The ABCs of fixing leaking waders

Alert readers of this space may remember a deft reference to “torn waders” in last week’s story. The one-inch tear in the calf section was the result of a losing battle with a gnarly section of barbed wire.

Luckily, I travel with a spare pair of waders, but upon returning home, I was faced with the challenge of not only repairing the tear but also finding the tiny holes that were allowing water to enter the butt section.

There are basically three ways to locate pinholes: 1) in a dark room, shine a light through the waders; 2) spray the affected section with alcohol and look for dark spots, and 3) trap air, then submerge, looking for bubbles.

Option one showed a half-dozen obvious pinholes which I coated outside with Aquaseal. Then, after 12 hours, I repeated inside.

Over the years, I’ve tried substitutes for Aquaseal, and I’ve always been disappointed. Accept no substitutes. Storing a used tube of pricey Aquaseal in the freezer will preserve its usefulness for years. Any area to be repaired should be wiped with alcohol to clean the fabric.

Now for the tear. I carry an Orvis repair kit that includes a small tube of Aquaseal, a strip of heal-sealable tape and a small section of wader material for larger tears.

I cut a section of heat-tape, rounded the corners and used a medium-heat clothes iron to apply the tape over the closed tear. Then the area was coated with a thin layer of Aquaseal, both inside and outside.

Most waterproof-breathable fabrics (waders, raincoats, etc.) are coated with a durable water-repellent coating (DWR) which eventually breaks down and allows the fabric to get “wetted,” rather than beading the water.

First step in repairing the DWR is cleaning the waders. I washed them in a washing machine, gentle cycle, cold water, Nikwax Tech Wash. The slightly damp fabric was sprayed with ReviveX (accept no substitutes), then gently heat sealed with a hair dryer. Don’t put your waders in a clothes dryer.

Repaired and waterproofed waders are, once again, ready for duty.