bulletproof waders

[aaron]

I'm getting tired of putting up with my leaky hodgeman breathables and am looking for some recomendations of strong breathables. Are simms the way to go? Does anyone have experience with the freestones that are on sale?
thanks
-aaron

[Adam Grace]

Simms makes some awesome waders.

I recomend any wader from them that is made with the Gore-Tex fabrics and breathable membranes. Start with the Lightweigth waders and move on up in price to get a more durable wader. The Simms "Classic guide Wader" has been a work-horse of the industry for many years.

Simms makes great products.

[flygolf]

I have to tell you that I am not a big fan of Simms waders or boots. I too was looking for the best wader and bought a pair of guide classics. The first day out I had a bunch of pin holes on the left leg I aquasealed them up and was out the next day. Next day, pinholes on the left, make a long story short every seam from the crotch down is aquaseal. I bought a pair of Patagonias and fished them well over 500 days without a leak which I just retired to buy a new pair of waders this last spring. I had a $500 gift certificate and decided to give simms another chance since they have come out with this new G3. I have fished them now about 20 days and on Monday guess what happened? You got it leak in the seam of the knee on both left and right leg. I have talked with others and most people love the Simms (fit and styling) but have had similar experiences.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Hello Flygolf,

Our experience at the shop has been almost the opposite of yours for the past ~10 years. Simms has the only wader made in the USA with Gore-Tex and pressure tested so they have taken over the market for quality waders completely.

In 2006 Simms got so popular that they were unable to keep up with the total demand. All this past season dealers were screaming for more waders and not getting them.

I "think" they are having to produce them faster now than ever and so we have had waders leaking right out of the box in the late few months. I think they might be skipping the pressure testing part of the process or rushing it?

Still all other waders are produced overseas with a very low production cost (~$30 USA) so they can just give you a new pair if/when they leak.

Simms will have to get their act together of they could loose their reputation in the industry.

[Rick J]

There is a similar post on one of the other boards where a number of folks have been having trouble with the G3's. I got a pair a couple of years ago and they started leaking fairly quickly - I assumed it was pin holes as I had done some brush beating up on the Chetco. Started having trouble with a couple of seams and sent them back along with a pair of Classics that were also leaking. So now have two pair of waders to use again. I am still a big fan of Simms but hope their quality control is not slipping as Bill mentions. If you are going to pay top $ you should expect quality

[bubzilla]

The fact is that most shops carry only Simms waders and jackets, and their brand name is promoted heavily within the industry. If you want to explore other options, you'll have to look further on your own and take the time to ask advice from disinterested anglers. My suggestion would be to do your own research, narrow down your choices in terms of price and features, and then talk to as many consumers as you can about their experiences with a particular product before buying.

In terms of Simms, there's a lengthy discussion of issues related to their products and service in the tackle section of Speypages right now. You might want to check it out.

http://www.speypages.com/board/

My experiences with Simms have been a mixed bag. I've found their older products to generally be of very good quality--in particular the Guide model waders and the Dry Coat--but I have found their customer service to be poor. Add that to the fact that a lot of folks are having issues with the quality of their newer products (see the Speypages discussion as an example), and the fact that the price of their goods is simply ridiculous, and I for one am inclined to shop around for other brands at this point. Don't get me wrong, the very best waders--in terms of longevity--I have ever had was a pair of Simms Guide models (bought in the 90s). But there are a lot more choices today then there were then, and there are a lot more grumblings around the campfire regarding problems with their products than there were back then as well.

The best customer service I've ever had on garments--bar none--has been from Patagonia. And, that has been the experience of everyone I have ever talked to about them as well. I got new Patagonia Watermaster waders in September on the advice of another angler, and so far they're great. No leaks after about 20 full days on the water. Obviously too early to know for sure about quality in that regard, but they definitely didn't leak straight out of the box. They're more comfortable than my Guide model Simms; have a really unique suspender system that makes them both chest-high or waist-high without a lot of fuss; and they retail for $100 less than the G3 waders which would be their closest competitor in terms of features.

Lots of guys really like the Dan Bailey waders, too. That's another brand you should definitely check out before buying. Also, Cabelas waders have a good following. I don't have any personal experience with either, but you should be able to find anglers that do.

Definitely take the time to consider lots of different brands before buying. I'm sure you'll be glad that you did in then end.

