I know it depends how often you use them and how hard you are on them, but in your case how many seasons do you get out of a pair of waders?

I went thru 3 pairs this year, I just got a pair in Sept. and I am sending them back already, The crouch seams are leaking. I am going to try some Aquaseal first.

I bought a pair of Graylite waders 15 yrs. ago ,,maybe more. I paid like $180 wich was mental at the time .. There all patches now .. just got Simms G3 with Simms spiked boots this year .. Like wearing pajamas,, hope they last $600.00 worth .. still cheaper than a boat .

I don't wear waders as often fishing the Canal as I did when I lived on LI.

In the past, I got about 7 years out of Gra-Lites. Those were the longest wearing ones I ever owned, considering how often they were used. My current pair of Orvis Pro Guides has lasted a long time, but they have seen a fraction of the use of my Gra-Lites.

I got maybe 3 years out of Red Ball Masters.

Neoprenes? Every pair that I used heavily lasted about a season and a half. I currently use them only for shellfishing from October thru May.

It's not the cheapest solution, but I've come to the conclusion that I need 2 pairs of waders and a wetsuit and I select the right tool for the job depending on what I'm doing. Spreading the work load obviously extends the life of everything. One pair of breathables is rarely going to go a full season for anglers that fish hard unless it's a higher end model like the Simms G3 or 4.

I only wear the breathables these days when I need to. Long walks or spots that aren't likely to stress them. Canvas at other times where I need the additional durability, but mostly I use the wetsuit.

I love fishing in the wetsuit anways and I've learned to tolerate the ridiculous stink that starts to come from my wetsuit around mid-summer despite numerous Mirazyme treatments.

I'm very mixed on my feelings towards breathables these days. Unless you spend $$ leaks after some serious use is almost a given. I'm finding I prefer a little clammyness of non-breathables in exchange for less leaks. I MAY drop the $$ for the Simms this year, I'm not sure...

It's not the cheapest solution, but I've come to the conclusion that I need 2 pairs of waders and a wetsuit and I select the right tool for the job depending on what I'm doing. Spreading the work load obviously extends the life of everything. One pair of breathables is rarely going to go a full season for anglers that fish hard unless it's a higher end model like the Simms G3 or 4.

I only wear the breathables these days when I need to. Long walks or spots that aren't likely to stress them. Canvas at other times where I need the additional durability, but mostly I use the wetsuit.

I love fishing in the wetsuit anways and I've learned to tolerate the ridiculous stink that starts to come from my wetsuit around mid-summer despite numerous Mirazyme treatments.

I'm very mixed on my feelings towards breathables these days. Unless you spend $$ leaks after some serious use is almost a given. I'm finding I prefer a little clammyness of non-breathables in exchange for less leaks. I MAY drop the $$ for the Simms this year, I'm not sure...

those gra-lights you mentioned keep looking that much sweeter. Like they may have their spot as a pair you could rely on when you dont want to get wet with the wetsuit.

Orvis silver labels.......stocking foot with felt bottom boots....they get heavey use.....if I get a season out of a pair I am happy.....for $250.00 and the abuse what more can you ask?:huh: This years pair lasted all season and I will start next season with them!

I think you are right on multi-pair and styles. Esp if you use them for other things besides fishing. I have been using mine for Shellfishing too and in the late fall the breathables are cold after a while. Also Shellfishing really tests the seams. Sometimes I am standing water right up to my chest for a couple hours, any leak even a small one becomes a problem, esp in December.

If I get 2 years out of a pair of guide-quality breathables I am happy. The light versions of breathalbe (read cheap) less then a season. The material is just too thin. I think they are OK for a guy who goes fishing a few times a season though.

Those vulcunized rubber and rubberized canvas wader will take more abuse, no question but are uncomfortable to walk in or stand in for the entire night. They last a lot longer though. I recall getting many seasons out of those.

I have not fished in a wet suit but it seems like a hassle to get into and out of. Maybe next year. (getting one for xmas) What to you wear on your feet? wader shoes?

