And another +1 for the Redington Sonic Pro Zipperfronts. I've had them about 8 months and they have performed flawlessly. Don't think I'll need to be testing how good customer service is.
Terry Weist did a good review on Steelhead university on em..

Redington Sonic Pro with the zipper

I bought the redington CPX wader Zip Front from sierrtradingpost.com
4 $150 or so. Havn't taken them out cuz I have the Simms Guide ones from 3 years ago, But they look like nice ones 4 the price.

Had a pair of Patagonias that lasted four tough seasons. I hike a lot and, at the time fished about 40 days each season. They eventually just sort of disentigrated. Couldn't bring myself to pay the $ to get another pair. Spent five years replacing Hodgman waders every year. Finally switched to Dan Baileys now and am very happy. On season two. Would go with another pair of Dan Baileys if I had to buy today.

In that price range, the Sonic Pro's take the cake.

+1 on Patagonia's waders. Poor designs to start coupled with inferior construction is not a good combo. They are taking some steps to fix ongoing problems in a few of their fishing products, but they are playing catch up in the market. That would all be fine and dandy if they charged accordingly, but they do not. They have a ways to go. This is hard for me to say as I really appreciated and support the company every chance I get.

Purchased one pair of Patagonias five years ago, on (warrantied) pair six now. Another vote for best customer service in the business.

(Can't wait for Ryley to zip shriveled tallywacker up in fancy fronts, shart himself when the zipper breaks, blowing Sonic Seams and Plano box full of double stacks all the way back down to Tualco from Reiter!)

Merry Christmas.

I am reading this right, 6 pairs of pataGucci waders in 5 years? I gave up after two. Their customer service is top notch.

As much as I want to like the front zippered versions that are out there, I've now personally witnessed 2 zippers fail while out fishing with people. Fortunately, neither instance "ruined" the trip but, for me, that simply isn't a risk worth taking. I'd be SO pissed to be somewhere stuck for a week with a zipper that won't go back up.

KISS

I have 2 pairs of Patagucci waders. The SSTs I got 8 years ago have held up FFE. Haven't got to use the newer ones much yet. The older ones feel like much better material than the newer ones.

Both of those are stockingfoot, but I prefer to wear bootfoot breathables for most situations.

I had a pair of the zipper front sonic pros for about a month. They lasted about 5 or 6 drift boat trips before the zipper started to separate near the crotch. I assumed it was because I'm sitting down rowing most of the time. I traded em out for the regular sonic pros and I'm happy.

Those of you who own and love Dan Baileys:

Are you guys wearing one of the $200 models or the $400 ($500 with zipper front) model? The reason I ask is that I have yet to find a set of waders that won't leak within the first two seasons of frequent use for less than about $300. I'm currently wearing Simms Freestone waders that cost me a little over $300, and they have lasted twice as long as anything I have bought in the past for $200 or less and are still going strong, so they seem to have been a good buy. If the $200 Dan Baileys have lasted any of you (who fish a lot) longer than say, three years, I might go that route next time. If not, I'll probably buy the same Simms or Redingtons next time around.

fish4all: I am trying to validate/debunk my theory that $200 won't buy a pair of waders that stand up to 5+ years of frequent use. Rather than come out and say you will need to spend more, I thought I would "fish" for some other opinions.

Theory? That is a well proven fact! I don't think $10k could buy and/or build a pair of waders that would last 5 years through "frequent" use. I think that would require space-age technology or fully rigid kevlar

I stand by my original thought that when taking a product or brand average, I don't think anyone can touch Simms for longevity/durability. That isn't to say that there aren't pairs of Simms that leak sooner than others and other brands that hold up well. A simple common sense comparison of the materials and construction used on the lowers and high wear spots is a good starting point.

I don't think you'll find any waders that last five years of heavy use... but my $200 Bailey's have lasted longer than any others, including Simms (by a long length)...and when they leaked after four years they were replaced gratis with brand new ones that appear to be even more sturdily constructed than the last ones.

Fish on...

Todd

Redington

Also known as Redington

You working on a RVRWDR prototype Parker?

FF02,

I'm on my second set of DBs $200 Lightweight model. I began wearing this set in Sept. 2007. I always get some seepage or a pinhole leak from puckerbrush within the first year. I haven't sent any back because I consider that normal wear and tear. This set has a lot of Aquaseal spots on the legs inside and along the crotch because I couldn't precisely locate the leak. Currently they keep me bone dry, just as when new. I also have set of Patagonia and Redington in reserve but haven't needed them yet. So far, the DBs are the lightest and most comfortable wader I've ever worn.

I'm sure the Simms waders are good products as well, altho the customer service reports are on average much less favorable than for DBs. An important thing about the raves for Simms IMO, is that every person I know who wears Simms gets them on guide or shop pro deals and doesn't pay over the counter retail for them. At retail, the DBs are a much more cost effective alternative for my use than Simms, which is weekend warrior with a couple week long fishing trips a year. It seems to me that it's a lot easier to rave about a product that gives you good service when you don't have to pay full frieght for it, a fact conveniently left out of most positive posts.

Sg

Paker is going to invent the double-stacked RVRWDR and them get them for free from Todd.

They will be made out of duct tape and be the longest wearing, most comfortable, cheapest wader on the market.

Parker is already deadly close to copyright infringement and patent violation for fashioning a $75 RVRTCKLTRNSPRTR into footwear... If contemplated RVRLGGS make it to the marketplace litigation is sure to follow.

(The RVRTCKLTRNSPRTR was originally designed as a modular crossover system, AKA the "spey satchel".)

I don't hike very far, not a smart thing for me to do. Furthest is maybe 6 miles in the waders and then only 3-4 times a year. I don't hike through a lot of brush either. I kneel, A LOT. Have never wore holes there though. Always in the seams on the inside of the leg.

I just want a pair that is going to last another 6 good years without leaking. The junk I find at Wal-Mart now wouldn't last 2 days let alone 2 seasons.

Now if I was to find a fishing partner to go with a lot more maybe I would need them to last 150+ trips in 2 years but still don't mind paying $200 if they will last that long and keep me bone dry.

As for customer service, it doesn't matter to me if they answer the phone 24/7/365 if I have to call them every 6 months to get the waders returned and fixed/replaced.

So no one pays retail huh, send me the links or tell me how I can get in on this. All for upgrading at the same price as the ones I wanted originaly.