2009 Orvis Silver label stocking foot waders

[nutman]

it is super hard to justify the cost of simms waders ,but the first year any problem they are repaired free!!! you can send them in at the end of that year and have them looked at .that is worth the cost alone ,after that year you can send them in and they will fix them for a fee which is supposed to be small ,like 50 bucks .So they have some backing .I know a guy who had eight year old waders and sent them in and they re sealed them completly for 50 dallors .So it is an investment in dry feet and some security .Ive replaced three pairs of different breatable waders ,which in the long run cost me the same as a pair of g3. I still think simms is out of there minds charging 700 dallors for the other waders they sell . What is super nice is to go back to the car after fishing and be dry!!!!! slip off waders put shoes on go home .No wet feet ;D So maybe save to get a pair ,i waited and have had wet feet so im in heaven now And God said let there we light and water and a pair of waders that dont leak ,praise the God and Baby Jesus !!!!

[kyle]

orvis waders are just not worth it. You might get one season out of a $250 pair of waders but you'll have to replace them next season. After two seasons you spent what it would cost for a pair of G4's. I have freinds that have had a pair of simms for 10 years and they still use them as a backup to their new ones. It's worth it to get the simms, buy the best it can only hurt you once

Another point to make is that I fish very hard in the spring,summer, and fall so I put a lot of wear on my gear. So factor that into your decision because not every body fishes from 6a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 5 days a week.

-kyle

[Nymphmeister]

Orvis waders are made in China with a breathable non Gore-Tex membrane. Simms waders are made in Montana using American labor and Gore-Tex membranes. So which one do you think will hold up better? It's no contest, Simms hands down. Gore patented their membranes and no other membrane is as breathable or durable. Yes, they are more expensive than the other crappy ones out there. Gore is very picky about who they partner up with, and Simms is one of the very few companies that uses a Gore membrane in their waders. They have been making breathable waders longer than anyone- guides on the Big Horn River were just finishing field testing them when I went out there the 1st time, 18 years ago.

I've been involved in the retail end of fly fishing for well over 20 years, and have worked in 2 fly shops that sold a variety of different breathable waders. No other brand is even close to Simms in durability & performance. We stopped carrying other brands because almost all the others suck, and we end up constantly sending them back for repair or replacement to the manufacturer- that is frustrating & time consuming for both the customer & me. All waders leak eventually, Simms just take the longest to get to that point. I cannot tell you how many pairs of Simms wader Orvis has sold for me- customers come in completely frustrated with all the wader failures & wet feet they had with Orvis and buy the Simms. Often I've heard them say that Orvis replaced their waders 3 and even 4 times in a year- great customer service, but a bad product. My friend operates a fly shop right across the street from and Orvis dealer, and he said the number of people he sees walk into the Orvis store carrying a pair of leaky waders is unbelievable. And while LL Bean has put out a decent wader, it is not cheap, I believe it's made overseas, and often they are out of stock on your size- so even though they will replace it, what good does that do you when there are none available for months and it's fishing season?

The first repair with Simms is no charge, and then they look at it on a case by case basis after that. Often they do it for free, and if not it's usually at a reasonable charge. I've seen them replace for free waders I considered to be worn out from normal wear & tear over the years. And last I knew, they would replace the neoprene feet with new ones for $50, pretty darn reasonable, and it often gets you an extra season or two if the feet go on you.

Is the initial cost of purchase higher with Simms? In many cases yes, but if they last you longer than they may end up being the better bargain. Not to mention it's far less frustrating not having to constantly send them in for repairs like the other brands, or have them leak on you during a vacation or trip. Nobody in the industry does a better job on the seams (a common failure point in waders), and nobody has as much experience. Buy quality. Remember too, that they are also a superior product- the most breathable, the most durable, and the most comfortable. It is a pleasure to fish in them, they are so well designed & fit perfectly.

