Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Spawn Sack on July 23, 2014, 01:13:58 PM
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The other day I was out practicing my spey casting. I did I s**tty cast and my fly hooked me right in the crotch! >:( The hook was just through the outer fabric and I hoped it would not cause a leak in the waders. I was fishing some pretty slow water in the canal and decided to squat down for a minute or so, submerge my crotch, and feel if any water was coming in.
At the time I thought there was no water coming in, however when I got home and took the waders off the crotch area was a little damp (no I did not wizz myself). :P Soooo, I think there might be a little water coming in. Oh an they are new Simms G3 waders - GREAT! :o
I am looking for tips to determine for sure if water is coming in, I do not want to start gooping aquaseal on the inside of the waders if there is no need. The little patch kit that came with the waders says to apply rubbing alcohol to the area and, if I remember correctly, the area in question will turn dark if it is leaking. Does this really work? I don't have any rubbing alcohol at home and don't want to go out and buy it it there is an easier/more effective way to go about this.
In my old Cabela's waders I had a few rips and it was obvious water would enter. I patched them from the inside with a patch and aqua seal and the spot never leaked. However in this case I'm dealing with a possible pin-hole leak which I've never tackled before.
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Turn them inside out and fill with water to look for leaks?
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Mmmmm....for this application I think this would be less than pragmatic...
The suspected leak is in the crotch area...so if I were to turn the waders inside out and fill with water up to the crotch the waders would weigh a LOT, probably too much for me to hold with out water bursting out and actually try to find the leak (if there even is one).
If the suspected leak was lower in the waders this might work.
An idea I had was to take an air compressor and BLOW air into the waders and have the suspect area under water, if bubbles come out you know you have a leak!! Basically like finding a leak in a bicycle tube.
Only problem is I don't have an air compressor or anything that will blow air with enough force to poof up waders. Plus might be akaward getting a "seal" on the chest of the waders to get enough pressure to blow bubbles in the first place.
Gotta be an easier way! If Simms say to use the rubbing alcohol method their must be some validity to this method, however I just can't see it working all that well.
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Oh an they are new Simms G3 waders - GREAT! :o
I am looking for tips to determine for sure if water is coming in, I do not want to start gooping aquaseal on the inside of the waders if there is no need. The little patch kit that came with the waders says to apply rubbing alcohol to the area and, if I remember correctly, the area in question will turn dark if it is leaking. Does this really work? I don't have any rubbing alcohol at home and don't want to go out and buy it it there is an easier/more effective way to go about this.
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If your Simms G3 is new, Just simply sent back for a one free repair by Simms or call them first to be sure.
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If Simms say to use the rubbing alcohol method their must be some validity to this method, however I just can't see it working all that well.
If I had sunk several hundred dollars into a pair of quality high end waders ( I have G3 also) then I would also trust the repair recommendations of the manufacturer.
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FYI you can buy rubbing alcohol at the dollar store.
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Turn them inside out and fill with water to look for leaks?
I've used this method many a times to look for leaks in my waders. I find hanging the wader straps on hooks in the garage allows me to spend my time looking for leaks instead of struggling to hold up water filled waders.
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Not 100% sure it will work with seam leaks but pinhole leaks can be easily found by putting a flashlight inside your waders in a darkened room.
Turn them inside out first and mark the holes/gaps - patch with Aquaseal.
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Thanks for the tips fellas!
LeapinThyee: the waders aren't technically new, I got them for xmas and have been out in them maybe 10 times. I would feel a bit douchey sending tehm to Simms for a warranty claim considering it was me who put the hole in the waders, not a leaky seam, etc.
And considering I am not 100% sure there actually IS a leak, I'd rather try and troubleshoot this myself first.
NexusGoo, I think the water method would work fine, however if I filled the waders to the crotch with water they would probably weight 100lbs! I think better suited for suspect leaks in the lower regions of the waders.
I think I'm going to try the following:
1- Take waders into a dark room, shine a flashlight from the inside, look for light.
2- If no results from #1, try the spray on alcohol method (what Simms reccomends)
3- If no results from #1 and #2 submerge the crotch of the waders in a bucket or something and feel for moisture on the inside
If no results from 1, 2 or 3 assume there is no leak and abort mission.
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Thanks for the tips fellas!
LeapinThyee: the waders aren't technically new, I got them for xmas and have been out in them maybe 10 times. I would feel a bit douchey sending tehm to Simms for a warranty claim considering it was me who put the hole in the waders, not a leaky seam, etc.
http://www.simmsfishing.com/support/repairs.html
FIRST 12 MONTHS
After 30 days, if you develop a leak in any Simms waders for whatever reason, the first repair is on us. Please get a Return Authorization number via the Simms Online Repair Center and return the waders to us with proof of original purchase. We will fix the waders at no charge and keep you apprised of the status of the wader via email.
