Many aspects contribute to a great day on the water. The scenery, the company, whether or not the fish cooperate – the list goes on and on. However, there is one aspect that’s often overlooked — your gear. Think about it. If one of the guides on your favorite 5-weight is broken, it’s not going to be nearly as enjoyable (or effective) when you’re trying to drop a hopper underneath that juicy cutbank. If you’re drag isn’t running smooth, how happy are you going to be when you get that fat rainbow on the reel and your tippet breaks on the first run? Whether it’s rods, reels, packs, nets, boats, whatever – if the gear you rely on isn’t performing at its best, you are diminishing the quality of your day.

Let’s Talk Waders

While waders aren’t going to help you find more fish, hook more fish, or release more fish – they are without a doubt one of, if not the most critical pieces of gear in your arsenal. The sole purpose of waders is to keep you dry, therefore, they’re designed to keep you comfortable. Nothing throws a wet towel on an otherwise fantastic day quite like the feeling of being cold, wet, and most importantly, uncomfortable.

Over the past 30 years, Simms has earned a reputation for building the highest performing, most durable waders in the world. Yes, we use the most performance driven fabrics and materials we can get our hands on and implement the most reliable construction methods possible — but that’s only pat of it. The truth is, once a wader leaves our production floor, its longevity ultimately lies in the hands of its owner.

On any given day, you can walk on the floor of Simms’ repair center and find waders that are 10, 15, even 20 years old hanging up to dry. These waders have been repaired and are getting ready to be sent back to their owners for continued use. Waders like these that have endured season after season of abuse and are still going strong aren’t from a special production run, or built by a singular wader making guru – they’ve just been treated with care by their owners. If properly cared for, your Simms waders have the ability to last for the long haul.

Size Matters

First and foremost, the best thing an angler can do to prolong the life of their Simms Waders is to take the time and determine the best size. While Simms offers several tools on simmsfishing.com to help anglers find the perfect size wader — nothing beats visiting your local retailer, having a conversation, and trying on a few different size options. 

At Simms, we don't take sizing lightly. Sizing is one of the most critical aspects of wader durability. This is why Simms doesn't just offer Small, Medium, Large, and so on. We want our waders to fit more like a tailored suit. By taking all of the appropriate measurements and finding a wader that fits like Cinderella's glass slipper, you're eliminating areas of the wader that might bunch and rub and cause abrasion. Conversely, if a wader is too tight fitting or snug, you are really going to putting stress on the stitching and seams, especially when crouched down or climbing over boulders or logs. Plus, fishing in a wader that doesn't fit properly isn't nearly as enjoyable as fishing in a wader does.

To illustrate just how important sizing is to Simms, let's take a look at the G3 Guide Wader. G3 is one of the most celebrated waders that ever been created and it's been in Simms' wader collection over 20 years. In G3, Simms offers 17 standard sizes with custom options available as well. To learn the proper steps in finding the perfect size wader for you, click here.

Proper Layering

The next rule to maximize wader longevity is to be mindful of what you wear underneath them. You’d think that with as harsh as most fishing environments can be, the exterior of the wader would take the brunt of abrasion and wear and tear. And that is true, but only when you wear appropriate layering. It’s amazing just how abrasive some fabrics like denim and canvas can be to the interior of a wader. And let’s not forget, pants made from these types of fabrics more often that not have buttons and zippers which obviously can degrade and destroy a wader...