Best Waders?

[Magic]

Speaking of Waders....I need to get a new pair. Here are my parameters...I hike a lot near rivers with blackberry bushes and nearly always get punctures. My last pair were SIMMS freestone but after about 6 months they were leaking like a sieve (138 holes according to SIMMS). What pair of waders offer the best puncture protection? Thanks!

[Darrin.Deel]

Best puncture protection in a breathable wader is going to be the simms G4 waders. I am coming up on 300 FULL days in my G4's and the left foot is just now starting to leak. Best fishing investment I have ever made.

[Magic]

Thanks, great input! I will give them a try.

[EricO]

I have heard STELLAR reports on the new Redington Sonic Pro's. I've already decided those will be my next pair of waders.

I like the option with the zippered front, but for $100 extra, I'll stick with non-zip.

Look further in this topic and you'll find several reviews on the sonic pros.

EO

[k.hanley]

Howdy Magic,

I've been using the Redington Sonics this past year (for both fresh and saltwater). So far I'm very impressed. I think they're worth checking out.

Cheers, Ken

[aaron]

http://speyshop.kiene.com/redingtonwaders.aspx

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

All Simms Gore-Tex waders are good.......

[Scott V]

Of all the waders I have heard had leaking issues, Simms has been on top. And as for their customer service, I tried to get help with boots that feel apart in less than a year and they refused to help me in any way. As far as I am concerned Simms can bite me!

[JAWallace]

I have had my Simms Gore-Tex since 1999. I know this because I sent them back to Simms this spring for new booties (no charge) and they told me when they were built. I cannot say enough positive about Simms service and products.

With that said, they are getting long in the tooth and I'm looking for a good replacement. They don't leak but I can feel the dampness after about three uses after treating with ReviveX. The Redingtons look like a superior build, but it's hard to leave Simms.

[Siskiyoublues]

Fished the sonic pro's hard this winter and spring. (Non zipper version)
Had a problem with one seam after six months and Redington had a new pair to me in a timely fashion. Up until that seam failure the only leak was from hooking myself in the leg spey casting.
Not as breathable in the summer as Simm's Goretex but I haven't found it to be uncomfortable, just not as good.
I've put enough time in with them to feel comfortable praising them.

[NCL]

Of all the waders I have heard had leaking issues, Simms has been on top. And as for their customer service, I tried to get help with boots that feel apart in less than a year and they refused to help me in any way. As far as I am concerned Simms can bite me!

I had the same experience with Simms a couple of years ago with the Guide model, mine were over a year but I probably only used then about ten times.

[loose_shoes]

You might want check out OS Systems. This company primarily make dry suits for commercial divers but they make exceptional waders, IMO.

http://www.ossystems.com/hunt-fish/

I have the chest high Travel Waders. These things are indestructible. Easily repaired, too. I snagged the latex feet on a sharp corner once. Fixed it in a flash with AquaSeal and reinforced it with a patch from a bicycle tire repair kit. Any other smaller holes (always my fault and not easy to do!) were fixed with a blob of AquaSeal.

OS Systems waders are an astounding bargain. The chest waders are $170 and they will last for many years of hard use. They have breathable waders for $400. I think that's about comparable with other breathable waders on the market.

They have a big range of "standard" sizes, not just S, M, L, XL, and you can get them custom fitted!

[aaron]

The best waders are the one's you take care of. It's amazing how little attention people give them. A quick wash and treatment of the DWR with Nikwax (revivex lasts nowhere near as long) and your waders breath like they should and hold up for longer. I'd guess that maybe %5 of people come close to doing this.

[k.hanley]

I agree with "loose shoes" and his post. OS Systems makes outstanding waders. I still have a pair from the 80's that work perfectly.

John Shewey and I had an opportunity to test one of their drysuits while we fished on the Deschutes back then. It was amazing to just let the river take us by current wherever we wanted to go. We'd simply just float the river and then stand up and work a slot. The drysuit was perfect for that application.

From that drysuit experience I was presented with a pair of chest waders for helping with the field tests (I was given their original non-breathable version). They got a lot of use and abuse. Unfortunately I don't come close to fitting in them anymore. They are now a gift for one of my longtime adventuring buds. Kev will be using them in a couple of weeks.

I wouldn't hesitate to invest in another pair.
Cheers, Ken

[Bob Loblaw]

My bottom of the line Redingtons are just about done after 2 seasons..probably 40 days fishing total. I had a very cold and wet couple of days fishing last week. Too much sliding around on my ass on big rocks and the seam up the butt has come apart, and when I took them into the garage last night and put a camping lantern inside the, there had to be 100 pin holes in them...damn Putah Creek blackberries.

