Make sure to use an additive-free powdered laundry detergent or a liquid detergent designed specifically for synthetic, breathable fabrics. Do not use any detergents that contain fabric softeners or color-safe bleach.
Improper storage can cut the lifespan of of your waders. Follow these steps to keep your waders in top shape while they are in off-season storage. Allow them to dry as normal. Allowing waders to hang by the shoulder straps can cause them to stretch, and hanging waders upside down by the boots can stress the seams where the boots are connected to the neoprene wader material.
Leaving waders folded up can lead to creasing and create a weak points in the material so be sure to fold loosely. Wader damage is never a welcomed sight but punctures and tears will occur especially if you are using your waders on a regular basis. These simple repair procedures will allow you to continue to enjoy your favorite pair of waders for years. Sometimes this is very apparent and can be visually determined quickly. The quickest way to locate the source of the puncture is to turn your waders inside out and spray the general area of the leak with rubbing alcohol.
Any leaks will show as a damp spot on the outer side of the fabric. Mark this with masking tape or a marking pen, dry the waders and then move on to the repair. Usually a small tear or leak can be completely repaired with just a little Aquaseal.
Once you locate the leak, the easiest repair is to coat one or both sides with Aquaseal. A tip for using Aquaseal is to heat the bottle just a bit in warm water, which makes it much easier to use.
To spread it, use a flat squeegee a piece of cardstock or a business card works well to form a thin layer over the affected area. We recommend using some masking tape to mask off the area around the tear or pinhole to keep it contained to just the area around the tear.
For a durable wader repair using the material supplied in the repair kit, usually for a larger tear or rip, use a piece of the fabric supplied to cover the tear. Cut a piece of fabric to the relative size of the tear allowing it to overlap. Then Aquaseal over the tear, stick the fabric down and seal the edges of the fabric with Aquaseal. This will create a permanent patch. Before doing any Aquaseal repair mask off the area with some masking tape, scotch tape, or any tape to help keep the Aquaseal in a neat area over the repair.
Make sure to remove the tape after minutes while the Aquaseal is still wet. The seam tape that is included in the repair kit is heat activated. However this can seal the inside on a small tear, pinhole, or seam nicely when done correctly. Apply Aquaseal FD, covering the tear by at least 0. Allow the adhesive to cure for hours on a flat surface. Turn waders inside out and examine seams and fabric for gaps. Apply Aquaseal FD directly to the seam, extending over seam and on to the fabric by 0.
Use brush to work Aquaseal FD under fabric folds and into stitching. Repeat this step for all of the problem areas that you previously identified and marked with a felt tip marker. Once you have patched all of the holes on the interior of your waders, leave them inside-out and hang them to dry avoid hanging from the suspenders as they can stretch out over time.
Allow a cure time of hours for the best results. Check out the video below from Simms for detailed instructions on repairing waders with pinholes. The process of repairing a minor tear to your waders is somewhat more extensive than repairing a pinhole. This process requires the use of a patch. Most waders will come with a swatch of material to use for repairs but they can also be purchased aftermarket and as part of wader repair kits.
To fix a tear in your waders, pull the cut pieces together as much as possible and apply a liberal amount of Aquaseal to the affected area. Let the Aquaseal cure for a few seconds until it becomes tacky. Next, place a patch larger than the size of the problem area over the tear and press the patch firmly into the tacky Aquaseal.
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