Fall is the time to start thinking about waders again. Many of you have been wet wading most of the summer but that’s about to become very uncomfortable. Were your waders leaking the last time you wore them? If you can’t remember or aren’t sure where the leaks are you may want to check them out before you head out on the first cold and rainy day of the fall.
You can always just sit in the tub with your waders and wear something that the water really shows up on. Light colored sweats work well. You can also turn your waders inside out and spray them with rubbing alcohol out of a spray bottle. Any pin hole leaks will show up as little dark spots on the waders. This doesn’t work with some breathable fabrics, but it does with most. If there are little black dots all over your waders it’s probably time to buy new ones. Another good way to find wader leaks is to open them up as much as possible to get air in there and then roll them down essentially making a wader balloon. Then, just like a bike tire, apply some soapy water to the seams or anywhere else you think there might be leak. The leaky area will bubble as air escapes.
Once leaks are found we like good old Aquaseal to patch them. A plastic spoon works great to apply the Aquaseal to the leak and help work it into any loose fibers around the leak. If it’s a big leak you may want to put some aquaseal on both sides. For big rips in the fabric you can back the rip with duct tape first. Once the first side cures carefully remove the tape and Aquaseal the other side.
There’s no telling how long waders will last. It all depends on how much they are used and how well they are cared for. The easiest thing you can do to care for your waders is to hang them after every use so that air can circulate inside and out. Also taking a damp cloth and wiping down the outside to remove any abrasive detritus is a good idea. In winter it’s very important not to let damp wader freeze. Summer storage is another area where proper care is needed. A thorough cleaning, making sure they are fully dry, and dry storage location is the best recipe to avoid the damaging affects of storage, such as mildew. No matter how well they are cared for waders have a finite life and buying new ones is inevitable.