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Waders - New $700 Orvis Waders Vs $850 Simms Vs $500 Dryft Vs $350 Compass

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scoobydoo

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2 hours ago, Birdsnester said:

I think I’m going to try Rogers waders this spring.  They seem to be out of stock a lot recently.  I wonder if they can’t keep them on the shelf???  


Dunno but the reviews are very good, not that I pay too much attention to reviews.  

 

I like the zip out liner feature a lot.  Not crazy about the warranty but I’ve tried just about everything and have not been happy.  The Husky size looks nice too.  The boot foot boots look really nice too, more like a real boot than I am used to.

 

I have not tried Simms though.  Special order boot foot is a turn off to me.  As is the price.  I don’t fish 200 days a year so I should not have to pay crazy money to stay dry.

 

 

If you do go up at least one boot size. I wear a 12.5 hiker boot in those waders I wear a 14 for ease of getting my fat arse in and out easily. The boot is actually a bit too large but it’s a non-issue fishing the surf. 

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15 hours ago, ged said:

 

I have often wondered what makes waders fail?

 

Ged, I think its important to wear fleece or other soft undergarment and proper fitting boots to prolong the useful life of waders. Also popping and other crotch to butt section rubbing can wear out material fast. Walking maybe not so much as i almost always walk great distances to my fishing locations. Think hundreds of miles on my G4’s. Other than that i would say a few”pop’s” before fishing jetties has been to negative effect..

I'll ignore your cheap aroma,

and your little-bo-peep diploma,

I'll just put you in a coma,

with some dirty love-

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10 hours ago, Jim DE said:

If you do go up at least one boot size. I wear a 12.5 hiker boot in those waders I wear a 14 for ease of getting my fat arse in and out easily. The boot is actually a bit too large but it’s a non-issue fishing the surf. 

I was watching a video put out by Rogers.  They claim to have heard the complaints on the boot size and have corrected it.  That's refreshing to hear.  Now they claim that a size 10 is a size 10.  No need to make adjustments.

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6 hours ago, Birdsnester said:

I was watching a video put out by Rogers.  They claim to have heard the complaints on the boot size and have corrected it.  That's refreshing to hear.  Now they claim that a size 10 is a size 10.  No need to make adjustments.

They must of corrected the narrowing of the boot near the ankle area. The narrowing made it tough for the foot to make the turn into the boot more than boot actual size. There is no doubt in my mind my boot size is at least a 14 as it is large on me but my foot enters and exits the waders easily with it being  a size in a half large. It is noticeable but a non-issue in use. 

Edited by Jim DE
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21 mins ago, Jim DE said:

They must of corrected the narrowing of the boot near the ankle area. The narrowing made it tough for the foot to make the turn into the boot more than boot actual size. There is no doubt in my mind my boot size is at least a 14 as it is large on me but my foot enters and exits the waders easily with it being  a size in a half large. It is noticeable but a non-issue in use. 

Jim are yours newer waders?  Ok f so I probably will get one size up then.

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I've been using Simms for quite some time now. Mainly the G3 and G4, they last great as long as you take care of them. (price is a bit excessive!) Don't leave them in a hot car, don't wear jeans under them, check for leaks and aqua seal the pin holes when needed or once a season.

 

Also its best to try on whatever waders you decide to get, if they do not fit properly they will wear out faster--too tight and the seams have more pressure on them when kneeling or squatting down; too loose and the material bunches up and rubs together.  

 

No wader is unbreakable, but at least these are serviceable to an extent and not just a throwaway after a year item. Simms warranty is great also, so just like a high end fishing rod with a nice warranty that cost is added in. Unlike other cheaper waders that have a lesser warranty, if your simms waders leak within the first year, send them in and they ship you a brand new pair no questions asked. After a year they fix them for a fee. Plus their gore-tex series waders are all made in the USA. I'm on the water 120 full 12-16 hour work days a year with mine in Alaska, basically live in them. They fit great and not loud when walking like other waders, breathe great too.

 

Just got new simms G4 with zipper and they are the most comfortable wader I've ever put on and I have worn everything from Redington sonic pro and Orvis guide to Patagonia Rio Gallegos. The only real reason I upgraded from my 6 year old G4s is that they were getting a little funky smelling from all the salmon blood/slime over the years and was too much to live with. I've heard some good things about Dryft and have some friends that love theirs. 

 

If you want boot-foot and a tough servicable US made wader look at the Sitka waders, Lacrosse boots built in but they'll cost ya a grand :eek:

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Ive put Orvis Pro model trough its paces for the last month and a half. No leaks so far but today managed to get a rip on the backside falling in a beaver hole. They are quite heavy but for winter I absolutely dont mind. Built in kneepads are freaking ace, climbing rocks, holes, fallen over trees - convenience is off the charts. The rubber mesh of the gravel guard never rides up the boot even if the front hook gets unhooked from wading boot. 

 

I wish the ass end of the waders was reinforced more! 

