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[Spawn Sack]

Was fishing today and got that dreaded feeling, yup, pin hole leak in thigh of my waders. Back at home trying to find the leak I decided I'll fix this leak and keep these waders as a backup/loaner pair, but I really need to invest in a new pair.

Waders are Simms G3, about 7 years old. They have served me well and "would" (more on this later) buy another pair of the same. They are just getting sacked out. Numerous small leaks in the booties. Numerous pin hole leaks in the legs. Seams between the legs are getting worn through. All of this has been repaired successfully with Aquaseal. Just seems the leaks are gettin more frequent and the waders are getting close to the end of their lifespan.

Now part of me says just go get another pair of G3s - no brainer! They are awesome waders. However after an unpleasant experience with Simms customer service/warranty last year with my G3 wading jacket I don't think I'd buy Simms jacket or waders again. Not that I think their products suck as they do make great stuff. However if I had another warranty issue and had to deal with Simms USA warranty claim I think I'd probably shoot myself.

Ive never had Patagonia waders but I think I'll give them a shot. I've never had zipper in the front waders but I'm also thinking of going this route. Having to unclip your shoulder straps, wading belt, etc and pull down the bib of your waders just sucks.

Respectfully I am not intersted in Reddington, Frog Toggs and so on. I'd rather buy once cry once and get a top of the line pair that will last a long time.

Question about Patagonia waders: I believe they do NOT have a gortex membrane? If/when you get a small leak, can you spray alcohol on the inside (like with Gortex) to reveal the leak? One thing I love about my Simms G3 jacket and waders is a light spritz of alcohol on the inside of the garment and "WA-LA" all of the small holes turn dark and you can easily Aquaseal them. Often many tiny leaks you didn't even know were there will appear.

If Patagonia leaks have to be solved by other more time consuming and frustrating methods (looking for bubbles in water, etc) then I may rethink not buying Simms as the gortex membrane is GREAT for detecting leaks!


Pretty much my criteria for new waders are:

-top of the line or close to it. Built to last.

-zipper in the front for peeing

-Decent chest pouch for keeping a bit of gear in. I wouldnt buy waders that didnt have sort sort of zipperd pocket(s) here.

[RalphH]

Look into getting your waders reconditioned by Simms if you haven't already. I did mine a few years ago and the cost was $100 Cdn. They replaced the booties, applied proper patches on pin hole leaks, replaced seam tape and reconditioned the exterior of the goretex . Me I will look at another pair of G3s if I can afford it when the time comes.

[ShaunO]

Just buy Simms.

You had the western Canadian rep for Simms personally help you through your warranty issues and the way I understand it, you were happy with what they did for you.  By all accounts, the poor attention and service you got from Simms is the exception and not the norm.  Hopefully Simms was able to improve their processes and handling of similar warranty claims and will do better in the future. 

You've worn your G3's out and got 7 years out of them.  That's pretty good!  You repaired all of the bramble and hook pokes yourself and not a mention of a warranty claim.  Also pretty good!

As far as I can tell, the only wader that's going to meet your criteria is the G4Z's.  Patagonia's are not Gore Tex, and I don't know if their H2No fabric behaves similarly to Gore Tex when sprayed with alcohol.  Cloudveil isn't making waders anymore, and to be honest, I've never considered Frog Toggs, Reddington or other brands since I like the fact that Simms waders are made in the US.  I did have a pair of Bare Blackwaters and I loved those waders, but talk about a sweaty mess at the end of a day!

Anyways, that's my 2 cents, for what it is worth.

[psd1179]

I have to say Simms custom service is pretty good. But sometimes you have to talk to them.

I had my G3 boot foot wader in Warranty since April. They decided to replace with new model, however, the manufacture did not catch up. So until July, I haven't got the wader back. Desperately need a new wader, I emailed Simms repair department asked for simply replace with a stock foot wader. Since there is a $300 difference between stock foot and boot foot, Simms felt it is not fair for a customer to down grade the product. They loaned a brand new Head water stock foot wader, shipped directly to my place. The shipment is pretty quick and it came in two week before my fishing trip.

The headwater wader is pretty good though it is a entry level wader. I spent 2 weeks in rough fishing condition in Aug without a single issue. It was 7:00am to 7:00pm, 12hr per day stay in the wader.

Recently they emailed that the new boot foot wader is on the way. I would stay with this brand in the future.

[bigsnag]

Look into getting your waders reconditioned by Simms if you haven't already. I did mine a few years ago and the cost was $100 Cdn. They replaced the booties, applied proper patches on pin hole leaks, replaced seam tape and reconditioned the exterior of the goretex .

I had the same service for 75.00 bucks but was told beforehand that it will still leak lightly on one of the bootie area. I use this pair as a spare or in the summer and the leak is hardly noticeable. Great service.

[John Revolver]

wow.  Your criteria is the exact same as mine!


I purchased g3 waders for the 2013-14 Steelhead season and I am still using the same pair.  I've ran these things haaaaaard and the crotch/inseams are now a dark and sinister mosaic of aquaseal , shoe goo , patches and other things best not mentioned. 

