Waders - The awesome, the bad, the leaky

Evan B

Evan B

Bobber Downey Jr.
Staff member
Admin
I personally haven't purchased a new set of waders in almost 10yrs. Given my fishing tends to be more boat-centric, and less in the winter every year, I just haven't had the need to have my ear to the ground since my G4z pair, despite being nearly a decade old, still keeps me dry. But who knows how long that'll last.

@Josh @Billy and I were just having a friendly discussion about the topic and I realized how out of the loop I am. They're both starting to shop, @Billy moreso since he has a trip coming up and he puts a lot of hard miles on his, so wanting a fresh pair before committing to a destination.

What's the landscape looking like these days? I know Simms has fallen out of favor for a number of reasons. We have PNW-based Dryft growing in popularity, Skwala and Grundens both jumping at the opportunity to claim their share of the pie that Simms is losing, and possibly others I'm just not thinking of.


What has been your experience?
 
Still on simms prior to the sellout. Before that I had Redington, which were a complete disappointment, delaminated extensively. Next pair will probably be grundens.
 
Evan B said:
and possibly others I'm just not thinking of.
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Don't sleep on Sitka.
Paige said:
Patagoci has the best warenty around, the cutt is not all that great unless your calves are smaller than my wrist. But the have held up very well!
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Agreed the. My beef w/ them is the shoulder strap design....the pair I have the shoulder straps don't buckle/unbuckle - have to take the rain jacket off to pee...just a ridiculous oversight IMO.
 
My friend Leonard, the Publisher of Wading List, has a saying, "David, sometimes cheap is expensive."

I used to buy mid priced waders from Cabelas. The quality has nosedived and I gave up on them years ago. Couldn't get get a season's use out of them before they start leaking.

Bought a pair of Simms waders years ago and fish them hard and they work great and are trouble-free.

Sometimes cheap is expensive.
 
I always used to buy cheap waders, figuring they would get a couple seasons and I'd need to replace them. But Cabelas stopped selling their $100 breathable waders and I have a brand new plan.

I invested in Patagonia waders. The price is high. The warranty is great. The fit is very good for me and I especially like how many fit options there are: I can get XL waders to fit my belly while also getting size 9-11 booties, so I don't have a bunch of extra bootie material crammed into my wading boots.
 
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There's a new budget brand out there too, Paramount Outdoors. Has some zip up models that don't require a short term loan or a kidney. Don't personally know of anyone who's tried them out though.
 
I also currently in need to replace my leaking waders. Can't remember exactly when I got them but its be a long while.
They are vison waders which is a Finnish company that I had an acquaintance that was repping. I've looked and many of the brands mentioned. One issue I have is I want a zipper. Makes getting in and out easier plus the obvious benefit. I don't necessarily want the heavier weight fabric. Many brands only offer the zipper in the heavy wt version. Nor am I likely to spend nearly a grand on a pair.
I am leaning towards Patagonia's Swiftcurrent Traverse Zip waders. I would consider Dryft if their lighter version had a zipper.
 
I have Guccis for regular use, love em, but I picked up some basic (non zipper) Paramounts for high country tubing. The Paramounts are light and pack down small, perfect for what I need. So far they haven’t let me down. I don’t know that I’d use them as hard as I do the Guccis though. I don’t hike in the Paramounts, just on and off at the lake, they stay nice and safe in my pack until needed.
 
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Bought new closeout G-3's for $500. Been wearing Simms since the neoprene days and i just like the fit and finish for my frame
(Large Long 9-11).... Personally haven't had issue with warranty etc. Looked at Pata and Skawala but ended going back to Simms.
I think i'm too set in my ways....
 
Long_Rod_Silvers said:
Agreed the. My beef w/ them is the shoulder strap design....the pair I have the shoulder straps don't buckle/unbuckle - have to take the rain jacket off to pee...just a ridiculous oversight IMO.
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I agree. The strap design is by far the least pee friendly of any waders I’ve ever used.
My old Redington’s I never had to take anything off, not even my pack.
I bought a pair of the new zipper model for when the current pair gives up the ghost.
SF
 
Still using the older style Simms waders. Have one more pair of the G3s that I will start using next year as well as the G4Z model that Simms recently replaced the neoprene feet. After I use all of those up, I will probably change to the Patagonia zippered waders. At my age, the zipper is nice.
 
The least durable waders I’ve ever owned were the most expensive I ever owned - Simms guide something I forget (it was about 15 years ago).

These days I’m all about the cheapest shit on Amazon. BassDash, FroggToggs, Paramount, whatever. It’s all the same. They all last just as long as any name brand wader I have owned.
 
I have no personal experience, but am pretty sure Auqez makes the Patagonia waders.
I’ve had a couple pairs of Patagonia, one pair of G3 Simms and a couple pairs of Redingtons - the sonic pros were the best bang for the buck, the HDZ only okay. Probably going Grundens for the next pair, I had issues with both the Gucci's and the Simms pre buyout G3’s
I hike and bushwhack so am hard on waders. Winter fishing…love it!
Backcountry Skniz for the shoulder season, quick dry pants in the summer.
 
FYI: GoreTex fabric has PFAS. It can not be bought or even shipped to NY or CA. If that concerns someone, buy nylon or polyester.
 
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