Zippered Waders
- This topic has 10 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated Aug 1, 2007 at 1:35 pm by
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For 2007 waders with a zipper seemed to be the hot advancement. So what is the verdict? Anybody use the Simms G4, Dan Bailey, etc?
I personally wouldn’t waste money on the G4s. I bought a new pair of G3s last October and they had leaky holes in the knees before the end of March. Probably only 50 days on the water during that time.
I’ve heard from several folks including a couple of fly shop owners that say they’ve had issues with the G3s. I’d go with the non-zippered guide lightweights instead. Although I don’t know anything about the Bailey’s zippered pair. I also hated the tightfitting cheap gator guards. Unintentionally pulled out the metal shoestring retainer on those pretty quickly. They don’t hold up. I hate to say it but I’m back to the Orvis guide waders for now. The last pair I had lasted about 18 months–a long time for me. My next pair will probably be Patagonia.
When the breathables first came out, I was hearing from the factory folks that they manufacture the waders to get an average of 65-85 trouble free days. So if you fish a lot in a year, you pretty much wear them out. If you only fish 15-25 days or so a year then of course they might last you 4 years. I’ve found that to be pretty much true over the years.
Hope this helps,
ScottHi Zach:
I inspected the waders with a flash light and the small holes about the size of a pencil eraser looked like areas worn thin above the seem on the left knee. I repaired one very small tear into the outer layer that did not stop the leaking before I took a closer look and saw the light thin spots in the material. Definitely not punctures.
I couldn’t do without a set of waders at the time, and so I just ordered the Orvis pair. I was going to get the lightweight guide models from Simms even though I didn’t like the chest without a pocket on them, but they were out of my size at the time. I have had good use out of them in the past.
Anyway, it’s not worth my time, effort and cost to return them. Just passing on the info to some of the folks here who complain about not getting any negative reports on gear because of the influence of advertisers.
Hey Scott –
Only you know what your time is worth, of course, but I guarantee you Simms would appreciate the chance to look at them, and you’d probably get a new set of waders to give away as a Christmas present or something.
It would be cool if Simms offered the zipper option in the lower-end G3 or the Guides. The G4 are certainly great waders but not sure I want all of the pockets and gadgets or the high price tag.
FWIW, a guide buddy of mine told me this weekend that he just wore through his first pair of Simms, and it didn’t take any longer than the various Orvis ones he had before.
Scott, I am surprised with your faith in Orvis and Patagonia and your lack of faith in Simms.
Howdy Tim. The question leading the thread was on the G4s. I mentioned my experience with the G3 because the technology is basically the same only with the zipper added. So it’s not that I don’t have “faith” in Simms. I regularly use Simms products now. Just got a pair of their L2 AquqStealth boots, and I am sure I will buy their waders again, but for right now not their G3s and certainly not their G4s–primarily because of the cost of the latter.
Eric hit it on the head.
I have an aversion to “leading edge” products that cost significantly more and give more headaches even though I try them from time to time. It’s usually that way with any company. Their leading edge products are going to give them the most problems, and their customer service had better be good at anticipating that.
But I don’t moan over a tear or leak in my waders–except here
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