[leo licastro]

I recently purchased the G3 waders and on the first outing they had a leak in the knee and the left foot. Kiene's was very nice about it and replaced them for me. The second pair I received had no leaks but the front pockets velcro is falling apart. On my next purchase of waders i will be looking for another brand.
Leo

[Moose]

I've been wearing the Patagonia watermaster waders for nearly a year now and have never had a more comfortable, well fitting dry pair of waders.

[Nip Hadlock]

I've had a pair of the Orvis low cost breathables for about five years now...the only two leaks were my own knuckle headed mistakes! :oops:
Good value! :)

[Gregg]

Aside from making extremely high quality product, Patagonia is an amazing company as well. If you get a chance, read Yvon Chiounard's book, Let My People Go Surfing. It's a unique insight into Patagonia and not only highlights the steps they take to ensure quality, but what they give back to the environment (especially our fisheries). All my future waders, boots, and vests will definitley be Patagonia. I have the Simms lightweight waders, and so far they've been great. There's no denying, however, the commitment Patagonia has to more than just their bottom line...

[Digger]

I too, will trumpet the Patagonia brand.
My SST's have never let me down yet. Owned them since '99.
They work well and I never overheat, even while hiking a couple miles in them. I also own their Deep Wading Jacket and a vest.

[flygolf]

I didn't really want to start a bad thread on Simms just pointing out my past experiences with the waders. I love the way they fit just concerned about the quality of the product. I also bought a pair of the guide model aquastealth boots which I love but within the first week one of the speed laces popped off. I took them in to the shop and they were happy to send them back ($10 and min. of 2 weeks) to get fixed but I opted to get them fixed myself for $3 at a local shoe store. Needless to say that same boot I have taken in 3 times now :x .

[bubzilla]

Wow, I bought a pair of the aquastealth studded boots back in October to replace a pair of Danner Rivergrippers that I had used since 1997 (they're still usuable actually, but the studds have started to come lose after several hundred days of use). I was hoping that Simms would be as durable as the Danners have been, but I really didn't do any research on them with other anglers other than talking to shop guys before buying. After hearing all the horror stories as of late, I hope I haven't made a $160 mistake.

Personally, if mine had come apart the first week and I'd been told by the shop where I bought them it would be $10 and minimum two week wait, I'd have had a major problem with the shop--as in never buying anything from through them ever again. Two minutes and free of charge on-the-spot replacement is what should have been the order of the day given the circumstances. Coming apart that quickly is ridiculous, and whomever retailed them is, in my opinion, just as responsible for that as the company that manufactured them. Those boots were defective and the retailer could get replacement through the manufacturer--the consumer shouldn't have to wait or be out at all with a defective product.

Not to turn this into a Patagonia advertisement, but guys I know who had issues with their wading shoes got over-the-counter replacement even on boots that had seen months, rather than days, of use. That's good service.

[PaulC]

I fish Simms gear and patagonia gear. I have an old pair of Simms guide waders which are just now showing signs of pinhole leaks after 8 or so years of abuse. The jacket after 4 years had to have a retreatment for waterproofing. However, bootwise I have had one pair of patagonia boots. The beefy wading boots have failed me twice...once on the road. Even on the road they were replaced at the shop with a new pair. Second time was prior to alaska and were replaced at the patagonia flag shop in ventura free of charge. The last replacement, patagonia reps assured me they had addressed some of the felt sole delamination problems.
I purchased the first pair 8 years ago.
I like Simms but with my great experience with Patagonia and their customer service, I will probably stick with their products in the future.
I guess it is a relevant form of marketing on their part, as I buy all of my wife's camping/backpacking clothes/equipment there now.
The addition of having the flag shop down the street is always a plus.
If and when Aquaseal becomes the only foundation to the simms waders, SST it will be.
I just wish they made a boot foot SST...maybe they're listening.
-Paul

[bolden]

I had the patagonia wading boots for about 3 years, and had to send them back about five times for felt coming off.
they too told me they had fixed the felt, but i had to send them back again, so this time i got a refund and got a pair
of simms boots.

I am sure my boots wear out faster than most, because during the summer i am always fishing, and even during
winter and spring i am out at least two days a week. most of these trips involve some hiking, a mile or more, so it is
bound to hurt the felt.

I have had bailey waders in the past, until i outgrew them, and now i have simms waders. they both held up fine for me.
The only problem i have had with any of my equipment has been the felt on the patagonia boots.