I have always worn the heavy rubber hip boots for lots of near shore chores, and they normally die from the boots cracking from ozone after a number of seasons...like 4-5. But like the heavy vulcanized waders they take harsh abuse.


Next year I think I will get a few different styles and spread the load.

I typically get about 1.5 before I have to reup

Depends a lot on where you fish. If you ride the beaches and fish sand and don't walk very far in them, you're going to have a different experience than if you fish Block and the RI Breachways like Tattoo Bob.
Waders are priced high because they factor in the replacement pairs. It probably only costs $30 to manufacture a pair of light breathable waders - but the bean counters factor in the replacements so you're really buying three pairs for the price of one.
Cabelas charges less, but they may have a undeclared policy of "we'll replace "X" amount of pairs, after that you get Aquaseal." That may be why they cost less - but I don't know.
Once you say "lifetime warranty" you now get people who poke holes in perfectly good waders at the end of each season in order to start each new season with a new pair. I've known several people to do this - this is probably why we see the companies offering declining warranties.
From a merchant's perspective, helping people out with wader replacement can kill the bottom line if the wader company balks on providing a replacement. The customer is happy, but now you need to sell four pairs without a return to get back to zero.

You can get more than one season out of them? :huh: :laughs:

I regularly go through 2 pairs a year... :hang:

Nope.
When I fished hard I would go through 2-3 on most years and it took so long to get the replacements I bought two pairs to start.

Not to hikack, but do you guys really care if they leak? I routinely take a few waves down my jacket and wind up wet weather my waders leak or not. I use a beat up pair of breathables during spring and summer and they leak, but who cares? In the fall, this year I bought a pair of neoprenes, although they didnt leak, I sweat so much in them, I was wet anyway.
Not trying to be argumentative, but gettign wet while wading is just something I have come to accept.

I can generally get two seasons out mine fishing every weekend plus aded days here and there, but I switch from the neoprenes(Cabelas') to canvas(Lacrosse or Red Ball Masters) depending on the time of year. I have fished areas requiring alot of walking and the canvas waders are just fine for me, but the neoprenes are alittle heavy for extended hiking. To me the breathables are just a leak waiting to happen. If moisture can permeate out whats going to stop it from going the other way? It seems to me that many have problems with leaks occurring in the crotch. This says to me that the leg length is not long enough to allow fulll motion of walking/climbing especially on the jetties. I try and matvh the boot size with a leg length so there is alittle extra for when I have to stretch out my legs, of course this means that the top of the waders are up to my pits usually but a good belt takes care of that situation. I have never had a pair of waders fail inthe crotch generally at the boot top or knee area. Ron

Not to hikack, but do you guys really care if they leak? I routinely take a few waves down my jacket and wind up wet weather my waders leak or not. I use a beat up pair of breathables during spring and summer and they leak, but who cares? In the fall, this year I bought a pair of neoprenes, although they didnt leak, I sweat so much in them, I was wet anyway.
Not trying to be argumentative, but gettign wet while wading is just something I have come to accept.

I know what you mean. And that's why I bought a wetsuit.

I used to be on a mission to stay dry in the surf, but to some degree I've given up on that as well. In November I start to have a hang up with getting wet though.

I just made it through my 5th season on mine,my sister bought me a pair of Cabelas wet lands 3.5mm neoprene back in 2002.
I mainly use them for the canal I've sat on rocks,nelt on them and even takin a couple of good diggers I've have a couple of pin holes but nothing major.
They still holding up so Im in no rush to buy some fancy Gor-tex one's:rolleyes:


5/0

If moisture can permeate out whats going to stop it from going the other way?

The moisture going out is vapor, the water trying to get in is liquid. Water vapor can fit through smaller holes than liquid water, which is the principle behind Goretex.

With that said, I don't think breathable waders still breathe when you're in the water. I don't think the vapor can escape when the surface is covered in water.

