Waders???

[kybasspro]

What type of waders are most durable? Neoprene?

[Scott F]

There are only two kinds of waders. Those that leak, and those that are going to leak.  No waders are bullet proof. Neoprene are OK during the winter but will kill you from the heat in the summertime. Sticks and thorns will puncture any wader. Breathables are the only kind to buy. I fish with a bunch of guys who wade a lot and breathables are the only choice. Make sure you buy waders that are a bit too big to give you room to move without stressing the seams. Good warranties are a must. Cabela's brand are warranted for life. I think Orvis also are. Simms are expensive but are very well made. I've had mine for nearly 10 years and just got my first leak in a seam near the stocking foot. I will send them in and they will fix them.

[Nick S]

On 3/24/2016 at 7:29 PM, Scott F said:

 Simms are expensive but are very well made. I've had mine for nearly 10 years and just got my first leak in a seam near the stocking foot. I will send them in and they will fix them.

Yeah and they will charge you plenty to fix them too. 

[tbone1993]

As stated above cabelas are warrantied for life. That being said they do run a little bit big on the foot size. Feel them out before you buy them.  I normally borrow my buddies duck hunting and if I'm wading in the summer its usually in shorts and water shoes like those power drains made by columbia.  Trout streams aren't something known to my area so I don't have a need for warm weather waders.

[HoosierHawgs]

On 3/24/2016 at 8:29 PM, Scott F said:

There are only two kinds of waders. Those that leak, and those that are going to leak.  No waders are bullet proof. Neoprene are OK during the winter but will kill you from the heat in the summertime. Sticks and thorns will puncture any wader. Breathables are the only kind to buy. I fish with a bunch of guys who wade a lot and breathables are the only choice. Make sure you buy waders that are a bit too big to give you room to move without stressing the seams. Good warranties are a must. Cabela's brand are warranted for life. I think Orvis also are. Simms are expensive but are very well made. I've had mine for nearly 10 years and just got my first leak in a seam near the stocking foot. I will send them in and they will fix them.

Yep, that's exactly what he said in my thread, and I've got too see, I bet he is right too. And Cabela's usually has good dependable gear with good warranties.

Here is the thread I started a while back with some helpful information from others as well.

 

[OntarioFishingGuy]

Simms are made to last a while. Cheaper breathables might last a season or two, but they will leak more. You can get Simms Freestones for 250$. Be sure to buy good wading boots as well, slipping in the river sucks.

[Nick S]

I've owned about every brand of breathable waders, from the cheapest Hodgman to g3 simms. In my opinion they are all junk now and will all start leaking. I've settled on Redington crosswater waders for 99 bucks. I have 2 pairs so I always have a backup when I send a pair in for warranty. Redington has the best customer service out there! I originally bought the two pairs a few years ago and they have replaced one pair once and the other pair twice and I didn't pay a dime. They even paid return shipping. 

When It comes to waders find a pair that fit good and forget about everything else. They WILL all leak if you use them regularly. 

[Nick S]

26 minutes ago, OntarioFishingGuy said:

Simms are made to last a while. Cheaper breathables might last a season or two, but they will leak more. You can get Simms Freestones for 250$. Be sure to buy good wading boots as well, slipping in the river sucks.

My 500 dollar g3 simms waders leaked after a month around the crotch, I sent them back and they "repaired" them. They started leaking bad again around the bootie seams and crotch a few months later, sent them in and they said they only cover the first repair and I would have to pay them to repair them this time. No thanks! I'm not paying simms to put aqua seal on my 500 dollar waders. And that's all they do to "repair" them is use aqua seal. My older simms guide waders from the late 90s were great and I would buy another pair in a heartbeat.  Their newer stuff is seriously lacking in quality. You're just paying for the "cool" factor when you buy simms stuff now. 

 

FYI the simms freestone waders are made in china. 

[OntarioFishingGuy]

You are entitled to your opinion, but the G3 and G4 waders are probably the most used guide wader up here. The Freestones are one of the the most popular overall. Another thing about Simms is the sizing. More sizes equals better fit, which equals a longer lasting, more comfortable wader.  All waders will leak, but some will last longer than others. 

 

Also, I never knew made in China = poor quality... ?

[Nick S]

10 minutes ago, OntarioFishingGuy said:

You are entitled to your opinion, but the G3 and G4 waders are probably the most used guide wader up here. The Freestones are one of the the most popular overall. Another thing about Simms is the sizing. More sizes equals better fit, which equals a longer lasting, more comfortable wader.  All waders will leak, but some will last longer than others. 

 

Also, I never knew made in China = poor quality... ?

Have you ever heard of pro discounts??? Just because guides use them doesn't mean a thing. Never said made in china was bad quality, I'm just saying simms loves to preech about how their waders are made in the usa yet 95 percent of their stuff is made in china. 

I'll say that simms waders are the best quality, BUT they are definitely not worth the huge price tags. Their sizing is one of the worst in my opinion. If you have size 11 feet or bigger and aren't huge you're out of luck unless you like super tight booties because they don't offer a larger bootie on all their medium or most of their large waders. 

[OntarioFishingGuy]

You can get any size bootie installed on any of their GoreTex waders. I agree that their products are a bit overpriced, but I don't mind paying for quality. 

[Nick S]

26 minutes ago, OntarioFishingGuy said:

You can get any size bootie installed on any of their GoreTex waders. I agree that their products are a bit overpriced, but I don't mind paying for quality. 

Sure you can get custom sizes made but they charge an outrageous fee to do it. I don’t mind paying for quality either, but imo it's just not there in the newer simms waders. Like I said my older 90s simms waders were the best waders I've owned and would gladly pay a premium price for them now. 

I can buy 5-7 pairs of redington crosswater waders for the price of g3 or G4 simms and I'll always have a backup pair. Redington will replace, not repair, them when they do start leaking. For the price of simms waders they should have a much better warranty imo. 

[Kyle46N]

If you get neoprene waders a size too big, you will really avoid leaks.  This does not include something from puncture.   I had neoprenes for years that always seem to leak within a couple years.  I've had my current pair for 5 years, with somewhat frequent use.  The difference was one size too big.  Significantly less pressure on the seams.  Of course warm weather is an issue.   But once the water gets to warm for neoprenes....usually you can go without waders. 

[Nick S]

47 minutes ago, Kyle46N said:

  Of course warm weather is an issue.   But once the water gets to warm for neoprenes....usually you can go without waders. 

I guess it depends on where you live. Around here right now the air temps some days are getting into the 60s and the water temps in the high 40's low 50s. If I was wearing neoprene waders on a 65 degree sunny day it would be miserable but it's still too cold to wet wade. I wear my breathable waders all year, just layer up underneath and you'll be fine.