Simms waders

[Laxdale]

Regardless of the brand, there is a good chance new waders will leak straight out of the box.
Will a pair of 800 quid Simms last 4 times as long as "budget" 200 quid waders?
Unlikely.

[Wildfisher]

In my experience what destroys waders is thistles, brambles etc.  I bought a pair of Simms in 2014,  about £200.  I have had them to New Zealand and Spain and use them here on rivers like The Esks and The Don.  They still don't leak,  however that is because I NEVER use them on jungle warfare  waters like The Lunan, Bervie, Luther etc. For those waters I have an old and much patched pair of Bisons. They leak from time to time and I patch them with RTV in the inside. It's ALWAYS pin holes caused by thistles and brambles and the like. IMO buying expensive waders for bushwhacking is just nuts - you will destroy  them, perhaps not as quickly as Bisons, but you will destroy them.

Oh, and NEVER EVER EVER even think  about buying Snowbee waders.................................    :lol:

[rannoch raider]

Regardless of the brand, there is a good chance new waders will leak straight out of the box.
Will a pair of 800 quid Simms last 4 times as long as "budget" 200 quid waders?
Unlikely.

I haven't owned a pair that didn't end up leaking. Having said that, I've got a pair of the Simms 'toray' waist waders that I got cheap in a sale and they're doing fine at the moment. They haven't seen a lot of action right enough. The Orvis Silver Sonics  seem to be held in high regard and are half the price of the Simms.

[SoldierPmr]

Oh, and NEVER EVER EVER even think  about buying Snowbee waders.................................    :lol:

I would never but I get them for free  :lol:

I do echo that advice to anyone looking at snowbee waders.

[Wildfisher]

Send your waders to Diver Dave. I'm told they will come back like a suit of armour and you will even be able to  have a kip standing up.  :lol:

[corsican dave]

Regardless of the brand, there is a good chance new waders will leak straight out of the box.

:roflmao

[rannoch raider]

Send your waders to Diver Dave. I'm told they will come back like a suit of armour and you will even be able to  have a kip standing up.  :lol:

:lol:

I watched a Simms sales video last night and the CEO of the company mentions that most of their returns with earlier waders was indeed due to thistle damage. Hence the additional layer of protective material being added to the latest versions . Orvis have also recognised that an additional layer makes for a tougher wader and they too seem to have added an additional layer to their top drawer waders.

[sagecirca]

I have had 2 pairs of G4s and 2 pairs of G3s.  The G4s lasted me around 4-5 years each and were spectacularly killed off by Diver Dave! 

The first pair of G3s lasted 3 weeks before they leaked at the Groin during the World Championships in Bosnia 2015.  I carried out my own repair and sent them back after the competition.  Simms refused to entertain repairing them as I had had a go myself.  They didn't want to know that I had been in the middle of a championship.  Sent those to Diver Dave who fecked another pair. 

I get 40% off simms which definitely helps but I wouldn't pay the kinda money they want for their kit. 

Breathable waders should be treated like fly lines; a disposable and replaceable piece of kit. 

[rannoch raider]

I get 40% off simms which definitely helps but I wouldn't pay the kinda money they want for their kit. 

Breathable waders should be treated like fly lines; a disposable and replaceable piece of kit.

Probably a sensible way to look at it ! It certainly seems that none of them last more than a season or two if they're getting a lot of use. Think I'll opt for something like the Orvis Guides. My old Minn Kota engine needs replacing so I could do that with the saving on the cost of a pair of Simms G4'S . :

[haresear]

As previously said, thistles, brambles, barbed wire etc. will turn breathables into tea bags sooner or later.
A guy I know has gone back to Oceans (Ollyskins now I think) for his river fishing on one of the more overgrown rivers I fish.
I usually get a new pair of Taimen waders every year or two and expect that by the end of each summer I will be getting damp.

By the way I once patched a small tear with duct tape. It is still on a pair of waders I left in NZ for future use and the patch has held for a couple of years now with no adhesive used.

Alex