Simms products are made from some of the most advanced materials offered today. If you take a little extra care of your products it will greatly extend their useful life. Below is a few tips on how you do so.
HOW DO YOU FIND LEAKS IN SIMMS WADERS?
Purchase rubbing alcohol which is really cheap – waders can be turned inside out, and lightly apply rubbing alcohol to suspected leak areas, and stress spots that typically experience the most abrasion, like the knee, rear and ankle areas. Use a spray bottle to cover the inside of the wader where we suspect the leak. Rubbing alcohol evaporates quickly and dark spot pinholes will appear and stand out from the rest of the fabric.
PINHOLES, SCRAPES & TEARS
The most common problem that will occur in Gore-Tex or other breathable garments is pinholes (we use the term “pinhole” to identify any small violation of the breathable fabric that allows moisture to penetrate into the interior of your garment), scrapes or tears. Pinholes, scrapes and tears are usually caused by thistles and thorns, hooks, sharp rocks etc. The vast majority of the thistles and thorns will be deflected by the fabric, but sooner or later some of them will find a way through the weave and cause leaks. To avoid these damages just think twice when walking the banks; walk around the thorn bushes or any other potentially harmful objects/vegetation instead of walking right through them. Try and avoid sitting down on any rough or sharp surfaces.
INNER LEG WADER ABRASION
Inner leg abrasions are often related to wrong sizing or heavy wear. This is caused by abrasion when the fabric inside the legs rub against each other when walking. Finding the right size of wader when purchasing is extremely important in prolonging the life of them. We highly recommend consulting a member of our team during wader fittings. Please note: Long days of walking and wading in a pair of waders may result in fabric abrasions along the back edge of the seam. This is easily repairable and is a common wear and tear issue.
Fabric abrasion along the inner leg seam.
PROPER CARE & STORAGE
After each fishing session make sure to allow the product to dry properly before you store it. Waders should be turned inside out to dry first. Waders, jackets and packs etc should hang in a vented, warm and dry place. Boots should also be properly dried before put away. If clothes or boots/shoes are stored wet or damp over time, mildew will start to grow on them and cause severe damage.
This image shows mildew forming due to bad storage.
On waders and jackets mildew will cause problems like seam tape lifting (seam tape on neoprene feet and Gore-Tex seam tape inside the garment will come off) and sometimes this will cause delaminating of the fabrics. Common for all products, mildew will start a general material breakdown. The microorganisms (mildew is a living organism) produces enzymes that break down the cellulose or protein in the fabric to compounds which they use for food. Easily said; the mildew will break down all the components in the garment and eat it.
Seam tape falling off due to wet storing.
After the products are properly dried they should be stored in a cool dry environment with adequate ventilation. If a product is infested by mildew it should be isolated by sealing it in a polyethylene bag and it should be disposed of immediately or sent to trained professional for decontamination.
How to hang your waders after use.
SELF REPAIRS
If you are getting leaks along any seams in a waterproof, breathable garment, please do not carry out a self-repair to these areas. Most reported seam leaks are in fact pinholes along the seam tape and not a true seam leak. Aquaseal or other adhesives do not come off and any self-repair that is done along a seam may potentially void your warranty as we cannot remove and correct the problem without destroying the seam. We understand why a self-repair may need to be done in the field, but please realise that we may not be able to correct the problem if the seam has been altered or covered in some sort of glue/adhesive.
Self repairs such as this, can void your warranty.
ReviveX APPLICATION AND UPKEEP
Over time and exposure to rushing water, long days in the rain, dirt and other factors your Gore-Tex garment may begin to “wet out” and will no longer be repelling water on the surface fabric. More times than not, this is a result of the DWR (Durable Water Repellency) wearing off.
Though water isn’t leaking all the way through the garment, it may feel and look like it is. This is because “wet out” reduces breathability and creates excess interior condensation making you cold and damp. It is easily addressed with the use of ReviveX. Please follow the instructions of use carefully when restoring the DWR.
