Expensive waders, are they worth it?

[nick k]

What are your thoughts on wader prices? Are the expensive ones ($250+) worth it for someone who isn't in a fishing profession, or is it just wasted cash?

What is the max you would pay for a pair of waders?

 

[long bow]

I'd say this: gear is what you pay for, but don't forget to ask yourself much you are going to use it.

One of the greatest gear experiences I've had was using a high-end pair of waders (same pair) since 2006. No problems as compared to a friend who went the cheap end and went through two pairs in one Winter/Spring session. This winter I found part of the inner wader failing, sent them in, and was sent back an entirely new pair of current model waders.

That being said, I used and abused my waders (besides proper care and maintenance ) since '06. I don't think a cheaper pair would have held up to the task.

IMO, having a good pair of waders w/ a good warranty is pretty hard to beat. Yes the price might be higher, but cut out a few coffee or fast food stops and it starts looking doable. Watch for end-of-the-year sales at local fly shops, and the internet is full of sites getting rid of waders daily.

I'd love to answer your second question; but I've forgotten how much I paid back then

 

[nick k]

Thanks long bow. Great reasoning there. I'm asking mostly because I have a new $500 gift card to Orvis and I don't really know what I want with it. The one piece of my equipment that is slacking the most are my waders. Truthfully though, I don't use waders too much, but if I had a nicer pair......

 

[markg52]

Short answer for me, yes, they are worth it. Long answer, I'm just your normal fish when I can kinda guy. I've had a pair of Simms Guide waders(very similar to the current Guide Stockingfoot) for several years. They've made numerous trips out West to Colorado and the San Juan in New Mexico and one trip to Alaska. A few months before I bought them I had blown out a pair of Orvis breathables on the San Juan. Went to "Float n Fish" to get some new waders and the dude there asked me if I wanted to buy the last pair of waders I would ever need or just some good replacements. I think the Simms Guides were around $399 then(could be way off), that was not in my budget(whatever the cost then was). So I picked up a pair of the Simms Lightweights. They were by far the best waders I had owned to that point, and still around 250 bucks. But, a few months later I go into one of my semi-local fly shops and walk out with a pair of Simms Guides. Steve Dally seems to know what buttons to push on me to sell me something, even if I don't need it! I will bust out the lightweights occassionally, like when the smallmouth creeks are a little to cool to start wet wading, and they still look almost brand new. The Guides look like they've been rode hard and put up wet and still perform flawlessly. That's my two cents.

 

[gfirob]

Well, first of all, I have to admit to being cheap. But in this case, if I had $500 I would consult the Yellowstone Angler 2013 Wader Shootout and find a good compromise wader (the Redington Crosswater waders did pretty well for $99 for instance) but in any event, there are some pretty good waders there for a lot less than $500. Then I would think about a very nice reel, something that you would have your hands on, and look at and listen to when you fish and indulge in something like that. After all, waders are just a pair of pants...

I am very suspicious about the actual value of high end fly fishing equipment. While I do believe that quality has value, most of this stuff is massively inflated in price for a market with money to burn.

But, as said starting out, I am deeply cheap...

 

[jcw355]

I am very suspicious about the actual value of high end fly fishing equipment. While I do believe that quality has value, most of this stuff is massively inflated in price for a market with money to burn.

But, as said starting out, I am deeply cheap...

While I agree with this, I had a bunch of tax cash so I bought the G4Z simms. Very nice but overpriced.

 

[long bow]

Thanks long bow. Great reasoning there. I'm asking mostly because I have a new $500 gift card to Orvis and I don't really know what I want with it. The one piece of my equipment that is slacking the most are my waders. Truthfully though, I don't use waders too much, but if I had a nicer pair......

You are very welcome. Just my 2cents though. But seeing your "I don't use waders too much" and "$500 gift card to Orvis" I say you put that to a new rod for yourself. You deserve it. I might get in trouble for saying this but get a rod from Orvis and there are plenty of other good companies out there selling great waders. I too had a gift certificate to Orvis for $100, and it was hard to make it go along ways. Went ahead and got one of their lower-end rods which has been an awesome rod for the price. I can only imagine some exceptional use off of their higher-shelf models.

 

[dean_mt]

Unfortunately, these days I would consider $250 a good price.

The highest I would go if I needed new waders right now would be Simms G3, $450.

 

[rusty 54]

My first waders were $120.00 from one of the chains. They lasted me 4 1/2 seasons of about 20 days per season (many days were waders on at breakfast, off for bed). That works out to $25.00- $30.00 per year. I bought another pair of the same model.

If I paid $400.00, they would have to last 13 years or so. So the cheaper ones seem to make sense for me in my situation.

 

[dean_mt]

My first waders were $120.00 from one of the chains. They lasted me 4 1/2 seasons of about 20 days per season (many days were waders on at breakfast, off for bed). That works out to $25.00- $30.00 per year. I bought another pair of the same model.

If I paid $400.00, they would have to last 8 years. So the cheaper ones seem to make sense for me in my situation.

Right on man. My current waders are the old Simms "Classic" Guide, they are probably 8 years old and I paid $330 or something like that back then. It was a big purchase for me, but 8 years later and more than 150 days in then and they are still the best waders I've ever owned. And why I will go back to Simms when these finally fail, if they ever do.

 

[Ard]

In a word............... yep.