The lower half of the waders, the booties and everything else has held up exceptionally well.  I have run these things super ,super hard and im very impressed with them.

With all of this being said, my next wader investment is hands down the simms G4Z.  I just dont see any other wader on the market holding up to the amount of days I fish and the amount of abuse I put them through.  The "new" versions of the G3 seem to be abit flimsy to me which is very disappointing.

With my current battle weary G3's , I'm at the point where I am rockin this aqualsealed isht-show as a badge of honour.  My Stripes earned from countless Kilometers hiked and fished over the years , the fish caught , and the steelhead landed......Im sure I can get another year or two out of them ahahah

[Spawn Sack]

As far as getting them reconditioned I think they are long past that stage. My waders sound similar to John Revolver's, that is, the crotch, inseams, butt, knee/thighs have enough Aquaseal gooped in there to seal up a leaky tug boat! The waders look fine from a distance but, especially if you look at them inside out, you can tell they are on their last legs. That being said last night I soaked the waders inside out with alcohol, marked all the leaks and sealed them up with Aqua seal. A respray with alcohol this morn seems to show that all the leaks are sealed up well. Good for another few months lol! However I will need new waders sooner than later so best to start researching now.

Interested if anyone has used top of the line Patagonia waders and what they think of them vs the G4Z and similar. Also any experience with Patagonia warranty?

If the Patagonia waders don't measure up to the high end Simms I may end up going Simms again. I emailed Patagonia and asked them how they go about detecting pin holes leaks in their waders/jackets, and if the membrane behaves like gortex where holes will reveal themselves if sprayed with alcohol. Awaiting their response. I bush wack a fair bit and beiung able to easily detect leaks and fix them myself is important.

Yeah my warranty issue with Simms was dealt with by the local rep, but any future warranty issues would be going back to the USA. I know I would be unlikely to have a similar experience with Simms USA, but I would still be pretty worried if I ever had to mail them a warranty claim again. Who knows maybe Patagonia is no better (?)

Soon when I have time Ill go try on some Patagonia and Simms. I have heard Simms has a better variety of sizing to fit a better array of "unique" fisherman's physiques. Fit is obviously super important and I wouldnt buy Patagonia if the fit was a bit funky.

[Hike_and_fish]

wow.  Your criteria is the exact same as mine!


I purchased g3 waders for the 2013-14 Steelhead season and I am still using the same pair.  I've ran these things haaaaaard and the crotch/inseams are now a dark and sinister mosaic of aquaseal , shoe goo , patches and other things best not mentioned. 

The lower half of the waders, the booties and everything else has held up exceptionally well.  I have run these things super ,super hard and im very impressed with them.

With all of this being said, my next wader investment is hands down the simms G4Z.  I just dont see any other wader on the market holding up to the amount of days I fish and the amount of abuse I put them through.  The "new" versions of the G3 seem to be abit flimsy to me which is very disappointing.

With my current battle weary G3's , I'm at the point where I am rockin this aqualsealed isht-show as a badge of honour.  My Stripes earned from countless Kilometers hiked and fished over the years , the fish caught , and the steelhead landed......Im sure I can get another year or two out of them ahahah

I've owned my G4Z waders for 3 years. I absolutely love them. Yes some other companies offer zipper waders now but the G4Z waders are thick. I wear a thin base layer for winter steelheading. The only downside is I dont use them in the summer. You get very hot. Nothing beat that zipper when you have to take a leak and it's cold and wet outside. Plus you'll look cool with the G4Z lol

There's no doubt they are the king of all waders.

[Spawn Sack]

Went wader shopping yesterday. Didn't have time to try anything on just checked out diff models and chatted with the staff.
Shop didn't have any G4Z in stock just the G4. I really like the chest pockets on the non zippered waders in general. I'd have to try on the zippered version and think about the cost vs benefit of having that zipper vs having the extra storage in the chest. Also, I'm sure the zipper esp on the G4s are top quality, but....I see it as one more place for water to get in esp as the waders age and the zipper has gone up/down thousands of times.

The top end Patagonia waders are quite nice too and I will definitley try them on when the time comes to buy. However, the staff member and I looked at them side by side with the G4 and we both agree the fit and finish is superior on the G4.

I got an email back from Patagonia and they claim that their H2No membrane will behave the same as gortex when sprayed with isopropol alcohol; that is, if there is a leak in the membrane it will turn dark.

Other observations: The new G3 waders SUCK, well, at least for the $ IMO. Was not impressed at all. The legs/knees are not thick and reinforced like the old G3s. They feel "light duty" like a pair of waders half the price. Comparing them to a pair of G4s the differnce is huge. I would definitley pay the extra $ for the G4s. However, I suppouse if you want a lighter and cooler on hot days pair of waders the G3s might be a good buy. I want maximum durability and dont care too much about a little extra weight/bulk. I bush wack, slip and fall, butt scoot, elbow drop large springs, and so on.

Plan is to limp my old G3s along for a bit longer and buy a new pair in the next month or two.

