DIY Gore-Tex Wader Repair

Do It Yourself Gore-Tex Repair

Last time I checked I like my waders to not leak and you probably do too. The biggest plague to any wader, doesn't matter how much you spend, is a pinhole leaks. However, higher end waders like SIMMS and Patagonia are more resistant to pinholes... no lie. Pinhole leaks are caused by a multitude of things... hooks, thorn bushes, barb wire, brush, etc. and can be hard to identify... but not if you have GORE-TEX specific fabric! Enough BS let's go through the steps of how to identify and repair pinhole leaks...

Step 1. Are my waders GORE-TEX? Should be a tag on the inside or a logo somewhere on the outside. If you are not sure shoot me a message and I will let you know... only a few companies actually are licensed to use GORE-TEX as a wader fabric.

Step 2. Turn waders INSIDE OUT. Make sure they are clean and dry. By clean I mean not caked with mud... if there is mud on the INSIDE of your waders you probably have bigger problems.

Step 3. Dump some rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle. Spray the INSIDE of the wader so the alcohol soaks into the liner fabric.

Step 4. As the alcohol soaks in any pinhole you may have will show up as a DARKER grey spot and will grow in size as the alcohol soaks in.

Step 5. Put a small dab of Aquaseal glue on the grey spot and RUB INTO THE WADER. DO NOT GLOB THE GLUE ON THE WADER. * The glue can be applied to the alcohol soaked wader. You DO NOT have to wait for the alcohol to evaporate.

Step 6. Let it dry a couple hours and spray the waders again. If the previously repaired pinholes do not turn grey again you are good to go!!

FYI... Some other facts about DIY wader repair...

1. REVIVEX is a product to rejuvenate the outer DWR (Deluge Water Repellency). It helps water bead off of waterproof fabrics to aid in breathability.
2. They make a product to get rid of wader stink! Kinda cool! Testing for pinholes with rubbing alcohol also helps kill bacteria and reduce wader stink.
3. UV Aquaseal is perfect for small tears/rips when out fishing.

4. Wader seam leaks are usually only able to be found at the factory... unless the wader seam is completely ripped wide open. Sometimes a faint pinhole can be found in the very center of a seam when rubbing alcohol is applied and the fabric is inspected extremely carefully with trained eye. They do not show up the same a normal pinhole leak. If there are no pinholes present there is probably a seam leak.