60 and said they were "fixed" and they're not??

Regardless of your frustration, I'd be contacting Simms and asking them what if anything they are willing to do for FREE because self repairs may void any other remedy you have.

If that's not an option for you or them, if nothing else I'd renew the Durable Water Repellent (DWR) by treating the waders with a suitable DWR product like Nikwax or Revivex.

Good luck!!

 

[nymphingmaniac]

70% isopropyl is not high enough for small holes. Buy the 91%. if you find 100%, that's good too. I've detected modest sized holes with 70% but you have to let it sit saturated a bit.

I thought of another trick. Spray them with 91% from the outside and look for the wet spots on the inside. Its an odd suggestion , but it might worth trying

use caution what you hang off your belt and don't cinch it too tight

 

[Drifly]

if you can try pumping air into them and spray outside w/ soapy water and look for bubbles. That’s what Simms does.

 

[Mashbill]

Thanks guys —- I appreciate the responses. I tried a “ water test” …. Waded - checked …. Waded deeper …. Checked …. A little deeper —— SEEP LEAK , right leg, where 3 seams come together … at lower leg & upper & side panel … so I’ll check that out with 91% isopropyl, hook it all up to the Gongulator, fire up the Flux-capacitor… rub Herter’s gopher bacon grease into it … and hope for the best.
— seriously— appreciate the help.

 

[Jemoca75!]

I had to switch to orvis , my past 2 pairs of simms would leak within 5 uses. I fish hard, bust brush and generally don't take care of them though. My orvis pro Lt have at least 30 outings without a leak so far

 

[Mashbill]

Update: --- so the trick seems to be the 91% isopropyl alcohol --- found 16ozs at Walgreens for $3.95 .... sprayed the suspect areas .... and BOOM .... the pinholes showed right up as black spots --- that grew as i let it sit. Thanks Nyphingmaniac!

i also gave them a washing and i'll treat them with a goretex waterproofing spray --- i havent done that in years. So we'll see -- fingers crossed.

 

[salmo]

I wash and treat my waders with NicWax. Seems to do the work.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

Update: --- so the trick seems to be the 91% isopropyl alcohol --- found 16ozs at Walgreens for $3.95 .... sprayed the suspect areas .... and BOOM .... the pinholes showed right up as black spots --- that grew as i let it sit. Thanks Nyphingmaniac!

i also gave them a washing and i'll treat them with a goretex waterproofing spray --- i havent done that in years. So we'll see -- fingers crossed.

not convinced that the waterproofing spray does anything, or for very long. if just affects the nylon shell.
if ur interested. the goretex membrane is non-polar. You need a less polar alcohol to penetrate the small holes. This is why isopropyl works but ethanol does not. Adding water to Isopropyl (70%) increases the polarity of the solution.
if ur curious why 91%- absolute Iso absorbs water from the atmosphere. 100% will ultimately become ~91%. It is hard and expensive to maintain Iso above 91%. Same with 100% ethanol. It becomes 95% quickly if left out to the atmosphere.
now back to FF.

 

[Yoder]

I have a pair of the Simms Freestone waders and they are complete trash. They lasted one season before they started leaking. I went over every seam with a sealant and they still leak. I understand these are their "entry level" waders but they should last years not a year. My cheap $100 Amazon Chinese waders lasted 5 years before they started to leak.