Patched up the butt with Aquaseal and as many of the holes as I had patience for. Might get a few more days out of them or use them as backups, but its time to upgrade.

There's a pair of Redington Sonic Pros on sale for $200 at my local shop, in my size, and Orvis just came out with their sonic welded wader for $259. Anyone got an opinion on which is better?

[DAVID95670]

The best waders are the one's you take care of. It's amazing how little attention people give them. A quick wash and treatment of the DWR with Nikwax (revivex lasts nowhere near as long) and your waders breath like they should and hold up for longer. I'd guess that maybe %5 of people come close to doing this.



Aaron

Can you explain what DWR is and how to treat waders? This is the first time I have heard of it or of treating waders and I would like learn this procedure.

I googled Nikwax and got their site but no specific info.



Hey I found this from midcurrent

http://midcurrent.com/experts/washing-breathable-waders/

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

If your waders are made of a Gore-Tex laminate you can turn them inside out and spray rubbing alchohol on the area you suspect a leak and get a dark blue dot that you can apply AquaSeal to for an easy fix.

This is only possible if you have waders made of Gore-Tex......

[aaron]

David
DWR is a polyflouro treatment that is added to your breathable waders. It's what causes the water bead off, once you see them "wetting out" or absorbing some water it's time to restore. The first time or so heat will revitalize the treatment, you can use your dryer gently or simply leave them in a hot car. At some point it will wear out completely, and something like the TX Direct Nikwax will add a new DWR coating. In my experience the Nikwax works a heck of a lot better than Revivex that Simms sells.


Aaron

Can you explain what DWR is and how to treat waders? This is the first time I have heard of it or of treating waders and I would like learn this procedure.

I googled Nikwax and got their site but no specific info.



Hey I found this from midcurrent

http://midcurrent.com/experts/washing-breathable-waders/

[flyfshrmn]

it doesn't matter what waders you buy, if you walk in them in blackberries or through buckbrush thickets, you're going to get holes in them. Best solution is to wear something under your waders that you can walk in and take the waders off to traverse blackberry thickets and other thorny stuff. My G3s have been excellent and Simms customer service outstanding. I've sent them back to Simms three times for leak repair and had the feet replaced at no charge twice because of slight seam problems. They're on their 8th year and I've managed at least fifty days a year and probably a lot more than that the last three years.

[590Mike]

The best waders are the one's you take care of. It's amazing how little attention people give them. A quick wash and treatment of the DWR with Nikwax (revivex lasts nowhere near as long) and your waders breath like they should and hold up for longer. I'd guess that maybe %5 of people come close to doing this.

Normally I would just skip a post like this,but my experience with my Simms and their quality control is SHAMEFUL!
We bought two pair of G3's to take to Alaska my sons pair Leaked out of the box luckily we were floating and he didin't need them all day. Mine leaked on the 3rd or 4th day. Simms gave me nothing but crap. It took a letter from an attorney. To get satisfaction. My new waders haven't given me any issue but still.
Now to the point, blaming the owners of an obviously defective product so you can sell additional accessories is not only BS but lousy customer service.

[aaron]

Not blaming owners of waders that leak immediatley at all, not sure how you stretched it to that. Simms has a 30 day return policy to the dealer you bought them from no questions asked for any out of the box issues (box stores usually don't partake in this from what I've heard) and Redington is 90 days over the counter with us. It's a lot easier to deal with a manufacturer through the retailer as we can just tell them the receipt date and they don't have to worry about customers being unscrupulous.

Nikwax treatment is great for extending the life of your waders past the realm of normal wear and tear. I take pretty great offense to the insinuation that giving customers cheap options to make their waders last therefore saving them money in the long run is bad customer service. Can't please everyone I suppose. I'm 100 days in with my Redingtons and gave them their first treatment and they breath and shed water like new.

Some good info from Arc'teryx who invented the sonic weld, but what do they know
http://www.facebook.com/arcteryx/app_379407165432914

[590Mike]

Aaron tread lightly with the sarcasm. I'm still a customer whether you take offense or not. I walk out of the store with a spool of tippet or another new flyrod, I 'm still a customer.When I leave the store I really don't care what you say, my ex-wife has several colorful expressions, one is along the lines of a mule and a hole (personal favorite). And as I mentioned my second pair of Simms have been outstanding although they're aren't G4s. And I am looking into the Redingtons.

[Jed Peters]

Aaron tread lightly with the sarcasm. I'm still a customer whether you take offense or not. .

Based on your responses here, if I owned/ran Kiene's, I'm not sure I'd want you as a customer. In fact, I think you'd be better off going to American and their fly fishing forum.

Judging by your posts "....letter from an attorney to get satisfaction...." and "....my ex-wife...."; I'm guessing you're a real peach.