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Hey thanks! :) So it looks like since I am past 30 days, but under 1 year I could get a 1 time repair for free. Good to know. That being said I'm still going to try and sort this out on my own. It would cost a fair bit to ship the waders to Simms in the USA, plus I'd have to wait for them for a bit to come back (not a huge deal as I have a back up pair).
If there is a leak, and I can find it easily, I'll just repair it myself with aquaseal. If I can't locate the leak and water still appears to be getting in, I'll lsend them to Simms with the year from purchase.
Note to self: Do not practice a spey cast off your upstream shoulder when the wind is blowing pretty good downstream!! Otherwise you could get the hook in the crotch, back of the head, or other undesirable location :o
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you'll never find a pin hole by filling them with water. Use the rubbing alcohol method. Where ever the leak is it will appear darker
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I had leak in the thigh area. To make a nice round patch, one without corners that will get caught, I used a single hole punch and punched a hole out. The patch is so small, hardly noticeable.
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First, are you sure it is a pinhole and not sweat/condesation?
Second if it is a pinhole use the rubbing alcohol method, and use aquaseal on it. No need to patch a pinhole with material.
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you'll never find a pin hole by filling them with water. Use the rubbing alcohol method. Where ever the leak is it will appear darker
Agreed. It will be really easy to see the dark spot where the leak is.
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spray alcohol on them then look for the darker spots
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Another vote from me to USE THE RUBBING ALCOHOL METHOD. There's even a video from Simms website on how to do it by just using a spray bottle to apply the alcohol. If there is a pin-hole leak, a darker spot will show up as the alcohol evaporates. I've used this method to repair my Simms Guide waders which are about 10 years old, and also on a pair of leaking Simms Headwater waders. As of now, both waders are leak-free! However, the inside of my Guide waders is completely dotted with aquaseal spots!!! But they still work. LOL.
Btw - I've got a new pair of G3's for X-mas from my wife and girls and am itching to use them. How do you like your G3s?
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I forgot to mention - the rubbing alcohol method to detect leaks only works on Gore-Tex. This method will not work on waders made of other material - like the Simms Freestones. It should work fine on your G3s.
I would recommend AGAINST filling the wader up to the crotch with water, or using a hi pressure compressor. The pressure could blow the seams - as well as your warranty. Just my 50 cents worth. ;)
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First, are you sure it is a pinhole and not sweat/condesation?
Second if it is a pinhole use the rubbing alcohol method, and use aquaseal on it. No need to patch a pinhole with material.
Well, no I am not sure it was not just sweat/condensation. I just hooked myself pretty good in the crotch area and after having a good squat in some calm water (testing for a leak) I thought the area in question was a bit damp on the inside when I got home. It's possible I just didn't shake off the old dew worm well enough when I bled the lizzard earlier on shore ???
My plan is to take a bucket/sink/whatever with water in it and submerse the crotch area in water for a while and see/feel if the inside gets damp. If nothing, I'll let them dry out and later try rubbing alcohol applied to the suspect area from the inside. If still nothing I'll assume they are not leaking and leave them.
If I do detect a leak with the first method I am assuming I will also with the rubbing alcohol method. From there I'll put some aquaseal on the suspect area.
Thanks a lot guys!
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Honestly, I'd just go to a local drug store and buy a cheap bottle of rubbing alcohol and put it in a spray bottle and do the test. It is very easy to do, and likely more accurate than submerging your waders in water and waiting to see if it gets damp. If you don't see a dark spot/patch, then there is no leak. If you do see a dark patch it will temporarily mark the spot until it completely dries. This will make it easier to apply the aquaseal if needed (you can also apply it if the surface is still damp with alcohol). With just water, you won't have that advantage (spot will not be visible), and you'll have to wait for the surface to completely dry before applying aquaseal. But hey, do what you think is best. Good luck.
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Two suggestions, take them back and lie that it was the first time wearing them or use a flashlight in a dark room. ( try the flashlight first ).
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So, I found the spot where the hook poked the outside of the waders (basically right in the nut sack area) and sprayed rubbing alcohol all around this spot on the inside of the waders. I monitored this area for several minutes and even resprayed the area just to be sure. I did not see any evidence of a paticular spot darkening suggesting that there would be a leak. Thus I conclude there is no leak. The area in question was on a seam, although I don't think this matters as far as detection goes.
Just to be 100% sure I am going to put this area of the waders in a bucket of water and make sure I can not feel any moisture coming through. I know this is probably not necessary/overkill, but I rarely if ever wade this deep so I would be unlikely to ever detect a leak in this area...until one day I am launching my boat in a lake or whateevr and wade nuts deep. If I remember correctly the SIMMS warranty for a free leak repair is only good within the first year from purchase. Just wanna be 100% sure before I leave this one alone. Thanks for all the tips guys much appreciated :)
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If in doubt put some aquaseal over the "pin hole"