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DFoster

"Waders are a rip off"

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There are 2 kinds of waders. Those that leak and those that are going to leak. That said my G3s are going on 4 seasons easily 150+ days. Couple of pinholes that's it. My previous pair of G3s were held together with Aqua Seal. 

 

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12 hours ago, Sandan said:

There are 2 kinds of waders. Those that leak and those that are going to leak. 

 

My sentiments exactly. 

 150 water days is great but still given the technology that surrounds us (light bulbs that last 100,000 hours, emit no heat and cost $1.72 to use for a year came to mind) and considering the price point of G3's or Orvis pros,  it would seem they should last much, much longer than they do with normal use.  It's oddly funny to me that we still don't have waders that can survive long after a "brush" with brambles.  My wife ordered patio furniture covers to keep the cushions dry and to my very unscientific method of testing, that of sight and feel, I could be convinced that they're made of the same fabric as my pro's.  $30 will get you a cover big enough to cover a 42" table and 4 stools.  Granted being rained on is different than being submerged but these covers have kept every thing bone dry and survived a fully armed outdoor cat for a year.  I have no idea if they are breathable but I do know that breathable fabric is no longer breathable if it's under water.  So far my Pros have been great but it's only been a year of weekend fishing and on the hot days I use my LL bean waders as they are much lighter.  I'm really careful with my pros and avoid bush whacking as much as possible, I just wish I didn't have to.  As kids we would put plastic bread bags over our socks before putting our boots on the keep dry,  Stocking foot pants made from bread bags- fixed it! 😜

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Was his point to spend a thousand on a dry suit? I don’t get out much in waders anymore and its even rarer that I go out when it’s cold out.  maybe 20 short 4 hour  trips to the local creek each spring,  summer and fall. All I expect waders to do is keep me mostly dry. Since all waders leak, I won’t pay top or mid dollar to be mostly dry. 

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1 hour ago, Poopdeck said:

Was his point to spend a thousand on a dry suit? I don’t get out much in waders anymore and its even rarer that I go out when it’s cold out.  maybe 20 short 4 hour  trips to the local creek each spring,  summer and fall. All I expect waders to do is keep me mostly dry. Since all waders leak, I won’t pay top or mid dollar to be mostly dry. 

Cheap waders, a bottle of aqua seal and replace when absolutely necessary are not a bad option.  I only ended up with Pro’s as the result of a warranty issue.  Due to the covid shut downs Orvis was unable to replace the pair I had.   I still had to chip in $100 to make it happen.

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My buddy just picked up a pair of Pros. They're still too new for a real report. Two things I've found to add longevity to my waders. First thing is to either hang them or lay them flat between outings. Let 'em dry. Don't leave them folded or rolled up. Second thing is never wear jeans or any sort of abrasive pants under them. Fleece, poly, quick-dry all work for me.  I'm short but never have had the rubbing problem the guy in the video has.  A grand for a dry suit is lot of dough, maybe not for a dry suit but it's still a lot of dough.  I'll stick with my G3s. YMMV.

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1 hour ago, DFoster said:

Cheap waders, a bottle of aqua seal and replace when absolutely necessary are not a bad option.  I only ended up with Pro’s as the result of a warranty issue.  Due to the covid shut downs Orvis was unable to replace the pair I had.   I still had to chip in $100 to make it happen.

Words to live by. I couldn’t watch the entire video his dullness was making me antsy. Perhaps if I spent more time in waders I would think differently but with my next pair I’m thinking I’m going back to boot foot waders. I don’t find stocking foot and wader boots any more or less comfortable than boot foots but bootfoots have far less leak problems. I use bootfoots for surf fishing and both my bootfoots and stocking foots are in need of replacement. I plan on doing way more surf fishing in the coming years so there’s little sense in replacing the stocking foot with something else that will leak. 