I just got about a season out of a pair of Hodgman's, but I didn't fish too much this year. Even if breathables don't last as long, I just can't go back. Even when I wear my hip boots and rain pants, I'm always wet from condensation.

I do the swap between dif stuff as well.

breatheables, 2/3 wetsuit oneil, 7 henderson, 3.5 hodgeman neos Gonna pick up a pair of hippers for the coming season for open beaches and jiggin where a long cast is necessary but you dont really have to get wet.

I have several pair I use, or tried to use this year. Oversized xtra large neopremes which I wear extra clothing under for early fishing. Large neo's that I wear very light clothing under for later spring fishing, and wadealites for warm weather. I have had waders leak in the past and just kept using them, and then at some point they end up in the trash. Not any more. I am going to save that box they came in and if they leak just a little they are being sent back. I sent those two pair of Hodgemen's back this year and it cost fourteen dollars. They sent me two new pair, one neopreme and one the expensive wadalites. I don't think thier is a wader out there at this point that doesn't leak, so I am going to continue buying Hodgemen and just make sure I send them back within the time constaints of Hodgemens two year warrenty. So for the future sending back waders is going to become just part of using them. Just make sure you know the length of warrenty and you should be all set.

got my first pair of brethables this year from Cabelas in May, they are super confortable and they have an attached wading boot, so you get the best of both worlds, but low and behold, the crotch started to leak in October. It think it was due to climbing rocks, that's all I did all summer. I called Cabelas and they're gonna replace them. Do you guys also think that most waders (with the exception of the Simms maybe) are not really made for Saltwater abuse? I mean, LLbean and Cabelas seem to market their waders to the flyfishing river crowd. I tried to stay on top of giving them a freshwater rinse after each use, but it's hard when you fish all night and just want to crash....

i expect to go thru a pair a season- if i get a season and a half out of them great..... for years i swore by the orvis silver labels (but they did leak) last fall i bought a pair of simms they have a small leak in the right knee- over the years ive come to expect all waders leak so i deal with it- 1 wave in the face far outpaces the small leaks anyway.

one observation i have made over the years is that a good pair of waders out of the box in the spring i.e. that do not have any leaky seams hold up fine thru the summer unless i tear them.... usually by sept. the seams in the ankles, knees and crotch start to leak. i leave my waders in the truckk 99% of the time from april thru december- it seems that being in the "hot car" breaks down the glue they use to hold the seams together.

I used cabelas waders for about 2 seasons and never got more then a month or two out of them before the seams started to leak. They'd replace them but it got to be a pain. Picked up a pair of Patagonia's on sale in mid summer this year and had zero problems with them over 3+ months. Hopefully that will continue.

This is season 10 for both sets of Bare waders. The company got out of the wader business and only makes wetsuits I think. Two seasons on breathable Hodgemans (bootfoot).

got my first pair of brethables this year from Cabelas in May, they are super confortable and they have an attached wading boot, so you get the best of both worlds, but low and behold, the crotch started to leak in October..

It happened to me once. Last summer 2005, I had a hodgman breathable wader and it seemed to be in a decent condition to me, but after fishing for a while, I foudn my crotch area to be wet while wading (no funny ideas, men). Then I went home to inspect and found no holes. Can anyone tell me how can it happen?

2 years seems to be my average. $ don't seem to = life in any waders I have owned to date. Redingtons were dead in 2 years, Orvis proguides weeping at 2 years. This time I bought Beans, I think it was medsummer and so far so good. I would say that always before I had bootfoots and these are stockingfoots. The difference in how far I can walk night after night is amazing. The other thing is my wading boots are the studded aquastealth and they are much better than korkers. Might not cut thru bubbleweed but they grip black rocks and I don't feel like I have snow built up on the bottom of my shoes.

I am going to buy what bill uses, the simms g3. they seem to be a great product.

buy LL bean and when they leak you can return them with no questions asked...IMO a pair of waders should last more than two years and LL bean agrees with me!