However, I have thought on this before myself, sometimes I feel it would be good to buy 2 or 3 inexpensive pair and carry a backup in the boat.

Conversely............ yesterday I spent considerable time kneeling in the rocks and other deposition at the edge of the water unhooking fish and in some cases taking pictures. The extra heavy knees and lower leg layers of Simms G-3's is probably a good thing.

I also did some traverse through the bush trying to shorten my hike. When you find yourself going through the bushes and such having the tough waders is real piece of mind as well. I've been wearing guide quality waders since they started calling them by that name. I've done it because I want that piece of mind thing going on while I'm out.

Ard

 

[Rip Tide]

I don't know the first thing about expensive waders ... Why ?
Because I've been using Cabela's waders for over 25 years without a single issue.
Over 25 years...inexpensive waders .... no issues....
I really don't understand why people would spend twice as much or more.

 

[cletus]

I'm on the cheaper side when it comes to waders (I buy close-outs/discontinued models). If I had a $500 gift certificate, I'd buy a $400 rod and a $100 pair of waders.

No judgement here though on what fellow flyfishers spend their money on, I have way too many rods and reels

 

[dean_mt]

Rip and Cletus, when I bit the bullet and bought my first (and still only) pair of Simms it was because I had gone through three pairs of inexpensive waders in the $100 to $175 range in four years. The first two were Hogemans and the last pair were Redingtons that had been discontinued so the warranty was null. When they started leaking within a year I decided I was sick of shopping for new waders every couple years.

So I spent probably more than $300 on three pair of wader over 5 years. My $300 Simms are down to $40 a year now over the past 8. Plus they are about as comfortable as a pair of old Levi's.

 

[stl_geoff]

My first set of "good" waders were some Hodgemen breathables. They cost 90 bucks. They worked great, for the first 2 years, then they just started to leak in random spots. Then they started to become brittle and even the smallest thorns and pebbles would put holes in them. I have since stepped up to a pair of Simms Headwaters, ( I think, maybe freestones, I get switched ) and they were about double the Hodgemens, and they have done nothing but preformed brilliantly. They have shrugged off thorns, rocks, sticks, hooks...no leaks what so ever. Moral of the story, yes I do think good waders are work the money.

 

[biggie_robs]

I mostly wet waded when I lived down south, but after moving to New England I went through two pairs of LL Beans that both leaked almost immediately. Before long I went for Simms G3s. I love the Simms and they're still going strong after 3 years of use.

I still remember the look on the lady cashier's face at the Natick Outdoor Store when the price scanned! I said "Yeah, staying dry is expensive." She said "I guess so!" and shook her head.

If these ever wear out, I'm going to look into the Simms with the zipper. Now those are $$$$!

 

[rickf]

I'm asking mostly because I have a new $500 gift card to Orvis and I don't really know what I want with it. ..

Nick,

Orvis has invented the "no stitching" waders. The Sonic seam. I purchased the Sonic Seam Convertible when they first came out. $259 ..... but a huge size chart for a perfect fit, and no stinkin' thread stitches! They are melted together with sonic waves.

I'm pretty rough on my waders (I mentioned that fishing is my passion in life) and these waders don't leak at all. I think they will last me for a long time.

Every Orvis catalog for the last few months say "Why stop at just one?" The two best in the world products are the Helios and now the Silver Sonic.

$259 isn't too bad, Nick. A lot of waders are much higher price? And the convertible is a pretty neat thing! So easy to flip down to waist high.

Edit: After thinking about it for a while, I think you, Nick, should donate the 5 beans to this forum? Or, if you are a religious guy ...... give the money to your church! Jesus always needs a bit more money? He created the world and everybody in it ....... but for some strange reason, He can't manage money?
Or, cash in the gift card and put the money in a homeless persons hat? ...... he will tell you "thank's mister" and then he will go and buy some booze and drugs and maybe kill himself?
Or maybe take a inner-city kid fishing? You could buy him a starter fly rod and some flies with that 500? If he liked it, he could bring everybody from his block to fish there! Maybe some nice artwork on the rocks around the stream with spray paint? Soon, the "take a kid fishing" will have some real meaning? All your new friends could fill the fishing parking lots eat all the fish in your stream? They could rob the fly guys that go there, and put a little "hip hop" in that stream with their boom boxes?

Lots of things you can do with that $500, Nick?

 

[siege]

I bought a pair of Allen "Madison" stocking foot, breatheable, convertable waders for my son. He is 6'4", 265#, and sometimes still wades like a bull in a china shop. The are holding up very well for him.
They were on sale at Sierra Trading Post. I believe they were on sale for $120. We just got them this spring, so I can't give a long term review yet, but seem to be pretty tough.

 

[Ard]

It's all about what we consider to be 'hard use'. When I say hard, I really mean that, I mean that unless I had them on I would be bleeding. I would only tell you to buy the more expensive guide weights if you're gonna kneel - then crawl in the rocks along shore or......bust through the brush. If you want to act like that then you better get the heavyweights.

Ard

 

[chased]

In my opinion, YES they are worth the extra money. I have put over 150 days on my G4's since I bought them and I am pretty hard on them. I slide down banks, have had some terrible falls, scrape up against all kinds of stuff, and bushwhack through all kinds of nasty stuff. They are still going strong with no leaks.

I LOVE THEM!

-Chase