[Hike_and_fish]

Went wader shopping yesterday. Didn't have time to try anything on just checked out diff models and chatted with the staff.
Shop didn't have any G4Z in stock just the G4. I really like the chest pockets on the non zippered waders in general. I'd have to try on the zippered version and think about the cost vs benefit of having that zipper vs having the extra storage in the chest. Also, I'm sure the zipper esp on the G4s are top quality, but....I see it as one more place for water to get in esp as the waders age and the zipper has gone up/down thousands of times.

The top end Patagonia waders are quite nice too and I will definitley try them on when the time comes to buy. However, the staff member and I looked at them side by side with the G4 and we both agree the fit and finish is superior on the G4.

I got an email back from Patagonia and they claim that their H2No membrane will behave the same as gortex when sprayed with isopropol alcohol; that is, if there is a leak in the membrane it will turn dark.

Other observations: The new G3 waders SUCK, well, at least for the $ IMO. Was not impressed at all. The legs/knees are not thick and reinforced like the old G3s. They feel "light duty" like a pair of waders half the price. Comparing them to a pair of G4s the differnce is huge. I would definitley pay the extra $ for the G4s. However, I suppouse if you want a lighter and cooler on hot days pair of waders the G3s might be a good buy. I want maximum durability and dont care too much about a little extra weight/bulk. I bush wack, slip and fall, butt scoot, elbow drop large springs, and so on.

Plan is to limp my old G3s along for a bit longer and buy a new pair in the next month or two.

To give you some perspective. I fish 3 to 4 days a week. Year round. I use my G4Z waders from late Sept to Marrch every time I go out. They get a lot of use. I probably use the zipper twice per outing. Zero leaks. No there is not a deep wide chest pocket. However there are two medium sized breast pockets. The two pockets provide me with more than enough storage space. To be honest I rarely use them as it is. If I'm not in the boat I do carry a hip pack so the pockets are irrelevant at that point.

[Spawn Sack]

Haha yeah I think cost/benefit wise I'd rather be able to unzip for a wizz on a cold winter day than have a bit more chest pocket room. I personally like the chest pockets as sometimes when I head out fly fishing I'll leave the hip pack at home and just carry some extra sink tips, leader, and small fly box. However for gear fishing I need the hip pack always as I have way too many little containers of this an that to ever fit in a small zippered pouch (!)
If it's warm/hot out I'll ditch the wading jacket to then all I really have for zippered compartments are my waders.
Still, nothing is worse than fishing on a cold winter's day, that wizz you've been putting off for an hour is now going to happen whether you want it to or not, and you have to unclip and pull down your waders to drain the vein, lol! Actually, no, the worst is having to drop a brown trout on a cold miserable day - then it doesn't matter if you have zippered waders or not them shoulder straps are coming down!

[Shinny]

Actually, no, the worst is having to drop a brown trout on a cold miserable day - then it doesn't matter if you have zippered waders or not them shoulder straps are coming down!

This is the reason I don’t grab a coffee at Tim’s before fishing anymore... and the coffee isn’t that good anyways 


Reminds me of the moose caller story. We are on a friends guide boat. A few experience anglers and a couple new guys. New guy sees a funnel with a hose attached to it. Asked what that is. Guide says “it’s a moose caller” guy asked..”how does it work” guide replies “you put your mouth on the hose and blow” the guy proceeds to almost do this.... then we all yell No!! Your using it wrong. Then someone drops their waders and uses it for what it designed for.... haha.. too funny the look on the guys face who almost blew on it.

[Aki]

I have had the Simms G4 waders for about 10 years without any major problems....one zipper on the front pocket (there are 4 pockets, with two behind the front two) is not working, one side of the belt holder is broken, my gravel guards (the outside part) are in shreds and after reading about the alcohol and Aquaseal I tried it and found a few minor possible leaks which I fixed today...heavily used and amazing endurance...the zipper on the front is still in great condition and frequent use (very worth the extra money)...next waders will probably be Simms when I may need them...After the season this year I will send them in for reconditioning back in Bozeman, Montana where they are still hand made...

[John Revolver]

Also, I'm sure the zipper esp on the G4s are top quality, but....I see it as one more place for water to get in esp as the waders age and the zipper has gone up/down thousands of times.

Initially I thought the very same thing but then it occured to me that 95% of my wading situations is barely up to my knees. I love the flip out pocket of my current battle worn g3's but the convenience factor of the zipper looks so appealing. 

Other observations: The new G3 waders SUCK, well, at least for the $ IMO. Was not impressed at all. The legs/knees are not thick and reinforced like the old G3s.
Plan is to limp my old G3s along for a bit longer and buy a new pair in the next month or two.

totally

[milo]

I just ordered the Frogg Toggs Pilot II waders to match the jacket that has been very good to me so far.

My 4-year old Simms Headwaters started leaking like a sieve - never happened to any of my other waders - ever! I ended up with at least three litres of water in each leg on Saturday after only an hour fishing mid upper leg deep. Thank goodness my old trustworthy spare Bare Blackwaters set saved my weekend!