Repairing Breathable waders

cheeseburger · 04-03-2008, 07:43 AM

I recently ripped a small hole in my new waders..about 1/4" just above the boot in the back. I bought them at Cabelas and i called them to ask how to repair them. They came with some wader material and a strip of material thats used where they sew the seams. The guy there told me to get something called aquaseal, sold at wall mart. I could not find any there. I bought some 3m sealer stuff. The patch looks like crap, and i have not tried them to see if they leak or not.
Was wondering how you guys fix your rips,,or any suggestions on how to fix them properly. Can you sew them like the factory sewed the seams?
There must be a good way to fix them. The waders came with no instructions on repairing a hole.
Thanks guys!
Cheese

Nonates Buckheninigloo · 04-03-2008, 08:05 AM

I keep aqua seal in my waders at all times. You should be able to find it at Joe's or most other fishing retailers. That is all I use. I have put it on just out of the water and went right back in with about a dime size hole. They also sell a repair kit with aqua seal and patch's that is made for waders. They come with there own instructions.

cheeseburger · 04-03-2008, 08:44 AM

Great, thanks for the advice,,ill go to joes and get a kit then. Im fly fishing today on my way home in my toon..i hope my bad patch job will hold..at least it will be nice out,,but the water will be very cold.

Nonates Buckheninigloo · 04-03-2008, 09:39 AM

You will know if it doesnt.

Good luck fishing.

TooDrunkToFish · 04-03-2008, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheeseburger

...The patch looks like crap, and i have not tried them to see if they leak or not.
....

Doesn't have to look nice. As long as it works to keep the water out.

One of my waders has so many patches that it looks like a Raggedy Andy outfit. Other than the funny looks I get from other fishermen, the fish don't care.

driven2fish · 04-03-2008, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TooDrunkToFish

Doesn't have to look nice. As long as it works to keep the water out.

One of my waders has so many patches that it looks like a Raggedy Andy outfit. Other than the funny looks I get from other fishermen, the fish don't care.

James in Idaho · 04-03-2008, 01:06 PM

Here's a secret, "Shoe Goo" is the same stuff a aqua seal.

gthfish · 04-03-2008, 01:14 PM

Shoe goo or aquaseal both work well alone and quick if the hole is smaller then your pinky finger tip. If its bigger, I'd use a little fabric or a patch with either. I usually treat it from both sides and use a little tape temporarily to keep the goo from going all over while it dries.

Two Fister · 04-03-2008, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gthfish

Shoe goo or aquaseal both work well alone and quick if the hole is smaller then your pinky finger tip. If its bigger, I'd use a little fabric or a patch with either. I usually treat it from both sides and use a little tape temporarily to keep the goo from going all over while it dries.

Exactly the way I do it. Won't be pretty but it'll keep you dry. The shoe goo can be a bit grabby on the inside of your waders until it builds up a sufficient layer of fuzz from your long johns or pile pants. Shouldn't be much of a problem down by your foot.

TF

cheeseburger · 04-04-2008, 07:36 AM

Thanks for all the help guys. The quick fix i did on it kept me dry yesterday. The water was a bit cold for the trout though. Ill get some shoe goo or aqua seal and keep it with me. Thanks!

Siwash · 04-04-2008, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gthfish

Shoe goo or aquaseal both work well alone and quick if the hole is smaller then your pinky finger tip. If its bigger, I'd use a little fabric or a patch with either. I usually treat it from both sides and use a little tape temporarily to keep the goo from going all over while it dries.

I've had excellent results using a "glueless" (self-stick, as opposed to the old rubber-cement style) bike tube patch. They're designed to expand/flex a little, so they won't become brittle and crack after a while like some of my patch jobs back in the day. Sandwich the tear inside & out w/ a couple of those to give it structural reinforcement, and then aquaseal over it to keep the edges of the patch from peeling up.

SSPey · 04-04-2008, 04:24 PM

aquaseal and shoe goo are great at home, but I keep a tube of Loons UV wader repair in my kit bag that goes to the river. Magical stuff, smear it on and it cures in 20-30 seconds upon contact with sunlight, even on dark, cold, cloudy winter days.

nookslayer · 04-04-2008, 08:48 PM

The loon UV waders repair is the ONLY thing to keep with you on the river. It cures amazingly quick and does a good job. Aquaseal is the best thing to repair waders but it takes overnight to truly set up.

gthfish · 04-05-2008, 12:39 PM

Aquaseal also works well on a "seep " type leak that has no obvious hole. I use a little piece of stiff plastic and apply and "force in" a thin layer to the questionable area on the outside fabric. Not pretty. but works. One note though. When your waders start getting seeps, it's usually from fabric to fabric wear , and it usually means the first of many. The beginning of the end.

Ty · 04-09-2008, 08:33 AM

1/4 inch is a sizable hole, don't be afraid use a thread and needle... I preffer dental floss..

Another trick w/ aqua seal, find it packaged w/ toulene, this is an accelerator and changes the properties to make the patch more flexible and increase the life and accelerate the time it take to dry.