Drake Waders Warranty: Terms, Models and How to Claim

Short answer

For most current Drake waders, the warranty is three years, structured as a "strap to sole" replacement. One model gets four, and a few older or lower-tier models get one or two. The page is the maker's own, so it is the final word on terms, and the rest of this guide is a plain reading of it. I have not made a claim, so I cannot tell you how fast or smoothly one goes.

If you are shopping rather than claiming, our Drake brand page lists the models on Amazon US.

Two pages, two sets of models

Drake splits the terms across two pages, and which one applies depends on your model number.

Main wader warranty page.

• 3 years: 14 models are listed, including the Guardian Elite HND front zip waders, the Guardian Elite Vanguard breathable waders, the Guardian Elite front zip insulated wader, the Insulated Breathable Chest Wader, the Buckshot Eqwader 1600, the EST Hip Boot and the Hardline breathable waders.
• 4 years: the BMF1600 Kevlar wader with Primaloft (DF2601) only.
• 1 year: the Spoonie waders.
• Anything not on the list is sent to the second page.

Other-models page.

• 1 year: Eqwader 1600 breathable waders with tear-away liner, in men's, women's and youth versions, plus the EST Hip Boot and the Spoonie waders.
• 2 years: the Guardian Elite breathable chest wader with tear-away liner, the Guardian Elite 6-Layer 4-in-1 chest wader with tear-away liner, and the front zip Guardian Elite 4-Layer wader with tear-away liner.

Notice that the EST Hip Boot is on both pages: three years on the first, one year on the second. I can't tell you which is current, and I would not try to settle it by guessing. If you own that boot, ask Drake which term applies to your pair, and get the answer in writing.

Model numbers are printed on a tag inside the waders, and Drake asks for photos of that tag on some claims. Find yours before you read the lists, because the camo pattern is not a model.

What "strap to sole" means

The page uses the phrase and does not define it. Taken at face value it describes a wader replaced as a whole, from the straps to the sole of the boot. (It is a good phrase for a policy and a poor one for a reader, since you can't tell from it whether a liner or a zipper is included.) Ask when you file.

What is covered and what is not

The covered category is defects: manufacturing defects in materials or workmanship. The excluded categories, per the page, are:

• normal wear and tear;
• abuse;
• accidents;
• alteration or modification;
• misuse;
• improper care.

The page also states there are no express warranties beyond the terms of the limited warranty. Drake is not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary or punitive damages, and implied warranties do not extend past the express warranty period.

For anything not on the wader lists, the page says Drake stands behind its items and that defects can be submitted through a customer service ticket for evaluation.

The other-models page does not say what is covered or excluded. It only says to include a picture of the damage. For those older models, the main page's defect-and-exclusion language is the best guide available, but that is an inference.

Filing a claim

The path depends on where you bought.

Bought directly from Drake. Go through the Returns, Exchanges and Warranty Portal with your original order number and the order details. You are responsible for shipping the waders to Drake, and Drake pays the return shipping on the replacement.

Bought from an authorized dealer. Open a ticket in Drake's Customer Service System under the name on your warranty registration. You get a Return Authorization number to put in the shipment, and the page asks for a trackable service. If your model is unavailable, Drake offers replacement options. The page says an upgrade can cost extra.

Older models on the second page. Open a ticket in the customer service system and include:

1. the best shipping address;
2. proof of purchase;
3. model, size and camo pattern;
4. photos of the tag inside the waders, front and back;
5. a photo of the damage.

Registration is the piece to do early. The page ties dealer claims to the registered name, so register when you buy and not when the waders fail.

Transfers, proof of purchase and care

The pages do not mention whether the warranty transfers. Proof of purchase is an original order number for direct sales, a registered name for dealer sales, and "proof of purchase" in general terms on the older-model page. Keep the receipt and the confirmation email in the same folder as the registration.

Care is the one place the warranty touches your habits. "Improper care" is on the exclusion list, and the page does not say what it means. The sensible response is to follow the care label and the steps in our how to clean waders and how to store waders guides, and to dry them fully before storage. Drake publishes a separate product care page that I did not open, so I can't tell you what it says.

Before you file

• Is it a leak, or condensation or a wet lining? The find a leak guide covers the tests.
• Check whether your model is on page one or page two.
• Find the order number, or the dealer receipt and registration name.
• Photograph the problem and the model tag.
• Do not repair it first. The page excludes alteration and modification, and a home patch can muddy a claim. If it is outside warranty, see our wader repair guide.

If the waders are the wrong size

Many hunting waders are returned because they don't fit, not because they fail, and fit problems are not defects. Size before you wear them. Our Drake wader size chart guide walks through the measurements. Browse duck hunting waders if you are comparing makers.

What the pages leave out

Neither page gives a turnaround time. Neither says what happens if a replacement model has changed from the original beyond the upgrade note. The main page does not address transferability. For all of these, the answer is a customer service ticket and a saved reply, because a promise in your inbox beats a recollection of a phone call.