what waders?
- This topic has 21 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated Apr 23, 2007 at 6:41 pm by
.
-
Posts
-
It’s my opinion that you get the best $$ value from the mid priced models. I went the cheap breathable route for a while. We have a Bass Pro in town and for several years I bought their $90 breathables. I think they are made by Hodgman. They lasted me about a year or roughly 50 fishing days before they would develop multiple leaks. A couple of years ago my wife bought me the mid priced Simms lightweight waders. I think they were a little over $200. So they are going on 2 years old and roughly 100 fishing days. No sign of trouble yet.
I just don’t think Simms products can be beat for quality and longevity. I’ve slowly over the last 5 years switched to Simms waders, boots, and vest. Nothing they make has let me down yet.
Greg
I will combine a little from both of the above posts.
Buying the high end waders just does not make any sense (to me).
I’ll preface this by saying I’m brutal on waders and probably on the rest of my gear. Went the stay cheap and replace route. Hodgeman’s $80.00 waders – I got 3 months/5 months and close to one season= 9 months out of three pairs respectively.
Switched to another brand a little higher up the food chain price wise and after two seasons and a couple of “not unexpected” repairs I,m dry and happy . In season from mid May to late November I fish 3 or 4 times a week. Cabelas Gold Medal works for me so far:))) Nicely taped/reinforced ass and legs/ bit weak on the suspender clips/decent fit on my middle aged body/for the price I,m ahead already on my last choice/if you dont like wearing Cabelas brand take off the label:)))) They are in great condition and I expect a couple of more seasons out of them based on whatt I’ve seen so far.
In cold weather I use a set of Neoprene “leggings” ie- old neo,s cut at the crotch and with the feet cut off , under my breathables and have been plenty warm and comfortable .
Will
I’m 99.9% sure that Hodgeman makes Cabelas Waders. If you don’t like Cabelas brand buy the higher end Hodgemans. My guidelights have taken lots of abuse for several years. I wet wade in the summer though.
I don’t understand how LL can offer such a replacement but it sounds good to me. I’d consider them next time I buy.
Mike,
Patagonia offers the same type of warranty service as LL Bean on their waders, unfortunately it takes more than a few weeks to get them back.
I’ve returned two pairs of waders to Patagonia in the past four years that had a failure I didn’t think wear and tear or abuse was responsible for. I returned both pairs saying that repair or replacement was fine. Both times they sent a brand new pair of waders.
You need to read my article called “Breathing Underwater” (in the Articles section) to appreciate the amount of research that went into this statement, but I think you should follow my lead:
I will only purchase Gore-Tex branded waders for my own use.
Zach
Ian is right on the similarities between LL Bean and Patagonia’s policy.
Dave,
First off I would like to say that the gals at Simms are almost all complete fish heads! Listen to them, ask them lots of questions and you might actually learn something. They are that good!
I had the privilege of meeting with my Simms Rep yesterday and got to see some new products that are coming out this coming fall from them. They have a new boot foot wader that looks like you good go to war with! It is called the Exstream Bootfoot wader and it looks bomb proof. I got to see this wader up close and personal and it looks as durable as anything I have ever laid my hands on! The boot that is built into this wader is a Muck boot and it is rated from 40 above to 40 below zero! That should cover you for all of the months that you wear waders in Montana. Retail price on these waders will be $399.95.
I not sold on the cheap waders. I tried that game when I was a poor college student and it never worked out for me. I did the Hodgeman thing and I always got leaks after about a month of use. I HATE leaky waders!!!
Patagonia and Simms have been my waders of choice since then and I have always been pleased with their products and their warrenties.
Joel
Mike lol- ahh I ditched my cheap Hodgemans for re badged Hodgemans:))))) there is some irony in that:))))) I like it.
Will
On a more serious note, I don’t think any Patagonia fly fishing specific product I’ve owned could be accurately described as durable. I return them because I think the failure was a defect. I inform them of the problem and how to fix it. Once they provide a product that fails due to my own wear and tear or fault, I’ll stop returning them.
Sure, Simms won’t replace a leaky pair of waders, but they last a lot longer than Patagonia waders. I wouldn’t feel right about returning an item if I had used it for a reasonable amount of time. So… when Patagonia gets to this point I’ll feel a lot more comfortable about recommending them.
I have the Patagonia SST’s and finally got a leak in after alsmost 4 years. I sent them back thinking they would repair them, only to get there latest high end model new in the mail. I am very pleased with there return policy. I also sent Orvis a pair of mid priced waders that my son wore that had a leak in the bootfoot. They also sent a compareable new wader back no charge. So I can’t say anything bad there either. So far two for two.
Happy and Dry!
Chad
These Patagonia waders are expensive but they are definately worth it, both in performance & service from the company.
But that’s probably with all major wader companies (incl. Cabela & LL Bean).
Jay
Orvis tent sale— got my reconditioned Guide Pros for $50.
If I were paying full retail I probably would have gone with Simms, but for the price it couldn’t be beat. My warranty is the $250 I have left in my pocket. That will buy my next 5 pairs of factory reconditioned waders. 🙂
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.