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[Spawn Sack]

I'm in the same boat as Ry The Fly guy, need new waders and am between the G4/G4Z and Patagonia Gallegeos.

Was in my favorite shop the other day talking to the staff about each. Consensus seems to be that you can't go wrong with either. Staff member showed me the seam taping on the Simms vs Patagonia, around the booties, crotch and so on. He knows when I do buy I will buy from his shop, so he took a few more minutes with me than I was expecting. we looked at both waders from the outside and then turned them inside out and compared the fit and finish on the inside.

Definite edge to Simms here, they just appear to be put together a bit more carefully. Everything lines up perfect. You can tell great care went into the manufacturing process whereas with the Patagonia they looked more mass produced.

Also with Simms gortex if you think you have a pinhole leak(s) or just want to check, this can be done easily by spraying the waders inside out with alcohol. Leaks will turn dark and can easily be identified and fixed (aquaseal). Unfortunately with Patagonia the inner membrane will NOT react the same to isopropyl alcohol so finding pinhole leaks will have to be done by more labor intensive methods (filling with water, etc.).

So, IMO, quality and serviceability (finding and repairing leaks) the winner is Simms.

However, if you need to send your Simms waders away for warranty work it can be a real nightmare. I personally had a brutal experience with Simms warranty department when I sent my G3 jacket to them. Other users on this site have had similar experiences so it is fair to say it was not an isolated incident.

Patagonia on the other hand seems to have an amazing warranty policy with their waders. According to the staff member, if they leak within in a year of purchase, bring them into the store and we'll give you a new pair OVER THE COUNTER (!) Then they deal with Patagonia to get reimbursed. I was floored when I heard this.

If they leak after a year you will have to mail them to Patagonia, but they have an office in BC, in Vancouver! So shipping is way less than to mail to Simms USA, and you will get them back a lot faster. Also apparently unless it is obvious you have abused the waders you mail in, they will likely just give you a new pair.

Conclusion: Simms has the better product and Patagonia the better warranty. I am still undecided on which I'll buy. It'll probably come down to the best fit. Before steelhead season I'll devote a half day to trying on and pick the pair I like best.

Finally regarding the old G3s vs the new G3s. I'm not a fan at all of the new G3s. Yeah they are lighter and maybe more breathable than the old G3s (which I have now) but I do not think they'll hold up well to how I fish (bush wack, trip and fall, etc.). If I could find a pair of new "old G3s" I would consider them for the right price.

I have never had zippered waders but I think I'll go that route this time. Just plain sucks trying to dig out your cold flaccid appendage with cold hands on a cold day.  

[Ry the fly guy]

Spawn Sack, awesome wright up thanks for sharing all of that! I think we have similar needs in waders so I've decided against the g3s. I like made in America (Simms) a lot more than made overseas (Patagonia), however one of the most important things to me is the warranty so Patagonia clearly has the advantage there. Overall though I think quality of product and made in USA will win me over in the end. As long as they can last a full season I can always send them in during the summer The ability to quickly locate pin-hole leaks with the Gortex is a huge leg-up on the Patagonias. Hopefully I can find somewhere on the Island to try both pairs before I buy, If they both fit well I suspect I'll be leaving with G4s.

[jeetS]

That is strange...I asked Patagonia that question specifically a couple months ago if the alcohol method would work for identifying leaks and they told me that it would...

Who is correct??

[Spawn Sack]

That is strange...I asked Patagonia that question specifically a couple months ago if the alcohol method would work for identifying leaks and they told me that it would...

Who is correct??

Do you have the email from Patagonia? I'd have to check my saved emails, I'm pretty sure I saved the one where they said the alcohol method will NOT work.

Odd as I was looking at waders the other day and the staff in the store said yes the alcohol method WILL work.

WTF?

[John Revolver]

Simms 100% of the way for waders.  Patagonia has some excellent products in other categories.  If you can find previous generation Simms G3s in your size I would snatch those up in a heart beat. 

Im on my 5th year!! with a pair of G3s and the lowersection and booties are perfect with no leaks.  It's only the upper inseams that are a dark and sinister mosaic of patches and aquaseal. 

[Ry the fly guy]

True John, it seems like the old g3s were made like the new g4s with 5 layer Gore-Tex in lower, and 3 in upper. if I can find a brand new pair in XL then I would probably buy them, I just don't really want to buy a pair before I try them on, and thats the only option online. If any one knows someone on the Island selling a brand new pair of XL XLK g3s for sale let me know!

[John Revolver]

call around the local shops and see if they have any previous models in stock. I know I've spotted a few pairs over the summer kicking around on some shelves. Its worth a shot and you might score a pair at , or near , your size. good luck!

