For me, SIMMS. All I've ever owned. Not saying that they haven't sprung leaks, but all simple aqua seal or UV Knot sense fixes. They are tough, durable waders. Edit: At first I owned Simms Blackfoot stocking foot waders, now I have G3's bought used.
Thanks for the input. Looks like Simms or Redington. The warranty from Simms may tip the scales. I live in Kingston, only 10 minutes from the Sage factory so it would seem the Redingtons would be a no brainer. However I've learned on good authority Redington is moving their distribution facility to Salt Lake City. I'll have to mail the waders in no matter what. Thanks again for the input!
My 3rd set of Rio Gallegos waders from Patagonia have failed in the same spot. They last for about 4 months. I am not the only one to experience this failure at the same spot. I will give Patagonia a tremendous amount of credit, they've replaced my waders without question or hassle. When they did not have my size on the first failure, they upgraded me to the zipper front at no charge. Again, a tremendous amount of credit to Patagonia for standing behind their product...they just need some work. The 2014 models are moving to stitchless seams, as found in Orvis and Redington. Hopefully they get things figured out. The fishing division is the baby of Yvon Chouinard and he really wants people to be happy. I am thoroughly impressed with the customer service...I just want something that works.
Heard a few good tips on a outdoor program on the radio. 1 wear an extra set of neoprene booties slip over the booties on your waders. Gravel and sand have tendency to get in the boot and rub up against neoprene booty. Buy waders with welded seams. Don't sit on rocks on the beach with lots of barnacles. Wash your waders off every so often. Salt can break down waders just as well as boots. Wear waders that are loose fiting so that they don't bind when you kneel down, so that they don't rub when you walk
Just curious, is there stitching there? Or a seam? At first I wanted to go with Reddington (this year), but heard too many leaky tales, even from relatives of people who work at the Sage shop on BI. Sure, a simple turn around and you're good to go but I don't want the hassle. Seems like some possible QA issues. As I've stated before my Simms have leaked too but not right out of the box but definitely after heavy brush/bush whacking (probably some thorny ones) and various rock/gravel slides (back in CO) down to some honey holes. I don't mind wear and tear, I'll fix that but manufacturers defect for that kinda cash bums me out - for that loot QA needs to be thorough IMHO. I bust my rear for a buck if anything FF related goes for near or half a G-stack it better be solid.
I am certain the failure is where the neoprene meets the waders. Again, Patagonia will move to a sonicly welded seam for Spring 2014. Only time and half a G stack will tell!
2nd pair of Sonic Pros. The first pair developed some holes that Sage was unable to fix after several attempts so they gave me a new pair and let me keep the old ones which I relined the interior crotch and rear sections with tent repair material from craft store. They no longer leak and are just as comfortable as new...no binding. You can't tell from exterior the repair work.
I use cheap $89 stocking foot Caddis waders I buy on EBay. I rise after every use and get a solid two years use out of every pair before I get a leak, usually on the seam on the inner thigh. I aqua seal the leak and then use them as spares for friends who visit and want to go fishing.
Wondering how much stress you place on the joint while pulling them on (not to say that the waders can't be designed better)? Excessive stretch will cause any stiching to come loose over time so moving to a different brand of waders might not help solve your problem.