Remember that Simms uses American labor to make their waders- this both helps to support our economy, as well as makes it impossible for Simms to sell the product for cheap. I've heard some people grouse that Simms often repairs rather than replaces their waders, while Orvis, Patagonia and others usually replace them. Remember that Orvis, Patagonia and most others have their waders made in China or elsewhere overseas. Because of this, they often replace their waders rather than repair them because it costs less- it's cheaper to replace a pair of waders that they had made for $10-20 and sold for $200 (or much more), rather than pay American labor to fix them, it's simple economics. Simms has quite a bit more $ invested in their product, both because of superior, more expensive materials, and also due to using American labor, so they will repair them if it's feasible. They do replace them where necessary, I've often seen them do that.

Their current least expensive Gore-Tex model in 2009 is the Headwater, it is $299.95, and it's an excellent product. The next logical step up is the G3 at $399.95, they actually dropped the price $50 on it over a year ago due to an improvement in the Gore membrane in terms of cost & ease of working with it (and it's also a more breathable membrane, ligher, and more durable). This wader benefits from "trickle down" technology from the uber expensive G4 ($699.95!). From about mid-thigh down it's the same wader, just without the waterproof zipper and all the bells & whistle up top. Almost every single one of my friends is using the G3, it's your best value in a higher-end wader, and it's well worth the $400 if you are a serious fisherman and/or fish a lot. Cannot say enough good things about it. Take a look on the magazine covers and you will almost always see an angler in Simms waders, and the same is true of most pictures of guides. For Alaskan guides, it's almost like a standard uniform.

[Adam]

Highly recommend Redington Waders...I have had a pair of their breathables for 2 years now...about 100 days on the water total and have been very pleased with comfort and durability. I tend to hike into some nasty places chasing brookies and these waders have held up very well.

Prior to this I had a pair of Dan Baileys that lasted a long time as well....

food for thought.

[kyle]

The second best wader I would reccommend is Dan Baily. They are inexpensive and preform great, my dad has a pair and is very pleased. If you're from CT dave at Classic and Custom fly shop sells them.

-kyle

[TexasChris]

I've never had a pair of bailey waders, I have however had a pair of their boots. The boots lasted me a half season. Total crap. I will never buy a baileys product again.

LL bean may be made in china, but their waders really stand the test of time. Nymphmeister is right though, sometimes it's hard to get a pair in your size and they always seem to be back ordered. There's a reason their waders are always back ordered, it's easy to sell a great product.
The new bean waders are no longer being made with gore-tex, but from the sounds of the design, they will be just as good, if not better than their older gore-tex line of waders. If you haven't heard about these, maybe give them a look. They have reduced all seams in the waders by 50%.

I have the bean gore-tex waders and would not hesitate to recommend these to anyone. I do however understand the point about American made products, and now more than ever, things like that should be considered. Bean has just been too good to me for too long for me to even consider switching at this point.

[kyle]

You had baily wading boots? I've never tried anything except the waders ( now I know I won't try the boots)

-kyle

[jovalle]

Just to jump in the fray - Orvis are no good. I'm not certain there is anything redemptive about Orvis, and this is coming from a guy who first learned how to flyfish at Orvis at age 10. For a while, the company had a mythical fly-fishing aura to me, but too many bad experiences, culminating in poor wader service was the last straw. I wrote about my customer service experience elsewhere, but I can't say enough for patagucci. I had a pair of their waders that I bought on closeout in '99, used as my moderately warm weather waders for close to ten years, had some mice chew through them, sent them back and got a gift card in excess of 300 in return. That is customer service (it may explain why their stuff is so expensive).

[kyle]

Patagonia looks to be another great wader too, but I have never had any experience with them.

-kyle

[TexasChris]

kyle- Yeah, I bought a pair last year. The fit was great, and they were very comfortable. I could go all day fishing, wading, and hiking in them and my feet would feel great. That's what I continued to do for about 6 months until the things literally fell apart.