[Ry the fly guy]

Thanks John, took your advise and went with a brand new pair of old g3s. Over half the price of the g4s so time for a new reel!! Hopefully I can get the same use out of mine as you have.

[Spawn Sack]

Thanks John, took your advise and went with a brand new pair of old g3s. Over half the price of the g4s so time for a new reel!! Hopefully I can get the same use out of mine as you have.

You mind telling me where you found them? I've been trying to muster up the energy to call every tackle shop in the LM but have not got around to it yet.


I think I take a L, 9-11.

[Ry the fly guy]

You mind telling me where you found them?


I think I take a L, 9-11.

I live on the Island however, I bought the second to last pair from Robinsons outdoor store in XXL but they fit somewhat tight so they are perfect, the only size they have left is small, Island outfitters in Victoria had L, LK, and LL, but they wanted $200 more then Robinsons $399>$599 and when I told them that Robinsons was offering for cheaper they didn't seem like they believed me so I went to Robinsons.

[sugartooth]

When I was looking for waders about a month ago Micheal and young flyshop had some old  G3’s on sale  but not in the large. I do believe they had some LKs tho. I also checked pacific angler and they had some as well. Don’t know which sizes. Might be worth a call.

[John Revolver]

Thanks John, took your advise and went with a brand new pair of old g3s. Over half the price of the g4s so time for a new reel!! Hopefully I can get the same use out of mine as you have.

Awesome!! congratulations on the sweet score.

[FlyFishin Magician]

My  Simms G3's are on route to Simms for a repair (similar problem to Stratocaster - wear/tear on inside upper leg adjacent to seam).  Otherwise, they are in excellent shape.  I did find a few pinhole leaks in the upper portion which may have been due to poor fly casting.  But I don't use them that much - I've got two other pairs of Simms waders that I use as my beater waders.

I hope Simms warranties them like they did for Stratocaster.  His are even a bit older than mine!

This topic is timely, as I am considering buying another pair of quality waders so I've got a decent back-up.  I'm worried my other waders will fail eventually (I've repaired them several times over the years), as they are well over 10 years old now.  Patagonia was naturally the other brand that came to mind.  I was at my local fly shop the other day and the guys there really like Patagonia due to their customer service.  Stratocaster also really likes his Patagonia waders.  The one thing that does concern me is the inability to do an alcohol test to look for leaks.  Having to fill them with water to find leaks would be a PITA for me.

Anyway, Canada Post/USPS is estimating for my G3's to arrive at Simms today.  I hope to have an update for the members here soon!  A good update that is...

[Spawn Sack]

Finally got around to trying on waders yesterday. Only bothered with the Simms G4/G4z and Patagonia Gallegos in zip/non zip.

One thing I found odd was the G4/G4Z both fit me tight in the my butt and torso in L 9-11. But my old G3s are L 9-11 and they fit just fine with room for extra layers. In the G4/G4Z I had to go LK 9-11. They fit pretty well, quite close to my G3s in L. I guess Simms has changed the dimensions on their sizing (?)

I have never had zipped waders but I would pay the extra $$$ and try them out.

Unfortunately the Patagonia Gallegos did not fit me well at all. A size L seemed to fit well, but the legs were WAY too long on me. I think you'll have to be at least 6 foot to make them work.

The G4s in LK fit much better on my 5"9 frame. This is what I'll be going with.

Just for kicks I'll call around and see what kind of price I can get on a pair of older gen G3's. If I could pick a pair up for 3-400 bucks I'd probably go for it. If I can't find a pair no big deal I'll just bite the bullet and go for G4Zs.

[FlyFishin Magician]

Well, I have an update for the members here.  As previously stated, I sent my G3 waders to Simms for evaluation and repair.  My G3's are 4 years old now, and they developed wear on the upper inside portion of both legs (right leg leaking).  It took a while for them to get there, as Canada Post/USPS tried to deliver them on the US Thanksgiving holiday and they were closed.  They got delivered the following Monday and I got an acknowledgement from Simms that they received the waders.  That was just over a week ago.

Fast forward to two days ago.  I received an email from Simms advising that my waders will be repaired under warranty!  Great news!  I checked Simms Repair Center online and they state the repair has been completed.  So I guess I'll wait until they arrive back at my door!

I'm glad I sent them in like Stratocaster did with his.  Hopefully the repair will fix the problem and prevent further wear in that area.  I wonder if that is a design flaw/problem, as I know of two other people who had their G3's repaired under warranty for the same issue.

@ John Revolver - it sounds like you repaired a similar area yourself.  Did you end up patching/using aquaseal on the seams?  I know this will work, but I was told that any such work on the seams will render them un-repairable by Simms.