Wader recommendations

Dave, I was in the same boat in early 2021 with a pair of White River waders from Bass Pro.  They had lasted about 2 years before developing a seam leak which I was never able to repair. I opted to upgrade to Simms Freestone waders. They were the middle of the line waders at about $300. I have used them for a year and half now and they are great. I’ve probably fished 3 times more since buying these waders and they are holding up very well. Depending on your price point I highly recommend these SIMMS Freestone Stocking-foot waders. Don’t forget you can get a 10% discount at Feathercraft with our FATC membership.

Steve Baker

Dave,

First, if you never have tried to “Aqua Seal” your waders I would do that first before I would buy new ones.

(But if that doesn’t work I always think it is best to save a few extra pennies and then buy a good pair of waders – waders of your choice but a good pair. Which could run you anywhere from $250 – $500. Yes, that’s a lot but my first pair of Simms I had for over 12 years – of course I had to repair leaks here and there throughout the years but the fit and quality are above and beyond other waders.)

Now, take you waders and figure out which leg was leaking. Turn the waders inside out. If both legs are leaking, then you will have to work on both but I recommend one at a time. I strap my waders to a ladder just so the wader booties just touch the ground. Then I pull one leg up and leave the other hang down to the ground. With a hose “in” the leg hanging down (remember inside out) fill the leg with water up to the crouch. Get a Sharpie and watch for any leaks – a pin hole leak could take awhile before it starts to drip. Circle the area with the Sharpie that is leaking. Then reverse the legs and do the procedure all over again – mark leaks with a Sharpie. Make sure your waders are dry and (still inside out) use a tube of Aqua Seal and an “acid brush” to smooth the Aqua Seal over the leak. You don’t need a lot of Aqua Seal – just enough to cover the leak area – and smooth with the acid brush. Let it dry. If you have multiple leaks be careful with the Aqua Seal and make sure it doesn’t touch anything for 24 hours – this means you may have to add Aqua Seal a little at a time and wait for it to dry, i.e. if your wader leg needs Aqua Seal on both sides just do one side (front or back) at a time.

Once dry then you can use your waders on the river to “test” them out. If the leaks are too much or the seams are coming apart – then it’s time to spend some money!

Well, if it’s the “bootie seam”. You may be out of luck and have to buy new waders. Almost impossible to fix the seam where the booties meet the waders. New special glue for that and not worth it.

I have used Redington Pro waders for 5 years fishing once a week for a lot of that time (until Covid). I have had one leak since I had this pair. I destroyed my first pair while fishing. They were still under warranty and Redington replaced them, to my surprise.

Bill