Patagonia waders are terrible

[DAVID95670]

Three years ago I bought Patagonia waders. Within 8 months I had to warranty them out leaking in the crotch. Rep told me this was a know problem. Within 12 months now the boots fill up with water past my ankles. So calling the warranty people at Patagonia they say that they will give me a 197$ credit. The waders were 499$.

Iron clad warranty is bs. I said why. They said Cuz I have replaced them 2 or 3 times. Well yes but each pair was new and within 12 months. I said do u expect ur waders to last 12 months. Well no we don't, how often do u wear them? I reply 150 to 200 days a year. I guess if u wear waders 12 to 30 times a year they work. If U R Out A LOT Then Don't Get Ttheir Crap waders.


there is no iron clad warranty at Patagonia.

Simms Here I Come

[Dan LeCount]

Simms can have issues too. Only bomb proof waders are the old khaki Simms from around 15 years ago. The classic guide waders. Newer Simms use much thinner fabric that is more breathable. I was told the older Gore-tex is no longer available when I brought it up with their design staff. So now they have very breathable waders and they also have really nice built in retractors, zippers and hand warmer pockets. Personally I'd take bomb proof waders over doo-dads, but doo-dads sell waders. In reality its the business model that was changed. It seems making a product that never needs to be replaced isn't a sound business model compared to selling waders that need to be replaced every 3-4 years with small pieces of plastic attached to them. I can understand why they did it. They're smart business people. My last couple Simms started leaking after about a year, but they were demos and I'm very rough on wading equipment. Up here we have a lot of sage brush and wild rose bushes and they wreak havoc on nylon. For the average person they'd probably get more like 3-4 years out of them(if not more.) It's modern business, they give you the most product they can to achieve a certain profit margin, while still maintaining top position in the market. If they made something better, it would be overkill as far as economics. Its all about "good enough," and "better then the next guy." Still, of all the waders I've tried in the last 10 years or so,(Simms, Redington, Patagonia, Hodgeman, Dan Bailey, Hendrix) Simms still holds the crown for longevity. They don't hold a candle to the old waders when Mr. Simms was running the company, but they're still better then the rest. They're good, but not tanks. More like cadillacs. Still if you're going into a head-on crash, do you want a cadillac or a smart-car?

Speaking of business models, how long did you expect Patagonia to keep giving you new waders? Obviously not the rest of your life, but what, 3 years? 5 years? 10? Just curious.

[DAVID95670]

I expect that a new pair of waders last more than 12 months.

The fact that they have to replace them annually speaks volumes to their bad business model.

Obviously the problem is that Patagonia has terrible waders and significant production problems.

Each wader had a separate failure. It was not the same failure three times.

However the big joke is their iron clad warranty. You AS How Long Should They Replace Them under Warranty? What defines an iron clad warranty?

Again u am not wearing the waders for three years then asking for them to be replaced when they fail after threw full years of use. Each time they replace the waders this re sets the clock on the pair in hand.

Yes I absolutely belive a pair of 499$ waders should hold up more than 12 months and not fill with water to your calf on both boots.

Especially when spending 499$. I see Patagonia sponsoring guides in North America showing them wearing these waders better to spend some marketing cash then to fix the production problems.

Ever worst when I tell the story I get so many replies that they or a friend had the same problem with these waders.

Buy them at your own peril.

[Siskiyoublues]

I guess it's all about expectations. The day I find a pair of waders that'll last ME a full year I'll buy a dozen.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I sold and used waders for almost 50 years.

We sold lots of them to guides and to fisheries biologists who use them a lot.

Most of these folks use the better Simms.

*All of the higher end Simms waders are made in Montana (USA) with very expensive Gore-Tex laminates and are pressure tested.

**Most all other waders are made overseas with some other breathable membrane at extremely low cost so they can give you another pair when they leak.

If you turn a pair of Simms Gore-Tex waders inside out you can spray rubbing alcohol on the area that is leaking, see purple spots and then patch them. You can only do that with Gore-Tex waders.

All that said we are all subject to our own personal experiences which are not the definitive answer here.


Most angler fish wading about 2 dozen days a years so they usually have pretty good luck with their waders.

Commando anglers and guides who fish 150 or more days a year are going to have more issues with waders.

Some guides are wearing a particular brand wader because they get them free too.

Maybe that is why drift boats are so popular with guides? Only joking........


Wonderfully crazy subject............buy a boat?

.

[ICE]

I've been rocking a pair of Patagonia waders for the last few years (bought from one of their outlets) They've worked great for me, I like them for range of motion and general durability. I've patched them a few times manly from puncture wounds. At this point I've manly been surf fishing in them and they've held up surprisingly we. Now I've gone so far as to reseal all the out side seams except for the booties just doing the scramble up & over logs and rocks stretches the seams to there limits (no yoga pants here) these are not your neoprene. The still keep me relatively dry... I think hard to say though sweat? Maybe small holes in the booties probably (Not sure how to reseal the neoprene). I'd say for what I paid for them $300+- I've gotten my moneys worth. $500+ for 1 year leakers? No way. I get the planed obsolescence. Makes perfect cents. You can only resell things that don't break. And sell new things if the first is broke. I haven't bought a new lantern or camp ever and have almost a dozen Colman white gas stoves and lanterns that I keep buying for under $10.00 a little work and they burn brighter and hotter than most new stoves. The wife hates them but I love um. I think I'm pretty darn hard on my gear for a little better than a weekend warrior. And I expect my gear to last but every thing has a life and things ware out. I love my Patagonia gear stoked. But I'm gonna try Sims this next go around. Spread the wealth that's what I say. And the sheeps wool bootie lining is bootie they stink.
Just my 10 cents. Gotta get back to work thanks for the review and rants. That was fun.

