I have had several pair of Orvis waders through the years, one of them being an older model Silver Label. They all seem to last about the same amount of time before leaking happens. I'll say 3-4 years on average with somewhere in the range of 20-60 days on the water, with maybe 10-14 of those days being all day excursions. The kind where you're in your boots from sun up to sun down. The rest of the time it's more or less a day or evening trip. I don't have experience with the newest version of Silver Labels, but I do have an older model Pro Guide version and a set of the Sonic Seams that I use for warm weather wading. The Pro Guides developed a leak, so I contacted Orvis and they repaired them free of charge. I only paid for one way shipping. The Sonic Seams are comfortable enough, pack down very light, but they don't have a decent flip out pocket and the suspender system is **** poor. I used my PG suspenders and replaced the ones that came on the Sonic Seams. These are very light boots and don't have the multi layers that the PG's do. Good for warmer weather, not my first choice for cool/cold weather and bush whacking.
When my PG's leaked, I was in the middle of Steelie Season and wanted to replace those with something that would be durable and more heavy in the leg. I went the Simms route. The G3's, while expensive, breathe better than any boot I have owned. They are very comfortable, have all of the features I was looking for in a boot and the quality is exceptional in comparison to the Orvis boots I've owned. Not to say the Orvis boots have bad quality, but the ones I've tried are of lesser quality than the Simms. Simms gear isn't cheap, but the Simms products I've used have held up very very well. I have yet to test them on CS, but my bud has plenty of times and had great results each time. They will also inspect your waders within the first year and repair anything they find free of charge.
I tried a set of Patagonia's on and they were pretty nice boots. The wool lined booties are a nice touch. They have a nice suspender system that lets you drop the upper down pretty quick and obviously, Patagonia's warranty is iron clad. The lack of hand warmer pocket was a deal breaker for me, and I really wanted Gore Tex boots. I've had a hand warmer chest pocket for a while and find myself using it often.
Best advise I can offer is to try them on. Orvis has a fuller fit through the legs and Simms is much more close fitting. Patagonia seems to be somewhere in between. The set that fits the best is going to be your best bet long term.
Good luck, let us know what you end up with.
