[Sandy Nelson]

So it seems i have destroyed another pair of waders

I bought these Patagonia's off Mark and at least this time i got 3 seasons use out of them, however i have now re-glued all the internal seams and i'm still getting wet. Some of the tape is coming off and the gravel guards flap about like shredded Hankies, there are several decent scratches in them but no proper holes
Granted they are used 3-4 days some weeks and travel a lot of miles each day so they have been very good.

So i'm looking for positive experiences and negative ones of various waders. Previously i have only ever managed to get a single season out of breathables before they start to wear out and leak, so i have been impressed with the Patagonia's
I hear mixed reports about all the waders available, i know some swear by sonic seams, but other have had as many issues with those as any others, i know Simms are expensive and do not seem to live up to the reputation.

I'm thinking of getting a pair of Rio Azuls as they are better price than the Gallegos, but with the amount and kind of fishing i'm doing i think i need something a guide would wear. Not sure if the Azuls will last, although i think they have replaced the ones i've been wearing so could be ideal.

I don't plan on breaking the bank, but if i get a season out of a £120 pair and 3 seasons out of a £230 pair i will buy the dearer ones. I don't expect them to last forever but it would be nice to get 5 years out of something you invest some serious money in.

Any experiences are much appreciated

I do know that front and/or aft seams are a good idea and i don't trust zips, don't need fancy appendages just a hard wearing wader that i will not cook inside on a 6 mile trek.

Not much to ask

Sandy

[Marc Fauvet]

3 years with your usage is excellent 
Rio Azul's are a very lightweight wader. probably not what you're after, even if they're very nice.
(last time we fished together that's what i was using)
as far as i've heard and from my own experience, Patas or Vision.
cheers,
marc

[Sandy Nelson]

Maybe i could just bite the bullet and go for the Skeena river ones, they sound like they were made for the sort of stuff i use them for

[Iain Cameron]

hi Sandy


I've a few pairs of Vision waders - the easiest stocking-foot to get on and off I've had. The waders do die, eventually, but I'm in them 3/4/5 days a week. I've had pairs re-seamed and had to patch them when I've been over-enthusiastic in my negotiation of river banks and vegetation.


Why don't you trust zips? I love my zip front waders - but then I've got a bladder the size of a teaspoon, and I drink a lot of coffee, so frequent pee-ing is inevitable and it's so much easier unzipping than de-robing .

[Sandy Nelson]

The patagonia's have a suspender system that i can pull down far enough........ without disturbing anything

Great to have an other endorsement for Vision, only thing i can see against that arguement is the Seam is down the inside of the leg and thats where i tend to open them up, fat legs rubbing together when walking , the new Pata's have the seam down the back which makes sense to me and might improve the longevity.
A fwd seam is something i would be kneeling on, a lot, in the river when i'm taking pictures, so i was thought that might not be a good idea.

Cheers For the ideas


Sandy

[Andy Finlay]

I've had a season out of a set of guideline divers and hoping to get another year. Not out as much as you but was out a fair bit last year. There down to £140 a pair at GAC but not sure if your size available.

[Sandy Nelson]

Cheers Andy

They do have a pair my size, are those the ones you had on the other day?

Sandy

[Scott Cumming]

HI Sandy

Been through several pairs of Orvis Sonic Guides, I never got on with them, maybe it's just me

This year I have gone for the Vision Ikons. Very comfortable with a generous cut, exactly what I need . I liked the look of the Vision Havu aswell.

I know of one fishing buddy that has the Guideline Diver Sonics and he seems to be getting on ok with them

Scott

[Ian Bell]

I've also got Guideline Diver Sonic, but waist waders with felt sole bootfoot.
Tried them on in the shop and a perfect fit, so had to buy them!
Had them for a year, short walks and wading, no long hikes! No problems so far. 

[Grant Montgomery]

Hi Sandy

After longtime resisting splashing out the bucks for simms goretex, having worn them for the last month or so, i honestly can say they are the best waders I have ever had (so far!) for comfort,fit and dryness. whether they last time will tell.
I think the patagonias are most excellent too, but I have only tried them on in the shop and not fished with them. I was swithering between the simms and the patagonias and thought both were excellent. My patagonia hooded windstopper softshell is the best bit of fishing kit i have ever bought and their stuff really is top notch!

Good luck with whatever you end up with.

Cheers
Grant

[Andy Finlay]

Cheers Andy

They do have a pair my size, are those the ones you had on the other day?

Sandy

Yep, ended up ordering another pair for when these ones wear out since they were on sale.

[Kev Graham]

Waders sigh...

Im in and out of waders at least 5 times a week. Ive had all sorts over the years, and diver dave`d them previously but now i treat my waders on the seams myself . Im sure you are well versed in wader management but for those thats interested, here`s my tuppence worth to longevity.

1) hang them up after use by the straps
2) Wash them regular in and out to get rid of grit / sand especially around stocking foot seams (every month at least)
3) wear an old thin pair of socks over the stocking foot before putting on your boot to protect
4) Dont sit down on benches / in huts, just stand (lol) or sit on grass
5) By 1 to 2 sizes bigger than your normal, its the stretching and bending etc that pull the seams (extremely important)
6) Buy every 2 years and demote your olds to spare
7) For treating your own waders seams....Aquasure / Toluene mix, paste table out, waders inside out and gently build up the layers on all the seams. Neutralise glue when dry with talcum powder. Any rips or holes, use wader repair kit and aquasure. i buy from Hillcrest Diving.

If like me you use frequently, they ALL leak with heavy use eventually.....anytime within 1-2 seasons, if you really look after them and are lucky you may get 2 - 3 seasons without any major issue but thats rare, you have to look after them.

I also am on my first year of the guideline divers and i like them, but they are quite a thin breathable and also they are very snug and fitted. I am 6.1, average build and i usually size up to XL, i could actually have gone XXL in this waders case.

"I don't plan on breaking the bank, but if i get a season out of a £120 pair and 3 seasons out of a £230 pair i will buy the dearer ones. I don't expect them to last forever but it would be nice to get 5 years out of something you invest some serious money in"

Thats always been my thoughts.....Guideline Diver or Vision Ikon have been my options over the last 5 years.

Nothing worse than a wet leg

Shadow

[Rob Brownfield]

I am on my 4th year of Orvis Sliver Sonics (normal not guide) and they have never been washed or really looked after, just hung up when I get home and dried. I use them for everything including Piking where I kneel down a lot.

So far so good...but I am sure I have jinxed them now!

[Steven Dawson.]

Sandy I'm just entering season five in my Orvis Silver labels, an odd seepage now and again, but usually my fault, I've been quite impressed with them.
I bought some Redington sonic pros in readiness for my Orvis to pack in, but I've only worn them twice.
They are very well made, very Simms like in looks and feel, but yet to give them any hard work.
A friend has just bought the Vison Ikons with front zipper, he's a pro guide and wears them a lot, I was impressed by them, and I'm hearing good reports on Vision waders.
I simply can't bring myself to pay £800 for Simms G4s, barbed wire doesn't know how much you paid, and I'd go into a serious depression if I ripped them. 
Steven.