Simms Wader Repair: When to Send Them In and When to Patch at Home

Short answer

Send the waders to Simms if they are under a year old, if the damage is large, or if it is at a seam, zipper or strap you do not trust. Patch them yourself if it is a pinhole you can find and mark. In both cases, do not wear them in cold water until the repair has fully cured, because a leak in cold water is a safety matter and not an inconvenience.

Background on the brand and the Simms products we track on Amazon US is on the Simms brand page. What a claim costs and what the warranty covers is in the Simms waders warranty guide.

How a Simms repair works

Simms' repairs page lays out the process:

1. Start the claim. Fill in the online Warranty and Repair Form. Include clear photos and a description of the problem.
2. Ship them. Simms usually asks you to send the waders in. If you bought directly from Simms, you pay to ship them there and Simms pays the return. If you bought from an authorized dealer in the US or Canada, take them to the dealer with your original receipt or proof of purchase and the dealer can help start the claim.
3. Wait for the verdict. After review Simms confirms whether it can repair the item, gives a timeline and states any fees.

The possible outcomes on the page are a free repair, a replacement with the same model if one is available, or a comparable replacement if the model has been discontinued.

Cost and time

In the first year repairs are free, and per the warranty page a leak in the first 60 days is replaced. After the first year the page says Simms will repair the item or make it right, with a fee. The warranty page describes a flat fee covering evaluation, repair, testing and return shipping, and the repairs page says a small service fee may apply. I have not quoted an amount because it can change, and the warranty page is where it is stated.

For time, the repairs page says most repairs take 4 to 6 weeks, depending on season and parts availability, and the warranty page says typical turnaround is roughly 3 weeks, not counting transit. If you fish a short season, send waders in at the end of it, not the week before a trip.

What is not covered after the first year

Per the repairs page, these are not covered after one year, although Simms still reviews them and the gear may not be repairable:

• accidents, misuse or abuse;
• cuts, burns, abrasions or punctures;
• mold, mildew or improper care;
• cosmetic wear;
• unauthorized repairs or modifications.

That list is the reason to think before you reach for a tube of sealant. A home patch is not forbidden, and for a pinhole it is the sensible fix. The page does not say how it treats a home patch on waders in their first year, so if yours are that young, photograph the damage first and ask before you seal anything.

Before you send them in

• Clean and dry the waders. Remove any mold or mildew.
• Take out personal items: belts, cleats, fly boxes, retractors. Simms says it is not responsible for lost items.
• Write the case number clearly on the box.

Our how to clean waders guide covers washing and drying.

Patching a pinhole yourself

Simms' repairs page does not describe field repair steps, but it links to its own videos on pinhole leaks, patches, strap dividers and zippers. For the method itself, Field & Stream's guide and Gear Aid's instructions describe the same approach:

1. Find the leak. Clean and dry the waders and turn them inside out. Lightly mist isopropyl alcohol over the suspect area, and small dark spots should show where the hole is. Circle each spot with a marker, staying at least a quarter inch from the hole. Gear Aid says to use alcohol of no more than 70% concentration.
2. Let the alcohol dry.
3. Seal. Brush Gear Aid Aquaseal FD over the circled area. Field & Stream says any waterproof urethane adhesive can work, but to follow the sealant's instructions.
4. Cure. Field & Stream says about 24 hours before use. Gear Aid says 8 to 12 hours for tears and seam sealing, laid on a flat surface. Take the longer figure for a pinhole you will trust in cold water.

For a tear, Gear Aid says to clean the area with alcohol and cover the tear with sealant by at least half an inch. Field & Stream describes trimming a patch, applying sealant around the tear, and pressing the patch on from the center outward to push out air bubbles. Gear Aid says Aquaseal FD works on neoprene, canvas, rubber or breathable GORE-TEX fabric, and a seam is sealed by working the sealant about a quarter inch onto the fabric on either side and into the stitching with a brush. For the full set of steps, see our wader repair guide.

When to stop and send them in

• The leak is at a seam, a zipper or a strap divider, and a patch will not hold the part together.
• The tear is large. Field & Stream says large damage should go to the manufacturer.
• You can't find the leak. Our how to find a leak in waders guide covers the water-fill method.
• The waders are in their first year and you want a free repair.

A mid-range pair with moderate use should last about three to four seasons, according to Field & Stream, so an old pair that has started leaking in several places may be a replacement case. The waders page lets you filter by construction and foot type, and the wader repair kits page lists the sealants and patches we track on Amazon US, with the specs the maker states.