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i'm not sure a $1000 dry suit is going to fit my body shape any better than a pair of orvis or simms waders

can that dry suit be custom made for a short portly fisherman like some waders can? 

it may be breathable but i dont think i want to sweat from neck to toe in that suit

a dry suit is definitely not in my next purchases

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38 minutes ago, flytire said:

i'm not sure a $1000 dry suit is going to fit my body shape any better than a pair of orvis or simms waders

can that dry suit be custom made for a short portly fisherman like some waders can? 

it may be breathable but i dont think i want to sweat from neck to toe in that suit

a dry suit is definitely not in my next purchases

I think his point is that the dry suit seems to be much more durable while being breathable and waterproof.  It's a grand but top of the line waders are almost that much these days and don't seem to last according to him nearly as long.  It would seem that walking on paths through the woods is harder on apparel than paddling a kayak?  

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Probably cheaper to buy an inexpensive overly large wader and wear an inexpensive light wader inside of those for less money than a high end pair. Just a lot tougher when you gotta answer the call of nature. $800 is a lot for something that will last only a few years under moderate use.

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6 hours ago, DFoster said:

I think his point is that the dry suit seems to be much more durable while being breathable and waterproof.  It's a grand but top of the line waders are almost that much these days and don't seem to last according to him nearly as long.  It would seem that walking on paths through the woods is harder on apparel than paddling a kayak?  

If I have a hike into fish that's going to take over 30 minutes, most of the time I'll stow all my fishing gear (waders, boots, vest, lunch) in a backpack and change into my fishing stuff at my destination.   

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Is it a rip off if you only expect 5 to 6 years out of a pair of waders prior to purchasing them ? 

Everything sandan says will help towards longevity. Make sure they are fully dry before rolling them up, i hang mine on a hook in the garage never fold them, i wear long johns and don't hike with them on.

2 hours ago, Sandan said:

If I have a hike into fish that's going to take over 30 minutes, most of the time I'll stow all my fishing gear (waders, boots, vest, lunch) in a backpack and change into my fishing stuff at my destination. 

 

10 hours ago, Sandan said:

Let 'em dry. Don't leave them folded or rolled up. Second thing is never wear jeans or any sort of abrasive pants under them. Fleece, poly, quick-dry all work for me

 

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On 11/30/2022 at 7:11 PM, upnorthtier said:

Is it a rip off if you only expect 5 to 6 years out of a pair of waders prior to purchasing them ? 

 

 

I don't think it is.  If I get 6 years out of a pair of waders, pinholes from cactus don't count I figure I'm way ahead of the game.  Simms G3 Guide waders (600 or 650 if you want Camo) divided by 5.5 years (split the difference) = ~$109 or ~$118 bucks/year.  So right there that's about equivalent to a nice dinner for you and another person.  Personally I get out at least 3 times a month over the whole year so that's 36 minimum times/year. Divide that 109 by 36, that's $3.02/ outing or $3.28/outing.  That's about equivalent to 2 store bought dry flies (not that I buy flies). So to me that's definitely value.  On the other hand you can buy a pair of Cabelas waders for about 100 bucks. If they last a whole season you're lucky in my opinion (anecdotal evidence).  So after 5 years you're only about 100$ in the hole with the Simms over the 5 years. Again one nice dinner.  You ask me quality waders are well worth it. YMMV.  (3 years comes to ~$5.50/outing or ~$6.00/outing still worth it to me)

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3 hours ago, Sandan said:

I don't think it is

Good sensible perspective. I've never owned Simms my current waders are Orvis silver label, similar duty usage, not high end, going on 3 years with aqua seal repairs no large rips yet will have to look at it more economically when I go to replace them. I had a pair of Cabela's neoprene's that actually lasted a very long time for extreme cold-water use, to warm in them in the summer. I still believe what you said about care cleaning and storage is the key to any wader longevity.

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I remember buying a pair of waders once that came with a patch kit, i think they were cabelas. Waders aren't an investment, they are a necessity for me anyway. Necessity's cost money and don't last, like putting fuel in you're vehicle. I go threw 2 or 3 pairs of work boots a year, i don't like spending the 200$ to 300$ a pop but i need them, same for waders. I owned simms, orvis and cabelas waders and they all got the job done. At the present time i have guideline laxa 2.0 waders, 5 seasons so far about 15 outings a year and still no leaks but i know its just a matter of time. I might go back to simms for the next pair.

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