[truchas]

Has anybody tested/used the Simms surf pullover? It seems like a good item to have but it is a bit expensive and I would like to hear comments about it before I buy.

Thanks,

Truchas.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi to all,

Here is the Simms Surf Pullover.

Frank





Simms Surf Pullover


Simms Surf Pullover is waterproof, watertight and breathable.

• 3-layer TriLam™ waterproof fabric
• 100% nylon stretch twill face fabric
• Revised neoprene collar features a gusset with adjustable tab for easier on/off and ventilation
• Drop-in cargo pocket with drain hole and small tippet pocket with water-resistant zipper
• Hand pockets
• Technical double cuff design prevents water trapping
• Reflective panels on both arms
• Adjustable cumberbund style neoprene waist for sealing out water.

[truchas]

Yes Frank, that is the one, thanks for taking the time to post the details ;-).
I tried the pullover on and I liked it. The only problem is the collar, I felt that I was being strangled... is it just me..? Obviously, it has to be tight to be waterproof. I wonder if I would prefer to be soaked in the unfortunate event of a fall or to feel strangled constantly... ;-) Would this feeling go away with usage? Do you know of similar items that would be more reasonable priced than this?

Truchas.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi truchas,

It says that the neck has a gusset with adjustable tab. Did you try to adjust the neck? I don't like things tight around my neck either and that would be a problem for me. You can get pretty wet surf fishing and I guess you have to decide what is more important to you, getting wet or having a loose neck. I also wonder how much it breaths?

What type of fishing are you doing that you need this much water proofing? I am not sure that a good raincoat couldn't do the same job. I don't know how I feel about this jacket. I know I wouldn't buy one with out trying it on. You may get use to the tight neck after wearing it for a while. For sure you wouldn't notice it if you were catching fish.

Frank

[truchas]

Hi Frank,

I tried adjusting the neck in the pullover but it was a little tight still. I decided that it would be a bit too much for me. I found the Redington Bow River jacket as a suitable alternative and bought it instead. It may not be as waterproof but the reviews indicated that it is a good jacket for the price. Regarding the type of fishing that I do, it is fairly varied. My reason for buying waterproof clothes is that very early this season, I felt into a lake that had ice floating and it was not much fun... I decided that I needed something a bit more adequate to cope with the inclement New England weather. Of course, I was wearing all cotton, which I now realize, it was a serious mistake. This is NOT!!! going to happen again ;-).

I will go back to my other post and ask for advice on the underwader layering. I think with the jacket, a good pair of gloves and enough layers below my waders, I should be ok.

Thanks,

Truchas.

[truchas]

This Redington Bow River jacket appears to be a very good jacket for the price. It is light, yet warm. The fabric stretches in all directions. Probably the only thing that I do not like is the collar which seems a bit high. I am sure that when the temperature goes down and the wind speed increases, I will change my mind about this. It is sized to allow several layers underneath. Having tried both the Simms pullover and this Redington jacket, I prefer the latter. The pullover is probably better designed to keep you dry but is uncomfortable. The Bow River jacket feels just fine. And it is definitely more breathable than the pullover (disclaimer: this is only my impression after trying both in the summer for 5 minutes each). The Simms pullover, however, seems like a more resistant garment except for the neoprene parts which I do not think are very durable. Overall, I think that the Bow River jacket is a good buy for $100. If I am not mistaken, the list price of this jacket is somewhere around $250. I would like to hear what other people think about this jacket.

Truchas.

[BlueDun]

The Simms jacket looks like a kayaking splash jacket. You can get those for less money from a kayaking store. For example, NRS has a variety of splash jackets:

NRS Home - Apparel - Splash Wear - Splash Jackets

[peregrines]

The Reddington jacket looks like a good choice. It looks very similar to the Patagonia SST and Simms G3 Guide jackets that retail for around $350. I have an old SST I bought 15+ years ago for around $160 (which I thought was pretty steep at the time) and love it. What's nice about your jacket is it has large pockets (you may not need a vest over top), looks to have oversize zippers (good for grabbing in cold with gloves) and has sleeves that you can snug up so you wont get water dripping down your arms when you raise them, and it's a "short" jacket perfect for wading. It looks to have been designed for waving your arms around too, so it won't be restrictive when casting. I've stepped in holes and had waves in the surf break over my head and taken on a few drops that were mighty cold, but wouldn't fill up a 1/4 of a cup. I wear a webbed diving belt belt over it on some really big fast winter steelhead rivers and fall surf in the salt, but usually don't bother with the belt on smaller streams or less brutal cold conditions.

The Simms pullover, Aquaskinz surf tops and kayaker splash jackets might be more waterproof, and warmer.... but you'll be wearing a lot of layers, and the ability to open up the neck on your jacket and air out will prevent you from roasting, so I think you'll find it to be more versatile, and you can wear it around town with jeans when you're not fishing.

Good luck with your jacket.

peregrines

[truchas]

peregrines, thanks for your post. I basically agree with everything you said, this is why I opted for buying this jacket. Do you really think that it is as good as the G3 or the SST? It certainly has a similar price tag but probably did not sell as well and hence the drop in price. The pullover did not feel nearly as nice on. One thing that I like a lot is the fact that it is extremely light. And you are also right about wearing it on the street. A couple of nights ago, I took it to the ballgame. I met a couple of people that recognized the jacket (or the brand) and asked me: "How many have you caught? and what are you fishing for?". I thought that was pretty funny. ;-).

Thanks,

Truchas.

[peregrines]

Truchas- that is pretty funny. It's like there's a secret code like Mason signs that allow fishermen to recognize each other by the clothes they wear.

The Patagonia and Simms versions may be "better" if they're licensed to use Goretex as the outershell fabric and if the Cabela's one isn't, but there are many other fabrics out there that also have great breathable water proof qualities without the brand name, though maybe not as "technologically advanced state of the art" (whatever that means). At more than 2x the price you have to wonder how much is marketing hype vs performance, and since the original price was $250 or so, I suspect that the markdown to $100 was more a reflection of a marketing failure than any substantive difference in the quality of the garment. Paying more doesn't translate into more fish, and at some point there's a sweet spot between price and performance, and above that you pay more and more for less and less noticeable difference, so i think you did good. Another thing you have going for you is that Cabelas really stands behind their products so you can't go wrong in the unlikely event you decide you're not happy with it.

But just from looking at the picture, it looks to be very well designed, and incorporates a lot of the features I would look for in terms of ease of movement, large pockets, zippers, short length for wading (so half of it isn't in the water when you're in a stream) etc. And it looks to be light enough to stuff in the back of your fishing vest so you have some protection for sudden showers in normal weather. I'd be interested to hear what you think of it after fishing in it a bit.

Good luck with it!

peregrines