J. Ice

[Hogan Brown]

I was a patagonia "pro guide" guy for a few years, at the time I was guiding about 225 days a year. I would get 2 seasons spring, summer and then fall winter out of a pair of boots and waders before there was leaks, tears, rips...busted. I sent them back a few times and they would send me a new pair or pairs. Found it hard to believe though that consumers were paying upwards of $600 for a pair of waders and $150 for a pair of boots that lasted about 100 days on the water. After about 2 years of this program they stopped giving me waders, something changed about the Iron Clad warranty, so I left the company. About 6 months later I signed with Simms as a Simms Ambassador. I have been fishing the same pair of waders simms gave me when I signed 3 years ago. No leaks, no tears, lots of stains from engine oil, mayo, mustard, sun screen, red man, fish blood and such but they are still ticking. As a Simms Ambassador I am fortunate enough to get a lot of product before it reaches the public to product test. I purposely treat it like CRAP and beat the piss out of it to make if fail...some times it does some times it doesn't. When it does changes are made, sometimes drastic sometimes minor just depends on the issue. I can honestly say in my experience that Simms makes the toughest and best gear...that said gear fails, nothing last forever and some people are harder on gear then others. my two cents.

[roywest]

A magical bio-control of Himalayan Blackberries in California would solve 95% of my wader leaks. Casting lessons would solve the other 5%.

[DAVID95670]

They replaced the waders. Tests showed the seams failed

[DAVID95670]

They said they will not replace them again

iron clad WARRANTY my ass

[DAVID95670]

I would like to buy a boat but when i tried to swing a fly on a two handed rod formally incorrectly called a spey rod it did not work too well

i will try and sell the waders on ebay and buy simms other wise i will wear them and then call and complain again next year

albeit i wish i had a boat on sunday to chase down one hot steelhead hen that was no match for my 5 wt i got her within 10 ft she looked at my fat ass and decided it was better to head back to the golden gate bridge 3/4 thru my backing must have been 28 inches or more pink sides and chrome 5lbs florocarbon was nothing to it straighten my first hook hit the fox pupae

[EricO]

I'll chuck in my .02 cents on waders.

I've almost always used Simms. However, I bought a pair of the Redington Sonic Pro's
from Kiene's almost three years ago. I had heard great things about them on this board
from several seasoned fishermen. My buddy Jeff Fisher also bought some around the same time.

Bottomline, these things rule. I've beat the living crap out of them on places like the Pit, Upper
Sac, etc. Not one leak yet (knocking on wood in case I jinx myself). I've gone thru blackberry
bushes, slid down rocks, crashed thru thorn bushes and nothing. Jeff got one leak in one of
his booties as I recall.

The craftsmanship is excellent. The wading belt is the stoutest I have ever seen, the flip out
pocket is good for keys, hemo's etc. The fleece hand warming pockets are nice, unless you wade
too deep or take a dunking.

I'll buy them again in a heartbeat. And the price point is super. This is not a paid advertisement,
just a happy customer. :)

As far as days I fish per year...I'd say close to 50.

EO

[Dan LeCount]

Good point by Bill, fishing and guiding out of a boat a lot can definitely add some lifespan to your waders. I guide 100% walk and wade in some rough areas and usually put a few hundred days a year on them, so yea they usually start leaking in a year or so no matter who they are. Yea, Simms has the easiest self repair because of the alcohol trick, they've also been the most durable for me. I tried some sonic pros last season and they made it maybe 8-9 months then started suffering from pin holes. Now they sit in a wadded pile in the back of the truck.

@Hogan - 3 years is pretty impressive for the newer Simms, roughly how often are you guiding out of a boat?

[amoeba]

Well, 2-3 replacements and 8 months is alot more than the 3 days of leak free use I got out of one pair of waders from another major manufacturer; who rather than admit the material was bad (it leaked and delaminated on the upper half, above the legs only); blamed it on me and said there was mildew (not a speck of it anywhere). So convinced I was that it was a manufacturer defect, I bought yet another brand new pair which - of course - hasn't leaked at all. To be fair, I don't normally send waders in for leaks or after a year - but 3 days? and leaks on the upper portion? delamination? I must admit I kept them for a couple months, but these things were new with tags. I didn't pay that much (on sale clearance)

The offending manufacturer in my case, shall remain nameless - their poor customer service will put them out of business without loyal customers like me.

You can do a whole lot worse than Patagonia, 8 months of use (assuming 150-200 days/year), and/or their 2-3 replacements.

I'm not in the mood for Simms; that material is too stiff and the fit of everything they make is too slim in the leg and seat, as well as in the uppers for layering. Good manufacturer and quality, just that in the case of waders they don't fit me.

[Hogan Brown]

@dan I spend most of my time in my waders in and out of my jet boat, drift boat, or raft....so not the super wear and tear of a walk and wade guide but I get a dozen or so days on the Pit and NF Feather a year. Nothing compared to what you are putting on a pair I am sure.

[Dan LeCount]

@Hogan - I'm envious of your boat situation. I've thought about getting a raft a few times up here, just never pulled the trigger. Btw- Where the hell do you park all those?

[Digger]

Bought Patagonia SST waders in 2000. A couple years ago I noticed one foot would be damp after 4-5 hrs of use.
Thought it was me sweating at first, then the other foot was damp as well.
Sent them in last year just to see if a repair was possible, and I was planing on them as a spare set, if repairable.

They offered to replace the feet with the new lined feet for $25 or the same regular feet for free.
I paid the $25 extra.

I'm not a daily user, but have done a LOT of hiking in them, through all kinds of stuff.
I perhaps fish 15 (+/-) days on a busy year, but I've defintely got my $$$ worth.

I own other Patagonia clothing & gear (skiing etc). I would not hesitate to buy them again.