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5 hours ago, Birdsnester said:

Jim are yours newer waders?  Ok f so I probably will get one size up then.

Going on their third season.... never have used the thermal liner in them. I unzipped it day one and it sits in the bag the waders came in since

Edited by Jim DE
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44 mins ago, Zanzhu said:

Ive put Orvis Pro model trough its paces for the last month and a half. No leaks so far but today managed to get a rip on the backside falling in a beaver hole. They are quite heavy but for winter I absolutely dont mind. Built in kneepads are freaking ace, climbing rocks, holes, fallen over trees - convenience is off the charts. The rubber mesh of the gravel guard never rides up the boot even if the front hook gets unhooked from wading boot. 

 

I wish the ass end of the waders was reinforced more! 

Saw that about the kneepads....are they internal?  or is it a layer of reinforced fabric and the padding behind it.

The old helix waders had a cool knee reinforcement that was nice.

The new zip fronts have that.....

 

I'm all for built in knee pads...my knees have always sucked and kneeling has been painful since a kid.

Edited by scoobydoo

"Panacheless is no way to go through life"

Tims

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Last Fall, I got myself Compass POINT GUIDE II.  I've only got to use it a handful of times but I liked it a lot.  I wasn't sure if would leak or not so I opted for non-zipper version but  I wish I got the zipper version though. 

 

It's not too baggy like other waders and not too tight like slim fit, just about right for me but maybe a little tight on leg length if you have long legs.  I don't have long legs so for a change, it works out for me.

 

Other than that, I really like this wader.

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6 hours ago, scoobydoo said:

Saw that about the kneepads....are they internal?  or is it a layer of reinforced fabric and the padding behind it.

 

There is a little pocket on the inside and the pad sits inside the pocket, they are removable.

 

The lower leg reinforced cordura fabric is extremely durable, its showing virtually no signs of wear. I wish they made a model that had everything below waistline out of super tough cordura for our trout streams - dried and broken spruce branches are extremely sharp and falling on those spikes is pretty common climbing around beaver holes and over fallen trees. 

 

I'm pretty upset I have to send them to diver dave for repair and have to spend like a month without waders I enjoy so much. 

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I have the Dryft Seekr waist waders. Seem ok so far after less than a year of use so time will tell. These are my first waders so I can't give a super experienced opinion but they seem like a quality product for the price, and are definitely more sleek compared to the manila folder standard looking waders.

 

I also like that they are a small company. I have pretty much had an ongoing thread with one of their reps for a couple months who I think is one of the founders. Very responsive and helpful. If you have an issue/leak, it does cost $35 for round trip shipping and inspection which is meh.

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"I've been using Simms for quite some time now. Mainly the G3 and G4, they last great as long as you take care of them. (price is a bit excessive!) Don't leave them in a hot car, don't wear jeans under them, check for leaks and aqua seal the pin holes when needed or once a season."

 

The same for 20 years, but I like to be dry when I fish. I used to hang my Simms waders on a rack in a dry place after every trip and patch the pin holes and seams leaks with aqua seal before the next trip. If you like playing with your waders before every trip be my guest. Yeah they are comfortable, but they are also fragile and only good enough for hobby fisherman that are willing to pay a lot for a status product IMO.

 

I have had the Patagonias for 2/1/2 years and not a single leak or pin hole. The zipper also goes low enough to be useful unlike the Simms.

 

The problem is the Simms Gortex fabric does not stay waterproof unless you keep it clean and treat it with their waterproofing spray and dry it with a hair drier every season as per Simms. Simms will re-waterproof your wader for you for pile of cash if you send the waders to them in perfectly clean condition, otherwise they will reject them. When they develop numerous small leaks due to fabric and seam failures which happens in short order if you wade a lot river you are on your own. 

 

Since I got the Patagonias I have not had the condensation problem I had with the Simms paper thin Gortex fabric.

 

The Simms are not guide quality.

 

Why should you pay top dollar for a fragile pair of waders that only stay waterproof when they are brand new. After a few trip if you spray the inside of a Pair of Simms G3 waders with isopropyl alcohol you will see all the dark pin holes spots and the problem is progressive. In short order the number of pin hole leaks increases and the leaks start appearing on the seams.

 

If you own a pair of Simms G3's or G4's you should invest in aqua seal company.

 

 

Edited by Jay Blair

"May your travels always take you to where the water meets the shore"

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I’ve never heard you can’t wear jeans under waders. It’s about all I wear.

is that why my waders, no matter what brand, always leak after a season or two?


I never had the G3 or G4 Simms but I’ve owned many waders under say $400 over the years, from snowbees, Hodgeman, Simms and Patagonia. I currently have some leaky Simms freestones and newer Patagonia’s I got on sale that haven’t leaked yet. My requirement is lightweight, zip pockets and mid priced $250-$400.

 

I expect only a couple of seasons of 150 trips.

No Bait. No Barbs. No Buckets.

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