Wader Tuneup and Repair

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]This is the time of year a lot of us are tinkerin' with tackle and checking out our "soft water" gear, getting ready for the fishing year ahead. Waders are one element of our stuff that need attention. Most of us have them, whether for actual wading or for use with float tubes or pontoons.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Hopefully, you stored your waders properly at the end of the season last fall, and there were no holes in them. You should be good to go. However, a lot of us just stuck them in the garage, vowing to find and fix that "pesky leak" when we got them out in the spring. Been there, done that.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Some waders (like the Hodgman breathables) are notorious for springing little pinhole leaks. Some of them leak "right out of the box". Others start getting our lower extremities damp and cold after only a few trips. Rarely does a pair of lightweight waders last long without needing a leak repaired. Some of them just seem to fall apart after a winter in the garage.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Before you take your waders fishing the first time this year, you should test them for leaks. Yeah, wading out in cold water for awhile will let you know if you have them, but you have to find them to fix them. Most leaks occur in the foot part, just around the seam of the fabric and neoprene of the foot, or in high stress areas like the knees and crotch.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Finding a leak in your waders...neoprene or fabric...is just the reverse of finding a leak in an air chamber on your float tube. Instead of filling them with air, submerging them in water and looking for bubbles, you fill them with water and look for water escaping through to the outside. Since water filled boots are heavy, you do this one leg at a time.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you have a big shower, well lighted, and an understanding spouse, you can do this inside. Otherwise, you will make less mess and usually have better lighting if you do it outside in bright sunlight, and fill the waders with a hose. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Be careful not to get any water on the outside of the waders before you fill each leg. You need to be able to spot the wet spot. Of course, if the leak is substantial, there will be a fine stream of water coming out, from the pressure of the water inside the leg. Sometimes, if it is only one of those tiny pinholes, the water will only wet the outside of the waders slightly, or create a tiny trickle. If you have a pair of breathable waders, that have been used and abused, you might find several pinhole leaks all together, where the waterproof fabric is breaking down. That happens a lot with Hodgmans.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Fill both legs, one at a time, and mark any leaks with a waterproof marker or yellow wax crayon. When you finish examining the second leg, hold the top opening together as well as you can and lift the filled leg to allow water to run to the upper legs and crotch area. That will allow you to see if there are any seam leaks in that delicate area. Again, mark them if you find them.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Hang the waders and let them dry thouroughly, inside and out, before making repairs. You can use the repair kits supplied by wader manufacturers, or any one of several other remedies. There is a special neoprene glue you can buy to fix leaks or tears in neoprene. It is easy to use. Apply, allow to partially dry and then push the edges together. Or, for a small leak, just daub the stuff on and allow it to cure.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have used AquaSeal for many years, on all kinds of waders. It bonds to any plastic, rubber, leather or fabric surface and makes a good flexible patch for tubes and waders. It takes many hours to completely cure, however, unless you use the Cotol "accellerant" mixed in to make it cure faster.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We have a new member on the float tubing board, from Oregon..."zonker". He is already contributing good stuff. One of the posts he just made was on this subject...wader repairs. Coincidentally, he suggested using Plasti Dip...the stuff I suggested on another post on the Utah Board, for coating downrigger weights. I am amazed that I had never thought of it before and I figured that there might be some waderites on the Utah board that might like to see the post and read the suggestion. Here's the link.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=193443;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"]PLASTI DIP WADER REPAIRS[/url][/#0000ff]
[signature]

[Bloodhound]

Morning TubeDude et al ...

Thank you for the wader tips. I know I have to do this as well.

I have a pair of Hodgmans waist highs about 4 years old. They have been very good, but last year I noticed another small leak that needs to be addressed.

One method that has worked for me in the past is this. It may not be fessible for some people because of family or home issues. But, to make it easier to test for leaks, I put my waders ON before I fill them with water - WARM tap water(this is important) ! That way it you can do both legs at the same time and you don't have to wrestle with them to try to hold them up while they are filled with water. Don't move around too much or the water will spill over. But this way you don't need too much water to fill them because the waders are filled already with your legs. It is also important, as TubeDude has indicated, that you don't get water on the outside so you can determine where the leak is. I hope I explained this in a way that is understandable to some else besides me. Let me know if I was confusing.

I have not used that Plastic dip stuff on my waders so, I don't know how to compare it with aquaseal that I have used in the past. But it sounds like it would work great.
[signature]

[Theekillerbee]

Thanks for the reminder and for the tips TubeDude. Like you said, it's real easy to just toss them in the garage/shed and forget about the leaks. No wonder they call him The Infamous One.
[signature]

[FlyingFish]

I checked mine - no leaks! But they shrunk. Of course my family says it's just my winter fat layer that hasnt burned off yet but I still think the waders shrunk.[]
[signature]

[Bigcat]

Tubedude,
Great suggestions for wader tune up. I always fill mine up with water as well but do it a little different. I have only done it outside and hang them from a strong tree branch or the trellis over the deck. But I take two pieces of rope and tie the top of each leg like a tourniquet so that when I fill it it only fills the crotch and trunk area first. Once I check that area I loose one of the ropes and let it go into one leg and then the other leg. It seems like it would be easier to keep the water high and then let it down (ya know that gravity thing has something to it) rather than down first and then up.

Also my other recommedation is with the aquaseal make sure it is totally dried before trying to use it. Use the cortisol accelerator if time is an issue. I did a repair this winter in the crotch of my waders before a duck hunt. I did the repair at night and left it in the garage (about 50 degree's) til morning and figured it would be good. Well the next morning I wore them and walked for quite a while to our hunting spot and the aquaseal was still kind of tacky and the constant rubbing together while walking ripped the whole crotch out of my waders. So my attempt to fix 3 small holes initially ended up destroying the waders so I just threw them away. So give them time to dry and do it in a warmer place if time is the issue.
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Heat can be a major factor in the cure time of many adhesives. I finish off a lot of my jigheads with a coat of clear epoxy, and if I let them air cure, they need to be at least 70 degrees for at least 12 hours. On the other hand, I can bake them at 160 degrees for 20 minutes, in the oven, and they are good to go.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Not recommended you bake your waders, but keeping them in a warm room will let the AquaSeal cure better than in a cold garage or out in a car trunk during the winter.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That accelerator is great for fast fixes in warm weather, but it is very volatile and evaporates even with the lid tight on the container. Keeping it all in the freezer, between uses, helps preserve it longer.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I quit buying the accelerator. I had a bad experience when doing a repair also. I allowed it to dry plenty long, in warm temps, but the cured patch (with the Cotol) was a bit "grainy" and did not hold up very long. Using the same tube of AquaSeal, but without the Cotol, I replaced the patch and it worked great until I retired the waders.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]My final answer...take both AquaSeal and Cotol with you if you are going on a trip longer than a day or so. By using the accelerated curing time, you may be able to save a trip if you get a hole or tear in your waders. And, if you have a float tube with vinyl or urethane air chambers, the AquaSeal does a fine job on them too.[/#0000ff]
[signature]